Robert J. Brass, Criminal Defense Attorney in Cranford, New Jersey

Robert J. Brass, Esq. joined the firm in 2024, as Of Counsel. He is admitted to practice before the Courts of the State of New Jersey, before the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and the United States Supreme Court.

Mr. Brass is listed as an “AV Preeminent” attorney, the highest peer rating by Martindale-Hubbell.

He is a former Deputy Attorney General with the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice of the Office of the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey, where he prosecuted insurance fraud, official corruption, public contract fraud, environmental crimes, organized crime racketeering/homicide, computer fraud and threats to the judiciary. As a Deputy Attorney General, he was a faculty member of the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute; and, was a team supervisor for the Attorney General’s Shooting Response Team, heading a team of investigative staff from the New Jersey State Police Major Crimes Bureau and the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.

Mr. Brass previously served as a Supervising Assistant Prosecutor in the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and an Assistant Prosecutor in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. His prosecutorial experience included homicide, arson, sexual assault, aggravated assault, robbery, computer fraud, burglary, white collar crimes, theft and drug related offenses.

Mr. Brass concentrates his practice in the area of federal and state white collar criminal defense litigation, as well as other criminal and civil litigation in federal, state superior and municipal courts. His white collar criminal defense practice includes all aspects of fraud allegations and official misconduct/corruption allegations. He has represented police officers from state, county and local law enforcement agencies in Federal Court (under 42 USC 1983 litigation), and State Court, as well as in departmental hearings.

Mr. Brass represents clients in all aspects of insurance fraud defense litigation, including Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor criminal investigations/litigation, Department of Banking and Insurance civil penalty investigations/litigation, professional board hearings, and insurance fraud civil actions brought by insurance carriers.

On September 12, 2022, Mr. Brass was honored by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education of the State Bar Association, when he was presented with the Distinguished Service Award for Excellent in Continuing Legal Education. This award is presented to attorneys and judges, who volunteer their time and expertise to teach their colleagues in the profession.

Mr. Brass has served as a Trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Association; and, is a Past Chair of the State Bar Association Criminal Law Section. He served as the New Jersey State Bar Association’s representative on the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Model Criminal Jury Charges; a member of the New Jersey State Bar Judicial Administration Committee; a member of the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education Advisory Committee; and, as the Chair of the State Bar Association Senior Lawyers Special Committee. He presently serves as Co-Chair of the Legal Education Committee; and, is a member of the Meeting and Planning Committee.

Mr. Brass has testified on behalf of the New Jersey State Bar Association before the New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the New Jersey Assembly Judiciary Committee, relative to legislation concerning bail reform and speedy trial issues. He has served as the Chair of the State Bar Association’s Ad Hoc Committee on the Prosecutors Study Commission, and as a member of the State Bar Association’s Mandatory CLE Advisory Committee.

In 2023, Mr. Brass moderated and spoke on a Criminal Law Update Panel, at the NJ State Bar Association Mid-Year Meeting, in Paris, France. In 2019, Mr. Brass spoke on the topic of “Hot Tips for Litigators”, at a legal conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 2018, Mr. Brass moderated a Criminal Law Panel, at a legal conference in Rome, Italy, where he spoke on the topic of “Insurance Fraud, as Relating to the Medical Professional”. In 2017, Mr. Brass moderated and lectured at a legal conference in Madrid, Spain on “Criminal Law Practice”. In 2015, he served as the moderator and speaker in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the topic of “Prosecuting and Defending Police Officers”. In 2014, Mr. Brass moderated and lectured at a legal conference in Paris, France on the topic of “Bail Reform and Speedy Trial Issues”. Mr. Brass has lectured at legal conferences in Rome, Italy on the topic of “Forfeiture and Debarment”; in Dublin, Ireland on the topic of “White-Collar Crime and Money Laundering”; and in 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada on the topic of “Prosecutorial Misconduct”.

From 1996 through 2023, Mr. Brass has been a moderator and speaker at the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Annual meeting, which is held in Atlantic City, on topics covering White Collar Crime, Insurance Fraud Defense, General Criminal Practice and the Annual Criminal Bench-Bar Conference.

Mr. Brass has been on the faculty of the National Association of Attorneys General “White Collar Crime Trial Program”, at Washington University in St. Louis; and, from 1999 thru 2008, taught trial advocacy courses to Deputy Attorneys General from Criminal, Civil and Gaming Enforcement Division of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and Assistant New Jersey County Prosecutors for the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office Trial Advocacy Institute. In 2019, Mr. Brass moderated and spoke on a panel on “Criminal Motion Practice” from the defense perspective, at the Annual New Jersey Prosecutor’s Association College, in Atlantic City.

Mr. Brass presently serves on the New Jersey Supreme Court Fee Arbitration Committee for District VC.

Mr. Brass has been qualified in the Superior Court of New Jersey as an expert in the field of polygraph examinations and was a former supervisor of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Polygraph Unit. He has lectured on the use of polygraph in law enforcement at Seton Hall and Rutgers Law Schools, as well as at national polygraph seminars, continuing legal education seminars and at training seminars to law enforcement officers.

Prior to and while attending law school, he was a Lieutenant and Investigator in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, assigned to the Economic Crime and Official Corruption Section and the Polygraph Unit.

He received his Bachelor of Arts from Seton Hall University and his Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law.