Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies Continues its Expansion, Landing New York City Lobbyist Ashley Thompson DiNardo

NEW YORK, October 1, 2024 – Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, today welcomed Ashley Thompson DiNardo — a veteran lobbyist with six years of experience working in New York City government, including the City Council, the Mayor’s office, and numerous city agencies — to its government relations practice. DiNardo, who brings an additional nine years of multi-client government relations experience, joins as a senior principal and will work out of the firm’s New York City office.

Recognized as a driven and successful advocate throughout the city’s five boroughs, DiNardo comes to the firm from Capalino New York where she was managing director of the lobbying team. Previously, as a legislative affairs representative with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office, DiNardo was charged with developing and strengthening relationships with City Council members and overseeing negotiations on a range of major legislative matters. Her duties also involved working closely with representatives of more than a dozen key city agencies, including Housing Preservation and Development, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and the Department of Transportation. Prior to that, she served as chief of staff for City Council Member Stephen Levin, crafting policy and legislative initiatives and serving as a liaison between key constituent and advocacy groups.

DiNardo joins the growing Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies New York team, which in 2023 was ranked seventh largest lobbying group in NYC by revenue. She is ninth professional to join Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies in 2024, including fellow Senior Principal Meenakshi Srinivasan in New York, and Senior Principals Meagan Foster and Jessica I. Monahan, Director of Health Policy Richard Van Buren, and Head of Communications Tamara Hinton in Washington, D.C.

DiNardo’s most recent accomplishments include securing $30 million in public funding to support New York City youth in foster care; negotiating legislation to transform the city’s Times Square public plazas; and developing legislative reforms to curbside delivery citywide. She also advised a range of community-based organizations on the future of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway; and helped secure government approvals for River Ring, a mixed-use development planned for the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, and The Special Flushing Waterfront District proposal in Queens.

“Ashley has played a key role in an array of major New York City initiatives involving everything from real estate and transportation to human services,” said Rose Christ, co-chair of Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies’ New York Practice. “That experience, combined with her many relationships within city government and communities throughout the city, will help our clients better understand the intricate workings of city government and ultimately achieve their goals. She’s a terrific addition to our New York team and I’m very happy to welcome her aboard.”

Recognized as a “NYC 40 Under 40 Rising Star” and a “2023 Who’s Who in Government Relations” by City & State NY, DiNardo currently serves on the board of directors of Photoville, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to photography through the sponsorship of free public art exhibitions and educational programming throughout New York’s five boroughs.

“Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies has a strong reputation in New York for effectively advocating for clients before city and state government,  ” DiNardo said. “That’s what drew me to joining the team, and I am looking forward to contributing to the ongoing growth of the practice.”

DiNardo earned her B.S. in political communications, with a minor in political science, at Emerson College in Boston.

About Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies

Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices throughout the country, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including health care, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.

About Cozen O’Connor

Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 925 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 33 offices across two continents.

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