David Zornow, a Lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

David Zornow is a partner at Skadden and an esteemed white collar criminal defense lawyer. He represents corporations and individuals in federal and state grand jury investigations as well as criminal trials.

He represents clients in regulatory investigations, such as those by the Securities and Exchange Commission or state attorneys general, and conducts corporate internal investigations. He founded the firm’s white collar practice in 1989.

Early Life and Education

David Zornow is a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and the global head of their Litigation/Controversy practices. He serves on the Policy Committee as well. Since 1989 he has founded their white collar practice which represents corporations and individuals in federal and state grand jury investigations, trials, regulatory inquiries by SEC or state attorneys general as well as SEC enforcement actions.

He previously served as Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, overseeing a range of white collar cases such as corruption at NYC Parking Violations Bureau and leading the trial team that secured RICO conviction of Stanley Friedman – Bronx Democratic leader. Furthermore, he has published numerous articles related to law in professional journals.

Professional Career

David Zornow is the global head of Skadden’s Litigation/Controversy practice and a member of its Policy Committee. He founded the firm’s white collar practice in 1989 and represents corporations and individuals in federal, state grand jury investigations, criminal trials, regulatory inquiries by SEC/DOJ or state attorneys general; additionally he conducts corporate internal investigations as well as teaching courses on white collar criminal defense, internal investigations and law firm business operations.

In addition to his legal practice, he is an accomplished writer. His articles on white collar crime and the business of law firms have been published widely in legal publications. In 2016, he received the Milton S. Gould Award for Outstanding Advocacy from the Office of Appellate Defender.

Achievements and Honors

David Zornow is a renowned defense attorney who defends high-profile clients from white collar crime accusations. His clients range from celebrities to athletes and politicians. Additionally, his peers have recognized him as an outstanding litigator; recently LexisNexis named him as their most highly rated white collar defense firm. Furthermore, as part of Skadden’s family in New York, Zornow has an intimate understanding of legal technology trends as well as what works and doesn’t work within it.

Personal Life

David Zornow is the global head of Skadden’s Litigation/Controversy practices and a member of its Policy Committee. He founded the firm’s white collar practice in 1989, representing corporations and individuals in federal and state grand jury investigations as well as criminal trials. Additionally, he conducts corporate internal investigations and works on civil enforcement actions such as those before the Securities and Exchange Commission or state attorneys general.

He has been married to Cynthia since 1972 and they have two children. In his free time he enjoys music, writing and playing the guitar; he’s also a DJ who has been working as a turntablist for more than 10 years. When not DJ-ing or traveling, he likes spending time with his family members as part of New York City Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Judiciary.

Net Worth

David Zornow is one of the most highly regarded lawyers in America. He founded Skadden’s White Collar Defense practice in 1989 and served as its global head from 2009 until 2020. An expert on federal and state grand jury investigations, criminal trials, civil enforcement matters as well as internal corporate investigations for company boards of directors; David serves on their Policy Committee and teaches a course on Internal Investigations at Yale Law School.

He is an advocate for charity organizations such as the New York City Legal Aid Society. Additionally, he is one of a select few attorneys to be named to Super Lawyers – an honorific list consisting of only a select few attorneys from each state.