LAURIN H. MILLS
I am a trial lawyer who represents corporations and individuals in complex commercial disputes (including construction), white collar criminal prosecutions and investigations, technology and media-related litigation (including intellectual property disputes); and corporate governance/shareholder actions. I have represented nearly every local television station and newspaper in courtroom access, defamation, or news-gathering tort matters. I am particularly experienced as both lead and local counsel in civil and criminal trials and litigation in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, also known as the “Rocket Docket.” I have represented numerous high-profile corporate clients and individuals, including a major party candidate running for President of the United States in a criminal investigation. I have tried cases in all the local state and federal courts, as well as in federal and state courts across the country and in domestic and international arbitrations.
I graduated from Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville; earned B.S. and B.A. degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park; and received my Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. I live in Oakton, Virginia and work out of the firm’s Alexandria and Rockville offices. I am admitted to practice in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, as well as numerous federal district and circuit courts across the country.
Experience
Member of the Maryland, DC and Virginia Bar Associations
Years in Practice: 30+
Publications
- Temptations, ABA Litigation Magazine (Winter 2014)
- ISP Immunity Provision Is Broadly Interpreted; but One Exception Exists When a Violation of Trademark Law Is Alleged, N.Y. Law Journal (April 15, 2002) (with Leslie Paul Machado)
- Taking Chances at Depositions, ABA Litigation Magazine (Fall 2001) (also published at page 372 of the ABA’s Litigation Manual on Depositions)
Reported and Other Notable Cases
- Ward v. Thompson, (political associational rights/congressional investigation) (D. Ariz./9th Cir./US Supreme Court) (2022)
- Chesapeake Tunnel Joint Venture v. Brasfond USA Corporation, (wrongful default termination of slurry wall and jet grouting subcontractor and interpleader) (AAA/D. Md. 2022)
- United States v. Mendoza-Escobar, 1:19-cr-00175-LMB (heroin and cocaine smuggling) (E.D. Va. 2022)
- Coomer v. Byrne, No. 1:22-cv-1575 (defamation) (D. Colo. 2022)
- Beltway Paving Co., Inc. v. Prudential Ins. Co. of America, 8:21-cv-00264-PWG (D. Md. 2022) (life insurance proceeds dispute)
- Progressive Technology Federal Systems v. Glass, 2022 WL 3441381 (Md. App. 2022) (shareholders dispute; interpretation of Maryland rules on attorneys’ fees)
- DMT, LLC v. Hughes, JAMS arbitration (2022) (shareholders’ dispute)
- GSB Gold Standard Corp. AG v. Saunders, 1:21-cv-01398-RDA-IDD (E.D. Va. 2022) (defamation)
- Manticorp, LLC v. EADS Architects, Inc., CA No. C-10-CV-21-000381 (Frederick County, MD 2022) (construction of cannabis “grow” facility)
- Barlovento, LLC v. AUI, Inc., 1:18-cv—1112-GJF (D.N.M. 2021) (bench trial concerning default termination of airport runway subcontractor)
- Zurich American Insurance Company v. City of New York, 176 A.D.3d 1145 (2d Dep’t 2019) (assertion of governmental immunity for warehouse fire)
- United States v. Hodge, 933 F.3d 468 (5th Cir. 2019) (False Claims Act; mortgage fraud)
- Quatrone v. Gannett Co., Inc., 2018 WL 7983284 (E.D. Va. 2018) (ERISA)
- Consumer 2.0, Inc. v. Tenant Turner, Inc., 343 F. Supp. 3d 581 (E.D. Va. 2018) (patent)
- Rocky Mountain Gun Owners v. Williams, 2018 WL 6989837 (D. Col. 2018) (political speech)
- Rattner v. Chubb National Ins. Co., Case No. 1:17-cv-00136 (E.D. Va. 2017) ($10 million insurance fraud)
- Evans v. PlusOne Sports, LLC, 686 Fed. App’x 198 (4th Cir. 2017) (patent, trademark, breach of contract)
- Rocky Mountain Gun Owners v. Williams, 671 Fed. App’x 1021 (10th Cir. 2016) (political speech)
- Carfax, Inc. v. Red Mountain Technologies, LLC, 119 F. Supp. 3d 431 (E.D. Va. 2015) (patent)
- In re Under Seal, 749 F.3d 276 (4th Cir. 2014) (criminal subpoena for encryption keys)
- Hill v. Public Advocate of the United States, 35 F. Supp. 3d 1347 (D. Col. 2014) (First Amendment, Copyright)
- United States v. Hadeed, 376 Fed. App’x (4th Cir. 2010) (criminal)
- Central Intelligence Agency v. Ishmael Jones, (E.D. Va. 2011) (publication of unauthorized manuscript by CIA agent)
- In re Fort Totten Metrorail Cases, 756 F. Supp. 2d 132 (D.D.C. 2010) (wrongful death and serious personal injury)
- DNT, LLC v. Sprint Spectrum, LP, 2009 WL 2567854 (E.D. Va. 2009) (patent)
- Music Sales Ltd. v. Chas. DuMont & Son, Inc., 800 F. Supp. 2d 653 (D.N.J. 2009) (copyright)
- Hatfill v. Gonzales, 519 F. Supp. 2d 13 (D.D.C. 2007) (confidential source)
- Antor Media Corp. v. Metacafe, Inc., 2007 WL 9635804 (E.D. Tex. 2007) (patent)
- MDS America, Inc. v. MDS Int’l S.A.R.L., 2005 WL 8155222 (E.D. Mich. 2005) (shareholders dispute)
- Bateman v. Blackwater Target Sys., LLC, 2004 WL 7312908 (D. Utah 2004) (patent)
- 7-Eleven, Inc. v. McEvoy, 300 F. Supp. 2d 352 (D. Md. 2004) (franchise)
- United States v. Habibi, (D. Md. 2004) (heroin smuggling, money laundering, illegal money transfer business)
- In re Royal Ahold Sec. & ERISA Lit., 319 F. Supp. 2d 634 (D. Md. 2004) (securities)
- Century Indem. Co. v Viacom Int’l, Inc., 2003 WL 402792 (S.D.N.Y. 2003) (breach of contract)
- United States v. Photogrammetric Data Services, Inc., 259 F.3d 229 (4th Cir. 2001) (criminal)
- Puerto Rico Tel. Co. v. Teleom. Reg. Bd. Of Puerto Rico, 20 F. Supp. 2d 308 (D.P.R. 1998) (telecom regulation)
- Hauck v. Gannett Corp., 1998 WL 131589 (Ohio Supreme Court 1998) (defamation)
- Harbor Court Assocs. v. Kiewit Construction Co., 6 F. Supp. 449 (D. Md. 1998) (insurance coverage)
- Lee v. City of Rochester, 254 A.D.2d 790 (4th Dep’t 1998) (defamation)
- United States v. Tsai, (E.D. Va. 1995) (acquittal in 32-count felony indictment)
- Chamberlin v. Carter, 47 F.3d 1164 (4th Cir. 1995) (banking)
- SAS of Puerto Rico, Inc. v. Puerto Rico Tel. Co., 833 F. Supp. 450 (D. Del. 1993) (antitrust)
- American Red Cross v. Travelers Indem. Co., 816 F. Supp. 755 (D.D.C. 1993) (insurance coverage for HIV-tainted blood claims)
- Sutton v. State of Maryland, 886 F.2d 708 (4th Cir. 1989) (en banc) (federal habeas)
