Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2023 Susan R. Katzoff is an attorney at Bousquet Holstein PLLC in Syracuse, New York, where her practice focuses on Public Finance Law, municipal law, economic development matters, and governance and compliance issues. She has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Public Finance Law from 2023 through 2027.
Susan currently serves as Corporation Counsel to the City of Syracuse, providing legal counsel on a broad range of municipal matters, including contracts, property disposition, claims and litigation management, governance matters, and regulatory compliance. She works closely with public officials, boards, and executive leadership on day-to-day legal and operational issues.
Her practice includes representing municipalities, industrial development agencies (IDAs), local development corporations (LDCs), port authorities, and other public and quasi-public entities throughout New York. Susan advises clients on taxable and tax-exempt financings, procurement matters, economic development projects, continuing disclosure obligations, and compliance with the General Municipal Law, Public Authorities Law, and guidance issued by the New York State Authorities Budget Office.
As bond counsel, Susan has assisted with financings for educational institutions, healthcare facilities, affordable housing developments, manufacturing facilities, and commercial projects. She has worked on tax-exempt and taxable bond issuances ranging from smaller local financings to transactions exceeding $300 million. She also represents nonprofit organizations in connection with taxable and tax-exempt financings and related compliance matters.
Earlier in her career, Susan served as General Counsel to the Trustee in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding in the Northern District of New York involving what was, at the time, the largest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history.
Representative Experience- Represents the City of Syracuse in day-to-day legal matters involving municipal operations, governance, contracts, and compliance.
- Served as bond counsel in connection with School Facility Revenue Bonds totaling nearly $300 million issued between 2008 and 2020 to finance portions of a School Facilities Project under the IDA Act and Syracuse Schools Act.
- Represented industrial development agencies in providing financial assistance for manufacturing, mixed-use, and commercial development projects.
- Represented a port authority in connection with contract review and expansion-related matters.
- Advised a developer in establishing a Qualified Opportunity Fund for investment in a mixed-use development project.
- Represented a local development corporation in the issuance of Tax-Exempt Revenue Refunding Bonds for the benefit of a hospital.
- Served as bond counsel on a Qualified Green Building and Sustainable Design Project involving the issuance of $228 million in tax-exempt bonds for a regional shopping center redevelopment project.
- Served as underwriter's counsel for Madison County Capital Resource Corporation.
- National Association of Bond Lawyers
- New York Conference of Mayors
- New York State Economic Development Council
- National Economic Development Association
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Public Finance Law, 2023–2027
- Panelist, “NYSEDC Annual Meeting - Board Governance, Management and Transparency: Best Practices,” September 2021
- Panelist, “IDA Academy - Pending Litigation,” April 2021
- Panelist, “IDA Academy - 2020-2021 State Budget and Active IDA Legislation,” June 2020
- Panelist, “IDA Academy—Website Technology and Compliance,” September 2019
- Co-Author, “New Material Events for EMMA Filing By 501(c)(3) Organizations Effective February 27, 2019,” February 2019
- Co-Author, “Authorities Budget Office Adopts Regulations Governing Industrial Development Agencies,” January 2019
- Co-Author, “New Regulation Streamlining TEFRA Process Effective April 1, 2019,” January 2019
- Presenter, “Best Practices in Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession,” Onondaga County Bar Association, June 2016
- Presenter, “The SEC's Municipal Continuing Disclosure Compliance Initiative,” Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers, September 2014
- Panelist, Syracuse University College of Law, Work-Life Balance, November 2011
- Speaker, Central New York Women's Bar Association, Work-Life Balance, September 2010
- Speaker, “Impact of Tenant Bankruptcies,” National Association of Produce Market Managers, May 2, 2005
Additional information about Susan Katzoff and Bousquet Holstein PLLC is available at https://www.bhlawpllc.com/our-people/susan-r-katzoff.
