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Erin Harrigan is a Partner in Gentry Locke’s Criminal & Government Investigations practice group. Erin guides clients through federal and state government investigations and enforcement actions, and has directed internal investigations for businesses confronting allegations of misconduct. Chambers USA recognized Erin in 2023 as a leading attorney for White Collar Investigations in Virginia, one of the legal industry’s most prestigious rankings and a distinction that is awarded based on a commitment to the qualities most valued by a client.

Erin previously served as Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Virginia, based in Charlottesville, where she prosecuted and investigated public corruption, money laundering, regulatory offenses, human trafficking and fraud cases of local origin and involving multi-national corporations. Erin was recognized for her work as Lead Prosecuting Attorney for the Organized Crime & Drug Enforcement Task Force with the OCDETF National Director’s Award. As a former Virginia Assistant Attorney General, Erin is particularly well-suited to assist clients facing inquiries from state Attorneys General.

  • Weeks old at first camping trip
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  • Number of countries visited
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  • Field hockey sticks purchased for daughter
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  • You are owner of a very unique dog - can you tell us about that?

    I currently have a 2 year old Kuvasz dog at home and she is the fourth of her breed that I have owned. Kuvaszok are a rare breed of livestock guardian dogs from Hungary. Unfortunately, I don't have any sheep at home for her to protect, but she is great at guarding our family.

  • What are some things you enjoy doing away from work?

    I spend many weekends watching my daughter’s field hockey tournaments. I also love to travel, cook meals to share with my family and friends, and spend as much time as I can outdoors.

Education

  • William & Mary School of Law, J.D.
  • The College of New Jersey, B.A., magna cum laude

Experience

  • Served as Assistant United States Attorney and Lead Task Force Attorney for the Organized Crime & Drug Enforcement Task Force at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia, 2014-2020
  • Served as Assistant Attorney General in Special Prosecutions & Organized Crime, and Criminal Litigation for the Virginia Office of the Attorney General, 2008-2014
  • Directed numerous government investigations in federal and state grand jury proceedings
  • Conducted federal and state criminal prosecutions involving organized crime, complex international criminal activity, drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud, public corruption, and human trafficking
  • Tried federal and state jury and bench trials in Virginia
  • Briefed and argued dozens of criminal appeals before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of Virginia, and the Court of Appeals of Virginia
  • Provided advice and drafting assistance for the first uniform criminal law on human trafficking, promulgated by the Uniform Law Commission and passed in more than 20 states in the United States
  • Supplied advice, counsel and drafting assistance on Virginia state criminal laws as part of the legislative team for the Virginia Office of the Attorney General
  • Appointed as the first Anti-Trafficking Coordinator in the Virginia Office of the Attorney General from 2012-2014
    • Developed a coordinated, statewide, and multidisciplinary response to trafficking, co-leading law enforcement task forces across Virginia
    • Trained nearly 2,500 professionals in law enforcement, health care, victim services, and the private sector on recognizing and responding to human trafficking crimes

Affiliations

  • American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section
  • Women’s White Collar Criminal Defense Association
  • Federal Bar Association, Richmond
  • Virginia Bar Association, Criminal Section

Admissions

  • Virginia State Bar
  • Eastern District of Virginia
  • Western District of Virginia
  • Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

Awards

  • Ranked a “Significant Individual” by Chambers and Partners USA (2021-2023), Band 2, Litigation: White Collar Investigations
  • Recipient of the “Influential Women of Law” award by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (2023)
  • Designated one of the “Legal Elite” in Criminal law by Virginia Business magazine (2022-2023)
  • Panelist and Speaker, Supply Chain Integrity and Corporate Social Responsibility: A New Legal and Enforcement Landscape, 2014 ABA Global Anti-Corruption Committee Annual Conference
  • Panelist and Speaker, Sex and Labor Slaves: The Scourge of Human Trafficking, 2014 Virginia State Bar Annual Meeting
  • Designee for the National Association of Attorneys General to the Uniform Law Commission Committee on Human Trafficking, 2011-2013
  • Panelist and Speaker, The Business of Transparency: Harnessing Economies of Scale in FCPA, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Supply Chain Compliance at the 2013 ABA National Institute on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
  • 2011 International Fellow on Human Trafficking, National Association of Attorneys General
  • Adjunct Professor on Human Trafficking, 2016-2017, James Madison University, Department of Justice Studies
  • 2019 OCDETF National Director’s Award for Individual/Group Achievement on Opiate Reduction Efforts and Prosecutions
  • U.S. Representative at the 2013 International Expert Meeting on Child Sex Trafficking, hosted by the Dutch National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings
    • Invited by the Dutch Government as part of a four-person delegation from the U.S. to collaborate with experts from five other countries on strategies to combat sex trafficking of children globally
  • Harrigan, Erin
Erin Harrigan, Gentry Locke attorney.
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