Hilary P. Gerzhoy

Hilary Gerzhoy is an associate with the law firm of Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis LLP, where she focuses on complex civil litigation, white-collar criminal defense, government investigations, and legal ethics and malpractice.

Litigation

Ms. Gerzhoy represents plaintiffs and defendants in civil and criminal litigation matters. At the district court level, Ms. Gerzhoy has represented clients through all stages of litigation from the initial complaint through discovery and trial. At the appellate level, Ms. Gerzhoy has delivered oral argument and drafted merits briefs in state and federal courts of appeals. Her recent experience includes:

• Defending a company in a jury trial involving a property dispute.
• Representing a class of direct purchasers in a class action alleging collusion, resulting in a favorable settlement.
• Arguing an appeal before a 5-judge panel in New York’s Appellate Division on behalf of a criminal defendant challenging his conviction.

Investigations and Criminal Defense

Ms. Gerzhoy represents companies and individuals in civil and white-collar criminal investigations and prosecutions. She has represented companies responding to federal regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, as well as individuals in a range of white-collar criminal investigations. Her representations include investigations by the Department of Justice, the New York Attorney General, the FCC, and other federal administrative agencies. Ms. Gerzhoy’s recent experience includes:

• Representing subjects and witnesses in an ongoing criminal investigation by SDNY.
• Representing a telecommunications company in an FCC investigation resulting in a favorable resolution.
• Defending individuals accused of conspiracy, wire fraud, and bank fraud in connection with an investigation by the DOJ.

Legal Ethics and Malpractice

Ms. Gerzhoy also represents lawyers and law firms in disciplinary investigations and prosecutions. Her disciplinary experience includes matters before the District of Columbia Committee on Unauthorized Practice of Law, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Office of Enrollment and Discipline, and the District of Columbia’s Board on Professional Responsibility.

Ms. Gerzhoy maintains an active pro bono practice, assisting clients on a broad range of civil and criminal matters. She has dedicated substantial time to representing victims of domestic violence in matters before the D.C. Superior Court. She has also successfully represented low-income tenants fighting eviction in landlord-tenant cases.  She serves on the Junior Board of the D.C. Volunteer Lawyers Project.

Prior to joining Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis, Ms. Gerzhoy was an associate at Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick, PLLC, where her practice focused on commercial, multi-district, and appellate litigation.

Before entering private practice, Ms. Gerzhoy clerked for the Honorable Kermit V. Lipez of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. She received her J.D. from the University of California Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), where she served as Online Editor of the California Law Review and a teaching assistant for the Legal Research and Writing Program, and where she received the Prosser Award for Written and Oral Advocacy. She received her B.A. from the University of Chicago, graduating Phi Beta Kappa.