Raffi Salbashian: The NYC Attorney Clients Trust Before the Crisis Ever Begins

New York, NY, United States, August 8, 2025 -- In New York City, legal help often arrives after the damage is done. After the deal unravels. After the contractor disappears. After an organization is one complaint away from shutting down.

Raffi Salbashian built his legal career to flip that script—by stepping in before it happens.

A former prosecutor with a commanding trial record, Salbashian is now one of the city’s most trusted attorneys in sectors where most lawyers rarely show up: early childhood education, tenant advocacy, real estate transactions, and construction risk. He’s negotiated multimillion-dollar settlements, taken bad actors to court, stabilized vital child care networks, and shielded clients from legal and financial ruin—often before their cases ever became public.

“The law should be a safeguard, not just a last resort,” he says. “The strongest defenses start before there’s a threat.”

Salbashian’s legal foundation was forged in the courtroom. At the New York State Attorney General’s Office and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, he led complex trials involving corporate fraud, financial crime, and violent offenses—including nine-figure fraud schemes and a landmark hate crime conviction many deemed unwinnable.

“You learn a lot when you’ve tried tough cases,” he says. “But you learn even more when you see what could’ve been avoided with early, strategic legal guidance.”

That mindset now defines his approach: deliver the full skill set of a seasoned litigator long before disaster strikes—and escalate only when it truly matters.

As Senior Counsel at the Day Care Council of New York (DCCNY), Salbashian oversees legal strategy for more than 300 publicly funded early childhood education providers—many serving low-income and working-class families across all five boroughs.

Through DCCNY’s Labor Relations and Mediation Services (LRAS) program, he ensures providers stay compliant with city and state regulations, manages union relationships, and resolves complex staff grievances. His legal strategies have prevented closures, workforce disruptions, and contract disputes—often through swift, behind-the-scenes intervention.

“This isn’t just regulatory law,” he says. “It’s real infrastructure. When a child care center fails, the impact isn’t measured in headlines—it’s measured in missed paychecks, closed classrooms, and parents with nowhere to turn.”

“Raffi doesn’t just handle the legal work—he’s saved programs from the edge more times than I can count,” says Gisselle Terrero, who handles member services at the Council. “What’s rare is that he does it before it becomes a crisis.”

What began with helping friends avoid risky deals has grown into a boutique practice offering legal oversight for buyers, developers, and families navigating New York’s high-stakes real estate market.

Salbashian has litigated against construction firms for botched renovations, secured punitive damages in egregious cases, negotiated seven-figure tenant buyouts, and reviewed multimillion-dollar property transactions with the precision of a trial attorney preparing for court.

“Most agents just want to close,” he says. “They’re not trained to spot legal risk—and they’re definitely not prepared to defend you when it goes wrong.”

He routinely uncovers issues others miss: building encroachments, unresolved violations, hidden mold damage, and defective construction. His approach is hands-on, referral-based, and built on a single principle: the time to lawyer up is before you sign anything.

“Real estate isn’t just emotional—it’s technical,” he says. “Where you live, where you work, and where you build shapes your future. Everyone deserves a safe, healthy, and stable space.”

Outside of his legal work, Salbashian serves on the board of Row New York, a nonprofit offering academic enrichment and competitive rowing for underserved youth. For him, the connection is clear: early structure builds long-term strength.

That same principle drives his broader legal philosophy. In a city where too many institutions wait until problems explode, Salbashian’s work is designed to stop them from ever starting.

“Legal counsel should be part of the blueprint, not the patchwork,” he says. “If you're only calling your lawyer once the walls are cracking, you've already built on unstable ground.”

Whether he’s shielding a nonprofit from collapse, delivering oral arguments on appeal, or flagging a multimillion-dollar risk clause no one else saw, Salbashian doesn’t just practice law—he redefines how and when it should be used.

“I’ve taken complex cases to trial and won,” he says. “But the victories I’m proudest of are the ones where my client never had to set foot in court—because we got it right from the start.”

In a city that often rewards speed over scrutiny and flash over substance, Raffi Salbashian offers something different: a legal strategist trained to protect, advise, and advocate—before the fall, not after.

“It’s not enough to know the law,” he says. “You have to demystify it, translate it, and use it to open doors that were built to keep people out—and cost them time, money, and opportunity.”

Salbashian is a lifelong New Yorker and the great-grandchild of Armenian genocide survivors who immigrated to New York City in the 1950s. His grandparents ran a dry cleaning shop that proudly serviced uniforms for city employees—NYPD, transit staff, and other public servants—building a life through hard work and dignity.

“They didn’t speak the language well or understand the systems, but they still made a life here,” he says. “I think about that every time a client sits across from me. My job is to make sure the law serves them, not the other way around.”

Contact Info:
Name: Raffi Salbashian
Email: Send Email
Organization: Raffi Group
Address: 5 Rivington St., New York, NY 10002
Website: http://www.theraffigroup.com

Release ID: 89166678