Yusuf El Ashmawy

elashmawy@nrelaw.com

Mr. El Ashmawy is a highly respected litigator with extensive litigation and trial experience in State and Federal courts in New York City and the surrounding counties. Mr. El Ashmawy is currently the head of the firm’s Criminal and Family Defense Practices and fights ferociously for the best possible outcomes for all of his clients.

Mr. El Ashmawy has practiced both criminal and family defense for his entire career. With respect to criminal practice, he currently serves on the prestigious Federal Criminal Justice Act Panel in the Southern District of New York, as well as the State Felony and Misdemeanor assigned counsel panels in Manhattan. He is cross-certified to represent youths charged as Adolescent and Juvenile Offenders, as well as Juvenile Delinquents. Mr. El Ashmawy has represented clients throughout the entire criminal process — from police investigations, arraignments, motion practice, plea negotiations, suppression hearings, trials, post-conviction representation, violations of probation and parole revocation proceedings. He has represented clients accused of serious felonies, including racketeering, homicide, assault, robbery, sex offenses, money laundering, gun possession, conspiracy and narcotics trafficking — with many cases in the press and media. Mr. El Ashmawy served on the Juvenile Justice Committee of the New York City Bar for six years.

Regarding Family Defense, Mr. El Ashmawy served as a prosecutor of child abuse and neglect cases in the Family Court Legal Services division of the Administration for Children’s Services. It was during this period of time Mr. El Ashmawy truly began to flourish as a litigator, gaining the respect of judges and colleagues by his court room acumen and passion to see the right outcomes for children and families. Mr. El Ashmawy was so driven and well regarded that after just two years of service at ACS, he applied and was accepted to the assigned counsel panel, after receiving glowing recommendations from Judges and colleagues from all sides of the table. Mr. El Ashmawy has served on the First Department assigned counsel panel since November of 2011 and is certified to represent parents in child abuse and neglect cases, child support “willfulness” proceedings, child custody and visitation cases, and family offense proceedings in both Bronx and New York Counties. He has been certified and taught multiple CLE’s pertaining to Family Defense topics — including abuse trials, discovery and how to conduct emergency hearings (1028’s/1027s).

Mr. El Ashmawy has lectured for the Franklin Williams Commission, Metropolitan Black Bar Association, Practicing Law Institute, the New York City Bar and been certified by all four New York State Appellate Divisions for credit on CLE topics ranging from the role of Attorneys for Children and service on the assigned counsel panel, to Juvenile Delinquency practice. Mr. El Ashmawy has been quoted in, and had cases featured in: the New York Times, New York Magazine, Daily News, New York Law Journal, Newsday and several other news agencies.

Dedicated to public service throughout his life, Mr. El Ashmawy enlisted in the United States Navy at 17, and left for basic training immediately after completing high school in inner city Brooklyn. Upon receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy, Mr. El Ashmawy enrolled in John Jay College of Criminal Justice, from which he graduated, cum laude, with a degree in Government, with a concentration on law, policy and society. Mr. El Ashmawy also served in the Navy Reserve for over 10 years, achieving the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class and was honorably discharged from the Reserves in 2012. Mr. El Ashmawy was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.