Four Albany Law School alumni have been named to City & State's "40 Under 40" lists—three on the annual "Rising Stars" roster and one on the inaugural "Labor 40 Under 40" list, which recognizes advocates on the front lines fighting for workers' rights.

Among the rising stars in politics:

• Brenda Baddam '17

Associate Attorney, Barclay Damon

"I knew I wanted to somehow give back to the country that has given my family so many opportunities. And my way to do so was to go into the legal field."

In her first year with Barclay Damon, Baddam has focused her practice on health care litigation. She was previously an assistant district attorney with the Albany County District Attorney's Office. Baddam told City & State that her proudest accomplishment was working to pass an ordinance that required Albany police officers to perform field sobriety tests in Spanish if needed.

While at Albany Law School, she completed the Sonia and Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program and met U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor face-to-face. She also served as president of the Latin American Law Students Association.

• Fatin Haddad '11

Corporate Associate, Greenberg Traurig

"I like to be really strategic. I like to do some creative problem-solving."

In her role with Greenberg Traurig, Haddad manages mergers and acquisitions. Haddad completed her undergraduate degree at Siena College. At Albany Law, she was managing editor for submissions for the Albany Government Law Review, interned for the Securities Arbitration Clinic, and participated in the Anthony V. Cardona '70 Moot Court Program. In 2018, she was named to the Albany Business Review's "40 Under 40."

• Patrick K. Kennedy '14

Legislative Associate, State & Broadway

"New York state politics, it feels like the real deal. It's a serious legislature that does a lot of work."

Kennedy's role involves tracking thousands of bills in the database of State & Broadway—the downtown Albany lobbying firm that specializes in managing government relations for businesses—and helping bills become law.  

Among the rising stars in labor:

• Michael Cinquanti '09

Director of Policy and Planning, North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters

"The current Legislature and the governor we have right now understand that labor needs to be part of the solution and building the middle class."

City & State described Cinquanti as "a key player in the Blue Collar Coalition dedicated to ensuring workers on publicly funded projects are paid fairly." Day-to-day, he works to make sure construction workers are paid a fair wage. His interest in the labor relations field started right out of law school, during which time many of his clients at a government relations firm were in the business and labor sector.

Congratulations to all of the City & State honorees!