Lowenstein Sandler announced today that Elie Honig, former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and most recently Director of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, has joined the firm as special counsel in the White Collar Criminal Defense practice. His arrival further highlights the practice group’s ongoing success in attracting prominent, accomplished former prosecutors and trial lawyers whose experience enhances the practice’s depth and breadth.
Honig spent nearly six years at the Division of Criminal Justice, part of the Department of Law and Public Safety, and served as Director for nearly all of that time. He oversaw more than 900 cases per year, including those involving corporate crime, public corruption, and health care fraud. Before that, he worked for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York from 2004 to 2012, where he focused on organized crime, including investigations and prosecutions surrounding the Gambino and Genovese families. Honig has tried 15 cases to jury verdict and argued over 20 cases in the federal appellate courts and the New Jersey Supreme Court.
“Elie is a force multiplier in the litigation arena, as very few people have his combination of experience with state, federal, trial, appellate, and investigative matters,” said Christopher Porrino, partner and Chair of Lowenstein’s Litigation Department, who worked closely with Honig while serving as New Jersey State Attorney General. “Whether trying cases as a prosecutor, managing hundreds of law enforcement professionals, or helping to build policy surrounding bail reform and the right to a speedy trial, Elie’s background is unique and extraordinary – he’s a great addition to our firm.”
Honig joins Porrino and a host of other former prosecutors at Lowenstein Sandler, including special counsel Anne Milgram (former New Jersey State Attorney General), counsel Kathleen A. McGee (former Bureau Chief of the Bureau of Internet & Technology for the New York State Attorney General’s Office), and partner Matthew Boxer (former New Jersey State Comptroller; former director, New Jersey’s Authorities Unit; and former federal prosecutor, Terrorism Unit, Criminal Division, and Special Prosecutions Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office).
“Elie’s experience will provide strong counsel to our clients, as he understands the processes and the people involved in investigations and prosecutions in New York and New Jersey,” said Michael B. Himmel, partner and Chair of Lowenstein’s White Collar Criminal Defense practice and a former Bronx County Assistant District Attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. “He also has a strong background in policymaking and management – and in the growing area of data analytics – all of which will deliver additional value to our clients.”
Honig holds a concurrent position as Executive Director of the newly launched Rutgers Institute for Secure Communities. He will lead efforts there to apply science and objective data to address some of the complex problems facing police departments and the communities they protect. The institute’s focus is partly inspired by bail reform efforts initiated during Honig’s time in state government, which led to a statewide drop in violent crime and pretrial incarceration.
“Data analytics is becoming increasingly important in all industries, including legal, and Lowenstein Sandler is already finding ways to incorporate it into the firm’s thinking,” Honig said. “That forward-thinking approach is just another example of how Lowenstein is a firm dedicated to doing things the right way. That was important in my decision to join the firm, as was its high standing in New Jersey and across the country.”
Honig received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School and his B.A., with highest honors, from Rutgers University.
