Brandon D. Minde, Criminal Defense Attorney in Cranford, New Jersey

Mr. Minde is a trial partner with Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He joined the firm in 2014, bringing with him legal experience in both government and private sectors.

His practice focuses on representing individuals and businesses charged with criminal offenses or undergoing criminal investigations, defending physicians and hospitals charged with medical malpractice or healthcare billing matters, defending individuals before professional licensing boards, and handling complex civil-litigation matters.

Representing a vast array of businesses and individuals in high-stakes civil matters, as well as those investigated and charged with federal and state crimes, Mr. Minde uses the techniques and strategies he learned as a former prosecutor to swiftly resolve his clients’ cases. Mr. Minde is often able get the charges against his clients dropped without the need to move through the litigation process. However, when this is not possible, Mr. Minde works quickly and tirelessly to achieve the most advantageous outcomes possible for those he represents. Though he endeavors to help his clients avoid the expense of going to trial, Mr. Minde is an aggressive courtroom litigator who is relentlessly focused on winning favorable verdicts.

Mr. Minde is certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a criminal-trial attorney, a designation less than 3% of New Jersey attorneys obtain. To achieve this certification, an attorney must have taken a large number of cases to trial, be a member of the state bar in good standing for at least five years, engage in regular continuing education, demonstrate substantial involvement in preparation of litigated matters, prove he has an unblemished reputation through a substantial compilation of character references, and pass a comprehensive written exam. In 2021, the Supreme Court of New Jersey appointed Mr. Minde to serve as a member of the Board on Attorney Certification, Criminal Certification Committee for the entire state of New Jersey.

Mr. Minde is an appointed member of the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel for the District of New Jersey, which is a group of qualified and court-approved attorneys who are eligible for appointment by the federal court to represent individuals in federal criminal cases. Mr. Minde previously served two terms as the appointed public defender for Wall Township.

As a former assistant prosecutor in Essex County from 2006 to 2010, Mr. Minde handled many criminal prosecutions and jury trials. While serving in the Corruption Unit, Mr. Minde managed investigations and conducted prosecutions of corruption, fraud, government misconduct, and other white-collar crimes. He received training in economic crimes and financial investigations from the National White-Collar Crime Center and in cyber-crime and computer forensics from the National Computer Forensics Institute.

During his tenure as assistant prosecutor, Mr. Minde was also appointed as a special-deputy attorney general to lead a joint investigation into widespread election fraud through absentee voter ballots. The investigation culminated in several convictions, including some high-level government officials, and at the time was the largest voter fraud case in the history of New Jersey.

Mr. Minde served as assistant counsel to Governor Chris Christie from 2010 to 2013, where he provided advice and counsel to Governor Christie and the Chief Counsel to the Governor on a wide array of legislative, legal, regulatory, and policy initiatives. During this time, Mr. Minde also served as assistant counsel in the Governor’s Authorities Unit, as an executive-branch representative on the NJ Sales and Use Tax Review Commission, and as the governor’s representative on the board of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority. In 2013, Mr. Minde worked as the executive director of the New Jersey Government Records Council, the state agency that adjudicates complaints filed under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) concerning denials of access to government records.

Prior to his time in public service, Mr. Minde worked from 2004 to 2006 as an associate in the securities litigation, government relations, and white-collar defense group of New Jersey’s largest law firm.

Since 2021, Mr. Minde has annually been selected as a “Super Lawyer” by New Jersey Super Lawyers magazine, an honor bestowed on no more than five percent of attorneys in the state. From 2015 through 2019, Mr. Minde was named as a “Rising Star” by New Jersey Super Lawyers magazine, a designation which is given to less than 2.5 percent of New Jersey attorneys, recognizes the best attorneys in the state who are 40 years old or younger or have been practicing for 10 years or less. In 2016, Mr. Minde was selected for the “Forty Under 40” list developed by NJBIZ, New Jersey’s premier business news publication. In 2015, Mr. Minde was one of 50 lawyers to be named a “New Leader of the Bar” by the New Jersey Law Journal publication. The year prior, Mr. Minde was given the NJSBA (New Jersey State Bar Association) Young Lawyers Division Professional Achievement Award.

