Carmen M. Ortiz

As the former U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Carmen has extensive experience as a trial lawyer, investigator, and crisis manager. Higher education institutions, health care organizations, retail, major sports and entertainment organizations, and clients from many other industries all turn to Carmen for her experience dealing with high profile, highly sensitive, and complex matters: fulfilled duties and responsibilities of claims administrative over a financial settlement fund.

Primary Focus:

• Internal Investigations: Carmen is known for her ability to manage high-profile situations under the media spotlight, to provide direction in crisis situations, and to facilitate decision-making among senior executives, in-house counsel, and board members. Some of Carmen’s recent investigations include: independent investigation of allegations that a former chief financial officer at a corporation may have engaged in fraudulent wrongdoing in the failure to report a financial transaction in a filing for the Securities and Exchange Commission; independent investigation of allegations regarding potential ethics violations by superiors in law enforcement department; sexual harassment, gender discrimination and racial discrimination investigations for higher ed institutions; chair adjudicator for panel hearings pursuant to sexual misconduct and Title IX allegations; and defense of a major hospital in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by a former employee alleging age, disability, and race discrimination.
• White Collar Defense: As the former U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Carmen knows exactly what information is important to law enforcement and prosecutors. Her experience encompasses all stages of the process, from conducting internal investigations, to responding to subpoenas, to knowing who is important to meet with at the government to persuade them not to pursue actions or charges, to handling complex jury trials in cases the government has indicted or otherwise filed. She also works with clients to develop plans to respond to white-collar and regulatory crises both inside and outside the courtroom. She is skilled at handling matters that require defending on multiple fronts against simultaneous criminal, civil, and regulatory proceedings.  Many of her best results are never publicized because she resolves matters before they become widely visible.
• Other Litigation: During her tenure as the U.S. Attorney from 2009 to 2017, Carmen led an office of more than 200 attorneys and support staff in Boston, Worcester and Springfield.  She oversaw the investigation and litigation of many significant and complex criminal and civil cases in matters involving financial and securities fraud, healthcare fraud, public corruption, money laundering, cybercrimes, national security, organized crime, and violent crime.  Among other high-profile matters, she directed the prosecutions of Whitey Bulger and the Boston Marathon bomber.  Carmen also had significant achievements in the healthcare fraud arena, leading the District of Massachusetts to some of the largest civil healthcare fraud settlements in U.S. history. Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, Carmen honed her litigation skills as both a federal and state prosecutor, as well as a defense attorney, trying over 60 jury cases to verdict.  She was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Economic Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and also served for eight years as an Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County, where she supervised the District Court prosecutors, and prosecuted homicides, sexual assaults, and robberies.

Carmen served as Co-Chair of the Attorney General’s Healthcare Fraud Working Group from 2010 through 2015. Carmen was also a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee from 2012 until 2014, and a member of the AGAC’s subcommittees on Civil Rights, White Collar Crime, Terrorism and National Security and Cyber Crimes/Intellectual Property.  She earned high marks for her ability to manage high-profile situations under the media spotlight, to provide leadership and direction in crisis situations, and to facilitate decision-making between law enforcement partners, political leaders and community representatives.

As U.S. Attorney, protecting the civil rights of the residents of Massachusetts was a top priority for Carmen, and she implemented the District’s first Civil Rights Unit aimed at reinvigorating the enforcement of federal civil rights laws.  She also broadened the Office’s outreach and engagement efforts, meeting regularly with community groups on a variety of issues to promote public safety, community policing and civil rights.  This experience has led her to conduct reviews of police department policies and practices, providing departments with skillful consultation to ensure their law enforcement operations are equitable and procedurally just.

• Litigation
• White Collar Defense & Government Enforcement
• Internal Investigations
• Public Law

Education

George Washington University Law School
Adelphi University, Magna Cum Laude

Admissions

Massachusetts
U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts

Languages

Spanish

2023:The Best Lawyers in America©, Administrative/Regulatory Law, 2020- 2023 and Criminal Defense: White-Collar, 2023

2022: The Best Lawyers in America©, Administrative/Regulatory Law, 2020- 2022 and Criminal Defense: White-Collar, 2022 and  “Lawyer of the Year” for Administrative/Regulatory Law in Boston, 2022, Super Lawyers

2021: Awarded Honorary Juris Doctorate, Suffolk University Law School Commencement

2019: Lelia J. Robinson Award, Women's Bar Association;  SuperLawyers; Profiles in Diversity Journal, Women Worth Watching List; Get Konnected! - Greater Boston's 50 Most Influential Attorneys of Color

2017: Awarded Honorary Doctorate in Public Service, Plymouth State University Commencement

2016: Top Women of Law Honoree, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly; Get Konnected 100 - Boston's 100 Most Influential People of Color; The Belva Ann Lockwood Award, Law Association of Women, George Washington University Law School

2014: Latina Lawyer of the Year, Hispanic National Bar Association; 100 Most Influential People for the Hispanic Community of Massachusetts, El Planeta Newspaper, 2011 – 2014

