About Carlton Law

Heather represents clients in a variety of criminal and civil matters, with a focus on defending individuals charged with felonies in federal and state courts at all stages of the proceedings, from grand jury investigation through trial.  She possesses extensive federal criminal experience, has participated in numerous federal and state jury and bench trials, and has argued appeals in state and federal appellate courts.  In addition, Heather counsels businesses and individuals during internal investigations and when they are the targets or subjects of grand jury investigations. 

Heather is a former federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Virginia and the District of Columbia, where she investigated and prosecuted hundreds of cases representing a wide variety of crimes, such as white collar fraud, public corruption, racketeering, violent crime, drug trafficking, and child exploitation offenses.  At various times, Heather served as the office’s Deputy Criminal Chief, Managing Assistant United States Attorney, and Senior Litigation Counsel.  As a federal prosecutor, Heather has won honors and awards for her work on different cases, such as prosecuting a government contractor for intentionally manufacturing defective military equipment (United States v. Whyte) and multiple violent gang members in Danville, Virginia (United States v. Anthony, United States v. Davis).  In D.C., Heather was the lead prosecutor for the city’s most violent district before becoming a senior prosecutor in the office’s homicide section.  No one can build a defense better, or tear down the prosecution’s case more effectively, than a criminal defense attorney with federal experience.

Since graduating law school, Heather has also defended companies in complex commercial litigation, ranging from securities fraud to products liability to intellectual property cases, at firms in Boston, Washington, D.C., and Charlottesville. 

Heather also teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia School of Law.