Benjamin L. Hatch Partner

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Ben serves as the chair of McGuireWoods’ Environmental & Mass Tort Department. With extensive litigation experience in both private practice and government service, he represents clients in high-stakes civil litigation, criminal investigations, and appeals. Ben has first chaired numerous jury trials, conducted bench trials, and argued appeals in the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 4th, 5th, 7th, and D.C. Circuits, as well as the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Prior to joining McGuireWoods, Ben spent nine years as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, serving in the Alexandria, Richmond, and Norfolk divisions of the Eastern District of Virginia. Most recently, Ben served as the Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Criminal Chief in the Norfolk Division. He received the John Marshall Award for Trial of Litigation, one of the highest awards given for trial practice by the U.S. Department of Justice, from then Attorney General Eric Holder for his role in a two month trial of several Somali pirates.

Ben previously served as a law clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge J. Michael Luttig of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He has also served at times as an adjunct professor teaching the advanced brief writing class at The College of William and Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law.

Experience

  • Represented an aerospace manufacturer in a high-profile investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
  • Represented a utility in U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission investigations resulting from the abandonment of a major nuclear project.
  • Represented manufacturing and transportation clients in multiple federal court antitrust cases, both as plaintiff’s counsel and defendant’s counsel.
  • Led the successful defense of an aerospace manufacturer in a nationwide class action alleging violations of the RICO statute.
  • Successfully sued a foreign nation under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and secured judgment of half a billion dollars based on the wrongful killing of a U.S. citizen.