[In February 2020, Professor Ava Ayers announced that she is transgender. This article has been edited to reflect her gender identity. Read more here.]

Long-time Advisory Board member and conference participant will manage the annual program on equine, racing, and gaming law beginning this year

The Government Law Center at Albany Law School announced today that the Saratoga Institute on Equine, Racing, and Gaming Law, a long-running conference held annually in Saratoga, will be overseen by Patrick Brown of the Brown & Weinraub law firm starting this year.

The program was established by the Government Law Center in 2001 to bring together leading names in the racing and gaming industry from across the country and to focus on the most consequential legal and policy issues in racing and gaming of the day. During the past two decades, large numbers of attendees from experts to enthusiasts have benefited from the program held in Saratoga Springs during the summer racing meet at the historic Saratoga Race Course.

“We are delighted that such a dedicated friend of the Saratoga Institute, who’s also a distinguished member of the Center’s Advisory Board, will be taking the reins of this respected program. Pat Brown has been a great partner to the Saratoga Institute—serving as a key advisor, participating on panels, and helping with fund raising throughout the program’s history and the Brown & Weinraub law firm has been a long-time supporter,” said Albany Law School President and Dean Alicia Ouellette.

“I am humbled and excited by the opportunity to further the excellent work of the Government Law Center. I am especially proud that Brown & Weinraub is the first of what I hope to be many sponsors of the new program,” said Pat Brown. He noted that The Saratoga Institute will continue as a two-day conference during the Saratoga thoroughbred meet. The new format will offer continuing legal education sessions for attorneys and non-legal discussions and sessions for a broader audience.

Brown said, “We will assemble informative and entertaining panelists from the host of unique characters that make up New York’s racing and gaming scene.” Describing his goals for the program, he continued, “We will tackle the hard issues confronting the horse racing and gaming industries, but most of all, we will celebrate the excitement and grandeur of world-class horse racing right here in the Capital District’s backyard. My goal is that all of those who attend the Institute will leave with a better understanding of how the horse racing and gaming industries work and an appreciation of how important those industries are to the region and the State.”

“We are so deeply grateful to Bennett Liebman, former Deputy Secretary for Gaming and Racing to Governor Andrew Cuomo and now a Government Lawyer-in-Residence at the Center, for the tremendous role he has played in guiding the Saratoga Institute from its beginnings nearly 20 years ago until today,” said Ava Ayers, Director of the Government Law Center. “The program’s many successes and outstanding reputation—and the reason it continues to be vital—are a true reflection of Bennett’s incomparable expertise and efforts.”

About the Government Law Center

The Government Law Center at Albany Law School is a nonpartisan law and public policy center based in Albany. The Center produces independent legal research and analysis to help state and local governments better serve their communities.

It prepares students for distinguished public service careers through the Government Law Center Fellowship Program. It also explores emerging issues and informs government officials through the annual Warren M. Anderson Legislative Breakfast Series and other programs.

About Patrick Brown

Patrick Brown employs his extensive public and private sector legal and public policy experience to craft innovative and effective solutions meeting clients’ objectives. Before co-founding Brown & Weinraub in 2001, Pat served as the head of the New York Court of Appeals in-house legal team. He joined Governor Mario Cuomo’s Counsel’s Office in 1987, where he provided legal and public policy counsel to the Governor and his senior staff.

Mr. Brown has been a long-time member of the Advisory Board of the Government Law Center and a participant in the Saratoga Institute for many years. Patrick Brown received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from SUNY Oneonta in 1978 and his Juris Doctorate summa cum laude from Pace University School of Law in 1983.

Brown & Weinraub, PLLC is a leading-edge Government Relations & Strategic Consulting firm, representing a broad spectrum of business interests established and/or seeking to expand in New York. Its clients range from Fortune 500 to start up enterprises, from large health care systems to neighborhood clinics, and from industry pillars to disruptors.