A sought-after speaker and active member of the legal community, Mr. Minde is a regular lecturer at the Practising Law Institute as well as at various law conventions and seminars (see list below). In 2020, Mr. Minde served as the Chair of the NJSBA Criminal Law Section. He served as the chair of the NJSBA White-Collar Crime Subcommittee from 2015 to 2018, sat on the board of the NJSBA from 2012 to 2014, chaired the NJSBA Business and Commercial Litigation Committee from 2016 to 2017, and has been a member of the Association of Criminal-Defense Lawyers of New Jersey since 2015. He is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.

Examples of Client Successes

• Fraud

- Client charged in federal court with $30 million “pump and dump” stock fraud scheme

- Client charged in state court with check fraud. All charges dismissed.

- Client charged in state court with credit card fraud. All charges dismissed.

- Client investigated in federal court for financial fraud related to credit card activity. Investigation terminated without charges.

• Corruption & Election Crimes

- Client investigated by State for violations of the Local Government Ethics Law. Investigation terminated without charges.

- Client charged in federal court with election fraud.

• RICO

- Client charged in federal court with RICO conspiracy, among other offenses. Hung jury resulting in a mistrial after six-month trial with over 100 witnesses.

- Client charged in federal court with murder in aid of racketeering.

• Theft

- Client nurse charged in state court with destruction, falsification or alteration of records and theft by unlawful taking. All charges dismissed.

• Murder

- Client charged in state court with attempted murder. All charges dismissed after defense motion for misrepresentation during grand jury presentation.

• Weapons

- Client charged in state court with possessing a handgun in a vehicle. All charges dismissed.

• Doctors & Hospitals

- Clients charged by state with insurance fraud.

- Clients charged with unlawful involuntary commitment to psychiatric facility in action brought by former school teacher. No cause defense verdict.

- Professional board investigations resulting in dismissals or favorable settlements.

Awards and Honors

• Appointed by Supreme Court of New Jersey to the Board on Attorney Certification, Criminal Certification Committee (2021)

• New Jersey Super Lawyer (Super Lawyers Magazine 2021-present)

• Appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court Working Group on the Duty of Confidentiality and Wrongful Convictions, as the designee of the New Jersey State Bar Association (2019)

• New Jersey Rising Starts (Super Lawyers Magazine 2015-2019)

• “Forty Under 40” (NJ BIZ Magazine 2016)

• New Leaders of the Bar (NJ Law Journal 2015)

• Professional Achievement Award (NJSBA YLD 2014)

Professional Activities

• Chair, NJSBA Criminal Law Section (2020-2021)

• Chair, NJSBA White Collar Crime Subcommittee (2015 – 2018)

• Chair, NJSBA Election Committee (Chair 2014 – 2016)

• Trustee of NJSBA Board of Trustees (2012 – 2014)

• Chair, NJSBA Business and Commercial Litigation Committee (2016 – 2017)

• Member, Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of NJ (2015 – present)

Certifications

• Certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Criminal Trial Attorney (since 2019; re-certified in 2024)

• U.S. Healthcare Compliance Certificate Program, Seton Hall University School of Law (June 2016)

Publications

• Mr. Minde is the author of the 8th Edition of “Criminal Defense Tools and Techniques” from James Publishing. This practical book blends proven strategies, pre-tested arguments, pitfalls to avoid, and wisdom from the trenches. Coverage is start-to-finish, from initial representation through trial and sentencing to appeal.

