Stris & Maher further expands its bench of ex-government litigators with Lauren Almquist Lively, former Civil Chief of the Vermont U.S. Attorney’s Office

Stris & Maher LLP is pleased to announce that Lauren Almquist Lively, former Civil Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont, has joined the firm as a partner.

Lively brings nearly a decade of experience at the Department of Justice, where she focused on complex fraud investigations and civil litigation. During her tenure, she helped secure more than $135 million in fraud settlements and spearheaded matters involving defective electronic health record systems, military procurement fraud, and pandemic-related financial misconduct. She also played a key role in the government’s landmark case against eBay arising from the sale of illegal pill presses during the opioid epidemic.

“Lauren brings a wealth of experience in complex, high-profile matters,” said Elizabeth Brannen, the firm’s managing partner. “Her experience and perspective will be invaluable to our clients in high-stakes litigation.”

Before serving in Vermont, Lively was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where she litigated a wide range of constitutional, tort, tax, and bankruptcy matters. She pairs deep experience in government investigations with a strong record in defensive litigation, particularly in brief writing and legal analysis.

At Stris, Lively will once again be working with former U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont Nikolas Kerest, who joined the firm in 2025.

“I am thrilled to be joining such an accomplished group of attorneys and jumping into the firm’s exciting and diverse practice,” said Lively. “I am looking forward to working again with former U.S. Attorney Kerest and putting my skills and experience to work for our clients.”

Lively received her J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School and her B.A., summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Middlebury College. She clerked for the Honorable Sarah S. Vance of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. She is admitted to practice in New York.

Press Coverage
Another Gov’t Atty From Vt. Joins Stris & Maher’s Team, Law360 (April 10, 2026) (subscription required)