Pashman Stein Walder Hayden is pleased to announce that Aidan P. O’Connor, a partner and co-chair of the firm’s Criminal Defense practice group, has been elected president of the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey (ACDL-NJ), beginning this month for a one-year term. O’Connor recently served as the ACDL-NJ’s vice president.
“Since 1985, the ACDL-NJ has been blessed with leaders who are dedicated to protecting the rights of the accused, as well as being skilled trial lawyers in their own right. Aidan O’Connor certainly carries on this tradition,” said Joseph A. Hayden, co-chair of the Criminal Defense & Governmental and Internal Investigations practice at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden.
Aidan’s experience with criminal matters includes defending individuals against allegations of securities fraud, insurance fraud, health care fraud, tax evasion, bank and mortgage fraud, public corruption, union corruption, kickback schemes, computer intrusions and hacking, embezzlement, trade secrets, antitrust matters, and federal grand jury investigations. He has also represented clients accused of assault, kidnapping, extortion, murder, theft, sexual offenses, drug and controlled dangerous substance offenses, and state parole violations in both state and federal courts, as well as municipal court matters.
“We congratulate Aidan on his new role as president of the ACDL-NJ,” said Pashman Stein Managing Partner Michael S. Stein. “Aidan’s commitment to leadership in the ACDL-NJ speaks to his overall dedication to the practice of criminal law and the evolving legislation that impacts criminal defendants. He is a creative advocate who has the trial and negotiating skills that bring resolutions to difficult cases in both civil and criminal contexts, and he is a true leader.”
Established in 1985, the ACDL-NJ is the primary organized voice for the criminal defense bar in New Jersey. With more than 500 members, the ACDL-NJ advocates as amicus curiae in state and federal appellate courts on behalf of the interests of the criminal defense bar and its clients, as well as weighs in on pending legislation affecting criminal defendants. Pashman Stein partner Joseph A. Hayden, Jr. was the founder and first president of the ACDL-NJ (1985-86). Additional Pashman Stein attorneys who have served as president are partner Justin P. Walder (1987-88), partner Raymond M. Brown(1989-90), and of counsel Alan Silber (1992-93).
About Aidan P. O’Connor
Before entering private practice, O’Connor was an assistant U.S. attorney in the District of New Jersey for 18 years, serving in the Criminal Division, the Organized Crime Strike Force, and as the chief of the Violent Crimes Unit. During his tenure with the U.S. Attorney’s office, he conducted hundreds of federal prosecutions involving long- and short-term investigations, grand jury presentations, witness interviews, wiretapping, and search warrants for offenses including organized crime, RICO, tax fraud and evasion, money laundering, theft of trade secrets, union corruption, embezzlement, commercial and insurance fraud, large stolen property rings, health care fraud, computer crimes, extortion, murder, robbery, and kidnapping.
In addition, he has tried more than 20 federal jury trials, argued hundreds of motions and conducted scores of hearings involving organized crime, tax fraud, money laundering, government program fraud, racketeering, alien smuggling, homicide, bank robbery, narcotics trafficking, civil rights violations and other offenses. He has also argued cases before the Second and Third Circuit Courts of Appeals, as well as the New Jersey Supreme Court.
He was a recipient of the Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an assistant U.S. attorney for his successful prosecution of a RICO case involving hundreds of millions of dollars in excise tax fraud and organized crime. O’Connor has been highly ranked by attorney ratings organizations including Best Lawyers, Chambers USA, and New Jersey Super Lawyers.
O’Connor received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and his B.A. from Columbia University.
About Pashman Stein Walder Hayden
Pashman Stein Walder Hayden is a full-service law firm with a reputation for professional excellence. Headquartered in Hackensack, New Jersey with offices in Monmouth County, New Jersey, and Westchester County, New York, the firm serves a diverse client base including Fortune 500 companies, emerging growth entities, businesses, other law firms, and individuals throughout New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area. Recent honors include being named a Regional Powerhouse in 2018 by Law360, awarded Appellate Litigation Department of the Year (2020) by the New Jersey Law Journal, recognized by Chambers USA 2020 as one of the top law firms in New Jersey in the fields of General Commercial Litigation and White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, and named 2020 Pro Bono Law firm by the New Jersey State Bar Association. For more information, please visit www.pashmanstein.com
