One of the founding members of Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, Michael Whiteman serves as the head of the Firm's Energy and Telecommunications Practice Group. Mr. Whiteman regularly represents a variety of clients, including energy and telecommunications companies, before the New York State Public Service Commission and other State regulatory agencies on a wide range of regulatory, rate, siting and government contract and procurement issues. Mr. Whiteman also has an active practice in corporate organization and transactions and in business, professional and governmental ethics and responsibility. Prior to founding Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, Mr. Whiteman served as counsel to Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller and Governor Malcolm Wilson from 1971 to 1974. He worked as an adjunct professor at Albany Law School in 1977, and he sat on the New York State Law Revision Committee.
Representative Accomplishments
Provide organizational, corporate, tax, finance and general business and regulatory advice to the New York Independent System Operator. Provided significant right-to-build advice to developers and lenders in connection with planning, construction and financing of shopping center and electric generating projects, including review and renegotiation of contracts for fuel, transmission and sale of power output. Represented transmission companies in administrative and judicial proceedings in connection with State and local approvals of interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines.Represented numerous municipalities in connection with siting of electric generating facilities. Represented numerous municipalities in tax certiorari proceedings involving utility, commercial and industrial properties, including landmark litigation and legislative enactments with respect to the taxation of utility property located in public rights-of-way. Provided advice and counsel and representation before State and local administrative agencies and courts for numerous telecommunications carriers with respect to siting and construction of communications facilities. Provide general counsel in New York to a regional cellular telephone carrier, including representation with respect to telecommunications and local land use and building. Provide general counsel to a municipal group self insurance association comprised of over 400 local governmental entities. Provide regular counsel to numerous tax exempt not-for-profit corporations on a range of corporate, tax and regulatory matters.
Affiliations
An active member of the New York State Bar Association, Mr. Whiteman is a member and past chair of that Association’s Committee on Professional Ethics, and chaired its Special Committee to Study Issues Affecting Same-Sex Couples.
Professional/Community
A resident of downtown Albany with his wife Margery for more than 50 years, Mr. Whiteman is a former chair of the boards of Capital Roots, f/k/a Capital District Community Gardens, Albany Pro Musica, the region’s leading choral group, WMHT Educational Telecommunications and the Albany Academy for Girls and is a former member of the board of such organizations as the Albany Symphony, the Albany Institute of History and Art and the Historic Albany Foundation. He currently serves as a director of Albany Pro Musica and Capital Roots and is a member of the bass section of Albany Pro Musica and an avid community gardener.
Background/Education
Mr. Whiteman graduated from Harvard College, magna cum laude, and from Harvard Law School, cum laude.
