Lobbying Insider

On this week’s episode of Lobbying Insider, Host Zack Fink speaks with Jennifer Mitchell, who has been President and CEO of the Doe Fund for the last three years. She discusses the history of the organization, and why it’s playing such a crucial role in our city now, as many New Yorkers struggle with affordability.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this episode of the Lobbying Insider Podcast, Host Zack Fink is joined by Palco CEO Alicia Paladino to discuss their initiative to improve maternal healthcare nationwide. Arkansas- based Palco currently provides administrative services for  self-directed care in multiple states. This new service is expected to improve how women access prenatal services.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

With Governor Hochul’s State of the State address now in the books, the 2026 legislative session and the upcoming political season are in full swing. Governor Hochul is running this year for her second full term. In the latest DHC Lobbying Insider episode, Host Zack Fink is joined by the President of Wright Strategies, and Manhattan Democratic Chair, Keith Wright along with Davidoff Hutcher and Citron’s Bianca Rajpersaud to break it all down.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this episode, Host Zack Fink sits down with Omar Usmani from Aeon Nexus to discuss their software which is making criminal justice systems more efficient all across the country. They discuss the reforms enacted here in New York, and what more can be done to make improvements to the system.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this episode, Host Zack Fink discusses this year’s unusual mayoral race with DHC’s Bianca Rajpersaud and Keith Wright of Wright Strategies. After a surprise upset in the June primary by Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani over former Governor Andrew Cuomo, the race is now in a full sprint toward Election Day.While four major candidates are running, the open question remains whether that field will narrow if the sitting Mayor, or any of the others, decide to drop out. We take a look at all the angles! You won’t want to miss.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this episode, Host Zack Fink sits down with Skye Ostreicher – “The Political Personality.” Ostreicher is a social media influencer who covers New York’s political world. She stays away from the public policy battles and political street fights that often define our politics in New York and instead focuses on getting to know our political leaders on a more personal level. We discuss the ever-evolving media landscape and how that impacts elections. We delve into the recent Mayoral Primary which saw a relatively unknown Assemblymember from Queens, who carefully choreographed his social media presence, beat a much better-known candidate with a dynastic family name. This episode is a fascinating look at what the future holds and how legacy media is struggling to keep up.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this episode Host Zack Fink sits down with Jed Sunden who runs a political action committee to support Ukraine, and DHC’s own Myron Rabij, who has done extensive work in Ukraine. The guests discuss the current political situation, and the recent mineral deal that was reached giving America unique access to deposits not found in this part of the world.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this episode, Host Zack Fink chats with former Congressman Joe Crowley ( D ) – Queens. They take a deep dive into the current state of politics, including where Democrats went wrong in the last election. They also delve into the 2018 Congressional race where Crowley was defeated by progressive activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and what that race has come to symbolize about the direction of the party. Plus, a closer look at Crowley’s role in preparing for America’s 250th anniversary next year. Overall, a very informative and insightful half hour that you won’t want to miss!Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this latest episode, Host Zack Fink conducts a newsmaker interview with Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. Using new methods of technology to prosecute crimes, Gonzalez has brought an innovative approach to keeping the people of Brooklyn safe. He also played an integral role in negotiating changes to discovery law reforms, a contentious issue that held up state budget negotiations. Discovery changes have now been resolved, and Gonzalez shares his insights into how it got done.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this latest episode, Host Zack Fink sits down with Tim Cecere, President of St. Francis College in Brooklyn. Tim discusses his background in marketing and advertising which gave him the tools to help take St. Francis to the next level. The school has added multiple new majors, including a robust nursing program. The college draws students from all over the five boroughs, including many newly arrived immigrants who are eager to learn and master new skills in order to be successful in America. Cecere says they operate by the credo: “Better, faster, fairer,” which informs everything they do.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this episode of “Lobbying Insider” podcast, Host Zack Fink sits down with Keith Wright of Wright Strategies and Bianca Rajpersaud of DHC to discuss the 2025 legislative session in Albany.Last month, Governor Hochul delivered her State of the State address, followed by her budget message a week later.We delve into the major policy proposals and the potential roadblocks they may face in the legislature. Governor Hochul is looking to center the conversation around affordability.Plus, some new ideas from the Administration about how to improve public safety. Tune in!Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this episode Host Zack Fink sits down with Neela Lockel and Robert Stricoff from E.A.C. Network, which stand for “Empower, Assist and Care.”E.A.C currently provides a range of services including counseling, substance abuse treatment and mental health services to individuals impacted by the criminal justice system.Their work focuses on helping Judges and District Attorney’s find alternatives to incarceration, while also helping those leaving the system to develop skills to re-enter society. Buckle up, for this very illuminating half hour discussion!Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this latest episode, Zack Fink host speaks with Jonathan McCollum (Federal Practice Chair,) and Jake Roach, (Associate Director of Government Relations) from Davidoff Hurcher & Citron, LLP's offices in Washington DC.Join Zack, Jonathan and Jake as they take an in-depth look at their federal government relations practice which includes mostly New York-based businesses, trade associations, higher education clients and non-profits.In addition to the processes for securing federal money, they discuss the benefits of having New Yorkers in leadership posts, and how that can benefit the City and State.They also took a deep dive on the political climate in DC post-election, and what people can expect from a second Trump Administration.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

