Jackson Erpenbach

Jackson Erpenbach specializes in advising clients on complex and sensitive matters, including civil litigations, appeals, strategic projects, and government investigations. His clients range across individuals, nonprofit organizations, philanthropies, Fortune 100 companies, financial institutions, universities, and government entities.

Jackson has developed particular expertise consulting with nonprofits to address risk management and investigation matters. Most recently, he has advised organizations in the climate and democracy spaces on matters of compliance, governance, and risk-preparedness. When risks do arise, Jackson has also assisted organizations in navigating and resolving state attorney general investigations, congressional inquiries, and non-party subpoenas.

In addition, Jackson has broad experience in high-stakes civil litigation on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants. For example, he played a key role in the firm’s representation of the world’s leading spirits company in multiple related disputes between the company and its former celebrity spokesperson (a high-profile entrepreneur and music personality), which ended in a global settlement. Jackson was also a member of the team that obtained an arbitration award on behalf of a major life insurance company in a contract dispute, successfully confirmed that award in New York Supreme Court, and later prevailed on appeal. Additionally, Jackson helped to secure a dismissal with prejudice of claims brought by a student plaintiff against New York University.

Jackson is deeply committed to Hecker Fink’s public interest litigation. Most recently, Jackson helped secure a client’s transfer to prerelease custody under the First Step Act through the grant of a habeas petition in the Eastern District of Virginia. He was also a member of the legal team that reached a historic settlement agreement with the Florida State Board of Education (and other defendants) that effectively nullified the most dangerous and discriminatory impacts of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. And he was a member of the team that helped secure a dismissal of all criminal charges against Tracy McCarter, a victim of domestic violence who was wrongfully charged with the murder of her husband. Jackson also serves on the Discretionary Panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to represent uncounseled parties.

Jackson joined Hecker Fink after completing clerkships with the Honorable Alison J. Nathan, first on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and then (upon her confirmation by the Senate) on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Before that, he clerked for the Honorable Paul V. Niemeyer on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Jackson received his J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, graduating second in his class and as a member of the Order of the Coif. He was the Executive Notes Editor of the Michigan Law Review and was a member of the Executive Board of the Campbell Moot Court Competition. He also worked as a research assistant to Professors Julian Mortenson and Nicholas Bagley. Jackson received his B.S., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.