June 1, 2015: David P. Miranda of Albany Takes Office as President of the New York State Bar Association

June 1, 2015: David P. Miranda of Albany Takes Office as President of the New York State Bar Association

6.1.2015

By Communications Department

David P. Miranda, a partner at the Albany intellectual property law firm of Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti, assumes office today, June 1, as the 118th president of the New York State Bar Association.

Miranda succeeds Glenn Lau-Kee of New York City (Kee & Lau-Kee) as head of the 74,000-member Association, which has members in all 50 states and more than 115 countries.

During his tenure, Miranda will focus on harnessing the expertise of the Association’s attorneys, sections and committees to advocate for issues of importance to the legal community, and to explain the legal system to New Yorkers.

Under Miranda’s leadership, the State Bar Association is forming a committee to review the state Constitution. In November 2017, voters will decide whether to hold a Constitutional Convention to amend, revise or replace the current Constitution.

“Our state Constitution contains a provision that requires such a vote every 20 years.  It was designed so the people could make changes to how our government is run,” Miranda said. “As lawyers, we should play a constructive role in educating the public and policymakers about the complex legal issues involved.

“Unlike the U.S. Constitution, the state Constitution is very detailed in scope. It describes how our court system is structured, and governs our criminal justice system, state finances, structure of local government, Adirondack Park, and more,” he said.

Miranda has named Henry M. Greenberg to chair the Association’s Committee on the New York State Constitution.  Greenberg is a shareholder with the law firm Greenberg Traurig and former counsel to then-state Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo.

“The committee approaches its work with no preconceived agenda,” Miranda said. It will reach out to State Bar members with diverse backgrounds, expertise and views. For example, in studying criminal justice reform, it will seek the perspectives of prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges.

Miranda’s law practice focuses on intellectual property law and technology law.  He previously chaired the Association’s Electronic Communications Committee.  As president, he wants to make the best use of technology to interact with Association members and the legal community. 

Other programs will be geared to law students and newly admitted attorneys to help them launch successful legal careers. As of June 1, the New York State Bar Association is offering free membership to students at all 15 law schools in the state.

Miranda will serve a one-year term as State Bar president. Claire Gutekunst of Yonkers becomes president-elect on June. 1. She will succeed Miranda as president on June 1, 2016.

Personal and Professional Background

Miranda, a member of the State Bar Association since 1989, spent the past year serving as president-elect and chairing the House of Delegates.  He is a member of the Association’s Executive Committee and its former secretary.

Miranda chaired the Young Lawyers Section from 2002—2003. He served as Association’s Young Lawyer delegate to the American Bar Association from 1998—2000.

He is a past president of the Albany County Bar Association. In 2009, he served on the Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission for the Third Judicial District of the State of New York. In 2002, then-Chief Judge Judith Kaye appointed him to the New York State Commission on Public Access to Court Records.

At Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti, Miranda’s intellectual property law practice includes trademark, copyright, trade secret, false advertising, and patent infringement, as well as licensing and Internet-related issues. A trial lawyer, he has litigated before state and federal courts and the International Trade Commission. He also serves as an arbitrator of intellectual property law disputes.

He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo and Albany Law School. A resident of Voorheesville (Albany County), he is the father of three adult children.

The 74,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation.  It was founded in 1876.

Media Contact:        

Lise Bang-Jensen, Director of Media Services, NYSBA,  (518) 487-5530, lbang-jensen@nysba.org