Khan is a Democrat who secured the most votes for any district attorney candidate in the county’s history
Joe Khan, Bucks County’s district attorney-elect, is preparing to take off in January.
This week, Khan announced the formation of his transition team, which is made up of attorneys and former prosecutors.
Attorneys Brendan Flynn and Tom Jennings are co-chairing the transition committee.
Khan, a Democrat who secured the most votes for any district attorney candidate in the county’s history, said his immediate focus is on learning the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office’s operations and how his vision will align.
“I’m in the process of meeting with everyone in the office and looking at organization,” Khan told this news organization in an interview. He added that he intends to maintain “vigorous” prosecution of crimes and existing cases.
Khan is currently coordinating the transition with outgoing Republican District Attorney Jennifer Schorn.
“I thank District Attorney Schorn for her professionalism and generosity in ensuring a smooth transition to a new administration,” Khan said. “We are united in our commitment to this office, uplifting its outstanding employees, and ensuring safety and justice for everyone in Bucks County.”
“I commend D.A.-elect Khan for his commitment to making the transition a smooth one,” Schorn said. “We stand united in recognition and appreciation of the outstanding work done by the members of the Bucks District Attorney’s Office who are public servants committed to the mission.”
As part of the transition, Khan is consulting with the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association and fellow district attorneys and district attorneys-elect — both Democratic and Republican — across the region.
“There is tremendous good will and I’m very optimistic,” said Khan, who also plans to advocate for more resources and competitive pay for staff.
The transition committee is set to release an assessment and recommendations for Khan in early 2026. The committee will first seek community feedback on proposed reforms and recommendations during the prosecutor’s first 120 days in office.
Khan, who previously served as a prosecutor in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, said his administration will focus on the core duties of criminal prosecution.
The district attorney-elect previously was the county solicitor and established the first full-time solicitor’s office before an unsuccessful 2023 bid for state attorney general.
He dismissed campaign rhetoric and stating that violations of criminal law will be “vigorously enforced” with a focus on victims.
While the core mission will be criminal prosecution, Khan also indicated plans to expand the office’s enforcement of consumer protection laws. He noted the office’s past involvement in civil cases concerning PFAS chemicals and social media, and confirmed he will evaluate and look to expand existing programs and partnerships across Bucks County.
Khan, who will be sworn in early in January, is set to be a full-time district attorney during his term. He will be leaving his full-time job at law firm Curtin and Heefner.
As of this week, Khan is not yet ready to announce his leadership team.
Below is the names of Khan’s transition committee and their biographies:
Brendan Flynn is a litigator at Curtin & Heefner’s Yardley office, where he handles high stakes public sector matters and serves as a volunteer mentor in Bucks County’s Veterans’ Treatment Court. Prior to entering private practice, he served in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office as a homicide prosecutor, and previously served Bucks County on the staff of then-Congressman Patrick Murphy.
Tom Jennings is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for Bucks County Community College, which he joined after a 40-year legal career. He has led numerous boards and committees, including the Bucks County Government Transition Committee, which recruited Khan in 2019 to become Bucks County’s first full-time Solicitor.
Mark Aronchick is a shareholder at Hangley Aronchick, where he has represented Bucks County in numerous high stakes litigation matters. He has overseen numerous transition committees and previously served as Philadelphia City Solicitor and Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association.
Irwin Aronson is a labor and employment attorney at Willig, Williams and Davidson who represents workers and unions in Bucks County and across the Commonwealth. He serves as General Counsel to the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO (and its local affiliated Central Labor Councils) and to the Pennsylvania State Building and Construction Trades Council (and its affiliated Regional Councils).
Derek Cohen is a Bucks County resident and a partner at Baker Botts, where he specializes in white collar criminal defense and other complex litigation. He previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Deputy Chief of the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, and as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Mark Freed chairs the environmental and municipal law sections at Curtin & Heefner, where he works out of the firm’s Doylestown office. He previously served as a criminal prosecutor in the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Environmental Crimes Section and as an attorney with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Elizabeth Giuliano is a Bucks County-based attorney who advocates for best practices in prosecutors’ offices. She previously served for a decade in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where she served as a supervisor in several units, including a re-established Municipal Court Unit which she helped create and oversee.
Bill Goldman, the managing partner of Goldman Law Offices, has been a leader in Bucks County’s legal, business, and civic communities for 50 years. He began his legal career in the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and has served as Solicitor to the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 53 since 1977.
Sarah Heimbach has worked for seven years as a prosecutor at the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, where she currently serves as Senior Deputy District Attorney. She previously served as a Deputy District Attorney in the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and as an Assistant Public Defender in Lehigh County.
Elizabeth Oquendo is a Senior Deputy Attorney General in the Public Protection Division of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, where she protects consumers from unfair health care practices. She also serves as President of the Hispanic Bar Association, was recently elected to serve on the Methacton School Board and previously served in the Bucks County Law Department as Administrative Deputy County Solicitor.
Antonetta Stancu is a partner at Schatz & Stancu, where she practices criminal defense in Bucks County courts. She worked for eight years in the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office after previously serving as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas and the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office.
