HARTFORD — Vanessa Roberts Avery, the former U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, has returned to McCarter & English joining the firm’s business litigation and government investigations and white-collar defense teams.
Early in her legal career, Avery had an eight-year stint as litigation associate at McCarter.
“I am excited to return to McCarter and my business litigation roots,” Avery said. “After careful consideration of my options in the public and private sectors, McCarter & English quickly rose to the top. The longstanding culture of collaboration at the firm and the great people, who are also outstanding attorneys, make McCarter the perfect match for my practice.”
Avery’s litigation work will be varied and multifaceted, aiding clients across myriad industries in business, criminal, and civil litigation matters, including trial and appellate work. She will also defend clients against government enforcement actions such as False Claims Act investigations, and matters involving corporate compliance and responsibility.
“We are thrilled to have Vanessa back at the firm,” said Moy Ogilvie, Hartford office managing partner. “We are excited to work with her and to have her as an integral part of our team again. Our clients will benefit from the vast knowledge and experience she brings from her years of government service and leadership.”
During her tenure as U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, Avery prosecuted cases related to violent crime and narcotics, child exploitation, human trafficking, environmental crimes, financial fraud, public corruption, cybercrime, and national security issues. Avery also spearheaded civil rights enforcement and hate crime prevention across the state, advocating for community engagement as a key precursor to crime prevention and societal prosperity.
She championed and participated in the Office’s HEAT and Fed-Up programs, the Department of Justice’s United Against Hate program, and a series of public service announcements with the FBI, DEA, Connecticut State Police, and other U.S. Attorney’s Offices regarding cybercrime, counterfeit pills, human trafficking, and elder fraud.
Prior to serving as the U.S. Attorney, Avery was the associate attorney general and chief of the Division of Enforcement and Public Protection at the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. She served five years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Civil Division for the District of Connecticut and two years as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division in Washington, D.C.
She began her legal career at Cummings & Lockwood LLC. Avery earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, and her B.A. from Yale University.
