Mayor Eric Adams has officially nominated Randy Mastro — a veteran attorney known for his hard-nosed tactics representing prominent Republicans and corporations — to be New York City’s corporation counsel, setting up a clash with the City Council.
Mastro’s path to confirmation won’t be easy. Several key members of the Council had already expressed opposition in anticipation of the mayor’s choice. Adams and the City Council are locked in a larger battle over the balance of power surrounding mayoral appointments.
“Randy is among the best known and most respected litigators in the nation and has helped shape the legal world through his extensive body of work,” Adams said in a press release.
The corporation counsel is known as the city’s top lawyer and oversees roughly 850 attorneys who defend the city, its employees, the City Council and the mayor in civil litigation. With his 2025 re-election race looming, Adams is facing a federal investigation into his 2021 mayoral campaign and a lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted an NYPD colleague in the 1990s. He has denied any wrongdoing.
The former corporation counsel, Sylvia Hinds-Radix, resigned abruptly in April.
As a top aide to former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Mastro was both a loyal enforcer and key strategist at City Hall. Afterward, he went into private practice and represented high-profile clients, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in connection with the infamous “Bridgegate” scandal, and the oil company Chevron. He’s also represented New York Knicks owner James Dolan and the Madison Square Garden company.
Most recently, he represented New Jersey in its lawsuit challenging New York’s now-halted congestion pricing plan.
“I am humbled and honored to have this opportunity to return to city government. I am a passionate advocate in the courtroom and a proud New Yorker who loves this city,” Mastro said in a statement. “So, when presented with this chance of a lifetime to use my legal skills to harness the power of government to do good and improve New Yorkers’ lives, I am answering the call.”
Critics argue Mastro’s resume is at odds with the city’s and Council’s values. But Adams pushed back.
“It’s a slippery slope to go after attorneys for representing their clients,” he told reporters in April.
Nevertheless, it took him more than three months to go through with the nomination.
Mastro’s nomination now heads to a committee vote, which will determine whether he moves on to a vote from the full City Council. He’s also expected to face questions from councilmembers and the public at a hearing.
A majority of the Council must vote in favor of Mastro’s appointment. Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is pushing for greater oversight of other appointments. The Council has put forth a ballot initiative to amend the city charter to grant itself a say in 20 commissioner-level appointments of agencies including parks, sanitation, transportation and health. But the mayor is planning to propose his own set of charter reforms, which would effectively block the Council’s effort.