Biography
Ruth Hackford-Peer is Of Counsel with the firm and concentrates her practice on both civil and criminal matters, from complex commercial litigation to internal investigations, and is uniquely situated to do so.
Ms. Hackford-Peer is a seasoned trial lawyer and former Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Utah with more than a decade of litigation experience, primarily focused on complex financial crimes litigation in federal court. Recently, Ms. Hackford-Peer moved from the prosecution side to help defend companies and individuals in the most complex financial and white-collar cases, and her experience as a former prosecutor provides a unique perspective of the legal process those navigating potential criminal investigations. Ms. Hackford-Peer has a known track record of resolving high-stakes issues at the investigative stage, often before formal proceedings are initiated, but is always ready to take a matter to trial.
Practice Areas
- Business/Commercial Litigation
- White-Collar Defense
- Independent & Internal Investigations
- Cryptocurrency & Blockchain
- Environmental Regulation
Education
- The S.J. Quinney College of Law at The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
- J.D. - 2013
- Honors: Order of the Coif, Highest Honors, Rank #3, 3rd place in Regional Mediation Team Competition
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Utah
- Master of Education - 2000
- Honors: cum laude
- Honors: 4.0 GPA
- Utah State University, Logan, Utah
- B.S. - 1996
- Honors: magna cum laude
- Honors: 3.9 GPA
Bar Admissions
- Utah, 2014
- U.S. District Court District of Utah
- U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit
Professional Associations
- Deputy Section Chief of Securities Fraud Section USAO
- Utah State Bar Leadership Academy, 2019
- Utah Supreme Court Ethics and Discipline Committee, 2021-2024
- David K. Watkiss-Sutherland Inns of Court, 2012 – present (President 2020)
- Adjunct Instructor at S.J. Quinney College of Law, Arbitration (2016), Trial Advocacy (2021-present)
Honors
- S.J. Quinney College of Law Young Alumna of the Year Award 2022
- U.S. Attorney’s Award for Excellent Performance by a Litigative Team in U.S. v. Koerber, 2020