2013: New England Women’s Leadership Award, Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester

2012: Bostonian of the Year, The Boston Globe; Latina of the Year, El Mundo Newspaper; Pinnacle Award Honoree, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Network; Community Service Award, Mass. Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers; Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree, New England Law | Boston and Adelphi University

2011: First One Award, uAspire; Outstanding Contributions to the Community, Beth Israel Deaconess; Las Primeras Award for Exemplary Achievement, Mass. Association of Hispanic Attorneys

2010: President’s Award, Women in Federal Law Enforcement Foundation; J. William Fulbright Distinguished Public Service Award, George Washington University Law School; Pioneering Women of Color Award, Mass. Women’s Bar Association; Lifetime Achievement Award, La Alianza Hispana

Adelphi University, Board of Trustees, Vice-Chair

American Bar Association, Member

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Advisory Board of Trustees

Boston Bar Association, Member

Boston College Law School’s Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy, Visiting Professor, Fall 2017

Crossroads, Board of Trustees

Hispanic National Bar Association, Member

International Women’s Forum of MA, Member

Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys, Member

National Association of Former United States Attorneys, Board of Directors

Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts, Women’s  Leadership Initiative Mentor Host Committee Member

Women's White Collar Defense Association, Member

News

• Eighteen Anderson & Kreiger Attorneys Named to Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
• 2025 Honorees for Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers & "Ones to Watch" by Best Lawyers in America
• Sixteen Anderson & Kreiger Attorneys Named to Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
• Anderson & Kreiger Partner Carmen M. Ortiz named to the Amplify LatinX ALX100 Award
• 2024 Honorees for Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers & "Ones to Watch" by Best Lawyers in America
• 15 Anderson & Kreiger Attorneys Named to Super Lawyers and Rising Star Lists
• Three Anderson & Kreiger Lawyers Receive “Lawyer of the Year” Awards from Best Lawyers®; 20 Lawyers Recognized
• 15 Anderson & Kreiger Attorneys Named to Super Lawyers and Rising Star Lists
• Carmen M. Ortiz Elected as Vice Chair of the Adelphi University Board of Trustees
• Anderson & Kreiger’s Carmen Ortiz to be a Panelist at The Women in Law Summit Series: Driving Diversity in Law & Leadership
• 16 Anderson & Kreiger Attorneys Named to Super Lawyers and Rising Star Lists

Publications

• ABA, Senior Lawyers Division, Voice of Experience, Carmen Ortiz: A Life of Advocating for Victims of Crime, January 2022
• Ten years after the Boston Marathon bombing, then-U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, now a partner at Anderson & Kreiger, reflects on her office’s handling of the arrest and prosecution of the bomber. Read the article here: https://bit.ly/cmoarticle

Speaking Engagements

• Carmen Ortiz was a Panelist on Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Highlighting Best Practices for Conducting Workplace Investigations Remotely

• Panelist, Women's Bar Association, "A Women's Perspective on Partnership," April 2024
• Panelist, Boston Bar Association, "The Living Legacy of Influential Leaders," March 2024

• Keynote Speaker, CWE – Women of Color Business Summit, October 2022
• Panelist, Massachusetts International Women's Forum, "The Changing Hispanic Demographics and What it Means for Our Economy and the World," October 2022
• Speaker, Latina Leadership Academy, Hispanic National Bar Association Region I, September 2022
• Keynote Speaker, HNBA Region I Latina Leadership Academy, Fireside Chat with Carmen Ortiz, September 2022
• Panelist, Leadership Lessons Learned, Adelphi University Women’s Leadership Conference, April 2022
• Panelist, Adelphi University Women’s Leadership Conference, March 2022
• Panelist, BBA, Forging a Path in the Law - Top Attorneys Share Their Strategies for Sucess, March 2022
• Panelist, Boston Women’s Affinity Group, February 10, 2022

• Guest, WGBH Greater Boston, 'He's No Longer Known As America's Dad': Cosby Accuser On His Overturned Conviction, June 2021
• Keynote Speaker, Suffolk Law School, 2020 Graduation, May 2021
• Panelist, No Longer a Man's World: Getting a Seat at the Table, Centerforce: Driving Diversity in Law & Leadership [Virtual Summit]: Boston, May 2021
• Guest, Derek Chauvin Jury Verdict news coverage, FOX25, April 2021
• Panelist, Confronting the Rise of Domestic Terrorism/Extremism in the USA, Boston College Public Service Alumni Network (BCPSAN), April 2021
• Panelist, Boston College Bellarmine Law Society BC women in Law, April 2021
• Guest, WGBH Greater Boston, As Supreme Court Agrees To Review Marathon Bomber's Sentence, Experts Worry About Reopening Old Wounds, March 2021
• Keynote Speaker, NINE: Portraits of Women in the Law, George Washington University Law School, March 2021
• Panelist, Her Seat at the Table: Adelphi University Trustees in Conversation, March 2021
• Panelist, Legal Marketing Association, Boston: Advancing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Efforts in Law Firms, February 2021
• Panelist, Boston Lawyers Group, Choose Boston Pre-Job Fair Reception, January 2021

