Pashman Stein Partner O'Connor Sworn in as President of ACDL-NJ

On Sept. 13, Aidan P. O'Connor, a partner and co-chair of the criminal defense practice at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden in Hackensack, was sworn in as president of the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey (ACDL-NJ), for the 2021-22 term. O'Connor previously served as the ACDL-NJ's vice president. The installation reception was held at the Pleasantdale Chateau in West Orange. With more than 500 members, the ACDL-NJ, founded in 1985, advocates as amicus curiae in state and federal appellate courts on behalf of the interests of the criminal defense bar and its clients, and 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. 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 and the Organized Crime Strike Force, and as the chief of the Violent Crimes Unit. He has tried more than 20 federal jury trials. He has also argued cases before the Second and Third Circuit courts of appeals, as well as the New Jersey Supreme Court. O'Connor 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, according to the announcement. O'Connor received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and his B.A. from Columbia University.