McCarter & English announced on Thursday the return of Desiree “Desi” Grace as a partner in the firm’s Newark office, effective Oct. 14. Grace returns to private practice after a distinguished nine-year career with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, where she most recently served as the First Assistant United States Attorney.
Grace’s career as a federal prosecutor included a tenure as Criminal Division Chief, where she supervised all criminal matters, and key roles overseeing economic crimes, cybercrimes, and national security cases. She previously developed a strong litigation foundation at McCarter as an associate early in her career.
A career dedicated to complex litigation
During her time at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Grace was known for her trial work, successfully prosecuting complex racketeering cases, healthcare fraud, and wire fraud. Her experience includes trying numerous cases to verdict and supervising thousands of others, which honed her ability to assess cases and develop effective legal strategy.
In her new role at McCarter & English, Grace plans to focus on a wide variety of litigation matters, including civil work and internal investigations.
“It’s special to be returning home to McCarter, reuniting with old colleagues and friends, after ten eventful years away,” Grace said. “As I was evaluating the next step in my career, I felt drawn to the familiar collegiality McCarter offers, and its dominance as the leading firm in New Jersey.”
Strengthening McCarter’s litigation practice
Grace’s impressive public service career began after she clerked for the Honorable Stuart Rabner, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, and later for the Honorable Morton I. Greenberg at the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
The firm expressed enthusiasm for the depth of experience Grace brings to the practice.
“Desi is an exceptional trial attorney who has dedicated her career to understanding the intricacies and nuance involved in building winning cases,” Geoffrey Rosamond, chair of McCarter’s Business Litigation group said. “We’re lucky to have her on our team and know that she will be a tremendous asset to our clients and the firm’s litigation practice.”
Joseph Boccassini, firmwide managing partner of McCarter, echoed the sentiment: “We recognized her great talent as an associate with the firm at the outset of her career and have been proud to observe the skills and reputation she developed as a federal prosecutor and public servant. Her talent and commitment will only further strengthen our litigation practices.”
Grace is a magna cum laude graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif.
