Mayor Adam's Choice for Corporate Counsel.

0:00 Speaker 1 Well, a lot of things are happening down in City Hall. Everybody, everybody wants a better city with us. Today is Randy Meshrow and he is running or is being up for city’s new Corporate Council. And he’s worked for the city many many times before. And Randy Meshtrow, what is the corporate council do?

0:30 Speaker 2 Well? John, First, thank you for having me. It’s always great to be with you, and you know how much I value our friendship and relationship over so many years of Corporation Council is the city’s top lawyer, runs the city’s eight hundred lawyer law department. That’s the largest law office in New York City, public or private, and it

0:53 plays a critical, vital role in defending the city against the thousands of law suits brought against the city every year and then bringing affirmative litigation for the city. That’s a lesser role historically, but to me, a very important one to protect and advance the city’s interests.

1:13 Speaker 1 Now, you’ve worked for the city before, so you know what goes on. You were chief of staff under Rudy Giuliani nineteen ninety four to nineteen ninety eight, and you were federal and prosecutor at the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District. You’ve been in government, so you know how good or how bad, and can you do a

1:34 better job than’s being done?

1:38 Speaker 2 Okay, John, let me start with this. There have been many great lawyers who’ve had the honor of serving in this position. I stand on the shoulders of giants if I’m fortunate enough to get this position. And the Law Department is revered in government circles as a top government law off But I have a vision for that office. John,

2:03 I was the ranking Democrat and the Giuliani administration. I reached across the aisle and across the hall and worked constructively with the Democrat lets, the council, labor unions, other Democrat leaders throughout the city and state to build consensus to get things done. CORP Council represents both the administration and the City Council as a direct role in bringing

2:35 those parties together and trying to achieve consensus. And for me, one of the attractions of the job is moving more of that great office’s resources into affirmative litigation, where we can bring cases on behalf of the city or join existing cases to support civil rights constitutional rights, social justice, workers rights, public safety. We could do so much more,

3:00 want on public senterty to go after guns and gang violence and organized crime and illegal smoke shops. You know, when I was at the US Attorney’s Office, I did pioneering work on the use of the federal Rico Statute to crack down a an organized fun really unprecedented landmark cases at the time. New York State has a similar

3:21 law that we in the city could be using. These are things that excite me at this stage of my career. Been so fortunate over the years to have had more than a decade in public service and a lot of great years in private practice, doing significant pro bono like suing the federal government when they tear gassed and rubber

3:44 bulleted peaceful racial justice protesters and Lafayette Square in June twenty twenty, going to the Supreme Court to support the rights of LGBTQ community and the same sex couples, going in COVID to the Supreme Court, and getting churches, synagogues, and mosques reopened that Governor Cromo had closed because of his onerous COVID restrictions. So, John, these are things that

4:12 energize me. You know, I’m sixty seven going on twenty seven. I’m excited about the prospect.

4:18 Speaker 1 You’re much younger than me.

4:22 Speaker 2 Thank you, my friend.

4:24 Speaker 1 Well, I mean, it’s an important job. It’s like running the operations for eight hundred lawyers that run the city and keeping everything in balance and to make sure nobody sues us for slipping on the banana peel.

4:38 Speaker 2 Well, it’s the defensive cases are incredibly important because they have a real financial consequence for the city. And you know, but it’s about a lot more than slipping falls. It’s also about using the power of the law to do a public good, to improve people’s lives. And I think we can do so much more of that York City.

5:00 So I’m humbled and honored if the mayor has dominated me, and I’m I’m grateful to have this opportunity to present my credentials to the City Council, which hopefully will confirm my nomination.

5:13 Speaker 1 Well, you’re actually a test You’re one of the most qualified people in New York to do that job. And and we wish you luck. Randy Mastro up for City Corporate Council and we certainly support you, and God bless we need we need help in New York to get New York going in the right direction.

5:38 Speaker 2 Thank you so much. I really appreciate the good luck and keep us informed well do Thanks