From 2001 until 2006, Zach was an associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where he worked on a variety of securities fraud, antitrust and bankruptcy adversary proceeding matters. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he volunteered with Americorps and taught high school equivalency and job training to troubled teenagers.
John Zach's practice focuses on government and internal investigations, white collar defense, complex civil litigation, and regulatory compliance. A “seasoned trial lawyer” (Businessweek) who has tried 15 federal criminal cases, Zach has an effective courtroom style that is known to “win over jurors” (Forbes). He also has briefed or argued over 15 federal appeals.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2026 | Commercial Litigation |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America | 2026 | White Collar, Investigations, Litigation |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2025 | Commercial Litigation |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2024 | Commercial Litigation |
| The 2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2023 | Commercial Litigation |
From 2006 until 2015, Zach served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, one of the premier prosecuting offices in the world, and was known as one of its most experienced trial lawyers. At the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he was a senior member of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force, where he prosecuted and tried some of the government’s most significant cases. In addition, he also conducted numerous investigations with law enforcement agencies and regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Department of Labor, and coordinated investigations with a number of international law enforcement agencies.
Zach has extensive experience in securities and commodities fraud, accounting fraud, tax fraud, and anti-money laundering matters.