The storied sibling rivalry between the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the Eastern and Southern District of New York can get overblown easily. There’s no denying, though, there remains varying degrees of real competition between the two, sometimes fierce and even bitter, other times less so.

That’s why the arrival of the Southern District’s Criminal Division chief, Lisa Zornberg, at the recent farewell get together for her now-departed counterpart in the Criminal Division of the EDNY, James Gatta, was noteworthy. Those in attendance agreed that it was a testament to the respect Gatta as both prosecutor and individual earned during his decadelong stint in the Brooklyn office. As multiple sources confirmed, Zornberg’s presence said it all: It’s one thing to be liked and respected by those closest to you, but it’s something special when your rival is there to fete you too.