Former Dormitory Authority of the State of New York president and CEO Paul Williams has been hired as a counsel for law firm Arent Fox LLP.
Williams, who led DASNY for eight years before being replaced earlier this year by Gerard P. Bushell, will be counsel to Arent Fox’s real estate, finance and government relations practices in its New York office. He will advise clients on the range of issues such as executing public private partnerships while also helping them achieve their public policy goals.
“Paul has significant experience handling the financing of projects which involve the public and private sector and is a recognized authority in New York,” said Arent Fox’s New York Managing Partner Andrew I. Silfen in a statement Oct. 14. “His ability to provide counsel on public-private partnerships and project finance will be a great resource for clients and makes him a valuable addition to one of Arent Fox’s signature practice areas.”
While leading DASNY from 2008 to 2015, Williams directed the sale of more than $30 billion in bonds and oversaw annual expenditures averaging more than $1 billion in capital projects across the state of New York. DASNY, which was founded in 1944, is one of the largest issuers of tax-exempt debt in the nation, and had a bond portfolio of roughly $47.3 billion as of Sept. 30. The conduit issuer had financed more than $106 billion in projects for hospitals, colleges, libraries, court houses, social service agencies and school districts through the 2014 fiscal year.
“As the head of DASNY, Paul oversaw large-scale projects involving complex municipal financing,” said David L. Dubrow, leader of Arent Fox’s New York real estate practice and nationwide municipal & project finance group. “His experience and insight into what it takes to get projects funded and completed will be a huge benefit to our clients, who will be able to use him as a resource for complex bond offerings and public-private partnerships.”
Williams was first appointed to head DASNY in June 2008 by then Gov. David Patterson. Prior to joining DASNY, he served as a corporate attorney and investment banker.
