Veteran A.G. Official Named To Head Consumer Frauds Bureau

Attorney General Spitzer today announced the promotion of Thomas G. Conway, currently a deputy bureau chief, as the new head of the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau.

"Tom has outstanding experience as a public interest lawyer and consumer advocate," Spitzer said. "I am confident that he will aggressively defend consumers from unscrupulous trade practices and uphold the integrity of the State's business community."

A veteran defender of consumer rights, Conway has been active in consumer affairs for the Attorney General's office for more than thirteen years. He also has extensive experience in prosecuting charities fraud. Conway's significant accomplishments include:

• arguing three precedent-setting cases upholding the New York State Lemon Law;
• successfully defending to the State Court of Appeals a law outlawing age discrimination by rental car companies; and
• winning the only appellate decision in the nation upholding the constitutionality of an injunction prohibiting a charitable organization engaged in telemarketing fraud from soliciting funds from the public.

Conway also worked as the Director of Litigation for the Public Utility Law Project, prosecuting class action suits and intervening in Public Service Commission rate-making proceedings on behalf of consumers. He served for several years as a staff attorney with the Harlem Office of the Legal Aid Society, providing legal representation to low income individuals in a wide range of civil matters.

Conway is a graduate of Fordham University and New York Law School.

As Deputy Bureau Chief, Conway was responsible for supervising and managing the Albany Office of the Bureau of Consumer Frauds and Protection while also overseeing all consumer fraud litigation in the 13 regional offices across the State.

Conway will oversee the work of 20 consumer attorneys and a total staff of 70 in the Bureau which has offices in New York City and Albany and continue coordinating the consumer cases in the regional offices. He plans to focus on privacy related matters, consumer credit issues, scams against the elderly, predatory lending practices, telemarketing fraud, and unscrupulous home improvement contractors.