N.Y. UCC Law § 3-110

Section 3--110. Payable to Order.\n (1) An instrument is payable to order when by its terms it is payable\nto the order or assigns of any person therein specified with reasonable\ncertainty, or to him or his order, or when it is conspicuously\ndesignated on its face as "exchange" or the like and names a payee. It\nmay be payable to the order of\n (a) the maker or drawer; or\n (b) the drawee; or\n (c) a payee who is not maker, drawer or drawee; or\n (d) two or more payees together or in the alternative; or\n (e) an estate, trust or fund, in which case it is payable to the\n order of the representative of such estate, trust or fund or\n his successors; or\n (f) an office, or an officer by his title as such in which case\n it is payable to the principal but the incumbent of the\n office or his successors may act as if he or they were the\n holder; or\n (g) a partnership or unincorporated association, in which case it\n is payable to the partnership or association and may be\n indorsed or transferred by any person thereto authorized.\n (2) An instrument not payable to order is not made so payable by such\nwords as "payable upon return of this instrument properly indorsed."\n (3) An instrument made payable both to order and to bearer is payable\nto order unless the bearer words are handwritten or typewritten.\n