
Erek L. Barron
Member / Chair, Crisis Management and Strategic Response Practice
+1.202.434.7336
Erek is a nationally respected former United States Attorney and seasoned litigator with more than two decades of experience handling complex criminal, civil, and regulatory matters. As the US Attorney for the District of Maryland from 2021 to 2025, Erek served as the state’s chief federal law enforcement officer, overseeing all federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States. In that role, he led significant matters involving white collar crime, cybercrime, national security, and civil enforcement.
Erek has led a range of notable white collar investigations and enforcement actions involving securities fraud, health care fraud, public corruption, and financial misconduct. Under his leadership, the US Attorney’s Office brought several nationally recognized cases, including one of the largest cryptocurrency fraud prosecutions in US history and multiple high-profile public corruption and insider trading cases. His work also included oversight of landmark False Claims Act settlements and civil rights resolutions involving major health care providers and public agencies. He worked closely with key federal agencies and served on the Attorney General’s White Collar Crime and Cybersecurity subcommittees.
Before his appointment as US Attorney, Erek was a litigation partner at a national law firm, representing clients in complex civil and criminal cases, internal investigations, and appellate litigation. His prior matters include securing reversals of serious convictions on appeal and negotiating favorable outcomes in internal investigations involving environmental and regulatory issues. Earlier in his career, he served as a state and federal prosecutor, counsel to the US Senate Judiciary Committee, and as a member of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team focused on the Department of Justice.
Erek is a former Maryland state legislator and longtime leader in the legal community, including service as President-Elect of the Maryland State Bar Association. He has also held leadership roles with the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association, Maryland Legal Aid Bureau, and the Board of Trustees for the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. His contributions to the profession have been recognized with the ABA’s Curtin-Maleng Minister of Justice Award and The Maryland Daily Record’s Top Leader in the Law honor.
Erek is a nationally respected former United States Attorney and seasoned litigator with more than two decades of experience handling complex criminal, civil, and regulatory matters. As the US Attorney for the District of Maryland from 2021 to 2025, Erek served as the state’s chief federal law enforcement officer, overseeing all federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States. In that role, he led significant matters involving white collar crime, cybercrime, national security, and civil enforcement.
Experience
- Oversaw the prosecution of one of the largest cryptocurrency fraud schemes in US history ($1.89 billion) as US Attorney for the District of Maryland.
- Brought insider trading charges against executives of publicly traded companies.
- Led a False Claims Act settlement with a national security contractor involving fake subcontractors and Anti-Kickback Act allegations.
- Led a False Claims Act settlement with universities for failure to disclose foreign influence on federally funded research.
- Led a False Claims Act and health care fraud settlement with a national drug testing laboratory for medically unnecessary billing to Medicare and Medicaid.
- Charged Russian military officers for cyberattacks on Ukraine and 27 NATO countries.
- Prosecuted administrators of the Phobos ransomware operation used in global attacks on infrastructure.
- Led the shutdown of 78 illegal piracy websites operating during the FIFA World Cup.
- Prosecuted individuals for violations of federal export control laws involving international weapons shipments.
- Represented Montgomery County in Pulte Home Corp. v. Montgomery County, a constitutional challenge to zoning laws affirmed by the Fourth Circuit.
- Represented Montgomery County in Canaan Christian Church v. Montgomery County, a RLUIPA and First Amendment challenge upheld on appeal.
- Secured reversal of a capital murder conviction and death sentence in McCoy v. State based on prosecutorial misconduct and voir dire errors.
- Secured vacated convictions in United States v. Garcia, due to improper dual-role expert testimony.
- Secured reversal of convictions in Brown v. United States following erroneous jury instructions and a dissenting juror poll.
News & Press
Erek L. Barron, the former United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, has joined Mintz as Member in the firm’s White Collar Defense & Government Investigations Practice. He will also lead Mintz’s Crisis Management and Strategic Response team, and his practice will include complex civil, criminal, and regulatory matters. He will be resident in the Washington, DC office and in Maryland.
Erek is a nationally respected former United States Attorney and seasoned litigator with more than two decades of experience handling complex criminal, civil, and regulatory matters. As the US Attorney for the District of Maryland from 2021 to 2025, Erek served as the state’s chief federal law enforcement officer, overseeing all federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States. In that role, he led significant matters involving white collar crime, cybercrime, national security, and civil enforcement.
Recognition & Awards
The Maryland Daily Record Top Leader in the Law Award (2024)
ABA Curtin-Maleng Minister of Justice Award (2023)
NAACP Prince George’s County Chapter President’s Award (2019)
International Municipal Lawyers Association Amicus Service Award (2019, 2016)
Maryland General Assembly Outstanding Community Leader Award (2013)
Prince George’s County Social Innovation Fund Forty Under Forty (2013)
National Bar Association Nation’s Best Advocates: Forty Under Forty (2012)
Maryland Equal Justice Associates’ Leadership Award (2010)
Erek is a nationally respected former United States Attorney and seasoned litigator with more than two decades of experience handling complex criminal, civil, and regulatory matters. As the US Attorney for the District of Maryland from 2021 to 2025, Erek served as the state’s chief federal law enforcement officer, overseeing all federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States. In that role, he led significant matters involving white collar crime, cybercrime, national security, and civil enforcement.
Involvement
- Board of Governors, Maryland State Bar Association
- Member, Cole-Davidson Inn of Court
