“My career has been focused on the intersection of business and government, centered around relationships, and always with the goal of getting things done."
Frank V. Carone is Founder and Chairman of Oaktree Solutions.
Building on Carone’s career of solving complex challenges, Oaktree provides issue advocacy and market positioning, litigation support, crisis management, government relations strategy, mediation services, business development support, executive and board consulting, and equity and sustainability consulting.
An accomplished negotiator, one of the city’s most sought-after business litigators, and a former U.S. Marine, Frank served as chief of staff to the 110th mayor of the city of New York, Eric L. Adams. In service to Mayor Adam’s vision of New York as a “City of Yes,” Frank’s initial goals for the new administration included building the team; creating a culture of discipline, responsiveness, and creativity; and having the vision to pursue large, high-impact projects.
During his tenure as chief of staff, Frank helped break down bureaucratic barriers to business and build a real partnership with the state and federal government. His accomplishments on behalf of the city include leading negotiations to develop Brookdale Science Park and Research Campus, a project that transformed an entire city block into a state-of-the-art destination for the rapidly growing life sciences industry and has created new jobs, higher education opportunities, and space for business incubators.
Frank also led the charge on the corridor-wide rehabilitation of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, an initiative that has connected communities long separated due to the design of the historic Robert Moses highway. He successfully concluded negotiations to bring affordable housing and a world class soccer stadium to Willets Point, an area of Queens underutilized for generations. He also promoted New York City’s application to host the Democratic National Convention in 2024.
While visiting big cities around the world, Frank successfully brought back major business and convenings to New York. He brought the World Dyslexia Forum to New York City for the first time, raising awareness of the reading disorder, while also helping to implement universal dyslexia screening for public school students. Frank convened the 2022 Mayoral Summit on Criminal Justice, during which stakeholders from across the ideological spectrum came together to develop a shared agenda to address crime in innovative ways.
Frank’s negotiating style is built on “achieving alignment”: identifying areas where multiple parties’ interests converge so that everyone is satisfied with the outcome when negotiations are finished. He has leveraged this approach to great success throughout his career.
Prior to joining the Adams administration, Frank was an executive partner at Abrams Fensterman, LLP, a full-service law firm with multiple offices in New York State: Long Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, White Plains, Rochester, and Albany. He was instrumental in charting the firm’s strategic expansion, transforming it into the largest legal practice in Brooklyn and establishing it as one of the region’s premier law firms.
Known for achieving breakthrough results on complex problems others thought unsolvable, Frank became the go-to private practice attorney for cases in which the New York State Attorney General was conflicted, successfully representing the interests of the state on 15 thorny and politically-charged cases.
Designated a Super Lawyer in Government Relations and known for his creative solutions, Frank attained significant achievements in both business and law. His practice handled a diverse array of civil and criminal matters for individuals, corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, professional practices, and independent family offices, as well as providing high-level government relations strategies. Forbes cited Frank as “one of the foremost experts on business negotiating strategy” in the country.
Before joining Abrams Fensterman, Frank founded a successful mortgage bank that he grew into a multi-state enterprise with more than 200 employees, ultimately negotiating a successful merger with a larger institution.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Frank served two terms on the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission. He was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2011 and reappointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2015, unanimously confirmed by the New York City Council in both instances. His tenure as a commissioner was marked by notable advancements in green vehicle standards, the advent of e-hail apps, and significant improvements to accessibility and driver wage increases. He lobbied for the creation of and served as chair of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Transportation Law, which focused on issues associated with ride-sharing services and driverless vehicles.
For almost a decade, Frank was counsel to the Kings County Democratic County Committee, where he represented numerous elected government officials. He frequently appears as a guest lecturer before legal and business trade organizations.
Frank graduated cum laude from St. John’s University with a bachelor of science degree in finance. He received his juris doctor at Brooklyn Law School, where he graduated in the top of his class and received the award for American Jurisprudence in Legal Ethics.
He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1993 to 1995 where, upon completion of Officers Candidate School, he was commissioned second lieutenant.
Frank’s professional memberships include the New York State Bar Association, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Brooklyn Bar Association, American Association of Bank Directors, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Kings County Criminal Bar Association, and Columbian Lawyers Association.
His ongoing business and nonprofit engagements include board member and audit chair of Hanover Community Bank (HCB), where he led a successful reorganization and recapitalization; Board and Audit Committee chair of Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, where he helped restructure the agency; and board member and audit chair of the Catholic Foundation of Brooklyn and Queens. Frank joined the founding advisory board of the New York League of Independent Bankers and serves on the board at the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. He also served as president of the Brooklyn Bar Association.
Frank continues to make his home in Brooklyn with his wife Diana and children Gabriella and Francesco.
