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Elizabeth Fine

Elizabeth Fine served as Counsel to New York Governor, Kathy Hochul from 2021 to 2024. She was the chief legal officer for the executive branch of New York State, and one of two statutory officers in the Governor’s office.

Among other things, Fine was responsible for all legislative drafting and negotiations with the legislature and outside stakeholders, including serving as a lead negotiator on three state budgets (most recent of which was a budget of $237 billion). She negotiated and made recommendations on signing or vetoing as many as 1000 bills per year. Fine supervised over 70 state agency general counsels and 24 counsels in the Executive Chamber in New York City, Albany and statewide. And she managed major law firms retained to handle investigations, litigation, and projects – including criminal and civil investigations. In all this she was deeply involved in communications, legislative, and political strategy.

Today she serves as a Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Previously, for seven years Fine served as Executive Vice-President and General Counsel of Empire State Development (ESD), New York's flagship multi-billion-dollar economic development and infrastructure agency. Fine was responsible for legal, policy and strategic guidance on the agency’s grant and loan programs, bond financing, and real estate matters. She coordinate outside counsel and oversaw negotiations with developers, contractors and financial institutions on complex projects including the new Moynihan Train Hall, a Javits Convention Center expansion, development of the inner and outer harbors in Buffalo and the rebuilding of terminals at LaGuardia and JFK airports. She received the Public Service Award from the Municipal Forum, the organization of the municipal securities industry.

Fine also served as General Counsel of the New York City Council, where she was responsible for all aspects of legal representation for the Council and Speaker Christine Quinn.

She earlier served at senior levels in the federal government. During seven years at the U.S. Justice Department, Fine was Counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno, and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Policy, among other roles. She served in the White House as Special Counsel to the President for President Bill Clinton in 1993, and was a counsel to the Clinton-Gore campaign in Little Rock, Arkansas. Fine began her career as Counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, working on intellectual property and prison oversight.

Elizabeth R. Fine is a graduate of Brown University (B.A.), New York University School of Law (J.D.), and Georgetown University Law (L.L.M).

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