Gordon J. Davis

Gordon J. Davis

Mr. Davis's practice involves three principal areas: complex real estate, land use development and related environmental matters; state and municipal authorities and financings; and cultural and not-for-profit organizations. He has advised public and private clients in connection with some of the most significant development projects in New York City in recent years. His experience includes new construction, renovation, rehabilitation, historic preservation and master planning projects.

Mr. Davis assists clients in evaluating development opportunities, identifying funding and financing options, and negotiating appropriate contract structures. He provides counsel on zoning and planning, landmarks and historic preservation, building code, coastal zone and other special protection areas, agency permits and approvals, public review requirements and related litigation in both state and federal courts. Mr. Davis' clients and projects have included the rebuilding of Ground Zero (the World Trade Center site), Lincoln Center, the New York Public Library, the Rockefeller Foundation, the rebuilding of Penn Station (Amtrak), Mt Sinai Medical Center, Viacom, the new Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, the Lever House restoration and the United States Tennis Association (The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center), among others.

Mr. Davis has worked in or with state and city government and in private law practice for almost four decades. After completing Harvard Law School he was an assistant to New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay until 1973. From 1973 to 1978, Mr. Davis served as a Commissioner/Member of the New York City Planning Commission. In 1978, Mr. Davis was appointed by Mayor Edward I. Koch to be Commissioner of Parks and Recreation for the City of New York, where he served until 1983. Thereafter Mr. Davis was a partner at Lord Day & Lord and since 1994 with Dewey & LeBoeuf. He was co-founder of the Central Park Conservancy and also serves on a number of corporate, cultural and not-for-profit boards, as listed below. He also is the Founding Chairman of Jazz at Lincoln Center. During 2001, Mr. Davis served as President of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.

Representative Matters

· Lower Manhattan Development Corporation - Redevelopment of Lower Manhattan/Rebuilding the World Trade Center Site. Serving as land use, environmental, and real estate counsel to the organization charged with developing a plan for the redevelopment and revitalization of areas of lower Manhattan affected by the events of September 11, 2001;

· American Museum of Natural History - Planetarium and North Side Project. Lead counsel in development of the $250 million Rose Center for Earth and Space, acknowledged to be the most extraordinary new museum and cultural complex built in the United States in the last generation. Developed the public review strategy, advised as to substantive and procedural land use, landmarks and environmental matters, and negotiated government funding contracts and tax-exempt financing;

· Jazz at Lincoln Center - Rose Hall. Counsel to Jazz for all aspects of development of the 200,000-square-foot new performance, broadcast and education facility in the Time Warner Center, mixed-use project completed in 2004 at Columbus Circle in Manhattan;

· Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts - Rose Building and Campus Redevelopment. Served as sole land use and real estate counsel to Lincoln Center from 1983 to 2001 (resigned to become President of Lincoln Center). Counsel for all aspects of development of the 900,000 square-foot Rose Building;

· New York Public Library (NYPL). Advise NYPL as to zoning and uniform land use review matters; environmental and landmarks reviews; and related community concerns. Projects include original and current restoration of Center for the Humanities; Bryant Park stacks and renovation; South Court; Research Collections and Preservation Consortium (with Columbia and Princeton Universities); Morningside Heights Branch (condominium in new Columbia dormitory); and renovation and expansion of branch libraries; and

· Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Advised in development of a master plan and possible large-scale community facility zoning plan for Upper East Side campus (including zoning, environmental and land use review analysis) and development of a 700,000 square-foot medical research building and underground tunnel connecting the new medical school facility. Currently counsel representing 600,000 square-foot mixed-use building.

Selected Activities

· Currently Mr. Davis serves on the boards of the Phoenix Companies, Inc.; Consolidated Edison; various Dreyfus mutual funds managed by the Bank of New York Mellon; Jazz at Lincoln Center - Founding Chairman; the New York Public Library; the Studio Museum of Harlem; the Municipal Arts Society; the New York Shakespeare Festival (Vice President) and the Central Park Conservancy.

· Association of the Bar of the City of New York, previously served on Association's Municipal Affairs Committee, Nominations Committee, and the special Vance Committee to Enhance Professional Opportunities for Minorities.

Awards and Recognition

· Medal of the City of New York for Exceptional Service (presented by Mayor Edward I. Koch)

· America's Top Black Lawyers, Black Enterprise Magazine, November 2003

· Honorary doctor of laws degrees, Williams College and Bard College

· Honorary Member - New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects

· Harlem School of the Arts Founders Medal

· Parks Council's Annual Award

· Citizens Housing and Planning Council's Award for Excellence in Planning

· Williams College Bicentennial Medal for Distinguished Achievement

· Dance Theatre of Harlem's Karel Shook Founders Award

· Frederick Law Olmsted Medal of the Central Park Conservancy

· Jazz at Lincoln Center's Award for Leadership

· Citizen's Committee for New York Chapin Award for the Arts

· Judicial Friends Award for Leadership (Association of African-American Federal, State and City Judges)

· Celebrate Brooklyn! - Award for Leadership

· Studio Museum in Harlem Annual Award

· Prospect Park Alliance Chairman's Award