Profile

Michael Pastor is the Director of the James Tricarico Jr. Institute for the Business of Law and In-House Counsel. He is also a Professor of Law from Practice and Senior Fellow at New York Law School, where he teaches the In-House Counsel Experience Seminar.

Professor Pastor previously served as the General Counsel of the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) and the New York City Cyber Command (NYC3). In those roles, he handled and oversaw all technology law matters for New York City, including those related to cybersecurity and broadband connectivity. He was also the Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs and Franchises at DoITT, where he acted as the lead executive on the City’s relationships with major telecommunications providers, including overseeing the LinkNYC program and initiatives tied to the roll-out of 5G wireless networks.

Prior to these roles, Professor Pastor spent nearly 10 years in senior roles at the New York City Law Department in the Legal Counsel Division, where he advised on local legislation and regulations, and the Appeals Division, where he argued appeals in state and federal courts in New York. He also served as the First Deputy Criminal Justice Coordinator for New York City in the Office of the Mayor. He began his legal practice as a litigation associate at the international law firm of Morrison & Foerster LLP, after concluding a law clerkship in federal district court in Maryland.

He is a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association, where he serves on the Cybersecurity Subcommittee of the Committee on Technology.

Professor Pastor is the Faculty Advisor to the NYLS student organization Latino Law Students Association.