Three Legislative Experts Join Hinman Straub Advisors

ALBANY, NY (01/13/2009)(readMedia)--

121 State Street

Albany, New York 12207-1693

Tel: 518-436-0751

Fax: 518-436-4751

Hinman Straub Advisors LLC is pleased to welcome three new employees to its team of legislative, regulatory and policy experts.

Caron O'Brien Crummey, who recently served as Team Leader and Program Director for Health, Human Services and Education in the State Senate Majority Counsel Program Office; Donald A. Robbins, former Principal Legislative Coordinator for Health and Human Services in the state Assembly Majority Office; and Darren M. Suarez, former Program Director for Environment, Economic Development and Transportation in the State Senate Majority Counsel Program Office, have joined the Hinman Straub Government Relations practice

O'Brien Crummey spent 27 years in the Senate Majority in a variety of advisory and analyst capacities. She was chief advisor to the Senate Majority Leader on all health care matters, including access, financing, delivery and public health. Prior to her most recent position, she served the Senate Finance Committee as an analyst on criminal justice, judiciary and arts legislation and policy. In her most recent position as Program Director, O'Brien Crummey supervised a staff of policy analysts and counsels on health, human services and education matters. During this span, she was the principle negotiator on virtually every significant health care related legislation, including the Health Care Reform Act (HCRA), Nursing Home rebasing, and Assisted Living Legislation.

In his 22 years in the state Assembly, Robbins oversaw a range of policy and administrative functions. He coordinated and supervised staff support for six Assembly standing committees, including Aging; Alcohol and Drug Abuse; Children and Families; Health; Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities; and Social Services. He also served as Health and Human Services policy advisor to the Assembly speaker, and served on the Assembly budget negotiating team. Prior to joining the Assembly, Robbins held positions with the State Department of Social Services, the State Division of Substance Abuse Services and in the private sector.

During the past eight years in the State Senate, Suarez was involved in numerous policy issues where he advised members of the Senate, and negotiated legislation and the state budget. In his most recent post, Suarez supervised a staff of policy analysts and counsels on transportation, racing and wagering, environment, economic development, consumer protection, corporations, public authorities, state budget, and taxation. During his career Suarez was a primary author of New York's Brownfield Cleanup Program. He was also actively involved in attracting AMD to construct a $3.2 billion 300mm wafer fab in New York State. Prior to joining the Senate Majority, Suarez held legislative associate positions at the City University of New York and Cornell University.

Hinman Straub Advisors LLC is the government affairs partner of the law firm Hinman Straub PC. Hinman Straub LLC advocates on behalf of its clients directly to State Assembly and Senate leaders, their senior staff members, as well as agency leaders and the Executive Branch. With more than two dozen attorneys and other professionals, Hinman Straub is able to respond to clients' needs aggressively, efficiently and successfully in various federal and state legislative, regulatory and agency forums.

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