Articles

• The Role of Public Safety Assessment in Pretrial Detention

• The Use of Social Media in Preparation For and During Trial

• Using Expert OPRA Advice

To Increase Transparency and Save Money

Press Placement

• As open records complaints pile up, lawmaker pushing changes(Philly.com)

Faculty Position

• Practising Law Institute (since 2017)

• Lawline (since 2019)

Speaking Engagements

• “Criminal Law Institute – Speaker for “Ethics for Criminal Practitioners” (NJICLE, Nov. 2024)

• “Criminal Law College: Effective Strategies for 2024 – Moderator for: “Present Techniques That Work: Crafting Winning Narratives”; “Future Developments: Embracing AI in Criminal Law”; and “Past Trials: Lessons from the Legends.” (NJICLE, July 2024)

• “NJ Criminal Trial Preparation” (Practising Law Institute, New Jersey CLE Marathon, March 2023)

• “NJ Criminal Trial Preparation” (Practising Law Institute, New Jersey CLE Marathon, March 2022)

• “Ethics for Criminal Trial Attorneys” (Criminal Law Institute, NJICLE Nov. 2021)

• “NJ Criminal Trial Preparation” (Practising Law Institute, New Jersey CLE Marathon, March 2021)

• “2021 NJ Criminal Law Update” (NJICLE, March 2021)

• “The ABC’s of PTI (Pre-Trial Intervention) and ISP (Intensive Supervision Program)” (NJICLE. Feb. 2021)

• “Handling Criminal Law Matters During the Pandemic” (Criminal Law Institute, NJICLE, November 2020)

• “NJ Criminal Trial Preparation” (Practising Law Institute, New Jersey CLE Marathon, Oct. 2020)

• “Remote and Vitual Criminal Court Proceedings from Initial Charges through Sentencing” (NJICLE, June 2020)

• “Criminal Law Bench Bar Conference” (NJICLE, May 2020)

• “Bias Crimes” (NJICLE, May 2020)

• “Remote and Virtual Criminal Court Proceedings from Initial Charges through Sentencing- Practice Considerations in a COVID-19 World” (NJICLE, June 26, 2020)

• “NJ Criminal Trial Preparation” (Practising Law Institute, New Jersey CLE Marathon, May 2019)

• “Hot Topics in Criminal Law” (Criminal Law Section of NJSBA, April 2019)

• “The ABC’s of Civil and Criminal Trial Preparation in NJ” (Lawline, February 2019)

• “Trial by Instagram: Use of Social Media in a Criminal Trial” (Richard J. Hughes Inn of Court, April 2018)

• “Handling a Criminal Case in NJ” (Practising Law Institute, New Jersey CLE Marathon, May 2018)

• “NJ Criminal Trial Preparation” (Practising Law Institute, New Jersey CLE Marathon, May 2017)

• “How to Keep Your Company in Business when Facing Criminal Charges or Regulatory Action” (NJSBA Annual Meeting and Convention, May 2016)

• “Handling Official Misconduct Cases” (New Jersey State Bar Association CLE, September 2015)

• “White Collar Crime – the Pen is Mightier Than the Sword” (NJSBA Annual Meeting and Convention, May 2015)

• Government Records Council (“2013 Annual OPRA Seminar”, August 2013)

• Law Enforcement Seminars (“OPRA for Law Enforcement Agencies”, Union County Police Academy, Sept. 2013) (“OPRA for Law Enforcement Agencies”, Monmouth County Police Academy, July 2013)

• New Jersey State Bar Association (“Litigating an OPRA Case”, Annual Convention, May 2013) (“Avoiding Common Mistakes in and out of Court: Your Guide to Ethics & Professionalism”, Annual Convention, May 15, 2009) (“Direct & Cross Examination: Focusing on Trial Preparation”, April 2009)

• New Jersey State League of Municipalities (“A Review of the Open Public Records Act”, Annual Conference, Nov. 2013) (“A Review of the Open Public Records Act”, June 2013)

Community Service

• Committee Member of Lawyers for Tri-County Awards Dinner – Benefiting Tri-County Scholarship Fund’s Freedom Scholars Program. Tri-County Freedom Scholars are outstanding high school students who qualify for additional scholarship assistance through their significant academic achievement, as well as financial need. Students apply at the end of 8th grade. Tri-County ‘s goal is to offer special support to these exceptional students, funding 80-100 Freedom Scholars per year.

• Advisory Board Member of NJ Jewish Law Symposium – The Jewish Law Symposium is geared to attorneys throughout the State of New Jersey who have an interest in exploring, studying, and debating the Ethical and Moral Dilemmas facing the legal community today from both Civil Law and Talmudic Law perspectives.