Sarena Townsend focuses her practice on criminal defense and representing employees in disciplinary actions brought by their employers. As a former NYC prosecutor, and the former Deputy Commissioner of internal affairs and discipline at Rikers Island, Ms. Townsend has over 18 years of criminal law, litigation and investigatory experience. She is often retained as a subject matter expert witness for agencies and law firms.
She is a fierce advocate and a feared adversary in the courtroom.
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Work With Sarena
Criminal Defense
Only a former prosecutor truly knows how to dismantle a prosecution from the other side of the aisle. Ms. Townsend spent a decade at the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, specializing in prosecuting sex crimes, including as a Deputy Bureau Chief who trained incoming prosecutors. You can expect precision and relentless pursuit of justice when you hire Townsend Law to protect and defend you, from investigation through trial. She is known for backing police witnesses into a corner with strategic cross examinations.
Employee Representation
As the former Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction's Investigation and Trials Division, Ms. Townsend has handled tens of thousands of internal affairs matters. She is the only attorney in New York City who has both led the disciplinary division at DOC, and now defends DOC employees in that same forum. No one is better prepared to represent New York City employees against their employer agency at the Office of Administrative Trials & Hearings.
Expert Consultancy and Training
Ms. Townsend proudly consults for nonprofits, law firms, and law enforcement agencies. She fights for a more humane criminal justice system with Campaign Zero and combats antisemitism with StandWithUs. Ms. Townsend consults on specific lawsuits, and also trains law enforcement officers across the country on best practices. She is often quoted in local, national and international newspapers, and appears regularly on The Law & Crime Network.
More about Sarena Townsend
"I would rather walk into a room with Sarena Townsend on my arm than a Louis Vuitton" - confidential client, case dismissed pretrial.
Ms. Townsend is a well-known trial attorney, easily recognized in New York City courtrooms and Rikers Island. She is not afraid to take your case all the way to trial but will work with the mindset of getting you a favorable result far before then. Ms. Townsend knows the value of hard work, and appreciates that her clients have more on the line than money. Her clients are fighting for their lives, and their careers; anything short of aggressive, unabating representation will not suffice. You need a shark. You need Sarena Townsend
