Touro Law Center's Office of Alumni and Development is proud to announce that Matthew Daus ’92 has been selected for the month of April. Mr. Daus was an active member of the Touro community while attending law school and remains engaged through Touro Law Center’s Mentor Program and special event committees; as well as attending various alumni and student events throughout the years. His accomplished career is highlighted in the bio below. On behalf of the entire law school community, we extend our congratulations to Matthew Daus.
Matthew W. Daus was appointed by former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and unanimously confirmed by the New York City Council on August 22, 2001 as the tenth Commissioner/Chairman of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC). On July 23, 2003, Commissioner Daus was reappointed to a seven (7) year term by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the New York City Council, which expires on January 31, 2010. Mr. Daus is the longest serving Chairman in TLC history.
As chief executive officer and agency head, Commissioner Daus’s responsibilities include the management of over 480 employees and a budget in excess of $26 Million. The TLC generates over $40 million in revenue per Fiscal Year, issues over 160,000 licenses (for businesses, vehicles and drivers), and is responsible for promulgating and enforcing regulations and adjudicating over 100,000 violations each year. The TLC’s jurisdiction includes the regulation of the following for-hire private transportation industries: taxicab; luxury limousine; black car; livery; paratransit/ambulette; and commuter van. Commissioner Daus also presides as Chairman of the TLC’s Board of Commissioners, which is responsible for promulgating regulations and setting rates of fare.
The following are highlights of some initiatives achieved or implemented during Commissioner Daus’s tenure:
* Business recovery plan to respond to the economic impacts of 9/11 on all regulated industries;
* Streamlined operations to reduce waiting time and license processing time;
* Taxicab fare increases;
* TLC contingency plan to assist during New York City mass transit strike of 2005;
* Taxicab technology customer service enhancements (to allow all passengers to pay fares by credit/debits cards, passenger information monitors/screens to display fare and other public information, text messaging for drivers and location/tracking technology to assist in the return of lost property and other applications); and
* Issuance of over 900 taxicab medallions via competitive auctions that have so far yielded over $300 million in revenue for the City of New York.
* An additional 150 medallions strictly earmarked for use with wheelchair accessible vehicles; and
* Implementation of various TLC aspects of PlaNYC - Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s plan to achieve the cleanest air of any large city in America, which includes the conversion of the NYC taxicab fleet to hybrid-electric or cleaner vehicles by 2012.
Prior to his appointment as Commissioner/Chair of the TLC, Mr. Daus was General Counsel to the Commission and Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs since 1998. During his time as general counsel, he drafted and implemented many regulations that established and enhanced safety standards and licensing criteria for TLC owners and drivers. Prior to this position, Mr. Daus served as Special Counsel to the TLC Chairperson.
Mr. Daus joined City government in 1994 as a Prosecutor for the New York City Commission on Human Rights, where he represented the agency in the prosecution and mediation of discrimination complaints in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodation. Thereafter, he was appointed General Counsel of the New York City Community Development Agency (CDA), now known as the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), where he supervised all procurement activities relating to government anti-poverty funding and social service contracts awarded to community organizations.
After serving at CDA, Mr. Daus was appointed Special Counsel to the New York City Trade Waste Commission, where he was responsible for assisting in the formation of this newly created agency designed to eliminate corruption within the private sanitation industry. Prior to joining City government, Mr. Daus began his legal career in private practice as a litigator specializing in tort law.
Mr. Daus received a Masters of Law degree from New York University School of Law and his Juris Doctor degree from Touro School of Law. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Business Law at the City University of New York and has published numerous legal articles in journals and periodicals.