Stroock Hosts Infrastructure Forum with Kyle Kimball, Daniel Tishman and Christopher Ward

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Oct 17, 2013, 01:50 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP presented "Infrastructure Investment - Is New York Doing Enough?", a forum with Kyle Kimball, President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Daniel R. Tishman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tishman Construction Corporation, and Christopher O. Ward, Executive Vice President for Major Projects of Dragados USA. The Government Leadership Forum was held today at the law firm's New York offices.

Robert Abrams, former New York State Attorney General and Chair of Stroock's Government Relations Practice, and Ross F. Moskowitz, Stroock partner and member of the firm's Executive Committee, moderated the panel discussion, and Richard G. Madris, Stroock partner and head of the firm's Infrastructure Department, opened the program.

"In order to maintain New York City's standing as the leading city in the world, it must continue to make massive investment in its infrastructure - to provide adequate mass transit, airport and bridge access, water supply and affordable housing," said Abrams.

The NYCEDC's Kimball spoke about the city's ability and evolving need to attract and retain talent - not just in the high tech arena – through improved infrastructure, such as creating new business districts and connecting them with current districts. "Infrastructure has to include broadband," he said. "At one time broadband was nice to have. Today it is critical, a fundamental issue."

Tishman said, "New York does more for infrastructure than any other state in the country," though he added that it was never enough.

He said that, after creating national mass transit, interstate transportation system and an electric utility grid, the country stopped paying attention to infrastructure. "It became a political bargaining chip.

"Full employment - putting people to work – is the best way to take care of and create new infrastructure," Tishman said.

All the participants agreed that states and municipalities can no longer count on the federal government for sufficient infrastructure support, and that – especially in light of the country's recent fiscal stalemate – other creative ways are needed to maintain current and create new infrastructure, including public-private projects on the regional, local and state levels, such as the reconstruction of the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Ward, the former Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, gave an example of the post-Sandy storm report commissioned by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor Andrew Cuomo that he described as the best document of its kind in the country. "It involved a large team of problem-solvers, members of the community who produced a multi-tiered, multi-faceted, long-term blueprint to assure an enduring resiliency for the city to bounce back."

As President of the NYCEDC, Kimball leads the organization's continued efforts to position New York City as the global center for innovation in the 21st Century. Prior to joining NYCEDC, he worked at Goldman, Sachs & Co. as a Vice President and at J.P. Morgan, also as a Vice President.

Tishman heads one of the largest and most experienced building entities in the world. The firm was founded in 1898 and has remained at the forefront of the industry under Tishman's leadership. In 2010, Tishman Construction joined AECOM Technology Corp., an $8-billion global provider of professional technical and management support services, for which Tishman serves as Vice Chairman and a member of the Board of Directors. He is also Vice Chairman and a member of the Board of Tishman Hotel & Realty LP, which develops, owns and manages a private portfolio of hospitality properties.

As Dragados USA's Executive Vice President for Major Projects, Ward is responsible for development and oversight of major projects within the United States and Canada, expansion of the company's design-build and P3 transportation markets, and entry of Dragados USA into new energy and technology markets. Prior to joining Dragados USA, he was Executive Director of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Today's event was the 15th in a series hosted by Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP. Previous participants included New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman; Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.; Congressman Jerrold Nadler; Patrick J. Foye, Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Thomas F. Prendergast, President MTA New York City Transit; and Newark Mayor Cory Booker and former New York Governor David Paterson.

The forum was sponsored by Stroock's Government Relations group, which is comprised of former prosecutors, judges, and government agency officials. The practice is led by Abrams, who also served as President of the National Association of Attorneys General, Executive Chair of New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's Transition Committee and Honorary Co-Chair of Attorney General Schneiderman's Transition Committee.

SOURCE Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP