Warren chooses corporation counsel

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T. Andrew Brown lives in the city. He loves the city.

So when he was asked to serve as corporation counsel and lead the city’s law department, Brown accepted because it offered a chance to serve the city.

“Any time you take on a new responsibility and a big responsibility there are challenges that come with that,” Brown said. “But they are challenges I welcome and look forward to.”

Brown, 55, is part of a whirlwind of changes at Rochester City Hall, as Mayor-elect Lovely A. Warren prepares to take the mayor’s office Jan. 1. Warren defeated Mayor Thomas S. Richards — who previously served as corporation counsel for the city — in the primary and general elections.

Brown, who is managing partner at Brown & Hutchinson downtown, is among the latest of Warren’s executive staff choices announced earlier this week. They include Delmonize “Del” Smith as commissioner of neighborhood and business development and C. Mitchell Rowe as director of planning and zoning.

“This is an exceptionally talented group of individuals and I am honored to have them at my side,” Warren said in a statement.

Brown is no stranger to municipal law. He served for a time as deputy county attorney in the administration of County Executive Thomas Frey before launching Brown & Hutchinson in 1994. He has worked on behalf of the county, Greater Rochester International Airport and Monroe County Jail, as well as many county departments in addition to representing municipalities and public entities.

“There are many similarities between county operations and city operations,” Brown said.

Brown said he plans to stay on at the firm he helped build for 20 years, although his roles and responsibilities will have to shift in order to fully meet the obligations of corporation counsel.

Brown has represented many Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, hospitals, colleges and universities, public utility companies, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations during his career. Brown has also been a mediator and an arbitrator on the commercial, international and employment panels of the American Arbitration Association since 1996.

A past president of both the Monroe County Bar Association and the Rochester Black Bar Association, he is also former general counsel of the National Bar Association, the largest association of attorneys and judges of color in the world. Brown also has held adjunct teaching positions with the State University of New York and past service on many boards and commissions.

While he is well-versed in municipal law, job one is becoming familiar with the department and the legal needs of the city.

“I come in with an open mind,” Brown said.

Putting together a high-quality team to carry out the responsibilities of the office is a priority, and Brown said he sees a need to bring in additional people to the law department, although how many has yet to be determined. Robert Bergin has served as corporation counsel since 2011 under Richards. Longtime municipal attorney Jeffrey Eichner has announced his retirement.

The success of the office will depend on the quality of the men and women in the office he manages, Brown said.

“I will insist upon smart, highly talented and driven people,” Brown said. “That’s true of both lawyers and non-lawyers. I’m committed to building a solid team to serve the city and community.”

Brown, who is a 1984 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and a 1981 graduate of Syracuse University, began practicing law at the New York City offices of Nixon, Hargrave, Devans & Doyle, now known as Nixon Peabody. He came to Rochester with the firm.

Brown and his wife have a daughter.

Like a lot of people when they are young, Brown thought he would do a number of things in life.

“Law is the one that stuck,” Brown said. “I’ve loved being a lawyer, and I’ve had tremendous opportunities along the way. I welcome the opportunity to utilize my legal skills to benefit the community.”