Join host Zack Fink, as he sits down with colleagues Bianca Rajpersaud, and Sean Crowley, to recap the Somos ’24 Annual Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico from November 6-10. This year DHC hosted a panel discussion on M/WBE Contractor Growth: Challenges & Opportunities at the Caribe Hilton which NYS Assemblymember, Amanda Septimo, moderated. The panel was filled with speakers from government agencies and private industry, as well as DHC's Lou Coletti, Senior Adviser to Government Relations and Construction Law.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this episode of the “Lobbying Insider” Host Zack Fink is joined by Carlo Scissura, President and CEO of the New York Building Congress and DHC’s Lou Coletti Senior Adviser to the Government Relations, Construction Law, Real Estate Law and Economic Development & Tax Incentives Law practice areas, for a deep dive on the massive housing deal included in this year’s State Budget.The agreement between lawmakers and Governor Hochul was finalized in late April, several weeks after it was due. However, the final budget included a comprehensive deal on housing for New York State.This episode takes a deep dive into those issues, along with an analysis of how it all came together.The housing package was approved one year after a similar deal fell apart in Albany after Democrats failed to agree on final terms.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

AutoTech Triumph: NYS Bill Passes Amid Congestion Pricing Standoff – with Connor Shaw, Political Director at IUJAT and NYS Assemblymember Kenny BurgosThis episode of the “Lobbying Insider” with Host Zack Fink features our client Connor Shaw, Political Director for the International Union of Journeymen and Allied Trades (IUJAT), and New York State Assemblymember Kenny Burgos (D) Bronx.The conversation centered on our shared success in getting the autotech bill passed this legislative session. A big shout out to Steve Malito and the whole Albany Government Relations team.  This bill was a huge priority for the union, and Burgos was the Assembly sponsor.They also take a closer look at the controversial congestion pricing plan, recently out on indefinite pause by Governor Hochul. Congestion pricing had been on track to go into effect as early as this month.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

Mayor Adams is looking to have the full slate of “City of Yes” approved by the New York City Council.It’s a zoning proposal for a more equitable and sustainable city, according to the Mayor’s office, and it focuses on three key areas: Carbon Neutrality, Economic Opportunity, and Housing Opportunity.In this week’s episode of the “Lobbying Insider” Podcast, Host Zack Fink is joined by Senior Partner Howard Weiss, Chair of the Land Use & Zoning Law practice, and Lou Coletti Senior Adviser to the Government Relations, Construction Law, Real Estate Law and Economic Development & Tax Incentives Law practice areas, for a broad discussion about the “City of Yes.”Prior to joining DHC in 2023, Lou spent over 25 years as President and CEO of the New York Building Trades.The podcast delves into the details and explains what changes New Yorkers can expect to see.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

NYS 2024 Budget Breakdown – with Steve Malito & Bianca RajpersaudLawmakers and Governor Hochul have now completed work on the new fiscal year state budget, and there is a tremendous amount to unpack.In this episode of the “Lobbying Insider” Podcast, Host Zack Fink does a full budget breakdown with DHC’s Chair of the NYS Government Relations practice, Steve Malito, Partner, and DHC’s Associate Director of Government Relations, Bianca Rajpersaud.The state budget included multiple policy items that will directly impact the lives of New Yorkers, including a blockbuster new housing deal. The parties came together in this budget after failing to secure a housing agreement just last. Join us for the latest.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In a nod to the yearly holiday known colloquially as 4-20, we release this episode of the Lobbying Insider podcast to celebrate New York’s cannabis industry.Host Zack Fink sits down with our own Nick Terzulli of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron’s Cannabis Law practice and his client Michael Gardner, who’s had success starting The Bakery Cannabis Dispensary, his own retail cannabis business in upstate New York. In this special episode, they discuss the challenges and the opportunities of doing business here in New York within this relatively new industry.  Give it a listen now.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

Lobbying Insider Episode 110:Averting the 2023 Back-to-School NYC Bus Strike with Corey MuirheadJoin Host Zack Fink as he speaks with Corey Muirhead, Executive Vice President of Logan Business Company, and DHC’s own Charles Capetanakis about a time when the “wheels on the bus” almost stopped going round and round.Just before the start of the 2023 New York City school year, bus operators came perilously close to going on strike. A last-minute deal was reached to keep the drivers on the job, ensuring that students would be able to get back and forth to school.Logan Bus Company is the city’s largest school operator with 4,000 drivers and roughly 2,000 routes, and this episode lays out the hard work and the subtle negotiating nuances that took place behind the scenes to avoid a disastrous school bus strike. Listen in now to this fascinating discussion.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this very special episode of The Lobbying Insider Podcast Host Zack Fink sits down with the renowned Reverend Al Sharpton to discuss the Museum of Civil Rights. Sharpton leads the foundation that is working to establish the museum here in New York City.The Museum of Civil Rights will focus on the struggles of ethnic and minority groups to achieve equality in America, with a special emphasis on battles that took place in the northern part of the United States, which served as a template for many of the protests and boycotts that defined the movement in the south. Sharpton also discusses some of the big cases he took on early in his career as a Leader of Civil Rights.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

The Lobbying Insider Podcast is proud to present this very special episode reuniting two men whose paths crossed at a tense political moment more than 50 years ago. Host Zack Fink is joined by Felipe Luciano, a founding member of The Young Lords, a social justice organization formed in the late 1960s to combat racial discrimination and advocate for minority access to healthcare, education, housing, and employment on behalf of the Puerto Rican community.Luciano is out with a new book, “Flesh and Spirit, Confessions of a Young Lord,” which he discusses with Zack in part one. In part two of the podcast, we take a deep dive into the takeover of Lincoln Hospital by the Young Lords on the morning of July 14, 1970. Luciano is joined by our firm Founder, Sid Davidoff, who was sent by Mayor John Lindsay to negotiate a surrender with Luciano.  You don’t want to miss this episode. Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this episode Host Zack Fink is joined by Government Relations team members, Keith Wright and Bianca Rajpersaud, to break down Governor Hochul’s 2024 State of the State Address.Each January, New York’s Governor lays out an agenda for the legislative session in Albany, and Gov. Hochul is hoping to work with members of her own party in the legislature to find agreements on how address New York’s most vexing problems including housing, public safety and affordability.Join them for the discussion!Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this episode Host Zack Fink speaks with Keith Wright, current Chair of the Manhattan Democratic Party and Director for Strategic Planning at Davidoff Hutcher and Citron. Keith has been around politics his entire life and continues to live in Harlem where he was born and raised. He also represented his community in the New York State Assembly for more than two decades.The podcast covers the power of incumbency in politics, and the need to build and maintain relationships. They also take a closer look at two upcoming Congressional elections. The first is a special election this February in the Third Congressional District which covers parts of Nassau County and Queens. This contest is to fill unexpired term of Republican George Santos who was expelled from Congress by his colleagues over fraud allegations. And the podcast covers the red hot primary in the 16th Congressional District, which includes parts of Westchester and the Bronx, between incumbent Jamaal Bowman and challenger Westchester County Executive, George Latimer.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this episode, Host Zack Fink speaks with Steve Malito, Partner, and Chair of the NYS Government Relations practice in Albany, and Nicole L. Weingartner, Director of State Government Affairs; also known on Instagram as “The Long Island Lobbyist” sit down to discuss Governor Hochul’s upcoming State of the State Address taking place in early January. The annual speech kicks off the new legislative session with lawmakers in Albany.Some of the issues expected to be addressed this session include housing, public safety, cost of living, and the influx of migrants primarily to New York City. For many years, both Steve and Nicole have been observing the way state government functions, including the often complicated backroom politics that help drive the issues. In addition, the podcast will focus on the needs of some of their clients, who have business before the state.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

In this episode, Host Zack Fink speaks with Carlo Scissura, CEO of the New York Building Congress, and Lou Coletti, former President of the Building Trades Employers’ Association, who is now a Senior Adviser in Davidoff Hutcher and Citron’s Construction, Real Estate and Government Relations practices. Both guests bring decades of experience to the discussion which covers some of the major housing issues facing New York City and State.While there is widespread agreement that New York needs to build more affordable housing, there isn’t much consensus on how to get there.Last year, Governor Hochul unveiled an ambitious housing plan to build in the suburbs. It was tied to numerous other initiatives such as a renewal of the tax break known as 421a for developers to build affordable housing, and legislation known as “Good Cause Eviction” which provides tenant protections and is favored by the progressive wing of the Democratic party. In the end, a grand bargain could not be reached between Hochul and the legislative leaders, and the Albany legislative session came to a close in June of 2023 with no new housing laws on the books. A lot is at stake in the upcoming 2024 session and the discussion focuses on that.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

Lobbying Insider Episode 103:Litigation & Lobbying – Getting Real Estate Deals Unstuck Host, Zack Fink uncovers two fascinating real estate deals on the upper east side of Manhattan where DHC Government Relations group partnered with its Commercial Litigation team to find successful resolutions for two clients with complex real estate deals that involved city government and the MTA.Joining Zack on this episode is firm Founder, Sid Davidoff, Senior Partner and Chair of the Government Relations practice, and Derek Wolman, Partner and member of the Commercial Litigation law practice.  Listen in as the three discuss all the subtle nuances of the law and what it took to navigate city government and its agencies to obtain the outcomes that were favorable to our Real Estate development clients.Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

Lobbying Insider Episode 102:A Bitter Pill for the Lenox Hill NeighborhoodHost, Zack Fink sat down with Andy Gaspar and Stephanie Reckler, two of the board members from The Committee to Protect Our Lenox Hill Neighborhood (CPOLHN) to discuss their opposition to Northwell Health’s proposal to renovate and expand Lenox Hill Hospital.In this episode, we explore some of the key opposition issues CPOLHN has raised, including a height and zoning density that is two and a half times what is allowed for the neighborhood, Northwell’s $1.6B decade-plus long construction project, and its desire to keep the hospital functioning during the construction.The discussion also addressed some of CPOLHN’s concerns regarding traffic and safety for residents, visitors, and commuters during a protracted 11 years of construction. This episode also delves into the success of CPOLHN’s recent Town Hall which was attended by over 400 concerned citizens, along with NYS Senator Liz Krueger and a spokesman from US Congressman Jerry Nadler’s office; both of whom have put their support behind CPOLHN. Closing out the episode were some of the health equity disparities that exist across the city and its boroughs which became apparent during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. So, join us for a thoughtful and insightful conversation, as we consider some of CPOLHN’s opposition successes over the past four years and the community’s desire for a better, not bigger…Lenox Hill Hospital!Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com 

Zack Fink, Davidoff Hutcher & Citron’s Director of External Affairs and moderator of DHC's Lobbying Insider podcast, gives a recap of the Somos Inc. Annual Conference* which took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Somos Inc. is a who's who in government and politics from New York City and New York State. Zack is joined by two guests from the Davidoff Hutcher & Citron law firm, Associate Director of Government Relations, Bianca Rajpersaud, and Sean Crowley, registered lobbyist and Partner in DHC’s Government Relations group.Their conversation covered the Somos Inc. conference which was attended by a large number of members from the city council, state legislature, the mayor’s, and the governor’s office, and others. Listen to their lively, insightful conversation here. *SOMOS, Inc., is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization that unites the Latino community, raises awareness, advocates, and elevates social consciousness on public policy in collaboration with the New York State Assembly/Senate Puerto Rican & Hispanic Task Force; and ensures the upward mobility of Latino youth through educational empowerment, mentoring programs and scholarships. Thanks for Listening! More information at www.dhclegal.com