Heather E. Ross

Heather Ross is a seasoned trial and appellate lawyer and a principal of Sheehey Furlong & Behm, which she joined in December 2016. Her practice includes a strong focus on employment law, representing employers and individuals in employment-related disputes and conducting sensitive workplace investigations. Heather is widely regarded for her strategic judgment and creative problem-solving, particularly in complex and high-stakes matters.

Heather has extensive experience handling employment disputes, including claims involving workplace misconduct, contractual restrictions, and other employment-related issues. She regularly represents organizations and individuals in employment claims and advises businesses navigating internal employment investigations and related government inquiries. Her employment practice is informed by a broader background in complex civil litigation, white collar defense, and regulatory matters, allowing her to approach employment issues with a deep understanding of risk management and litigation strategy.

In addition to her employment work, Heather has represented businesses in commercial litigation involving breach of contract, tortious interference, and non-compete clauses, as well as health care providers and medical practices facing fraud investigations and professional regulation matters. Her trial experience includes achieving favorable outcomes for clients accused of serious criminal offenses, including obtaining “no jail” sentences and securing dismissals of felony charges.

Before joining the firm, Heather spent fourteen years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. During her tenure, she prosecuted complex fraud and financial crimes, multi-state drug trafficking cases, and human trafficking matters from investigation through trial, sentencing, and appeal. She served as lead trial counsel in Vermont’s only prosecution involving members of a Mexican drug cartel, obtained the state’s first human trafficking conviction, and prosecuted the office’s largest public-sector fraud case at the time. Heather also oversaw the Asset Forfeiture Unit for five years and served as Co-Chair of Vermont’s statewide Human Trafficking Task Force.

Heather’s prosecutorial background, combined with her decades-long experience in employment law, uniquely positions her to conduct sexual assault, sexual harassment, and race-based investigations for both private and public institutions. She has also trained law enforcement, health care providers, and community stakeholders on trauma-informed approaches to interviewing victims of sexual assault and trafficking—experience that directly informs her workplace investigation practice.

Heather began her legal career as a judicial clerk to the Honorable William K. Sessions III of the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont.