James Wolff

New York Law School, Corporate Law, Alumnus

Johns Hopkins University, Peabody Institute of Music, Alumnus

Followers

Following

118

Public Views

James Wolff is Counsel and Chair of the Emerging Technologies Law Group at Warshaw Burstein, LLP. He is a sophisticated corporate transactional and complex commercial litigation practitioner specializing in all phases across the corporate lifecycle including formations and franchise strategies, governance and contract drafting, private equity and venture capital, IP and trademark law, employment law, mergers & acquisitions, buy/sell agreements, asset sales, and more.

Clients call upon James to handle their most complex business and securities matters. He develops a thorough understanding of his clients’ business and aligns his legal strategies to coincide with their business objectives.

James counsels a diverse range of businesses and entrepreneurs on a wide range of corporate, legal, and financial issues. He represents entrepreneurs, domestic and international companies, closely-held businesses, family offices, investors, and not-for-profit organizations in connection with business structuring, domestic and cross-border transactions, mergers & acquisitions, venture capital, private equity, secured financing, joint ventures, investment fund structuring, securities law matters, commercial transactions/contracts, and a wide-variety of other business law matters.

James has successfully closed merger and acquisition transactions, sale and exchange transactions, private securities transactions, commercial loan transactions, and work out transactions for businesses of all sizes in various industries including the software, banking, insurance, engineering, manufacturing, medical, environmental, distribution, and service industries.

James counsels large and small businesses on issues that arise in their day-today operations, including shareholder rights and disputes, equity holders’ agreements, the authority and duties of management, voluntary and contested dissolutions, organizational and operational agreements, financing issues, and contractual relationships with customers and vendors.

A frequent lecturer to business groups, emerging technology conferences, accounting and finance organizations, and lawyers, James is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the New York County Lawyers Association, and the New York City Bar Association. He is an Executive Board Member of the United Nations Association.

James is a Martindale-Hubbell Gold Client Champion, 2017-2023. The awards, based on the quantity and quality of an attorney’s Martindale-Hubbell client reviews, demonstrate an ongoing commitment to delivering excellent client service. He is the American Registry Client Champion Gold Award, 2018 through 2022. He has been recognized by Metro New York Super Lawyers Rising Stars Business and Corporate Law Award from 2020 through 2023. The Rising Stars list is comprised of the top 2.5 percent of lawyers under the age of 40. He is the recipient of the 2023 American Registry America’s Most Honored Lawyers Award. The American Registry uses a rigorous selection process, which includes “the gathering of peer review ratings, customer reviews, industry analysis, to ultimately uncover the best of the best professionals in business.
Phone: 9176876045

less

InterestsView All (13)

Uploads

Papers by James Wolff

FRONTIERS OF SPACE LAW: NAVIGATING OWNERSHIP, RESPONSIBILITY, AND POLICY IN THE FINAL FRONTIER

As space commercialization and strategic competition intensify, international legal frameworks go... more As space commercialization and strategic competition intensify, international legal frameworks governing outer space are under increasing pressure. This thesis examines two critical and evolving areas of space law: property rights in outer space and liability for orbital debris. Drawing on legal instruments such as the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and the 1972 Convention on Liability for Damage Arising from Activities on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, as well as contemporary frameworks like the Artemis Accords and the Hague Building Blocks, the study evaluates how national legislation and soft-law initiatives are reshaping global governance. Using a qualitative legal analysis and comparative methodology, the research highlights the legal fragmentation caused by unilateral approaches to resource extraction and the insufficiency of current mechanisms to address orbital congestion. The findings reveal an urgent need for multilateral legal reform, stronger enforcement systems, and inclusive policy design to ensure space remains a sustainable and equitable domain. The thesis concludes with recommendations for treaty modernization, regulatory harmonization, and expanded international cooperation, positioning the United States as a pivotal actor in building a more coherent space law architecture.

Download

FUNDING PLANETARY DEFENSE: NAVIGATING GEOPOLITICS AND FINANCE FOR ASTEROID 2024 YR4 AND BEYOND

As Earth’s orbital monitoring capabilities improve, so too does awareness of the planet’s vulnera... more As Earth’s orbital monitoring capabilities improve, so too does awareness of the planet’s vulnerability to near-Earth objects (NEOs). The recent risk dismissal of asteroid 2024 YR4 by major space agencies highlights the strengths of current planetary defense systems—and their financial and strategic shortcomings. Despite successful threat tracking, the absence of preemptive global funding mechanisms leaves the world unprepared for rapid-response deflection or mitigation missions. This paper examines the geopolitical and financial aspects of planetary defense, highlighting the pressing need for a permanent international financing mechanism. It examines the feasibility of a global Planetary Defense Fund by comparing it to models such as the Global Environment Facility and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). Additionally, it introduces the concept of a Defense, Security, and Resilience (DSR) Bank to facilitate equitable resource pooling across nations. The study also evaluates emerging hybrid financial frameworks involving commercial launch providers, AI-driven mission planning, and public-private partnerships. It argues that proactive, multilateral investment in planetary defense infrastructure, mirroring models used in climate resilience and disaster recovery, is not only feasible but also essential. As the probability of a catastrophic impact remains low yet real, a coherent and integrated financial strategy is vital for global preparedness.

Download

A Comparison of Astronaut Near-Earth Object Missions

AIAA SPACE 2012 Conference & Exposition, 2012

NASA intends to send astronauts to a near Earth object (NEO) in or around 2025. This is expected ... more NASA intends to send astronauts to a near Earth object (NEO) in or around 2025. This is expected to involve a six month mission with a few weeks stay-time at the NEO. Problems with this concept include lack of abort modes, vulnerability to solar flares, and lack of resupply opportunities. Studies by the authors (the Asteroid Mining Group) and a recent workshop at JPL organized by the Keck Institute opens the door to an alternative that addresses these problems and creates additional opportunities. Both groups investigated the feasibility of bringing one of more small NEOs into Earth or Lunar orbit. Particularly for High Earth Orbits (HEO) or High Lunar Orbits (HLO), this appears feasible with near-term technology, especially high-propellant-velocity, low-thrust solar electric propulsion (SEP) inspace vehicles. This paper compares the currently planned mission with an alternative: bringing one or more NEOs into HEO or HLO using SEP and lunar gravity assist. An astronaut mission to the NEO is then similar to a mission to the Moon without a landing. Trip times are measured in days, the NEO can be used for solar flare protection for most of the mission, and resupply within a few days is practical. Furthermore, materials derived from the NEO, e.g., propellant, water, radiation shielding, metals, silicon, and others, are available for projects in cis-lunar space, including satellite refueling, habitats, and space solar power. The alternative mission also develops much of the technology, experience, and infrastructure needed to protect Earth from potentially hazardous NEOs. As an outcome of these studies we are proposing a process whereby early missions can lead to large-scale industrialization of cis-lunar space based on solar energy and asteroidal resources.

Download

Conference Presentations by James Wolff

FUNDING PLANETARY DEFENSE: NAVIGATING GEOPOLITICS AND FINANCE FOR ASTEROID 2024 YR4 AND BEYOND

FRONTIERS OF SPACE LAW: NAVIGATING OWNERSHIP, RESPONSIBILITY, AND POLICY IN THE FINAL FRONTIER

Download

James Wolff

Uploads

Papers by James Wolff

Conference Presentations by James Wolff

Log In