Speakers
Adam M. Giuliano / Partner, Kaplan Kirsch LLP
Adam advises clients in the development, procurement, construction, financing, and delivery of their most innovative, unconventional, and challenging infrastructure projects, including through alternative delivery approaches involving public-private partnerships (P3s), the use of pre-development agreements, and design-build and progressive design-build contracting, among other methods. His experience spans multiple sectors, including extensive work on dozens of surface transportation projects, including transit.
Adam is a nationally recognized infrastructure project attorney and leader in the U.S. P3 industry, having been involved in over three dozen such projects, and a two-time Law360 MVP in Project Finance. He leads the firm’s Project Funding and Delivery practice and serves as the managing partner for the New York office, which he established. Prior to joining the Firm, Adam was a U.S. resident Counsel at a global law firm based in London.
Allison Ishihara Fultz / Partner, Kaplan Kirsch LLP
Allison brings a wealth of expertise in transactional and regulatory matters related to transportation infrastructure. Her diverse client portfolio includes public transportation agencies, state and local governments, transit operators and safety oversight organizations, and private entities. Allison’s practice encompasses a wide array of issues, such as the acquisition and abandonment of railroad rights-of-way, agreements for shared use of freight and passenger rail corridors, acquisition of controlling interests in rail industry entities, operating agreements for rail operations at ports, and the conversion of rail corridors into recreational trails under the rails-to-trails program.
Before rejoining the Firm in early 2025, Allison served as Chief Counsel at the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), where she was the agency's top legal officer. In this role, she provided strategic counsel on complex regulatory, legislative, and policy matters affecting the nation’s rail system to FRA and U.S. Department of Transportation leadership. Leading FRA’s team of legal professionals, she helped guide FRA’s implementation of the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and ensured compliance with federal laws while advancing the agency’s mission to promote safety, efficiency, and sustainability in rail transportation. Her responsibilities included addressing policy and legal matters regarding the conduct of FRA’s mission, drafting and reviewing regulations, negotiating agreements with industry stakeholders, and managing the legal dimensions of federal grant and loan programs.
Allison’s leadership and extensive experience have made her a trusted advisor in navigating the intricate legal and regulatory landscape affecting transportation infrastructure.
She also is a licensed architect (inactive) and has practiced in both the United States and Canada. Allison has directed feasibility studies, master plans, and building projects for institutional, government, and educational clients from the project programming stage through construction.
Ayelet Hirschkorn / Partner, Kaplan Kirsch LLP
Ayelet Hirschkorn is a strong and effective advocate with over twenty years of extensive experience in the transportation industry representing local governments and transportation agencies. She successfully manages, drafts, and negotiates agreements for some of the nation’s largest transportation projects and advises her clients on federal and state policies, statues, and regulations in the railroad, environmental, utility and procurement industries. She has experience arbitrating labor agreements and representing public transportation agencies before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and federal courts. Ayelet also represents passenger rail agencies before the Surface Transportation Board, federal and state courts on a variety of issues including railbanking, abandonment of rail lines, environmental reviews, federal preemption and expansion of freight and intercity rail services. Ayelet spent a majority of her career in public service, ensuring that passenger agencies maximize their transportation services in an efficient and accessible manner.
Caitlin McCusker / Senior Counsel, Kaplan Kirsch LLP
Caitlin McCusker is an experienced litigator and advisor, with particular expertise in administrative, environmental, and natural resources matters. Caitlin counsels clients on regulatory matters, involving strategic analysis of legal risks and opportunities presented by complex statutory and regulatory frameworks. Caitlin’s practice focuses on advising clients in matters involving environmental, land use, transportation, administrative, and constitutional law.
Prior to joining the Firm, Caitlin served as Chief of Staff in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where she assisted in managing the Division’s litigation arising under more than 150 environmental and natural resources laws. She also worked closely with the General Counsel for multiple federal agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Interior, and the Department of Defense. In this role, she helped oversee and advise on the most significant litigation, investigation, and policy matters handled by the Division and provided strategic counsel to senior political officials on topics including pollution control, natural resources, wildlife protection, and Tribal law. Caitlin also served as a trial attorney in the Division’s Environmental Defense Section, where she litigated environmental matters in both trial and appellate courts under the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, CERCLA, and the Administrative Procedure Act.
