Lisa Velasquez

Lisa Velasquez is an accomplished attorney and legal and legislative policy analyst with 17 years of expertise conducting research, establishing and summarizing positions, and building consensus towards desired outcomes within public policy, legislative, communications, advocacy, litigation, and decision support initiatives.

A cause-driven analyst, communicator, and leader with a passion for developing actionable solutions to complex challenges, rapidly assimilating information from a variety of sources, predicting tactics and strategies of opponents, building relationships predicated on trust, and translating abstract vision into reality in advancing objectives.

Lisa joined the NYC Department of Transportation as the Deputy Counsel managing Litigation Services, FOIL and Records Management. Lisa directs three units and oversees a staff of 3 attorneys and approximately 50 paralegals/staff. The units are responsible for responding to all requests for records and information made during the course of tort and other litigation and by the public through Open Records. Under Lisa's leadership over a 2.5 year period, the Litigation Services unit has nearly eliminated a 5+ year backlog in e-discovery requests.

Previously, Lisa spent 7 years as the Agency Attorney for the New York City Department of Records and Information Services where she counseled the Commissioner and agency on all legal matters including litigation, transactions and procurements, and labor and employment issues. She also served as the agency's MWBE Director and Chief Diversity Officer.

Former Associate Counsel to the New Jersey Senate Democrats, with prior experience in labor and employment law and commercial litigation within an AM LAW 100 firm. Litigation practice has focused on areas related to employment contract disputes, contractor compliance, and international commercial arbitration.

Areas of Expertise Include: E-Discovery, FOIL, data protection and privacy law, Public Policy Analysis & Planning, Labor & Employment Law, Legislative & Issue Campaigns, Litigation & Arbitration, Legal Research, Municipal Budgeting, Lobbying, Community Relations, Project Management, Public Contracts, Position/Testimony Drafting, Legislation Drafting, FLSA / LMRA / ERISA, Shared Services Law, Wage Compliance Audits, Police & Fire Arbitration, Contract Negotiation, Affordable Housing, Public Procurement, Collective Bargaining Agreements, Policy Implementation Monitoring.