Rochester, New York, July 16, 2025 – Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, a full-service business law firm with offices throughout New York, is pleased to announce that Laura A. Higgins has joined the firm as counsel in the litigation practice group in the firm’s Rochester, New York office.
Higgins brings over 12 years of experience as a federal and state prosecutor to the firm’s Litigation and Tax Controversy practice groups. Higgins will advocate for clients facing allegations of complex financial fraud, tax offenses, white-collar crime, and tax enforcement matters, drawing on her experiences leading high-stakes government investigations and prosecutions across multiple jurisdictions.
Prior to joining the firm, Higgins served as a criminal tax attorney and was a member of the National Fraud Counsel Team for the Internal Revenue Service Office of Chief Counsel in Buffalo, New York. Her deep understanding of government enforcement strategies stems from her years serving in the Department of Justice where she led investigations and prosecutions in collaboration with the FBI, HSI, DEA, IRS, Secret Service, US Postal Inspection Service, and Department of Labor. Higgins also served as legal counsel to IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agents throughout Upstate New York and Special Agents investigating transnational tax crime cases arising from the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), a global initiative uniting the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands to combat international tax evasion.
Among her most notable achievements, Higgins led a multi-state investigation and prosecution of a large-scale Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud conspiracy involving more than 150 fraudulent loans totaling over $43 million. She also litigated a high-stakes tax controversy matter in the U.S. Tax Court involving a disputed multi-million-dollar conservation easement deduction.
Higgins is the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Litigator Awards from the Department of the Treasury, Legal Division and from the Office of Chief Counsel, Large Business & International Division. She earned a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, with a Certificate in Criminal Law, and a B.A., cum laude, from the University of Rochester.
Recognized with the highest ranking by Chambers USA, Harter Secrest & Emery’s Litigation practice represents clients in a broad spectrum of complex matters. These include high-stakes commercial disputes, intellectual property litigation, insurance coverage issues, employment and ERISA litigation, privacy and data security matters, professional liability claims, construction disputes, and securities litigation. The firm’s attorneys bring deep and comprehensive experience, from trying cases in state and federal courts to handling appeals at every level–including the U.S. Supreme Court.
About Harter Secrest & Emery LLP
Harter Secrest & Emery LLP is a full-service business law firm with attorneys throughout New York representing clients ranging from individuals and family-owned businesses to Fortune 100 companies and major regional institutions. With offices in Rochester, Buffalo, Albany, Corning, and New York City, New York, the firm and its attorneys are consistently recognized by the industry’s leading law firm and attorney ranking programs, including Chambers and Partners, Best Law Firms® and The Best Lawyers in America®.