February 13, 2012 · www.gothamgazette.com

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Katz to Join Greenberg Traurig
December 2nd, 2009

In her holiday greetings, which just landed in our inbox, former comptroller candidate and Councilmember Melinda Katz announced what her post-council plans come January.

She will join the law firm of Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder.

Here is her message:

Dear Friend,

I hope this holiday season finds you and your family well. Carter and I have been enjoying the season and know how fortunate we are in this season of giving thanks. I’d like to wish the best to you and yours and once again thank you for your support during election time.

Since September, I have been considering a wide-array of professional opportunities. I have decided to join the law firm of Greenberg Traurig as a Shareholder when my council term ends later this month. It is the 8th largest law firm in the United States with a substantial New York practice. I am looking forward to working with such a professional and respected firm.

It has been my honor to serve in the New York City Council for 8 years, and especially as chair of the Land Use Committee – we accomplished great things for New Yorkers! I am eager, however, for the challenges and opportunities that will come in the future.

Carter and I wish you and your family safe and happy holidays. I look forward to keeping in touch during this transition when I formally join Greenberg early next year.

Below is my personal email for your records.

All the best,

Melinda

If you would like to read the press release from Greenberg Traurig, LLP, please continue reading below.

NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MELINDA KATZ WILL JOIN GREENBERG TRAURIG

New York, NY, December 1, 2009. Greenberg Traurig, LLP announced today that New York City Council Member Melinda Katz will join the firm as of January 1, 2010 as Shareholder. Katz, whose Council term will end on December 31, has served as the Chair of the Land Use Committee for eight years. Greenberg Traurig is the 8th largest law firm in the United States with more than 1750 lawyers, 300 of whom are in New York.

“Greenberg Traurig is a firm of global reach with a strong local commitment to New York City and Albany,” Katz said. “My early experience in a respected national law firm made me a stronger public servant. I now have the ability to bring that perspective to the practice of law at another great firm where clients can benefit from my understanding of the government process. I am honored to have served New Yorkers in various levels of government and will of course continue to participate pro bono in civic life.”

Katz began her legal career at Weil Gotshal & Manges in 1990 where she practiced as a securities litigator. In 1994, she began 16 years in public service, first when elected to the New York State Assembly in 1994, followed by her service in the Queens Borough President’s office from 1999 to 2001, before being elected and serving in the New York City Council from 2002 to the present. Katz has been involved in shepherding a number of redevelopment projects through her committee including several in the neighborhoods of Williamsburg/Greenpoint, the West Side of Manhattan, Harlem and Jamaica, Queens.

“Greenberg Traurig has built a unique presence in New York,” said Richard A. Rosenbaum, President of Greenberg Traurig. “We maintain 31 offices across the globe, provide an unmatched U.S. platform, and have shown a strong commitment to the local New York market. Our three New York offices in New York City, Albany and White Plains have enabled us to become part of the fabric of the business and legal community here as we have strategically built teams in the real estate, land use, government relations and litigation practices in the region, which will be important to Melinda’s success.”

“We are pleased to bring Melinda on board, and believe that her unique position in New York and her reputation for substance and understanding of the law will serve our clients well as she re-enters private practice,” Rosenbaum added. Katz will divide her time between New York City and Albany. While she will naturally add great value to clients in the real estate arena due to her extensive land use background, she will also bring her range of experience to bear in areas involving government transactions and regulatory matters, procurement and state legislation. Her understanding of the government processes will make her invaluable to clients whose transactions are regulated by government, especially in New York.

“Melinda will quickly be recognized as a great leader in civic life. We are thrilled to welcome her to our firm,” said Greenberg Traurig’s New York Co-Managing Shareholder Ed Wallace, a former New York City Council Member himself. “Melinda served with great distinction in government both at the State and City level,” said Harold Iselin, Managing Shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s Albany office. “Her broad experience and seasoned judgment will be of significant value to our clients.”

Katz earned her J.D. from St. Johns University School of Law and her B.A. summa cum laude from University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She interned for Judge Michael Mukasey, Southern District of New York who later served as Attorney General of the United States.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, full-service law firm with approximately 1750 attorneys serving clients from more than 30 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. In the U.S., the firm has more offices than any other among the Top 20 on The National Law Journal’s 2008 NLJ 250. In the U.K., the firm operates as Greenberg Traurig Maher LLP. Additionally, Greenberg Traurig has strategic alliances with the following independent law firms: Studio Santa Maria in Milan and Rome, TA Lawyers GKJ in Tokyo, and Weber Law Office in Zurich. The firm was Chambers and Partners’ USA Law Firm of the Year in 2007 and among the Top 3 in the International Law Firm of the Year at the 2009 The Lawyer Awards.

For additional information, please visit www.gtlaw.com.

By Courtney Gross on December 2, 2009, 2:36 pm
In category: City Hall, Gotham City, Law, nextNY | No Comments »

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