Caroline Jaschke / Associate, Kaplan Kirsch LLP
Caroline’s practice focuses on litigation over a wide-variety of environmental, transit, and energy issues before state and federal courts, as well as administrative bodies. She has experience representing federal agencies, environmental nonprofits, and state, local, and tribal governments. Caroline also counsels clients on regulatory compliance and pre-litigation matters.
Prior to joining the Firm, Caroline was an honors attorney with the Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division. In that role, Caroline litigated enforcement actions under environmental statutes such as the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and CERCLA. Before that, Caroline was a Law Clerk to Justice Carlos A. Samour on the Colorado Supreme Court, where she assisted the court in drafting opinions, prepared for and observed oral arguments, and researched and made recommendations on petitions for certiorari. While in law school, Caroline was involved in the Harvard Environmental Law Review and Environmental Law Society. She also led a student team in researching and designing solutions to disparate access to funding for water infrastructure projects in Mississippi.
Casey H. Morris Hott / Associate, Kaplan Kirsch LLP
Casey Morris Hott’s practice focuses primarily on transportation and environmental law, addressing a broad range of legal matters related to the planning, operation, and regulation of airports, transit, and rail systems.
Prior to joining the Firm, Casey served as counsel for the Federal Railroad Administration, where she specialized in federal grants and environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
She began her legal career as an Honors Attorney at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), providing legal counsel to the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Maritime Administration, Office of the Inspector General, and the Office of General Counsel. At DOT, her work spanned environmental law, rulemaking, federal financial assistance, civil rights, employment, criminal law, and the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), among other issues affecting all modes of transportation.
While in law school, Casey gained experience as a law clerk at Kaplan Kirsch, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Region 8), and a nonprofit focused on sustainable development. She also served as a student attorney in the University of Denver Environmental Law Clinic.
Catherine M. van Heuven / Partner, Kaplan Kirsch LLP
Katie van Heuven is an expert on a broad range of environmental and land use issues who specializes in airport and transportation projects. She frequently advises clients on projects involving federal environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and related local land use regulations. Katie has extensive experience advising airport sponsors on matters involving compliance with Federal Aviation Administration rules and regulations applicable to planning and environmental review for major airport projects. She provides strategic counsel to numerous airport sponsors on matters related to compliance with federal grant assurances, drafting minimum standards and rules and regulations, and securing FAA approvals related to land acquisition and development. Katie has litigated airport cases in multiple federal courts of appeal. In addition, Katie has broad experience with projects concerning CERCLA, the Brownfields law, and state voluntary cleanup provisions. She represents and advises clients before various federal agencies and courts, including rulemaking comments and litigation matters, and lobbies members of Congress and senior officials at various federal agencies on behalf of clients regarding land use and natural resources issues. Katie also has broad public policy experience. She previously served as the senior legislative assistant on environment, energy, and natural resource issues for former U.S. Senator Paul Simon; as a policy analyst for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Constitution Subcommittee; and as a special assistant in the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legislative Affairs. Katie serves on the Airports Council International – North America Environmental Committee Steering Group.
Charles (Chuck) A. Spitulnik / Partner, Kaplan Kirsch LLP
Chuck Spitulnik has spent his entire legal career representing both public and private sector clients on issues relating, in one way or another, to the rail industry. For the past 35 years, his practice has focused on representation of state and local governments in addressing issues related to the rail companies that serve their communities or to the issues that arise when those communities develop and implement plans for operation of rail transit systems, whether commuter rail, light rail, or heavy rail systems. Chuck regularly advises clients on issues related to negotiation of agreements with both freight railroads and Amtrak for acquisition or use of their lines; developing arrangements, including procurement documents when required, with those railroads and with third-party operators for the operation of rail transit systems in that right-of-way; compliance with the complex web of federal legislation and regulation of the rail industry as well as state laws and other requirements; and understanding and addressing the unique features of the rail and transit-related labor laws and the protections available to workers in the industry. Before shifting his focus to representation of the public sector, Chuck gained extensive experience representing freight carriers in the planning and submission of transactions that require governmental approval. Additionally, Chuck has expertise in the acquisition, leasing, and financing of rail equipment and other issues related to rail equipment ownership, including the regulation of rail equipment pools.
