N.Y. NYP Law § 21

§ 21. Certain special proceedings.\n In the event that the agency or the corporation shall have occasion at\nany time to seek declaratory relief in the courts with respect to any\nmatters relating to transactions contemplated by this act, any request\nfor such relief shall be brought as a special proceeding and conducted\nin accordance with article four of the civil practice law and rules. Any\nsuch special proceeding shall be preferred over all other civil causes\nexcept election causes in all courts of the state of New York and shall\nbe heard and determined in preference to all other civil business\npending therein except election causes, irrespective of position on the\ncalendar. In any such special proceeding, the court hearing the matter\nshall have authority in its discretion to award, as against the agency\nor the corporation, the reasonable counsel fees and expenses of a party\nor intervenor opposing such declaratory relief, based on the court's\ndetermination as to the contribution made to the sound and orderly\nresolution of the proceeding by the participation of such party or\nintervenor therein, and the court hearing the matter may in its\ndiscretion appoint counsel to represent a class of persons having\ninterests in opposition to such declaratory relief being sought and may\naward reasonable counsel fees and expenses as aforesaid on account of\nsuch representation.\n