Business Law Section

Business Law Section

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
On June 27, 2026, the NYSBA House of Delegates approved the merger of the Corporate Counsel Section with the Business Law Section. Corporate Counsel Section members will automatically become members of the Business Law Section and its new Corporate Counsel Committee. Read the letter from the Section Chairs to Section members here and the text of the merger resolution here.

WHO WE ARE

The Business Law Section, with a membership of approximately 3,500, is one of the largest Sections of the New York State Bar Association. Its members consist of attorneys whose practice involves some aspect of commerce or finance. Thus, the practice of the members is quite diverse – ranging from securities to banking, bankruptcy to consumer finance, franchising to insurance, among many others.

To accommodate this breadth of practice, the Business Law Section has a range of committees which offer the practitioner with business clients information in similarly diverse areas: Bankruptcy; Banking; Business Organizations; Franchise, Distribution and Licensing, Derivatives and Structured Products; Securities Regulation; and the constantly evolving area of Technology and Venture Law. These committees meet regularly to review current developments in their areas.

Members enjoy the benefit of participating in discussions of developments in the business and financial services world and the opportunity to expand their professional network. Attendance at committee meetings and other scheduled Section meetings often can fulfill MCLE requirements.

SECTION BENEFITS

NY Business Law Journal, which provides practice-oriented insight and guidance relevant to the business law practitioner, with special emphasis on lawyers who practice in New York State.
Opportunities to plan and conduct continuing legal education programs.
Access to an extensive list of continuing legal education online on-demand programs.
Networking events to meet business law attorneys from across the state.
Professional growth opportunities by joining a committee.
Access to the Business Law Section’s Online Community, where members post queries for guidance and referrals.

The Business Law Section has been in the forefront introducing, monitoring, and evaluating legal developments in the areas of business and finance on both federal and New York State levels.

CONTACT US

To learn more about this Section, please contact Jessica Kirker
jkirker@nysba.org
518-487-5654

Please do not contact the Section liaison with a request for legal advice or an attorney referral. You can instead visit our ‘Public Resources’ or ‘Lawyer Referral Service’ page for this type of request.

Luca CM Melchionna

Melchionna PLLC
New York, NY

Luca CM Melchionna has 25+ years of experience in both private practice and academia, in Italy and in the United States. He is a transactional attorney with a focus on regulatory, compliance, and M&A/tax. Mr. Melchionna currently represents and assists multinational companies and institutional entities in a variety of corporate, commercial, and tax law matters. He assists buyers and investors in the formation and/or acquisition of U.S. companies, local assets, and international business transactions. He also assists and represents clients before numerous federal and/or state authorities and institutions. Mr. Melchionna is admitted to practice law in the State of New York and before the following courts: US District Court of Southern District of New York; US District Court of the Eastern District of New York; US District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan; US District Court of the Western District of Michigan. He has been appointed chair of the Venture and Technology Committee of the Business Law Section of NYSBA and member of the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence of NYSBA.

Mr. Melchionna is also Counselor of Legal Affairs of the Permanent Delegation to the UN of EPLO, the European Public Law Organization, a thirty-year-old international organization dedicated to the promotion of the Rule of Law.

He graduated from the University of Rome, School of Law with a Juris Doctor. He earned an LLM degree in International Business Law at the University of Rome, Business School, and – from the same educational institution – a second LLM degree in International Tax Planning (with honors). In 2001 he completed a summer program at the University of Paris (with Cornell Law School) in Comparative Corporate Law. In 2003, he graduated with a third LLM degree at Boston University School of Law. In 2005 he was a visiting professor at Boston University School of Law. From 2006-2012 he was at St. John’s Law School in NYC as director of the LLM Program and adjunct professor. In 2011-2012 he was a visiting scholar in New York City at Columbia University, the Italian Academy for Advanced Studies.

Mr. Melchionna has published extensively: two books; four contributions to books, and more than 50 professional and/or academic articles. He is invited regularly to conferences, symposia, roundtables, and academic lectures.

Online Community

Access Here

Business Law Section Publications

Newly released issues are restricted to Section & Committee Members only for the first 90 days, after which they become available to all members.

NY Business Law 2026 v 30 no 1 COVER 200

NY Business Law Journal – 2026 Vol. 30 No. 1

View Latest Issue

NY Business Law Journal Archive

NY Business Law Journal

The NY Business Law Journal features peer-written substantive articles relating to the practice of business law. It is designed to provide practice-oriented insight and guidance relevant to the business law practitioner, with special emphasis on lawyers who practice in the State of New York.

Edited by Jessica Blanchette, Esq., Editor-in-Chief, and Prof. Edward DeBarbieri, Managing Editor, the NY Business Law Journal is published twice per year by the Business Law Section and distributed to Section Members free of charge.

The Journal is published as a benefit for members of the Business Law Section and is copyrighted by the New York State Bar Association.

The NY Business Law Journal encourages article submissions on topics of interest to members of the Section. Writing an article for a NYSBA Section publication is a great way to get your name out in the legal community and advertise your knowledge. Our authors are respected state-wide for their legal expertise in all aspects of business law, including banking, bankruptcy, business organizations, employment law, franchise law, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, securities and technology. Recent issues have focused on such timely concerns as cybersecurity, internet law, and the evolving law surrounding marijuana businesses.

