Laura G. Ferguson
Member
Practice Lead, Complex Civil Litigation
Laura Ferguson specializes in appellate litigation and resolving complex litigation matters through dispositive motions. She has won dismissals in a dozen cases on motions to dismiss or for summary judgment and has won numerous appeals, including a unanimous decision from the Supreme Court. Ms. Ferguson is skilled at finding the winning argument and crafting clear, readable, accurate, persuasive briefs that get results for her clients. She also regularly submits amicus briefs at the Supreme Court and courts of appeals on behalf of clients on a wide range of issues.
With more than 25 years of experience as a litigator, Ms. Ferguson has extensive experience in all aspects of civil litigation, including managing the fact and expert discovery process (including foreign discovery) and preparing the case for trial. In managing the discovery process, her approach is to stay focused on the issues that matter to her client, being strategic in when to bring issues to the court and to avoid being drawn into costly, needless sparring with opposing counsel. Her representations often involve high stakes, multi-year litigation involving issues of first impression. Her engagements have spanned a variety of subject areas, including the False Claims Act (FCA), civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), aiding and abetting liability under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), the constitutionality of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administrative claims resolution process, the First Amendment ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, and international tort litigation.
Representative Engagements
- Worrell v. DeSantis, No. SC23-1246 (represented Florida state attorney Monique Worrell in her challenge to Governor DeSantis' suspension order at the Florida Supreme Court).
- Schmitz v. Ericsson Inc., D.D.C. No. 1:22-cv-02317 (co-counsel representing defendants in suit brought by over 800 plaintiffs under the civil aiding and abetting provision of the ATA).
- United States, ex rel. Fadlalla v. DynCorp International LLC., D. Md. No. 8:15-cv-01806 (represent Alaska Native Corporation-owned business in FCA suit arising out of provision of linguists to the U.S. Army to support Operation Iraqi Freedom).
- United States v. Rafoi Bleuler, Fifth Circuit No. 21-20658 (briefed and argued appeal challenging extraterritoriality of 18 U.S.C. § 371 and the FCPA).
- Mohamad v. Palestinian Authority, 132 S. Ct. 1702 (2012) (won unanimous Supreme Court decision holding that corporations and other organizational defendants cannot be sued for international human rights violations under the Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA)).
- Ungar v. Palestine Liberation Organization, 599 F.3d 79 (1st Cir. 2010) (obtained reversal of district court decision denying Rule 60(b)(6) relief from $116 million final default judgment).
- De Almeida v. Western Digital Corp., 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 190694 (N.D. Cal. June 25, 2021) (represented Western Digital in a successful 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss a suit brought by a former employee under the Dodd-Frank Act anti-retaliation provision, 15 U.S.C. § 78u-6).
- Feller v. Feller, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48666 (D. Md. Mar. 20, 2020) (won motion to dismiss section 1983 case).
- Moon v. Moon, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 220105 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 19, 2019) (won motion to dismiss a multi-count complaint on ecclesiastical abstention grounds); 833 Fed. Appx. 876 (2d Cir. 2020) (won affirmance).
- Azadeh v. Gov't of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 150597 (D.D.C. Sept. 5, 2018) (secured $36 million judgment against Iran for wrongful imprisonment and torture of U.S. national in suit brought under the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act's (FSIA) state sponsor of terrorism exception to immunity).
- Edwards v. Vannoy, 114 S. Ct. 1547 (2021) (prepared amicus brief for the NACDL arguing that the jury unanimity rule announced in Ramos v. Louisiana should apply retroactively on federal collateral review).
- Cantu v. United States, 2014 U.S. App. LEXIS 12886 (D.C. Cir. 2014) (won reversal of dismissal for lack of standing in Equal Protection Clause case against USDA).
- Shafi v. Palestinian Authority, 642 F.3d 1088 (D.C. Cir. 2011) (secured affirmance of dismissal of Alien Tort Statute lawsuit for failure to satisfy state action requirement).
- Estate of Ahuva Amergi v. Palestinian Authority, 611 F.3d 1350 (11th Cir. 2010) (secured affirmance of dismissal of Alien Tort Statute lawsuit for failure to establish violation of the law of nations).
Admissions
State Admissions
- District of Columbia
Court Admissions
- United States Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- United States District Court for the District of Columbia
- United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- United States Tax Court
- United States Court of Federal Claims
News and Events
Events
Speaking Engagement
Designation of Cartels as FTOs: Managing Risks for Companies Operating in Latin America
Speaking Engagement
ISOA Briefing: The Anti-Terrorism Act
Speaking Engagement
ERIC 2017 Spring Policy Meeting
Publications
Internal Publication
DOJ Launches Civil Rights Fraud Initiative to Combat Civil Rights Violations, Including DEI, Through the False Claims Act
Internal Publication
Actions by the Trump Administration Increase the Risk for Corporations Interacting with Cartels
Internal Publication
Designation of Cartels as FTOs Creates Heightened Risks for Companies Operating in Latin America
External Publication
U.S. Discovery For Use In Foreign Proceedings: Navigating Cross-Border Discovery Under 28 U.S.C. § 1782
External Publication