Edward Heath is the chair of the firm's Business Litigation Group and leads its Government Enforcement and Corporate Compliance Teams. In 2019, Benchmark named Ed as a Local Litigation Star for Commercial Litigation.
Resolution of Business Disputes
For the last 20 years, Ed has helped businesses across the globe resolve their disputes. An experienced trial lawyer, he has pursued or defended numerous nine- and eight-figure cases, which includes obtaining a full defense jury verdict following a multi-month trial for an institutional client facing $100 million in contract and business tort claims. He has been effectively defending companies against class action claims for over a decade and recently secured the dismissal of a proposed nationwide class action brought against an manufacturing company without the need for any payment to the plaintiff, potential class members, or plaintiff's counsel.
Government Enforcement and Corporate Compliance
Ed routinely advises institutional clients in connection with civil and criminal government investigations and enforcement activities, including with respect to issues involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the False Claims Act. This work has involved federal agencies such as the United States Attorney's Office, the Office of Special Counsel, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Homeland Security, Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as various state attorneys general and other administrative agencies.
As a result of this experience, Ed is often called upon to conduct internal investigations for companies and organizations, domestically and in Europe and Asia, and to provide guidance on matters of corporate compliance and litigation risk.
His clients have included technology companies; manufacturers; financial institutions and financial services firms; health care entities; educational, charitable, and religious organizations; professional associations, such as law and accounting firms; municipalities; judges; and media personalities.
Pro Bono Service
Ed has a strong commitment to pro bono work. He is the president and a board member of Greater Hartford Legal Aid, and a board member of the Connecticut Bar Foundation. For seven years, he served as chair of Robinson & Cole's Pro Bono Committee, during which time the firm as well as individual lawyers, including Ed, received more than a dozen awards or other forms of recognition for pro bono work. For example, Ed was recognized for co-developing a firm program that for the last several years has provided free legal assistance to victims of domestic violence and harassment seeking restraining orders for protection. Ed also served for several years as a member of the Connecticut Judicial Branch's Pro Bono Committee, and was a founding member of the Hartford Advisory Board of the Pro Bono Partnership, an organization that provides legal service to nonprofit organizations in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.
Latest Legal and Business Bylines From Edward J. Heath
- Five Eyes on Sanction Enforcement: Joint Guidance on Russia Sanctions Evasion From U.S. and Allies Identifies Detailed Expectations for Export Control Diligence in Sensitive Transactions - (Posted On Thursday, December 07, 2023)
- DOJ Announces Extension of Voluntary Self-Disclosure Guidance for Misconduct Discovered Through M&A Due Diligence - (Posted On Friday, October 06, 2023)
- New Round of Sanctions Relevant to Manufacturers Are Launched on the First Anniversary of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine - (Posted On Thursday, March 09, 2023)
- DOJ Announces Significant Corporate Compliance Initiatives - (Posted On Wednesday, March 08, 2023)
- China’s Semiconductor and Advanced Computing Industries Targeted by New Department of Commerce Export Restrictions - (Posted On Wednesday, November 02, 2022)
- With $1.1 Billion Penalty Deal, SEC Joins DOJ in Firing Warning Shot at Financial Services Industry About Outdated Employee Communications Policies - (Posted On Wednesday, October 05, 2022)
- SEC Enforcement Action Demonstrates Importance of Robust Conflicts-of-Interest Practices in SPAC Transactions - (Posted On Wednesday, September 28, 2022)
- The Walsh Act: Discovery from U.S. Citizens Living Abroad - (Posted On Tuesday, May 10, 2022)
- Alleged Aerospace Export Violations by Honeywell Lead to $13 Million Settlement Following Voluntary Self-Disclosure - (Posted On Tuesday, May 11, 2021)
- California Regulators Propose New Regulations to Limit Use of “Short Form” Proposition 65 Warnings - (Posted On Monday, April 05, 2021)