Spring 2026

The New York Business Law Journal is now accepting submissions for the Spring 2026 issue through May 11, 2026.

Click here to learn more (PDF)

Submit an article for future publication

Article Library

Looking for specific articles from our issues? Explore our library of individual articles, available from current and past editions.

View article library

Author Guidelines

NYSBA has created comprehensive author guidelines, with information regarding our reprint policy, style guidelines, and obtaining MCLE Author Credits.

View the author guidelines

Business Law Memos

BLS Memo- S.995-B/A.3484-A
AN ACT to amend limited liability company law and the executive law, in relation to the disclosure of beneficial owners of limited liability companies.

BLS Memo 4 – S7508A/A9508A, Part LL
AN ACT to amend the Banking Law, in relation to consumer debt collectors

BLS Memo 5-GOV – S8214
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to the regulation of chemicals in upholstered furniture, mattresses and electronic enclosures

Business Law Section Committee

In recognition of the conclusion of Hispanic Heritage Month 2020, the Business Law Section and the Dominican Bar Association presented a Fireside Chat with Anthony Q. Fletcher, Chair of the Business Law Section, and Cid Wilson, President and CEO of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility.

Business Law Section Mentoring Program

The NYSBA Business Law Section through its Diversity Committee launched this Mentoring Program in 2020 to develop young talent in the section and encourage networking. The program’s goal is to provide mentees with the opportunity to gain insight into the business law profession from experienced attorneys. Mentors will offer mentees real-world advice and guidance on various topics and ensure that newly-admitted attorneys receive the mentoring they need to maximize their potential.

Deadline for applications: Friday, October 24 by end of day

Matchings to be shared: Friday, October 31

Learn more about the mentoring program

Business Law Links of Interest

General Legal Resources

Cornell’s Legal Information Institute
The Library of Congress’ Thomas locater service
For beginners and experts – a primer on Internet research
New York Law Journal List of Internet Legal resources (The New York Law Journal has already gone through the trouble of making a collection of sites potentially of interest to the New York practitioner. It i s geared toward New York attorneys).
Find Law Internet Legal Resources (This site is a collection of links to a great variety of federal and state legal resources on the Net, from statutes to cases to regulations to other sites, etc. It is a good st arting point for Internet legal research generally, and to start your own bookmarked collection of legal Web pages of interest you your particular practice).
LawGuru

General Resources in Business Law

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Title 15, Chapters 2A, 2B, 2B-1 of the U.S. Code contain most of the federal securities statutes and may be accessed at the Cornell Law School Web site (easy to use – search by citation, browse sections, and enter search terms) or at the U.S. Government Printing Office site (users may search the entire U.S. Code more readily)
Federal regulations adopted under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are contained in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations
Federal Forms Library

Banking Law

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
The FDIC’s banking law resources
New York State Banking Department
LII Banking Law Materials. Includes a very useful menu of source material and links, including relevant state and federal statutes and case law, and a search engine for C.F.R. Title 12.

Bankruptcy Law

The LII’s bankruptcy law materials. Includes searchable full text of U.S. Code, Title 11.
The American Bankruptcy Institute
The Internet Bankruptcy Library

Securities Regulation

The LII’s corporations law materials. Includes materials on securities regulation and full text of federal securities legislation.
SECLAW.COM, an online guide to securities law
Securities and Exchange Commission
SEC Proposed Rules, Final Rules, Concept Releases, Interpretive Releases, and Policy Statements
SEC Staff Accounting Bulletins and Stall Legal Bulletins
SEC Litigation Releases – Federal Court Actions, Administrative Proceedings – Notices & Settlements, ALJ Decisions & Orders, Reports of Investigations, Commission Opinions, Trading Suspensions, SEC Rules of Practice, Investors Claims Funds and Briefs

Commodities and Futures Law

Commodityworld.com – market news, prices, charts, and educational resources.
Gold Eagle – has weekly features and forums; prices, charts, and analysis; and a directory of links for gold, silver, and precious metal investors.

Consumer Financial Services

The LII’s consumer credit materials

Corporations and other Business Entitities

The LII’s partnership law materials
The LII’s corporations law materials

Franchise Law

State Agencies Administering Franchise Disclosure Laws

U.S. Federal Government Agencies

Not For Profit Sites

National & International Organizations

Other Bar Association Sites

Business Law Resources

Committees of the Business Law Section

Enhance your expertise in specific areas of practice
Networking and research opportunities
More…

Crowdfunding: How to Succeed in Business After Really Trying to Raise Capital (Program Archive – Free for Business Law Section members)
Recorded January 27, 2016

Cybercrime – Before and After (Program Archive – Free to Business Law Section members)
Recorded January 27, 2016

Join the Business Law Community

Discuss topics of interest with other members of the Business Law Section
Receive e-mail updates on current discussions

Business Law Section Blog

Program Archives

Delivering Impact and Maximizing Returns Through Corporate Engagement: Past, Present and Future

June 24, 2022

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