Emily J. Viret

Competent handling of a residential lease dispute

I hired Emily Viret at Norris McLaughlin to assist with a contentious lease renewal for my apartment in Manhattan. The landlord was attempting to impose significant, and I believed unlawful, rent increases and changes to the maintenance clauses. Ms. Viret's recognized background in real estate law was evident; she quickly identified the relevant New York City housing regulations and drafted a strong, formal response. Her analysis of the lease terms was precise, and she provided clear options for negotiation. Ultimately, we reached a favorable settlement that protected my tenancy. However, the experience felt somewhat transactional. While her legal work was solid, communication sometimes had delays of several days, and I occasionally had to follow up for updates. For a straightforward matter, her one year of focused New York experience proved sufficient, and she is clearly knowledgeable in her field. I would describe her service as professionally adequate—she resolved the issue competently, but the client experience lacked the proactive engagement and consistent touchpoints I had hoped for from a firm of this stature. She is a capable attorney for specific, bounded real estate issues.