Month: August 2025

AEL is thrilled to announce that Best Lawyers® honored six AEL attorneys in its 2026 edition.

Founding partner Scott R. Landau was recognized as the 2026 “Lawyer of the Year” in Health Care Law for New York City.  This prestigious honor is awarded to just one lawyer per region and practice area each year. The honor is based on the highest overall peer feedback and a demonstrated record of excellence. AEL is incredibly proud that Scott has been recognized for his stellar reputation in the NYC healthcare community. Scott was also named a “Best Lawyer” for Health Care Law marking the third year in a row he has obtained the honor.

Founding partner Ken Abell was also named a “Best Lawyer” in the categories of Health Care Law and Health Care Litigation. Counsel Jeff Braun was named a “Best Lawyer” in the category of Litigation – Land Use and Zoning and Litigation – Real Estate. And associates Scott Glicksman and Raquel Frier, and Of Counsel Katherine Kulkarni were each named as “Ones to Watch.”

The Best Lawyers in America list is one of the most reputable and recognized rankings of attorneys across the nation. Those honored are divided by geographic region and practice area(s) and their work undergoes a significant peer review process.

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America recognizes associates and other early stage attorneys, noting their impressive performance and professional excellence in private practice. Ones to Watch utilizes the same robust peer-review process and methodology as The Best Lawyers in America.

On August 15, 2025, Abell Eskew Landau LLP filed an amicus curiae brief in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of FAMM and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (“NACDL”) in Rutherford v. United States and Carter v. United States, which have been consolidated by the Court for briefing and argument.  Argument in the cases is scheduled for November 12, 2025.

The brief argued that U.S.S.G. § 1B1.13(b)(6), the United States Sentencing Commission’s policy statement concerning the criteria for sentence reductions pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)—sometimes called “compassionate release”— promulgated in 2023, is within the scope of the Commission’s statutory authority, consistent with past practice, and important for facilitating just sentencing outcomes.  Section 1B1.13(b)(6) provides that, when deciding whether a person has identified an extraordinary and compelling reason for a sentence reduction, courts may consider a later change in the law if the person has already served ten years of “an unusually long sentence” that, after full consideration of the person’s individualized circumstances, reflects “a gross disparity” between the sentence being served and the sentence likely to be imposed today.  The decisions below in Rutherford and Carter deepened a division among the federal Courts of Appeals regarding §1B1.13(b)(6), and would prevent many incarcerated people from even seeking to reduce lengthy sentences now acknowledged as unjust. The brief urges the Court to reverse those decisions below and confirm the statutory authority of the Commission, the broad scope of courts’ sentencing discretion, and the relevance of changes in the law to motions seeking relief under § 3582(c)(1)(A).

The brief, which can be read in full below, reflects the firm’s commitment to seeking justice in sentencing and advocating for the rights of incarcerated persons.

The AEL team includes Jarrod Schaeffer, Olivia Jecklin, and Nafeesah Attah.

.AEL is proud to share that partner Jarrod Schaeffer was named to Benchmark Litigation’s 40 and Under list for 2025. Each year, Benchmark Litigation works to identify the best and brightest litigators across the country, and the 40 and Under list seeks to recognize the top emerging talent in litigation. This is the second year in a row that Jarrod has been selected to this prestigious list.

Jarrod joined AEL as a partner in 2024 following more than five years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where he was a senior member of the Public Corruption Unit. An experienced trial and appellate litigator, his practice focuses on white collar criminal defense, government investigations and enforcement, internal investigations, and complex commercial litigation. Since joining AEL, Jarrod has handled a number of high-profile matters, published articles on emerging issues in campaign finance and artificial intelligence, and maintained an active pro bono practice on behalf of a number of organizations.

AEL is proud to have represented Congregation Beth Israel (CBI), a conservative Jewish synagogue located in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. In early 2023, CBI learned that one of their long-time employees had been embezzling funds from the congregation’s bank accounts for at least three years and concealing her conduct by, among other things, falsifying bank documents and financial statements. The defendant further concealed her conduct by replenishing CBI’s bank accounts with unauthorized high interest merchant cash advance transactions taken in CBI’s name, causing further damage to the congregation’s financial circumstances. CBI is a non-profit, tightly-knit, member-led community that serves a diverse congregation that draws from several towns in and around Union County, New Jersey. Needless to say, the congregation was devastated to learn of the theft, which totaled approximately $400,000.

CBI’s Board acted swiftly in response to the theft and engaged AEL to conduct a thorough internal investigation, identify the perpetrator, and act as a liaison with federal law enforcement. Over the course of the next year, AEL collected and reviewed evidence of the fraud, including a forensic financial analysis of defendant’s activities, presented to the Board, and coordinated extensive cooperation with the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office.

On July 23, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey charged the defendant with wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C § 1343. The defendant pled guilty on March 18, 2025, accepting full responsibility for the offense conduct. AEL then represented CBI in connection with defendant’s sentencing, submitting evidence of the losses attributable to defendant’s conduct and coordinating CBI’s Victim Impact Statement. On July 22, 2025, the Court sentenced defendant to 21 months’ imprisonment, 2 years of supervised release, financial restrictions, including a prohibition from working as a bookkeeper or accountant in the future, and ordered that defendant make full restitution to CBI.

The sentencing concluded a difficult period for CBI as the victim of the offense. In a statement, CBI said, “our trust was deeply betrayed by someone who we viewed as a friend and colleague, and while we have been working toward healing over the past two years, we can now complete this process as we look toward the future as a strong and thriving community.”

As for AEL, CBI stated:

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our attorney, David Eskew, who provided pro bono legal services to assist us with our internal review and served as our liaison to the Department of Justice. People like David remind us that for every betrayal, no matter how big or small, there are good people who are willing to give their time and energy to help us persevere through challenging times.

The case was handled by AEL partner David Eskew, of counsel Heather Suchorsky, and associate Raquel Frier.

AEL is a boutique law firm that specializes in white collar criminal defense, government investigations and enforcement matters, and internal investigations. AEL’s partners are all former federal prosecutors with extensive experience investigating and defending federal offenses. AEL has been repeatedly engaged to represent companies, corporate boards, and individuals in high-stakes matters involving federal and state law enforcement agencies, including engagements on behalf of high-profile victims.

The foregoing may constitute attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.