Douglas S. Clark

Doug Clark is a mainstay in the firm’s Government Relations practice. Through his experience working in the New York State Assembly, he is especially accomplished at drafting legislation and guiding clients through the budget appropriations process. Doug has utilized his unique skill set to assist many of the firm’s clients in legislative matters involving a range of substantive areas such as telecommunications, health care, financial services and banking, insurance, and higher education.

Clients benefit from Doug’s ability to negotiate legislation on a highly technical level, his understanding of the legal intricacies of the state budgetary process, and the relationships he has built with key policymakers in New York State.

Doug previously served as a senior associate counsel to the Assembly Ways & Means Committee, advising staff and legislators on legal issues relating to the state budget. He also was an assistant counsel in the Assembly Majority Leader’s office, managing the flow of bills on the Assembly floor. He began his career as a graduate scholar in the Assembly Codes Committee.

AREAS OF FOCUS

Government Relations
Doug provides a full range of government relations services tailored to meet each client’s needs. He works with the firm’s Government Relations team to monitor every bill coming out of the Legislature and analyze the state budget for underlying policy implications. For some clients, he provides additional general counsel services such as writing newsletters and board reports.

In recent years, Doug has played a key role in a number of the firm’s significant legislative achievements for our clients. He participated in drafting legislation to make major updates to the automobile dealer franchise law; drafting legislation to obtain appropriate tax treatment for a financial services client; and working with the Attorney General’s office and a coalition of supporters on legislation setting forth guidelines for the use of endowment funds.