Incoming Brooklyn DA announces transition team

November 21, 2013 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Screen Shot 2013-11-21 at 4.15.12 PM.png

Share this:

Brooklyn District Attorney-elect Ken Thompson announced Thursday the Transition Committee that will help recruit top legal talent to join the staff of the District Attorney’s office.

Composed of 32 lawyers, civic leaders and criminal justice experts, the committee reflects a diverse range of legal, academic and professional talent.

“As Brooklyn’s next district attorney, I am deeply committed to keeping our streets safe and making sure that everyone is treated equally under the law,” Thompson said in a released statement.

Co-chairs Michele Hirshman , partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; and Paul Shechtman, partner at Zuckerman Spaeder, will lead the committee. “District Attorney-Elect Thompson is committed to ensuring that his office is staffed by top-notch public servants,” said Hirshman.

Thompson has also sought the expertise of Brooklyn legal minds such as Jay Schwitzman, president of the Kings County Criminal Bar Association; Josh Saunders, senior trial attorney with Brooklyn Defenders Services; Thompson’s former opponent in the race for DA, Abe George, and former Brooklyn District Attorney Elizabeth Holtzman.

“Recruiting this dedicated and impressive panel of public servants is a strong first step that shows Ken Thompson’s abiding commitment to protecting the people of Brooklyn,” Shectman noted.

The complete list of Thompson’s committee includes:

Pastor A.R. Bernard: Senior Pastor and CEO, Christian Cultural Center

Zachary W. Carter: Partner, Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Catherine Christian: Counsel for Special Projects for the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, New York County District Attorney’s Office

Mark Feldman: Deputy Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General Metropolitan Transit Authority

Leroy Frazer, Jr.: Executive Assistant District Attorney for External Affairs, New York County District Attorney’s Office

Michael J. Garcia: Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Abe George: Former Assistant District Attorney, New York County District Attorney’s Office

Robert J. Giuffra, Jr.: Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

Jerry H. Goldfeder: Special Counsel, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP

Willis J. Goldsmith: Partner, Jones Day

Jill Harris: Managing Director of Strategic Initiatives, Drug Policy Alliance

Peter C. Harvey: Partner, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

Hon. Elizabeth Holtzman: Counsel; Co-Chair Government Relations Group, Herrick, Feinstein LLP

David M. Kennedy: Professor and Director of the Center for Crime Prevention and Control, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Michael S. Kim: Co-Founder and Lead Counsel, Kobre & Kim LLP

Arnold N. Kriss: Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Arnold N. Kriss

Neal Kwatra: Founder and CEO, Metropolitan Public Strategies

Chauncey Parker: Executive Assistant District Attorney for Crime Prevention Strategies, New York County District Attorney’s Office

Josh Saunders: Senior Trial Attorney, Brooklyn Defender Services

Avi Schick: Partner, Dentons LLP

Jay H. Schwitzman: Criminal Defense, Schwitzman Law

Derek Sells: Managing Partner, The Cochran Firm

George A. Stamboulidis: Partner, BakerHostetler

Jeremy Travis: President, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Nick Turner: President and Director, Vera Institute of Justice

Barbara D. Underwood : Solicitor General, New York Attorney General Office

Anne C. Vladeck: Partner, Vladeck, Waldman, Elias & Engelhard, P.C.

Alan Vinegrad: Partner, Covington & Burling LLP

Theodore V. Wells, Jr.: Partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

Douglas H. Wigdor: Partner, Thompson Wigdor LLP

**Adrienne Harris, Associate at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, served in an advisory role to incoming District Attorney Ken Thompson and the transition team committees.