LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / March 24, 2025 / Stris & Maher LLP proudly welcomes Nikolas "Kolo" Kerest, former District of Vermont U.S. Attorney, veteran civil litigator, and federal prosecutor, as a partner effective March 24, 2025. Kolo will focus on complex civil litigation, drawing on his deep expertise handling significant litigation in government at the highest levels.
"After over fourteen years as a Department of Justice lawyer, concluding as U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont, I'm honored to join Stris & Maher LLP and to work with this talented team tackling the complex challenges of our clients," Kerest said.
"We're thrilled to welcome Kolo," said Managing Partner Elizabeth Brannen. "His track record leading high-stakes enforcement and complex litigation as a federal prosecutor strengthens us for the toughest challenges."
Kolo brings extensive experience from his distinguished public service career. As U.S. Attorney since December 2021, he oversaw a wide-ranging caseload spanning violent crime, civil rights, fraud, and False Claims Act cases. Under his leadership, Vermont's U.S. Attorney's Office ramped up efforts to combat violent crime, increasing prosecutions of illegal gun possessions and supporting task forces statewide. He also advanced civil rights enforcement through the United Against Hate program, educating Vermonters on their federal rights. Additionally, Kolo spearheaded initiatives to fight elder fraud, collaborating with federal agencies to provide education and prevention resources to Vermont seniors. His tenure also delivered notable successes on the civil side, including a landmark Controlled Substances Act settlement with eBay and significant False Claims Act recoveries from healthcare companies and Vermont defense industry firms.
"Kolo's hands-on leadership in complex prosecutions and supervisory experience as U.S. Attorney and Civil Chief sharpen our strategic edge and elevate our team," said Founding Partner Peter Stris. "We're excited to get to work."
Before becoming U.S. Attorney, Kolo spent nearly a decade in Vermont's Civil Division as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, leading complex affirmative and defensive civil litigation as Civil Division Chief and Civil Rights Coordinator, followed by two years in the Criminal Division prosecuting a range of cases.
Earlier, Kolo clerked for the Honorable Fred I. Parker of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and built litigation expertise at Ropes & Gray LLP in Boston and Pierce Atwood LLP in Portland, Maine. He earned his J.D. from Cornell Law School in 2000 and his B.A. in mathematics from Williams College in 1994.
Contact Information
Elizabeth Brannen
Managing Partner, Stris & Maher LLP
ebrannen@stris.com
(213) 995-6809
SOURCE: Stris & Maher LLP
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
