Press Release

District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the appointment of Wendy Erdly as Chief of Staff. Erdly joins the office after nearly a decade of public service experience, most recently at the New York State Department of Financial Services as Deputy Superintendent for Cybersecurity.

District Attorney Katz said: “I am pleased to welcome Ms. Erdly to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.  Her experience as a public administration executive and corporate counsel is impressive and we are fortunate that she has brought her talents to our team.”

Erdly served as Chief of Staff at the New York State Department of Financial Services prior to being named Deputy Superintendent for Cybersecurity. Previously, she had been Special Counsel for Ethics, Risk, and Compliance at the New York State Liquor Authority, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation. Erdly was counsel to many companies through Axiom Legal including United Technologies, Unilever and Kraft. She had been an attorney in private practice at Bernstein, Litowitz Berger & Grossmann and Dewey & LeBoeuf.

Erdly was named one of the “Best Under 40” lawyers by the National LGBT Law Association. She graduated from Lafayette College with a B.A. and earned a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Erdly joins the executive staff which includes Chief ADA Jennifer Naiburg, Counsel to the DA John Castellano, Counsel to the Chief ADA Vincent Carroll, EADA of Community Partnerships Colleen Babb, EADA of Investigations Gerard Brave, EADA of Major Crimes Shawn Clark, EADA of Criminal Practice and Policy Theresa Shanahan, EADA of Special Prosecutions Joyce Smith, EADA of Appeals & Special Litigations Johnnette Traill, and EADA of the Supreme Court Trial Pishoy Yacoub.