Partner
Nikolas Kerest
- Cornell, J.D. (2000)
- Williams, B.A. (1994)
Nikolas (“Kolo”) Kerest, who joined the firm in 2025 after serving as U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont, has been a litigator for over two decades. He focuses on complex civil litigation, drawing on his deep expertise handling significant litigation in government at the highest levels.
Kolo brings extensive experience from his distinguished public service career. As U.S. Attorney since December 2021, he oversaw a wide-ranging caseload spanning violent crime, civil rights, fraud, and False Claims Act cases. Under his leadership, Vermont’s U.S. Attorney’s Office ramped up efforts to combat violent crime, increasing prosecutions of illegal gun possessions and supporting task forces statewide. He also advanced civil rights enforcement through the United Against Hate program, educating Vermonters on their federal rights. Additionally, Kolo spearheaded initiatives to fight elder fraud, collaborating with federal agencies to provide education and prevention resources to Vermont seniors. His tenure also delivered notable successes on the civil side, including a landmark Controlled Substances Act settlement with eBay and significant False Claims Act recoveries from healthcare companies and Vermont defense industry firms.
Before becoming U.S. Attorney, Kolo spent nearly a decade in Vermont’s Civil Division as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, leading complex affirmative and defensive civil litigation as Civil Division Chief and Civil Rights Coordinator, followed by two years in the Criminal Division prosecuting a range of cases.
Earlier, Kolo clerked for the Honorable Fred I. Parker of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and built litigation expertise at Ropes & Gray LLP in Boston and Pierce Atwood LLP in Portland, Maine. He earned his J.D. from Cornell Law School in 2000 and his B.A. in mathematics from Williams College in 1994.
U.S. Attorney's Office
Kolo’s notable cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont include:
United States v. eBay Inc.
Secured landmark $59 million settlement with major e-commerce company eBay for systemic Controlled Substances Act violations related to illegal pill press sales—the fourth-largest CSA settlement in history and first-ever with an e-commerce company. Oversaw investigation connecting hundreds of eBay’s pill press purchasers to counterfeit pharmaceutical production while securing comprehensive compliance program enhancements as part of the resolution.
United States of America, ex rel. Brendan Delaney v. Eclinicalworks, LLC
Groundbreaking litigation establishing precedent in electronic health record software certification fraud, culminating in a $155 million False Claims Act settlement. Spearheaded comprehensive investigation of ECW’s software compliance failures and certification misrepresentations and drove settlement negotiations through multiple phases.
United States v. Greenway Health, LLC
Successfully resolved parallel False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute violations in electronic health record certification case, securing a $57.25 million False Claims Act settlement. Demonstrated pattern of systematic deception in the certification process while establishing violations of federal healthcare regulations.
Overview
Nikolas (“Kolo”) Kerest, who joined the firm in 2025 after serving as U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont, has been a litigator for over two decades. He focuses on complex civil litigation, drawing on his deep expertise handling significant litigation in government at the highest levels.
Kolo brings extensive experience from his distinguished public service career. As U.S. Attorney since December 2021, he oversaw a wide-ranging caseload spanning violent crime, civil rights, fraud, and False Claims Act cases. Under his leadership, Vermont’s U.S. Attorney’s Office ramped up efforts to combat violent crime, increasing prosecutions of illegal gun possessions and supporting task forces statewide. He also advanced civil rights enforcement through the United Against Hate program, educating Vermonters on their federal rights. Additionally, Kolo spearheaded initiatives to fight elder fraud, collaborating with federal agencies to provide education and prevention resources to Vermont seniors. His tenure also delivered notable successes on the civil side, including a landmark Controlled Substances Act settlement with eBay and significant False Claims Act recoveries from healthcare companies and Vermont defense industry firms.
Before becoming U.S. Attorney, Kolo spent nearly a decade in Vermont’s Civil Division as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, leading complex affirmative and defensive civil litigation as Civil Division Chief and Civil Rights Coordinator, followed by two years in the Criminal Division prosecuting a range of cases.
Earlier, Kolo clerked for the Honorable Fred I. Parker of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and built litigation expertise at Ropes & Gray LLP in Boston and Pierce Atwood LLP in Portland, Maine. He earned his J.D. from Cornell Law School in 2000 and his B.A. in mathematics from Williams College in 1994.
Representative Matters
U.S. Attorney's Office
Kolo’s notable cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont include:
United States v. eBay Inc.
Secured landmark $59 million settlement with major e-commerce company eBay for systemic Controlled Substances Act violations related to illegal pill press sales—the fourth-largest CSA settlement in history and first-ever with an e-commerce company. Oversaw investigation connecting hundreds of eBay’s pill press purchasers to counterfeit pharmaceutical production while securing comprehensive compliance program enhancements as part of the resolution.
United States of America, ex rel. Brendan Delaney v. Eclinicalworks, LLC
Groundbreaking litigation establishing precedent in electronic health record software certification fraud, culminating in a $155 million False Claims Act settlement. Spearheaded comprehensive investigation of ECW’s software compliance failures and certification misrepresentations and drove settlement negotiations through multiple phases.
United States v. Greenway Health, LLC
Successfully resolved parallel False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute violations in electronic health record certification case, securing a $57.25 million False Claims Act settlement. Demonstrated pattern of systematic deception in the certification process while establishing violations of federal healthcare regulations.
Clerkships
- Hon. Fred I. Parker, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit