Andrea Zellan
Partner
For more than two decades Andrea Zellan has successfully represented individuals and businesses in high-stakes federal and state prosecutions, internal investigations, and regulatory inquiries involving allegations ranging from insider trading and securities fraud to bribery, larceny, money laundering, assault, and sexual misconduct. Known for her strategic instincts and courtroom presence in both white collar and traditional criminal matters, Andrea handles each case with a rigorous, client-centered approach that has led to dismissals, acquittals, and favorable resolutions in some of New York’s most closely watched prosecutions.
Prior to co-founding Sarafa Zellan, Andrea served for many years as Senior Counsel at a prominent criminal defense firm known for handling high-profile trials and investigations. Close collaboration with fellow attorneys, experts, investigators, and primarily with clients, is one hallmark of Andrea’s work. She has co-chaired trials that resulted in full acquittals, persuaded prosecutors to drop charges entirely, and negotiated non-prosecution and deferred prosecution agreements for clients confronting serious legal consequences. Andrea has also secured below-guideline sentences and effectively litigated privilege and evidentiary disputes in complex federal trials. Before entering private practice, Andrea was a staff attorney in the Criminal Defense Division of The Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn, where she defended hundreds of indigent clients, sharpening her advocacy across all stages of the criminal process.
A graduate of Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, cum laude, Andrea was ranked in the top 10% of her class and honored as the National Association of Women Lawyers’ Outstanding Law Graduate. She participated in the Innocence Project at Cardozo during its earliest years. She holds a B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University, and is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey, as well as in multiple federal courts. An active member of the defense bar, Andrea has served on key committees within the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the New York City Bar Association.
Professional Associations and Affiliations
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
- New York Council of Defense Lawyers (NYCDL)
- Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA)
- New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NYSACDL)
- New York State Bar Association
- New York City Bar Association
- New York Criminal Bar Association
Volunteer Activities
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Women in Criminal Defense, Committee Member, 2019-2021
- Association of the Bar of the City of New York
- Criminal Advocacy Committee Member, 2005– 2007
- Chaired CLE Program: Where is Your Evidence? High Tech Evidence, the Secrets it May Hold & the Tools Prosecutors & Defense Attorneys Need to Access It.
Representative Cases
- Full acquittal of a construction company superintendent accused of reckless assault in connection with a crane accident on a construction site.
- Represented a privately held art gallery served with subpoenas by state and federal law enforcement seeking to repatriate purportedly looted artifacts.
- Secured an SEC settlement avoiding litigation and potential criminal referral on behalf of an artist under investigation for compensation disclosures related to a cryptocurrency endorsement.
- Secured court dismissal of all charges on behalf of an educator facing rape allegations, as well as an end to any possible appeal of that court’s decision and order.
- Secured dismissal of indictment charging client with rape.
- Secured dismissal of bribery indictment after uncovering substantive discovery failures by prosecutors.
- Represented a bio-pharmaceutical entrepreneur and hedge fund founder facing securities fraud and secured acquittal on five of eight counts at trial; continued representation through parallel SEC proceedings, sentencing, and satisfaction of forfeiture order.
- Secured probationary sentence for attorney indicted for fraud following conviction at trial.
- Secured full dismissal of domestic violence allegations against high-profile artist in the music industry.
- Secured favorable, below-guidelines sentence on behalf of prominent jeweler in a federal money laundering prosecution.
- Negotiated non-prosecution agreement for construction company under federal investigation for financial fraud.
- Secured early termination of federal probation for high-profile individual convicted of narcotics offenses, based on exceptional rehabilitation work and commitment to sobriety.
- Represented the head of the International Monetary Fund facing allegations of sexual assault in state court; worked with a team of attorneys to secure dismissal of all charges.
- Secured a probationary sentence on behalf of an individual accused of insider trading.
- Secured dismissal of all charges against a high-profile foreign national accused of sexual assault while visiting the United States.
- Represented a United Nations diplomat facing state sexual assault allegations, ending the investigation and preventing the filing of any criminal action.
- Represented a United Nations employee accused of sexual harassment in the United Nations Dispute Tribunal.
- Persuaded law enforcement to drop all charges against a United Nations employee accused in state court of sexual assault.
- On behalf of an individual accused of grand larceny and identity theft, led the investigation that revealed exculpatory evidence, persuaded prosecutors that the wrong person had been charged, and secured dismissal of all charges.
- Represented a high-profile music industry entrepreneur in a six-week trial on allegations of weapons possession and together with a team of attorneys secured a full acquittal.
- Represented numerous high-profile individuals in federal and state law enforcement investigations while avoiding publicity, litigation and/or prosecution.