Michael C. Finnegan was then Governor-Elect Pataki’s first appointment in the new Administration. He has been serving Counsel to the Governor since January 1, 1995. In this position, Mr. Finnegan is a key advisor to the Governor in all legislative, legal and policy matters.

   Mr. Finnegan graduated from Siena College, where he is currently and adjunct professor, and earned his law degree from Pace University Law School. He was a former partner in the firm Plunkett and Jaffe, P.C. where he concentrated on corporate, banking and environmental law. He served as General Counsel to the Westchester County Industrial Development Council and as a member of the Peekskill Industrial Development Agency. Mr. Finnegan was recently appointed by the Governor to serve on the Hudson River Valley Council which advances the goals of natural resource and cultural heritage protection, regional planning and economic development.

   During his first year as Counsel to the Governor, Mr. Finnegan successfully brokered the New York City Watershed Agreement by leading negotiations among state, federal and New York City governments, representatives of eight upstate counties and the environmental community to produce a landmark agreement which had eluded the parties for more than two generations. The agreement safeguards the drinking water supply for nine million New York residents while protecting the property rights of Watershed residents and safeguarding the economic viability of the Watershed region.

   Earlier in 1995, Mr. Finnegan negotiated a timber blow down agreement between Adirondack timber interests and environmentalists which was hailed as a balanced solution. Mr. Finnegan also conceived and negotiated Governor Pataki’s $1.75 billion Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act legislation and took a leave of absence to serve as Executive Director and Co-Chairman of the Bond Act Committee. The Bond Act proposal was overwhelmingly approved by the voters in 1996. The Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act and the New York City Watershed Agreement have been hailed as the Governor’s finest environmental accomplishments.

   During the 1996 legislative session, Mr. Finnegan received significant praise for his pivotal role in negotiating a bi-partisan agreement to reform New York’s Workers’ Compensation Law. This landmark reform of the workers’ compensation system is expected to lower costs by approximately 25 percent without compromising safety or lowering awards to employees injured on the job.

   In conjunction with his role as Counsel to the Governor, Mr. Finnegan serves on the Governor’s Temporary Judicial Screening Committee, which screens candidates for judicial offices, including the Appellate Division, the Court of Claims and Interim Trail Court vacancies. The Committee has appointed over 50 judges to date. The Governor also appointed Mr. Finnegan to the Commission on Judicial Nomination which is charged with interviewing and recommending to the Governor highly-qualified candidates for the New York State Court of Appeals.

   He is well-versed in Irish politics, history and tradition and lives in Garrison, New York with his wife and their three children.

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