As Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo prepares to take office amid the public’s resounding mandate for change, he knows that the myriad challenges facing business leaders, professionals, agricultural workers and others in the work force is daunting. The times in which we find ourselves are unprecedented, in many respects, and circumstances call for an unprecedented response. While the challenges are great, if our new governor is willing to work with our other leaders there’s a chance our state’s economy can be revived.

There are many commonsense changes on which our new governor can work that can serve to revive our economy or, at the very least, send a signal that New York is once again trying to be business-friendly. Recently, I spoke with Francesca Sommer, the executive director of the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York (LRANY), a statewide business organization working toward overhauling New York’s legal system. Among the many areas where the status quo can be challenged and a healthy business atmosphere can be promoted is lawsuit reform.

According to LRANY, Gov.-elect Cuomo should immediately work to reform New York’s antiquated, cumbersome and expensive legal system. LRANY contends that New York’s corporate and personal tax rates, health care costs and skyrocketing insurance premiums are among the highest in the nation. At the same time, business leaders often say that New York’s liability and litigation environment factors heavily in their decisions to relocate to more business-friendly states. The effect is a downward spiral that negatively affects each of us…

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