When you are facing a criminal charge, the attorney you choose matters. Andrew Russek provides focused, strategic, and confidential legal guidance for individuals dealing with serious criminal defense matters in St. Louis and throughout Missouri.
Andrew understands that every case is personal. An arrest or investigation can affect your freedom, your reputation, your family, and your future. That is why he takes the time to listen, explain your options clearly, and build a defense strategy based on the facts of your case.
Whether you are facing a DUI, drug charge, violent crime allegation, federal investigation, or another criminal matter, Andrew Russek is prepared to help you understand your rights and take the next step with confidence.
Andrew Russek has spent his career at the center of Missouri's most serious criminal matters, and he has seen them from every angle. He began as a Public Defender in rural Missouri, where he was quickly entrusted with complex felony cases involving sex offenses, robbery, and homicide, and served as first chair in numerous jury trials. He then joined the Violent Crimes Unit at the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office, prosecuting serious offenses from investigation through verdict, working alongside law enforcement, and serving as trial counsel in homicide cases. That experience on both sides of the courtroom, understanding how the government builds its case and how to dismantle it, forms the foundation of how he fights for every client he represents today.
He earned his B.A. in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University and his J.D. from University of Richmond School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Missouri and is admitted to the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri, the Southern District of Illinois, and the District of Kansas. He also serves as a CJA Panel Member for the Eastern District of Missouri and the Southern District of Illinois, as well as an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at Maryville University, where he brings real-world litigation experience into the classroom. Outside of his practice, he is a husband and father of four. The responsibility, patience, and perspective that come with that role carry into everything he does for his clients.
CJA Panel Member
Licensed and Admitted to: State of Missouri, Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri, Southern District of Illinois, and District of Kansas
Adjunct Professor, Criminal Justice at Maryville University
Associate Attorney
Combs Waterkotte
He practices criminal defense statewide, regularly serving as lead counsel in jury trials across a broad spectrum of cases.
Assistant Circuit Attorney Violent Crimes Unit
St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office
He prosecuted serious violent offenses from investigation through trial, worked closely with law enforcement to develop cases, authorized criminal charges, and served as trial counsel in multiple jury trials including homicide cases.
Public Defender
Rural Missouri
He was quickly entrusted with complex felony matters including sex offenses, robbery, and homicide. He led numerous jury trials as first chair and played a key role in mentoring and training incoming attorneys.
Adjunct Professor, Criminal Justice
Maryville University
He teaches criminal justice at the university level, integrating his real-world litigation experience directly into the classroom.
He believes deeply in the integrity of the legal system and the essential role that criminal defense plays within it. His approach is straightforward: hold the government to its burden, prepare harder than the other side, and make sure every client is treated with the dignity and respect their case deserves.
From St. Louis to every corner of Missouri , every person is entitled to a fair process, meaningful advocacy, and the full protection of their constitutional rights.
Having stood on both sides of the courtroom, he brings a perspective that few defense attorneys possess. He understands how prosecutors think, how cases are built, and where to look for weaknesses in the government's case. He puts that insight to work for every client he represents.