
A. Joseph Scott III
Practices & Industries
Admissions
- New York
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
Education
Hamilton College, B.A., with honors
Boston University School of Law, J.D.
Joe has practiced exclusively in the areas of industrial development agency finance, public authority finance, and municipal and school district finance since graduating from law school in 1983.
Joe has acted as issuer's counsel, bond counsel, and underwriter's counsel on a variety of industrial development agency and public authority projects. Examples of industrial development agency projects handled by Joe include commercial, solid waste, manufacturing, co-generation, nonprofit, and recreational projects. Examples of public authority projects handled by Joe include housing projects, electrical distribution, hydro-electric, parking, water and sewer systems, airport, and residential mortgage projects.
In connection with municipal and school district finance, Joe has acted as bond counsel and underwriter’s counsel.
Over the past five years, Joe has been involved in the development and structuring of a number of capital projects with emphasis on creating a regional approach to the financing structure and on connecting public and private entities (i.e., private/public partnerships) to provide a regional public/private solution. Each situation has required an understanding of benefits and limitations of public finance under New York State law and the federal tax law, together with an awareness of what the private sector and private capital markets can provide.
Examples of techniques that Joe has used to address these situations include the creation of local development corporations, adoption of local laws or special legislation, preparation of inter-municipal cooperation agreements, and use of industrial development agencies.
Projects that have benefited from these techniques include industrial parks, incubator buildings, infrastructure projects, and a variety of large manufacturing and distribution facilities.
Honors
- Listed, Best Lawyers in America (Public Finance Law) 2005 - 2024
Experience
The following representative matters demonstrate capital projects handled by Joe and his fellow Hodgson Russ attorneys. Each matter presented financing challenges that required innovative and creative legal strategies.
- Analysis of the Preliminary and Official Statements for a $20 Million Charter School Bond Issuance
- Authority Revenue Bond Financings
- Creation of Local Development Corporations to Provide for Nonprofit Tax-Exempt Financing
- Financing Nonprofit and Private Office Buildings
- Financing of $200 Million Nanoscience Office Building
- HR Teams Assists IDA in Obtaining GE Building and its Reuse by Local Manufacturer
- IDA Representation in $50 Million Manufacturing Facility Relocation
- Industrial Development Agency Downtown Incubator Project
- Micron Announces $100B Project in Syracuse/Hodgson Team Project Counsel
- Public Nursing Home Restructurings
- Regional Approach to Financing/Addressing Combined Sewer Outflow Issues
- Representation of IDA in Issuance of $7 Million in Revenue Bonds to Finance Development of Technology Park
- Sale of Governmental Projects – Change in Use
- School District Capital Improvement Projects
- Siting and PILOT Agreement for $120 Million Manufacturing Facility
In the News
- Albany Business Review, October 18, 2019
- The Street, January 7, 2016
Press Releases
- Hodgson Russ Press Release, August 19, 2022
- Hodgson Russ Press Release, August 19, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Press Release, August 20, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Press Release, August 20, 2019
- Press Release, August 15, 2018
- Press Release, August 15, 2017
- Hodgson Russ Press Release, August 18, 2016
- Press Release, August 17, 2015
Publications
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert , July 21, 2023
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert, April 18, 2023
- Hodgson Russ Municipal Alert, November 28, 2022
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert, October 18, 2022
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert , June 24, 2022
- Hodgson Russ Municipal Alert, May 16, 2022
- Hodgson Russ Renewable Energy & Municipal Alert, May 3, 2022
- Hodgson Russ Municipal and Education Alert, April 19, 2022
- Hodgson Russ Municipal Alert, October 29, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Land Use & Economic Development Alert, October 22, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert, September 2, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert, August 6, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Education and Media & First Amendment Alert, June 23, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert, March 8, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert, February 22, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert, February 17, 2021
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert , December 1, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Bond Counsel Alert, August 31, 2020
- Tax Notes State, August 17, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Municipal and Education Alert, August 7, 2020
- Hodgson Russ College & University Alert, July 31, 2020
- Municipalities Hit with Deluge of FOIL Requests After Repeal of Section 50-a of the Civil Rights LawHodgson Russ Municipal Alert, June 22, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Public Authority Alert, June 9, 2020
- Governor Cuomo’s Latest Executive Order Extends Deadlines to Submit Absentee Ballots for School VoteHodgson Russ Education Alert, June 8, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert, June 5, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert, May 13, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Municipal Alert, May 5, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert, May 2, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Bond Counsel Alert, April 27, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Municipal Alert, April 14, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Municipal Alert, April 10, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Education, Municipal & Public Finance Alert, April 8, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Public Authority Alert, April 3, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Public Finance Alert, April 1, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert , March 31, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert, March 30, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Municipal Alert, March 30, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Municipal Alert, March 17, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Municipal Alert, March 16, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Municipal Alert, January 6, 2020
- Hodgson Russ Municipal and Education Alert, October 21, 2019
- Hodgson Russ Education Alert, June 14, 2019
- Hodgson Russ Municipal Law Alert, May 22, 2019
- Hodgson Russ Public Authority Alert, March 18, 2019
- Hodgson Russ Public Authority Alert, March 14, 2019
- Municipal Law Alert, February 27, 2019
- Bond Counsel Alert, February 22, 2019
- Municipal Law Alert, July 26, 2018
- Hodgson Russ Alert, February 12, 2014
- JD Supra, January 29, 2014
- Hodgson Russ Alert, January 29, 2014
- JD Supra, January 29, 2014
- Talk of the Towns, a publication of the Association of Towns of the State of New York, September/October 2008
- Municipal Alert, May 19, 2006
- An Introduction to Industrial Development Agencies in New York StatePrepared for a seminar on IDA finance presented by the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency, May 20, 2003
Presentations & Events
- Lake George, New York, August 11, 2023
- April 12, 2022
- April 13, 2021
- November 17, 2020
- July 8, 2020
- June 24, 2020
- Melville Marriott, Long Island, New York, November 14, 2019
- Batavia, New York, September 10, 2019
- Albany, NY, March 1, 2019
- Hodgson Russ, 140 Pearl St, Buffalo, NY 14202, April 24, 2018
- Preparing for IRS and SEC Scrutiny: Procedures and TrainingAlbany, NY, May 11, 2017
- Hilton Garden Inn, 30 Clifton Country Road, Clifton Park, NY, September 27, 2016
- Municipal Law Seminar: IRS and SecuritiesClifton Park, NY, June 9, 2015
- Saratoga Springs, NY, May 7, 2015
Professional Associations
- National Association of Bond Lawyers
- New York State Economic Development Council
- New York State Bar Association Municipal Law and Tax Sections
- Co-chair, New York State Bar Association Municipal Law Section Legislation Committee
- New York State Bar Association Municipal Law Section Executive Committee
- New York State Government Finance Officers Association
- New York State Association of School Business Officials
- Panelist, Annual Bond Attorneys Workshop, sponsored by the National Association of Bond Lawyers
Community & Pro Bono
- Co-chair, Parks & Trails New York board of directors
- Local Planning Committee (LPC) for the City of Albany Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI)