Zak Kostro Email & Phone Number

New York City Metropolitan Area

- Pitch and write daily news briefs and occasional stories on state and local tax litigation, administrative proceedings, legislative and regulatory actions.- Research and pitch news stories on state and local tax developments and trends from across the U.S.- Assist Law360 Tax Authority’s federal and international tax teams with research and news coverage.- Collaborate with senior reporters and editors and contribute to weekly editorial meetings.

New York, New York, United States

- Pitched, researched, reported and wrote news and feature stories on the alcoholic beverage industry, providing analysis of trends, statistics, production and operations for Whisky Advocate and Market Watch magazines.- Identified and interviewed expert sources to write about the logistics of exporting scotch; laws and regulations governing delivery of spirits in the U.S.; Brooklyn’s growing distillery scene; and other timely drinks industry topics.

New York, New York, United States

- Pitched, researched, reported and wrote news and feature stories about bars, restaurants, liquor stores and distillers navigating a pandemic-ravaged business landscape, contextualizing major industry changes and federal and state legislation.- Developed original story ideas and worked with various editors to prioritize reporting and writing assignments.

Greater New York City Area

- Pitched, researched, reported, wrote and edited stories about trends, news and prominent figures in the whisky industry, including domestic and international perspectives, for a leading spirits magazine (digital and print).- Wrote breaking news stories for whiskyadvocate.com and fact-checked stories for print and web.- Spearheaded coverage of broad-ranging national and international current events as they relate to the whisky world.- Reported on tariffs, Brexit, trademark disputes and distillery openings in the U.S., UK and Japan.- Collaborated with senior editors, contributing to regular pitch meetings for magazine planning and news coverage.

Greater New York City Area

- Filed more than 200 stories on tight deadlines by juggling breaking news with in-depth features and enterprise reporting focusing on politics, crime, and state and local government for a Pulitzer Prize-winning weekly newspaper in the Bronx.- Wrote breaking news stories on homicides, lawsuits and labor disputes for the newspaper’s website.- Built and developed a wide source network using city records, research and shoe-leather reporting.- Won multiple statewide awards, including “best news story,” from the New York Press Association for news writing and coverage of elections and politics.

Greater New York City Area

- Pitched, reported, wrote and fact-checked a 4,000-word story about a self-described former drug dealer from the Bronx who got out of prison and became a chef at a Lower East Side café opened by artist and hotelier André Saraiva.- Built a timeline and narrative by combing through court documents, tracking down and interviewing multiple sources.

Greater New York City Area

- Worked with editorial staff producing the second issue of the award-winning travel and lifestyle magazine.- Researched, reported, wrote and fact-checked stories about culinary and cultural events across the globe.- Interviewed sources for a story about bars and nightlife in Beirut’s LGBTQ community.

Greater New York City Area

- Assisted Esquire’s editorial staff composing the print edition of the magazine.- Interviewed sources and wrote for Esquire.com and Esquire Classic.- Contributed research for monthly columns and features, prepared clip files, transcribed staff writers’ and editors’ interviews and assisted with archival work.

Greater New York City Area

- Awarded Columbia Journalism School's inaugural postgraduate narrative nonfiction writing fellowship.- Completed a reporting-driven, book-length story about a twisted bartending journey through the New York and Los Angeles nightlife scenes (publication date to be determined).

Los Angeles, California, United States

- Worked in nightclubs, bars and restaurants in West Hollywood, Silver Lake and downtown LA. Essay on bartending published in Glint Literary Journal.

New York, New York, United States

- Worked in nightclubs, bars and restaurants in New York City’s meatpacking district and Hell's Kitchen.

Greater New York City Area

- Assisted Claudio Iván Remeseira, award-winning journalist, writer, cultural critic, and founder and director of the Hispanic New York Project, hosted by Columbia University's American Studies Program.- Helped plan and publicize educational and cultural events. Wrote and translated press releases and newsletters from English to Spanish.

Master Of Science (M.S.), Journalism

- Master of Science with a focus on narrative journalism and magazine writing. - Graduated with honors. - Awarded the school’s inaugural.

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, Spanish Language And Literature

- Graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. - Studied abroad at la Universidad de La Rioja in Logroño, Spain.