• Panelist, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Webinar,  How to Conduct Effective Workplace Investigations Remotely, December 2020
• Panelist, The Women in Legal & Corporate Leadership Summit (Virtual), Promoting Diversity & Inclusion in Law Firms & Corporations: Disrupting Old Models & Lowering Attrition, October 2020
• Panelist, Harvard Latina Empowerment & Development Conference (LEAD) Conference 2020, Law, Public Policy, Advocacy, February 2020
• Guest, WGBH Greater Boston, President Trump’s Pardons Bring More Criticism Regarding Legal Issues, February 2020
• Panelist, Greenfield Community College, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration, January 2020
• Panelist, Massachusetts Bar Association, Leadership Academy, Profiles in Leadership Panel, January 2020

• Speaker, Stonehill College, Martin Institute for Law & Society, Challenges of a United States Attorney, December 2019
• Keynote, Guggenheim Partners, LLC, Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, October 2019
• Panelist, Get Konnected!, Legends, Leaders, Pioneers & Innovators, September 2019
• Keynote Speaker, Boston Chapter AGA 2019 Regional Professional Development Training, May 2019
• Mentor, Get Konnected!, C-Suite Speed Mentoring, May 2019
• Speaker, Brooke High School, Community Meeting, May 2019
• Guest, WGBH Greater Boston, AG Barr Faces Capitol Hill Grilling On His Handling Of Mueller Report, May 2019
• Panelist, El Mundo Professional Mixer, Latina Leadership: The Untapped Workforce Asset, March 2019
• Guest, MSNBC, The Beat with Ari Melber, March 2019
• Panelist, Hispanic National Bar Association Corporate Counsel Conference, Creating Your Personal Brand: How to Brand Yourself Internally and Externally, March 2019
• Panelist, Hispanic National Bar Association Corporate Counsel Conference, Lessons from the Rock Stars: Top 10 Business Development Tools, March 2019
• Panelist, Boston Bar Association, Does Gender Matter in the Courtroom? An Interview with Lara Bazelon author of “What it Takes to Be a Trial Lawyer if You are Not a Man", February 2019
• Keynote Speaker, OneGoal Fellow Induction Ceremony, February 2019
• Speaker, ADL Breaking Barriers Speaker Series, A Conversation with Carmen Ortiz, January 2019

• Panelist,  7th Annual Banking Symposium, November 2018.
• Panelist, The Partnership’s Next Generation Executives Program on Leadership, Race and The Political Landscape, November 2018
• Speaker, BCAE 85th Anniversary Lecture & Discussion Series, And Justice For All, November 2018
• Guest, WGBH Greater Boston, What Does Whitaker's Appointment Mean for the Russia Probe?, November 2018
• Panelist, Hispanic National Bar Association, Protecting Attorney Client Privilege: Investigations and Beyond, September 2018
• Panelist, Latin Lawyer 5th Annual Labor & Employment Conference, How to Investigate and Manage a Harassment Claim, September 2018
• Keynote Speaker, Adelphi University, Matriculation Ceremony, August 2018
• Guest, WGBH Greater Boston, Salacious Testimony, Judge's Comments Raise Eyebrows in Paul Manafort Trial, August 2018
• Keynote Speaker, WBA: Women in Government Event, June 2018
• Keynote Speaker, Estrella Program Graduation, June 2018
• Speaker, PWC's Women's Networking Event on Business Development, June 2018
• Keynote Speaker, Tufts Health Plan Women's Group Event, June 2018
• Panelist, Womens Bar Association, Women to Women Panel, April 2018
• Guest, MSNBC, The Beat with Ari Melber, April 2018
• Speaker, Middlesex District Attorney's Office Conference on Sexual Misconduct in the Workplace, Considerations for Employers, April 2018
• Guest Speaker, Columbia Law School First Generation Professionals, April 2018
• Guest, WGBH Greater Boston, Could Affairs & Assault Claims Hurt Trump More than Muller Investigation?, March 2018
• Keynote Speaker at the 18th Annual Extraordinary Woman Awards, March 2018
• Panelist, Women's Bar Association, Panel: Paths to First Chair Litigation: How to Take the Lead in Criminal Litigation, March 2018
• Guest Speaker, Career and Leadership Day at Trinity Catholic Academy, February 2018

• Panelist, Ruderman Inclusion 2017 Summit, Social Justice Panel, November 2017
• Speaker, Middlesex County District Attorney's Conference on Empowering Girls, Pursuing Your Dream: Overcoming Life's Challenges, November 2017
• Guest, WGBH Greater Boston, Cut Cut Cut Act; Terror Charges; Pot Tourism; Stop Saving Daylight, November 2017
• Guest Speaker Harvard Law School, Problem Solving Workshop, Fall 2017
• Panelist, National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys Conference, False Claims Panel, 2017