Lisa Stenson Desamours, a seasoned attorney and a leader in the transportation and real estate sectors, enjoys a legal career spanning public service and major corporate institutions. She’s negotiated large-scale transactions that have shaped New York City’s infrastructure and advanced environmental progress. She serves as Senior Associate Counsel of Procurement and Contracts for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
HOW DID RIVERDALE SHAPE YOUR PATH?
I attended Riverdale from 1st through 12th grade. I recall the rigor of the curriculum and how it thoroughly prepares students for college and beyond. Mike Michelson led an exercise in 6th grade where each student picked a profession. We received a description of our family, annual income, and formula to determine what we could afford for housing before viewing the real estate section of the Sunday New York Times to identify a home or apartment we could afford. I recall thinking that a commercial real estate attorney could be a lucrative profession. I ultimately did become a commercial real estate attorney. Being a three-letter woman who served as co-captain of Cross-Country and Track and was on Varsity Gymnastics taught me the rewards of teamwork, focus, spirit, and resilience. The friendships, which started at a young age at Riverdale, are immensely important to me.
WHAT WAS YOUR PATH AFTER RIVERDALE?
After graduation, I attended Georgetown University, earning my BA in government with a concentration in international relations, and earned my Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia’s School of Law, becoming a fourth-generation attorney in my family. My maternal great-grandfather of Jamaican descent was a barrister and a trial attorney in Panama in the early 1900s. My grandfather graduated from NYU Law School and became the first chair of Harvard’s Afro American Studies Department. My mother’s sister was Lani Guinier, a voting rights attorney and expert who won many impactful cases in the South and was the first tenured African American female professor at Harvard Law School. My mother, a retired New York City educator, was dedicated to encouraging students to value learning, their abilities, and their educational opportunities. Growing up in the first two decades following the Civil Rights Act, I knew the significance of understanding one’s rights and enjoyed being a problem solver.
I started my career in the public sector at the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services. I was promoted to Housing Preservation and Development, where I worked on asset sales, construction loans, and permanent takeout loans. I transitioned to Prudential Financial and into the private sector, and my real estate practice went national. I joined MetLife, becoming a real estate and procurement attorney with significant global experience across 50 countries.
As a native New Yorker and lifetime MTA customer, I was intrigued by the opportunity to work in the transportation sector. The MTA is North America’s largest transportation network, serving over 15 million people across New York City, through Long Island, Southeast New York state, and Connecticut. As lead counsel, I worked on a $300 million-plus multiagency dual-mode locomotive transaction to enhance reliability and environmental responsibility, transitioning between electric and diesel power across Metro-North’s 102-mile third rail territory. These locomotives also comply with Tier four environmental regulations and will significantly reduce pollutants and airborne emissions by more than 85%.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD LEADER?
All ships are raised by the high tide of trust, respect, teamwork, and dedication. My leadership philosophy is solution-based, prioritizing problem-solving as well as a way forward. A leader should identify challenges, engage subject matter experts to provide input, and collaborative opportunities to solve challenges. It’s important to ensure that everyone who’s part of the project understands the objective, its importance and impact, and the time sensitivity of their role in fulfilling the objective.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS A FUTURE IN LAW?
Building and nurturing relationships and networks over time is essential, particularly with attorneys who practice in different disciplines, to learn about opportunities and career paths. Active engagement in and contribution to the profession through industry associations is helpful. Through 25 years of New York City Bar Association and New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) membership, I’ve served on the NYSBA Nominating Committee, House of Delegates, and Real Property Section Executive Committee. Gain exposure to the legal profession as early as you can. The practice of law is always evolving, and continually learning the law is important. Read The New York Times to learn about a range of topics, and The Wall Street Journal to learn about different businesses and industries.