United States Attorney Announces Appointment Of SDNY Civil Division Chief

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the appointment of Jeffrey Oestericher as the Chief of the Civil Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.  Mr. Oestericher follows Sara Shudofsky, who served as the Office’s Civil Division Chief since June 2012.  He will supervise all litigation for the Civil Division’s Units and further expand on the affirmative litigation work of the Civil Frauds Unit. 

Mr. Oestericher has been with the Office for 22 years, and has been a Deputy Chief in the Civil Division since March 2003.   

Mr. Oestericher began his career as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York in the Civil Division in June 1994.  Five years later, he became the Deputy Chief of Appeals.  During his tenure, Mr. Oestericher played an important role in many significant civil cases, including as lead attorney in U.S. v. Wells Fargo et al., a mortgage fraud case that resulted in a $1.2 billion judgment and admissions.  He received the Henry L. Stimson Medal from the New York City Bar Association in 2003.

Mr. Oestericher is a 1987 graduate of the University of Rochester and a 1990 graduate of Yale Law School.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said of the appointment:  “Jeff has contributed so much to the mission of this office during his 22-year tenure here, and I am thrilled to have him now lead one of the most influential U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Divisions in the country.  I have no doubt that Jeff will continue the tradition of excellence in his new role.”