Potter, Sharon L.
Ms. Potter's primary practice areas are
general litigation
and white collar criminal defense and she is a member of
The Battle Group, Spilman's high-level litigation practice group.
Representative Experience
- Handled a variety of criminal and civil litigation, including healthcare fraud, tax evasion, securities & wire fraud, cybercrime, firearms & illegal drug trafficking, and medical malpractice defense
- Supervised criminal and civil forfeiture cases, coordinating the sharing of assets with State and local law enforcement agencies and restitution for victims of crime
- Involved in initiatives with federal agencies designed to share knowledge and resources between academia, industry and law enforcement for computer crime prosecutions; served as a member of the National Institute of Justice Technical Working Group for Digital Evidence
- Worked closely with the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations division and various drug & violent crime task forces
- Extensive work on a series of abusive trust tax shelter prosecutions, employment tax matters and money laundering/financial fraud
Government Experience
- United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia, 2006-2009 (Presidential Appointment)
- Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia, 1992-2006
- Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Berkeley County, West Virginia
- Assistant District Attorney, Centre County, Pennsylvania
- West Virginia Public Service Commission - Law Clerk to Commission
Education
- Vanderbilt University, B.S., 1981
- California Western School of Law, J.D., 1985
Admissions
- West Virginia State Bar
- Pennsylvania State Bar
- United States District Courts for the Northern & Southern Districts of West Virginia
- United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
Awards & Distinctions
- Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation
- West Virginia Bar Foundation Fellow 2011
- YWCA Tribute to Women Honoree 2007
- Honorary Special Agent's Award — Department of Treasury
- Department of Treasury Chief's Award for prosecution of abusive trust cases
- Department of Justice Director's Award for Superior Performance for prosecution of securities/wire fraud and money laundering cases
Affiliations
- National Association of Former United States Attorneys
- Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia
- American Bar Association
- YWCA Board of Directors
Other
- Speaker at various training events, community associations and summits
- Attorney General's Advisory Subcommittees on Cybercrimes, Law Enforcement Coordination and White Collar Crime