Zahid N. Quraishi Assumes Leadership of White Collar Criminal Practice

On Feb 1, 2019

Morristown-based law firm Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP announced that partner Zahid N. Quraishi has been named chair of its highly regarded White Collar Criminal Defense and Investigations practice. Quraishi succeeds Samuel P. Moulthrop as leader of the department.  Moulthrop, a former assistant U.S. Attorney and chief of the Criminal Division at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, has led the practice for more than 20 years and has handled numerous high profile white collar and environmental matters including serving as a federal monitor, representing numerous individuals in the Bridgegate investigation and representing corporations and government entities in connection with investigations.  Moulthrop will continue to work with Quraishi and the Department in representing the firm’s clients in the white collar, complex litigation, and environmental practice areas.

Quraishi stated, “It is an honor to lead the Firm’s White Collar Group.  Sam has been a wonderful mentor and friend over the past five years, and I look forward to his continued guidance and involvement as we work together in the coming years.”

Quraishi joined Riker Danzig in 2013 after serving as an assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey for over five years. At Riker Danzig, Quraishi continues to represent corporations, municipalities, and individuals in connection with complex state and federal criminal investigations involving healthcare and financial fraud, public corruption, tax evasion, and SEC civil enforcement investigations among other areas.  Recently, he secured an acquittal at trial on behalf of a physician assistant charged with a second degree felony in state court. As an AUSA, he tried numerous federal criminal cases involving public corruption, financial fraud, perjury, firearms and narcotics offenses within the Special Prosecutions Division and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and Government Fraud Units of the Criminal Division.  Quraishi also investigated and prosecuted a wide range of matters including bank fraud, tax evasion, extortion, bribery, bid-rigging, federal elections violations, mail and wire fraud, honest services fraud, embezzlement and theft of government funds, evasion of federal tariffs, international arms trafficking, export control, and illegal narcotics, firearms and immigration crimes. He previously represented the United States as an Assistant Chief Counsel and trial attorney with the Department of Homeland Security.  Quraishi also served as a military prosecutor and achieved the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

Co-Chairman of the firm Brian E. O’Donnell said, “Za is a gifted and well-known trial attorney with substantial experience and will do a superb job leading our growing White Collar Practice Group.  His background at the U.S. Attorney’s Office combined with the complex nature of his practice has added great depth to our White Collar Group, which has represented clients in many high-profile government investigations and criminal matters.”

Quraishi has also been instrumental in the development of Riker Danzig’s Cannabis Law Group, one of the first in New Jersey, which provides counsel to clients on state and federal law and policies, entity and fund formation, licensing, domestic and foreign investment activity, and other legal, tax, and regulatory compliance matters.

In addition to his legal practice, Quraishi serves on Riker Danzig’s Management, Hiring, and Diversity Committees.  He is a Trustee for the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey and the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey.  He is a member of the Executive Committee of the C. Willard Heckel American Inn of Court at Rutgers School of Law.  Quraishi was recently appointed to serve on the Board of Trustees for the U.S. Attorney’s Office Alumni Association.  He has been recognized in his field by Best Lawyers, Chambers USA and Super Lawyers, and was selected as the 2017 alumni honoree by Rutgers APALSA (Asian-Pacific American Law Students Association) for leadership and service in the profession.  Quraishi also proudly serves on the Criminal Justice Act Panel representing indigent defendants before the United States District Court in the District of New Jersey.

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