Former top federal prosecutor John J. Durham joins NYC law firm

John J. Durham, a veteran federal prosecutor who oversaw the Long Island office of the Eastern District of New York and briefly served as the interim U.S. attorney, has left the office to become a partner at a prominent law firm.

Durham, who oversaw the criminal prosecutions of some of Long Island’s most infamous defendants, such as MS-13 gang leaders and ex-Long Island Rep. George Santos, began working at the New York City office of global white-glove law firm Nixon Peabody LLP this month, the firm announced last week.

"John is a well-known and highly respected attorney with a strong national reputation, and he is an excellent addition to our practice," Nixon Peabody partner Robert Fisher, said in a statement.

Durham’s departure from the U.S. Department of Justice was confirmed by spokesman John Marzulli.

Durham had been a prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York, which covers Nassau and Suffolk counties as well as Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, since 2005. He was appointed interim U.S. attorney in January 2025 and served in that role until U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. started working at the office in May.

"I’m thrilled to have joined NP’s Government Investigations & White-Collar Defense practice," Durham wrote on LinkedIn.

Durham is now colleagues with former Suffolk District Attorney Tim Sini, who joined Nixon Peabody in 2022 after he lost his reelection bid to Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney.

Catherine Mirable, another veteran federal prosecutor who was on the team that prosecuted ex-Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano on corruption charges, and most recently won a conviction for sex-trafficking at the Sayville Motor Lodge, has been promoted to chief of the Long Island Division and chief of the Criminal Section in the office.

Mirable began her new role on March 16, Marzulli said.

Durham is the son of John Henry Durham, the former U.S. attorney in Connecticut, who was appointed by former Attorney General William Barr as special counsel to investigate the origins of the FBI’s probe into potential collusion between Russia and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in the 2016 election.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.