Rena’s practice combines a sharp strategic eye with a compassionate and humanistic approach.  She is an award-winning lawyer, investigator, writer, educator and entrepreneur who brings more than 17 years of private and public sector experience in investigations, litigation and appellate work to Alcalaw. 

Rena began her career at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office where she served in the Sex Crimes Unit, then went on to become a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York where she handled matters involving criminal enterprises, child exploitation, gang violence and sex trafficking. 

Prior to co-founding Alcalaw, Rena handled private sector cases and investigations involving sexual misconduct and discrimination at a global investigations firm and as a legal practitioner.

Rena is an accomplished writer and speaker.  She co-authored a trauma-informed and prosecutor well-being curriculum for the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution and has trained lawyers nationally on trauma-informed lawyering and attorney well-being.  Rena has led mindfulness and well-being programs at the New York City and State Bar Associations and emceed the Institute for Well-Being in Law’s inaugural conference. 

Rena is an Adjunct Professor at Brooklyn Law School, where she teaches Trial Advocacy and Learning From Practice, a seminar on lawyering, ethics and well-being.  She is a founding member of Beyond #MeToo: A Working Group on Corporate Governance, Compliance and Risk and TIX IRL: A Collective of Title IX Experts Living the Regulations.

Rena received her JD cum laude from Brooklyn Law School and a BA from Emory University.