April Byrd

April Byrd represents companies and individuals in complex civil litigation and white collar criminal matters. She regularly advises corporate clients on compliance programs and regulatory issues, and has managed numerous internal investigations and government enforcement actions on their behalf.

An experienced trial attorney, April has also litigated product liability matters involving pharmaceuticals and other consumer products. Her significant experience in tort litigation includes deposing fact and medical witnesses, developing expert witnesses, conducting evidentiary hearings and dispositive motion practice.

April regularly engages in significant employment class action litigation involving various theories of discrimination, whistleblowing/retaliation, wage and hour, and ADA accessibility matters.

April previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for both the Districts of Delaware and Washington, D.C. In this capacity, she successfully first-chaired a dozen federal jury trials to verdict in a variety of complex prosecutions, including political corruption, multi-jurisdictional drug conspiracies, money laundering and violent crime. She also successfully prosecuted more than 30 state court bench trials involving wide-ranging offenses.

As a federal prosecutor, April handled dozens of evidentiary hearings, oral arguments, contested sentencings, and several appeals, and worked extensively with fact and expert witnesses as well as with federal, state and local investigative agencies.

In addition, she formerly served as a litigator in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tort Branch where she defended high level tort litigation brought against the United States in various federal courts throughout the country.

She has served as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at the Villanova University School of Law.

Education:

• J.D., magna cum laude, Villanova University School of Law, 1995
  • Order of the Coif
  • Villanova Law Review, Managing Editor
• B.A., cum laude, Swarthmore College, 1991

Bar Admissions:

• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
• U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania

Memberships:

• Dean J. Willard O’Brien American Inn of Court, Executive Committee, Barrister
• Philadelphia Bar Association, Profession Committee, Co-Chair of the Minorities
• Philadelphia Bar Association, The Philadelphia Lawyer, Editorial Board

Community Involvement:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Chester School of the Arts, Board of Directors
• Juvenile Justice Alliance
• National Association of University Women
• Villanova Law Alumni Association, Board of Advisors
• Villanova Law Minority Alumni  Society, Former President and Founding Member of the Board of Directors