Christian L. Alexander / Counsel, Kaplan Kirsch LLP
Christian assists public and private entities in navigating the regulatory, property, and contractual issues necessary to develop and operate public transportation and public infrastructure projects, particularly passenger rail systems and rail-related infrastructure. He has significant administrative law experience representing state and local governments before federal boards and administrations, including the Surface Transportation Board, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, and state regulatory bodies, as well as litigation experience before federal courts and quasi-judicial regulatory entities. His experience in transportation infrastructure and operations also extends to land acquisition and use, contracting, tenancy and concessionaire issues, labor, civil rights, and funding issues. He has worked on both transit-oriented development and rails-to-trails projects.
Grant H. Glovin / Associate, Kaplan Kirsch LLP
Grant’s practice focuses on transportation law, including issues related to the development, operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of public transportation and infrastructure projects. He assists clients in navigating Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Transit Administration regulatory requirements, procurement procedures, environmental regulations, and grant management. He practices regularly before the Surface Transportation Board, primarily representing public transit agencies and state and local governments, and also represents clients in transportation-related litigation.
Prior to joining the Firm, Grant was a Law Clerk to Judge Raymond J. Lohier, Jr. in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and to Chief Judge David J. Barron in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In prior private practice, Grant represented local government clients in litigation, regulatory, and transactional matters. Before law school, Grant worked for New York City Transit as a budget analyst in the Department of Subways.
John E. Putnam / Partner, Kaplan Kirsch LLP
John Putnam is a seasoned attorney and policymaker with extensive experience in airport, as well as other transportation, environmental, and energy law. Over his career, he has led in federal and state agencies, serving as the General Counsel for the United States Department of Transportation, Senior Advisor to the Governor of Colorado including chief negotiator for the Moffat Tunnel, and representing Colorado DOT on rail matters. His practice has focused on navigating complex federal and state regulations to deliver innovative solutions for infrastructure, sustainability, and safety challenges. Known for his strategic counsel, John has played a pivotal role in advancing policies and projects that balance development, environmental stewardship, and community needs. His work includes implementation of the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), Airport and Airspace Development, as well as efforts to develop and implement legislation to fund Colorado rail initiatives and preserve rail lines affected by coal plant and mine shutdowns.
Sara V. Mogharabi / Counsel, Kaplan Kirsch LLP
Sara Mogharabi is an environmental attorney who represents public and private clients nationwide on matters related to project development, site contamination, site remediation, and brownfields. She regularly provides regulatory compliance counseling under a broad array of federal and state environmental statutes and has specific expertise with CERCLA, RCRA, SDWA, and emerging contaminants, including PFAS. Sara has represented clients in the transportation, utilities, mining, waste, recycling, energy, and product stewardship sectors. She also litigates environmental cases in federal and state courts and represents clients before federal and state agencies.
Subash S. Iyer / Partner, Kaplan Kirsch LLP
Subash Iyer represents airports, cities, transit agencies, and others in order to advance their major projects and resolve high-stakes regulatory and litigation matters. Subash previously served as Acting General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation, where he acted as Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s top legal advisor, led the Department’s rulemaking agenda, streamlined processes to expedite project delivery, and defended landmark transportation and environmental policies. As Chief Counsel at the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Subash worked to implement the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and oversaw all FTA legal matters. Subash began his legal career in private practice in Washington, DC, where he helped deliver multiple Supreme Court and court of appeals victories for his clients, and served as law clerk to three federal judges, including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Viktor Zhong / Associate, Kaplan Kirsch LLP
Viktor Zhong’s practice focuses on the procurement, contracting, and delivery of major public-sector infrastructure projects with complex commercial arrangements. He advises state and local agencies on developing and negotiating contracts for professional services, construction, major equipment and technology procurement, operations and maintenance, and program implementation across a range of delivery methods, including design-build, public-private partnerships, and progressive contracting. Before joining Kaplan Kirsch, Viktor spent a decade advising public transit authorities and state and local governments on capital project development, governance and institutional design, funding and financing, and system planning. His combined legal and consulting experience in complex project delivery provides a practical, full asset lifecycle perspective that informs his approach to helping clients navigate multifaceted infrastructure initiatives.