Education:

Suffolk University Law School, Boston, MA, J.D., cum laude, 1991

Suffolk University, Boston, MA, B.A., cum laude, 1988

Admissions:

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

United States District Court, District of Massachusetts

United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit  

Affiliations:

Joint Bar Committee on Judicial Appointments, member (2008-present)

Women’s Bar Foundation, President(2010), Vice President (2008), Secretary (2007)

Women’s Bar Foundation, Trustee (2006 - present)

Boston Bar Association, Member, Criminal Law Section Steering Committee (1999 - present)

Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers, Hearing Committee Member (2002 - 2008)

American Bar Association, New England Region White Collar Crime Section Editor, Criminal Law Section Newsletter (1998 - 2003)

Member, Special Committee on Ethics in Public Service (1999 - 2000) 

MassCourts Information Technology Project Advisory Board, Administrative Office of the Trial Court, Criminal Standing Committee (2001 - 2002) 

Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

 

Presentations and Awards:

  • Massachusetts Super Lawyer, Criminal Defense--White Collar (2009)
  • Moderator, “Health Care Fraud,” Boston Bar Association (April 2007)
  • Panelist, “Off-label Prosecutions: Cutting Edge Issues in Healthcare Law” ABA Northeast Region, (May 2006)
  • Panelist, “Internal Investigations” Northeast Corporate Counsel Association (January 2006)
  • Panelist, “Internal Investigations and Mutual Funds,” Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Boston Bar Association, (May 2004)
  • Moderator, “Bars, Bracelets and Halfway Houses,” Boston Bar Association (March 1999)

Articles:

Massachusetts Election Administration, Campaign Finance and Lobby Law Chapter 21 - Federal/State Issues 

Campaign Finance and Lobbying Law Chapter 26 - Recent Developments in Federal Law 

The Massachusetts Civil Rights Act and Private
Employment Litigation

“Inside Politics: Movers and Shakers, Defense Attorneys Q&A,” Campaigns & Elections (August 2006)

“The Cutting Edge: 1998’s 10 Most Important Changes in Federal and State Court,” Boston Bar Association, Criminal Law Section Newsletter (Winter 1999)

“Supreme Judicial Court Increases Burden on Defendants Seeking to Vacate Prior Convictions in Federal Sentencing Enhancement Context,” Boston Bar Association, Criminal Law Section Newsletter (Spring 1998)

“SJC Upholds Temporary Suspension of Attorneys Under Indictment,” Boston Bar Association, Criminal Law Section Newsletter (October 1997)

“The Massachusetts Civil Rights Act and Private Employment Litigation,” Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (June 1996) (reprinted in The Best of MCLE Journal, November 1996)
 

Maria R. Durant

Download Maria Durant's vCard
617-371-1024
mdurant@dwyercollora.com

 

“Success is measured differently with every case. For some, success is nothing short of acquittal after trial. For others, success is achieving a quick and fair settlement. At Dwyer & Collora, LLP, some of our greatest successes are those that never become public."

Maria Durant is a partner at Dwyer & Collora, LLP concentrating her practice on white collar criminal defense, governmental investigations and complex civil litigation.

Individuals and companies seek Ms. Durant’s counsel in a wide variety of criminal matters including fraud, securities, health care, public corruption and other investigations by federal, state and local law enforcement and government regulators. She also has a history of successfully representing companies and individuals in a broad range of civil litigation, especially complex business disputes.

Ms. Durant has been associated with Dwyer & Collora, LLP for nearly 20 years. In 1998, she served as a Special Assistant District Attorney in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. She is active in bar-related activities, including serving as Trustee and Officer on the Board of the Women’s Bar Foundation, as a member of the Joint Bar Committee on Judicial Appointments and Member of the Criminal Law Section Steering Committee of the Boston Bar Association.

Areas of Representation:

Ms. Durant concentrates her practice on white collar criminal defense, governmental investigations work and complex civil litigation. Her practice involves representing individuals and companies in a wide variety of fraud, securities, health care, public corruption and other investigations by federal, state and local law enforcement and government regulators as well as representing companies and individuals in civil litigation, especially complex business disputes.

Recent Cases:

  • Professional Services Group, Inc. v. Town of Rockland, No. 04-11131-PBS (D. Mass. 2006) (successfully represented subsidiary of international water company in multi-count civil fraud case raising issues of first impression in Massachusetts; lead trial attorney in three-week federal jury trial resulting in multi-million dollar victory on behalf of client).
  • Grand Jury Investigation (D. Mass. 2006) (represented major pharmaceutical manufacturer in avoiding criminal indictment alleged pricing, kickback and off-label marketing violations).
  • United States v. Albert Innarelli et al, No. 04-30046-MAP (D. Mass. 2006) (represented only defendant to receive non-incarceration sentence in 13-defendant, complex money laundering and wire fraud case).
  • Grand Jury Investigation (D. Mass. 2005) (successfully defeated indictment of well-established construction company in false claims grand jury investigation).
  • United States v. K. Glenn Shaw, No. 99-10044-REK (D. Mass. 2001) (defended President of medical products division of national dialysis company against multi-count felony indictment alleging healthcare fraud; successfully resolved case through dismissal of all felony counts and plea to misdemeanor violation).