Zuckerman Spaeder Welcomes Former Top DOJ Official and Former Assistant U.S. Attorney to the Partnership
Zuckerman Spaeder LLP is pleased to announce that David M. Rody and Aaron S.J. Zelinsky joined the firm as partners on February 24, 2025. Both attorneys have served in leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and bring extensive experience handling a wide range of high-profile criminal investigations and trials.
“Dave and Aaron are exceptionally talented attorneys who have deep experience leading highly complex and consequential cases,” said Caroline Judge Mehta, partner and Firm Chair. “As federal prosecutors, both led and tried cases and investigated wide-ranging fraud and other criminal matters. Our clients and our firm will benefit tremendously from their experience, strategic insight, and legal acumen.”
Most recently, Mr. Rody was an Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General and, previously, was Senior Counsel in the Criminal Division of the DOJ, where he managed the Fraud, Appeals, Violent Crime and Racketeering, Human Rights and Special Prosecutions, and Capital Case Sections. Mr. Rody was also detailed to an investigation authorized by Attorney General Merrick Garland and led by Special Counsel Jack Smith in 2022.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Rody served as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Southern District of New York and as Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit. During his 12 years as an AUSA, he tried over a dozen felony trials and argued numerous appeals before the Second Circuit. Before re-joining the DOJ in 2022, he was a partner at Sidley Austin in New York, where he focused on white collar criminal defense, securities enforcement, internal investigations, and complex civil litigation.
Mr. Zelinsky spent more than a decade as an AUSA for the District of Maryland, where he also served as Deputy Chief of the National Security and Cybercrime Section. During his tenure, he tried 10 federal jury trials and led numerous important cases, including a $1.7 billion cryptocurrency fraud prosecution, the indictment of the CEO of a publicly traded company on allegations of securities fraud and insider trading, the indictment and extradition to the U.S. of a major international ransomware administrator, the conviction at two separate trials of a former Baltimore City State’s Attorney for perjury and bank fraud, and the indictment of Russian intelligence officers charged with hacking Ukraine’s infrastructure.
Mr. Zelinsky also served as Assistant Special Counsel to Robert S. Mueller, III, where he led the Special Counsel Office’s investigation and prosecution of Roger Stone and George Papadopoulos.
Prior to becoming a federal prosecutor, he clerked for Supreme Court Justices John Paul Stevens (Ret.) and Anthony M. Kennedy and worked at the State Department Office of the Legal Adviser on hostage negotiations.
Mr. Rody and Mr. Zelinsky will be based in the firm’s Baltimore office and will focus their practices on broad white-collar defense and investigations matters.