2010 New York Code
RPP - Real Property
Article 12-A - (440 - 443-A) REAL ESTATE BROKERS AND REAL ESTATE SALESMEN
442 - Splitting commissions.

§ 442. Splitting commissions. No real estate broker shall pay any part
  of a fee, commission or other compensation received by the broker to any
  person  for any service, help or aid rendered in any place in which this
  article is applicable, by such person to the broker in buying,  selling,
  exchanging,  leasing, renting or negotiating a loan upon any real estate
  including the resale of a condominium unless such a  person  be  a  duly
  licensed real estate salesman regularly associated with such broker or a
  duly  licensed  real  estate broker or a person regularly engaged in the
  real estate brokerage business in a state outside of New York; provided,
  however, that notwithstanding any other provision of  this  section,  it
  shall  be permissible for a real estate broker to pay any part of a fee,
  commission, or other compensation received to an unlicensed  corporation
  or  an  unlicensed limited liability company if each of its shareholders
  or members, respectively, is associated as an individual with the broker
  as a duly licensed associate broker or salesman.
    Furthermore, notwithstanding any other provision of law, it  shall  be
  permissible  for a broker properly registered pursuant to the provisions
  of article twenty-three-A of  the  general  business  law  who  earns  a
  commission   on  the  original  sale  of  a  cooperative  or  homeowners
  association interest in real estate, including condominium units to  pay
  any  part  of  a  fee,  commission  or  other  compensation received for
  bringing about such sale to a person whose prinicipal  business  is  not
  the sale or offering of cooperatives or homeowners association interests
  in  real  property, including condominium units in this state but who is
  either: (i) a real estate salesman duly licensed under this article  who
  is  regularly  associated  with such broker; (ii) a broker duly licensed
  under this article; or a person regularly engaged  in  the  real  estate
  brokerage business in a state outside of New York.
    Except  when  permitted  pursuant  to the foregoing provisions of this
  section no real estate broker shall pay or agree to pay any  part  of  a
  fee,  commission,  or other compensation received by the broker, or due,
  or to become due to the broker to any person, firm or corporation who or
  which is or is to be a party to  the  transaction  in  which  such  fee,
  commission or other compensation shall be or become due to the broker.