Counsel for property, business & family
Clear counsel, carefully given.
For nearly four decades Hartwell & Reed has advised property owners, managers, businesses and families with patience, plain language and a partner on every matter.
- Property managers
- Owners & landlords
- Small businesses
- Families
Practice areas
Five areas, practised in depth.
We keep our practice deliberately focused, so that the partner you meet is the one who knows your matter best.
Showing 5 practice areas
From a first home to a portfolio of mixed-use buildings, we review contracts, resolve title questions and see each closing through to the keys, with no surprises at the table.
Ask about real estateTypical matters
- Residential and commercial closings
- Title and survey review
- Easements and boundary disputes
- Refinancing and lender negotiations
We act as outside counsel for small and mid-sized businesses: setting them up properly, drafting the agreements they rely on, and resolving disagreements before they become lawsuits.
Ask about business & contractsTypical matters
- Entity formation and operating agreements
- Vendor, supplier and service contracts
- Partner and shareholder disputes
- Buying or selling a business
Good planning is a kindness to the people you love. We listen first, then prepare documents that are clear, current and easy for your family to act upon.
Ask about estate planningTypical matters
- Wills and revocable trusts
- Powers of attorney and health directives
- Probate and estate administration
- Succession planning for family property
Property managers are among our longest-standing clients. We draft leases that hold up, advise on notices and habitability, and handle disputes efficiently, with fixed-fee options for routine matters across a portfolio.
Ask about landlord–tenantTypical matters
- Lease drafting and portfolio lease reviews
- Notices, renewals and rent matters
- Possession and eviction proceedings
- Fair-housing and compliance guidance
We help employers stay on the right side of the rules: handbooks that reflect how you actually work, careful advice on difficult decisions, and steady representation when a claim arrives.
Ask about employmentTypical matters
- Employment agreements and handbooks
- Classification and wage questions
- Workplace investigations
- Separation agreements
A record built quietly.
Illustrative figures for this concept demo.
- Leases drafted or reviewed for property managers
- 1,200+
- In real estate transactions closed last year
- $46M
- Landlord–tenant disputes resolved before trial
- 9 in 10
- Serving owners, businesses and families
- 38 yrs
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
“Good counsel is measured. It weighs the cost of winning as carefully as the cost of losing.”
The partners
Three partners. One standard of care.
Eleanor Hartwell
Founding partner
- Focus
- Real estate · Landlord–tenant
- Bar
- Admitted 1986
Eleanor founded the firm after a decade in commercial property practice. She advises property managers on portfolio leasing and has guided several hundred buildings through sale and refinancing. She chairs the firm's landlord–tenant group and still reads every lease template herself.
Thomas Reed
Managing partner
- Focus
- Business & contracts · Employment
- Bar
- Admitted 1991
Thomas is outside counsel to dozens of owner-led companies, from family restaurants to regional contractors. He is known for short contracts, plain advice and settling disagreements early. He teaches an evening course on small-business law at the local college.
Amara Okafor
Partner
- Focus
- Estate planning · Probate
- Bar
- Admitted 2004
Amara leads the estate planning practice. Her clients range from young families to owners planning to pass on property and businesses. She is patient, precise, and particularly good at explaining trusts to people who would rather not think about them.
How we work
A measured process, start to finish.
- I
Listen
A first conversation of thirty minutes, without charge, to understand what has happened and what you need.
- II
Advise
A short written note setting out your options, the likely costs, and our honest recommendation.
- III
Act
One partner leads your matter from start to finish, with regular updates and no unexplained bills.
- IV
Stay close
When it is resolved, we remain on hand. Most of our clients have been with us for many years.
What clients say
We manage just over three hundred units. Since Hartwell & Reed rewrote our leases, disputes have become rare, and when one does arise, we know exactly where we stand.
Consultations
Tell us a little about your matter.
A partner reviews every request personally. We will reply within one business day to arrange a time.
Office40 Ashford Street, Suite 300
Millbrook, NY 10000
Telephone(212) 555-0172