Charles J. Tortorici is co-leader of Tortorici Schwartz LLP's transportation practice and a highly experienced advisor on transportation regulation, government affairs, and public policy. Drawing on more than 14 years in senior leadership at the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission, Charles brings clients a distinctive understanding of transportation regulation from both the government and private-sector perspectives.
Charles advises local, national, and international transportation companies on complex regulatory, operational, and strategic matters, with particular expertise in the regulatory framework governing for-hire vehicle and ground transportation providers in New York City. His practice encompasses regulatory compliance and enforcement, licensing, administrative proceedings, government relations, public policy, employment matters, corporate advisory services, operational strategy, process improvement, and project management and implementation.
Before co-founding Tortorici Schwartz LLP, Charles spent more than 14 years at the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission, serving in numerous senior leadership positions, including Deputy Commissioner for Licensing, Deputy General Counsel, and Acting General Counsel. During his tenure, he helped shape agency policy, oversaw significant regulatory and licensing functions, advised senior agency leadership, managed a large operating division, and litigated complex administrative matters.
That experience gives Charles an uncommon understanding of how transportation regulation is conceived, developed, interpreted, implemented, and enforced. Today, clients rely on him not simply to interpret regulatory requirements, but to anticipate issues, navigate government processes, resolve complex compliance matters, and develop practical strategies that align regulatory obligations with business objectives.
Charles is also an entrepreneur and technology founder. He is the co-founder of Total Compliance Solutions, a technology platform designed to help transportation companies manage regulatory compliance by monitoring and aggregating licensing and regulatory data from the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission and New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. He is also the co-founder of TripMarket, a SaaS-enabled B2B marketplace platform and mobile application designed to enhance profitability and operational efficiency for transportation companies by enabling the real-time sourcing of independent contractor labor and equipment at dynamic rates.
His experience developing businesses and technology solutions within the transportation sector provides Charles with an additional perspective on the challenges facing transportation operators. He understands regulation not only from the government's perspective, but from the standpoint of the companies and executives responsible for operating successfully within an increasingly complex regulatory environment.
Before joining the Taxi & Limousine Commission, Charles served as an Assistant District Attorney in Kings County, New York, and as a Special Assistant Corporation Counsel with the New York City Administration for Children's Services.
Charles is also an Adjunct Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where he teaches criminal law and constitutional law.
Throughout his career, Charles has worked at the intersection of transportation, government, law, technology, and public policy. His experience as a senior regulator, attorney, entrepreneur, and educator enables him to provide sophisticated legal counsel grounded in a firsthand understanding of government decision-making, regulatory enforcement, and the operational realities of the transportation industry.
- J.D., Quinnipiac University School of Law
- B.A. Binghamton University
- New York
