NEW YORK CITY LAW DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES TWO KEY EXECUTIVE STAFF APPOINTMENTS

March 10, 2025

Sheryl Neufeld Appointed as First Assistant Corporation Counsel

Richard Schulsohn Appointed as Chief Assistant Corporation Counsel

Sheryl Neufeld

Richard Schulsohn

New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant today announced the appointment of longtime dedicated public servants Sheryl Neufeld and Richard Schulsohn to the positions of First Assistant Corporation Counsel and Chief Assistant Corporation Counsel, respectively.

“Sheryl and Rich each represent the quintessential public service attorney and bring decades of legal experience to the Law Department and its executive team,” said Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant. “They embody the Law Department’s longstanding values of excellence and professionalism and will strengthen the City’s ability to tackle the complex legal challenges that lie ahead.”

Sheryl Neufeld

Prior to becoming First Assistant Corporation Counsel, Neufeld served in that position in an acting capacity since December 2024 following the confirmation of Muriel Goode-Trufant as Corporation Counsel by the New York City Council. As First Assistant, Neufeld serves as a key legal advisor to the Corporation Counsel, the Mayor, and City officials. As the second-in-command of an agency with 850 lawyers and 750 support professionals, the First Assistant assumes the duties as head of the Law Department during Corporation Counsel absences or disability. In addition, Neufeld oversees three legal divisions handling the defense of major City policies and civil rights cases involving its uniformed workforce.

Neufeld has spent her entire career – more than 25 years – at the Law Department, having started in the Administrative Law Division and becoming chief of the division. Prior to assuming First Assistant duties she served since October 2021 on the Law Department’s Executive Staff as the Chief Assistant for Regulatory Law and Policy. In that role, Neufeld provided executive level oversight and support to the Administrative Law and Regulatory Litigation, Affirmative Litigation, Environmental Law, and General Litigation Divisions; supervised high-profile litigation in State and Federal courts in New York City; and counseled agencies on a myriad of novel legal issues. Neufeld has provided critical counsel and leadership on numerous significant matters including the COVID-19 pandemic response, the City’s handling of the migrant crisis, the Department of Correction’s use of force monitorship, and the City’s cannabis enforcement efforts.

Neufeld is the recipient of numerous legal awards, including the New York County Lawyers’ Association Public Service Award, the Corporation Counsel’s award for Distinguished Legal Service, and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York’s Municipal Affairs Award. She is a graduate of Boston University School of Law.

“I am extremely honored to be entrusted with such an important leadership role in the finest public law office in the country,” said First Assistant Corporation Counsel Sheryl Neufeld. “When I started at the Law Department in the Administrative Law and Regulatory Litigation Division in 1999 as a first-year Assistant Corporation Counsel, I immediately began handling my own case load. It was this ability to handle matters directly as a new attorney that drew me to the Law Department in the first instance. Over the years, the opportunity to work on a wide array of matters and issues that affect the lives of all who live in, work in, and visit our city has kept me here. The use of streets, parks and private property for vending, parades, street fairs and other expressive activity; the use of public and private property for outdoor advertising; and numerous issues surrounding public health including the 2019 measles outbreak and the COVID 19 pandemic are just a few of the issues that I have had the pleasure of working on over the years.”

Richard Schulsohn

As Chief Assistant Corporation Counsel Schulsohn will oversee Law Department divisions that advise City agencies on transactions related to billions of dollars of economic initiatives and litigate significant commercial and construction matters in court and before administrative tribunals.

Schulsohn has been with the Law Department for three decades. Prior to his current appointment, he served as Chief of the Commercial and Real Estate Litigation Division, rising from a deputy role in the division. An experienced and knowledgeable commercial litigator, Schulsohn has handled and supervised many complex and high exposure cases, routinely proving valuable advice and counseling to City Hall and agencies on procurement and commercial matters. His work includes negotiating the City’s bus shelter franchise and securing revenue from sureties, resulting in tens of millions of dollars to the City. He is the Law Department’s Chief Nonprofit Officer for the Mayor’s Office for Nonprofit Services, the Law Department’s representative for the NYC Capital Process Reform Task Force and works closely with the City Department of Investigation on Monitoring Agreements to benefit the agencies and business community. As Chief Assistant Corporation Counsel he will oversee the Commercial and Real Estate Litigation, Contracts and Real Estate, Economic Development and Municipal Finance, Divisions.

As an original member of the Law Department’s Coaching Collaborative, Schulsohn is committed to the professional development of staff. He teaches an annual course on settlements and negotiations to new attorneys and has given continuing legal education presentations on contracting and surety issues, including contractor defaults.

Schulsohn is the recipient of numerous legal awards, including honors from the Law Department, for his distinguished service. He is a graduate of Hofstra University School of Law.

“At the Law Department, my North Star has always been protecting the City’s interests,” said Chief Assistant Corporation Counsel Richard Schulsohn. “I am proud of all that I have accomplished in my three decades of service and look forward to continuing my work with the dedicated professionals of this office.”

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