Christina E. Nolan, former United States Attorney and longtime federal and state prosecutor, will join Sheehey Furlong & Behm P.C., as a shareholder and director. Nolan starts at the firm on April 15th and will focus on complex civil litigation, defense of government enforcement actions, False Claims Act defense and enforcement, white collar and serious felony criminal defense, and internal corporate investigations. Nolan has tried more than a dozen cases to juries, regularly handled evidentiary hearings before federal and state trial courts, and appeared several times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
“After twelve years serving the public as a prosecutor and as U.S. Attorney, I am honored to join Sheehey, a firm of top-notch lawyers and staff, with one of the finest reputations in New England,” Nolan said. “I am looking forward to working with this high-caliber team to protect and promote the rights and interests of Sheehey’s clients.”
“We are so pleased and excited to have Christina join us,” said Ian Carleton, Director of the Litigation Group. “Her experience and expertise bring added depth, breadth and strength to our litigation practice.”
Heather Ross, a Director who practices white collar and government enforcement at Sheehey, commented “For more than forty years, Sheehey has had a robust white collar and government enforcement practice. We are thrilled to have someone of Christina’s caliber and experience join this group.”
Nolan, a native Vermonter, served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Vermont (USAO) in the Criminal Division for nearly eight years. Following the bipartisan recommendations of Senator Patrick Leahy and Governor Phil Scott, Nolan was nominated as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont by the President and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in November 2017. Nolan served until March 2021. As U.S. Attorney, Nolan supervised all federal criminal and civil investigations and prosecutions in Vermont, served as chief spokesperson for the USAO and federal law enforcement in Vermont, and partnered with Vermont community leaders and government officials to promote criminal justice policies and launch community-based and law enforcement initiatives.
Nolan’s supervisory duties involved a range of criminal and civil cases involving drug trafficking; firearms and violence; human trafficking; organized crime; child exploitation; wire, healthcare, bank, securities and government contracting fraud; embezzlement and money laundering; medical malpractice; and federal False Claims Act enforcement.
Under Nolan’s leadership, the USAO resolved criminal felony anti-kickback charges and civil False Claims Act claims against Purdue Pharma L.P., as part of the largest criminal resolution ever reached against a pharmaceutical company; prosecuted the largest fraud case in Vermont history relating to the EB-5/Jay Peak financial scandal, obtaining a guilty plea from the lead defendant; and secured unprecedented False Claims Act civil and criminal settlements against healthcare companies that garnered national attention.
Former U.S. Attorney General William Barr selected Nolan as one of a dozen U.S. Attorneys to sit on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, which advises the Attorney General on all aspects of criminal and civil policy. Nolan chaired the Advisory Committee’s Controlled Substances Subcommittee (CSS) and served as a member of its Health Care Fraud and Domestic Violence Working Groups. Nolan also co-chaired the Justice Department’s initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing during the pandemic and helped lead the Attorney General’s effort to implement police reform pursuant to the 2020 Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities. In her capacity as leader of the CSS, Nolan testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee concerning fentanyl enforcement policy and proposed fentanyl legislation. In Vermont, Nolan sat on Governor Scott’s Opioid Coordination, Substance Misuse, and Emergency Preparedness Councils and co-chaired the Vermont Human Trafficking Task Force.
As an assistant U.S. Attorney, Nolan investigated and prosecuted financial, narcotics, violent, child exploitation, and other crimes. She tried six federal cases to juries, each trial resulting in conviction. Among her most notable cases was the prosecution and conviction of Richard Monroe for the drug-related murder of University of Vermont student, Kevin DeOliveira. Nolan was also tasked with oversight of all opioid trafficking prosecutions and investigations in Eastern Vermont and served as the USAO’s Violent Crime Coordinator.
Before joining the USAO, Nolan served as an Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, where she tried numerous cases to juries and prosecuted a variety of state crimes, including DUI, drug trafficking, firearms violations, and domestic violence matters. From 2005 to 2009, Nolan worked as a litigation associate at Goodwin, a large Boston law firm. In that role, she represented white collar defendants, conducted internal investigations, supervised complex civil litigation, and played a managerial role in the representation of a corporate executive in a high-profile federal securities fraud prosecution that resulted in dismissal of charges against the executive.
After law school, Nolan clerked for The Honorable F. Dennis Saylor, IV of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Nolan graduated magna cum laude from Boston College Law School in 2004. She earned her bachelor’s degrees in political science and history from the University of Vermont, where she graduated summa cum laude.
About Sheehey Furlong & Behm P.C.
With a unique blend of legal expertise, actionable insight, and unwavering dedication, Sheehey provides the advice, guidance and support to solve clients’ problems and address their needs in a timely and cost-effective manner. With deep experience in a variety of practice areas, from large transactions to complex litigation, sophisticated estate and tax planning, regulatory compliance, and more, Sheehey will get you to where you need to be. Learn more at sheeheyvt.com.
