Alvarez, Alvaro M.

Erika Amarante is a partner in Wiggin and Dana's Litigation Department. Her practice includes trial litigation in federal and state courts and arbitrations, focusing on franchise and distribution law, antitrust litigation and counseling, environmental disputes and complex civil and commercial litigation. Erika has extensive experience in state and federal trial courts and before arbitrators and mediators in a variety of forums and states.

Erika regularly counsels the firm's franchise and distribution clients on the requirements of federal and state antitrust law. She is actively involved in the ABA Section of Antitrust, and serves as a Vice-Chair to the Section's Distribution and Franchising Committee and editor of the Committee's Newsletter Distribution. Erika has contributed to several of the Section's publications, included the most recent editions of both Antitrust Law Developments and State Antitrust Practice and Statutes. Erika is currently at work updating a chapter of the Section's second edition of its Franchise and Dealership Termination Handbook, with an expected publication in 2010. She also serves as Secretary to the Connecticut Bar Association's Antitrust and Trade Regulation Section.

As a member of the firm's e-Discovery Task Force, Erika also counsels clients and colleagues within the firm on the emerging best practices for the preservation and production of electronically stored information ("ESI"). Erika writes and speaks frequently on topics such as creating effective document retention policies, fashioning appropriate litigation holds and managing electronic data during litigation.

Erika received a B.A. with distinction from Cornell University, and received her J.D. cum laude from New York University School of Law, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Environmental Law Journal. After law school Erika served as law clerk to Justice Richard N. Palmer and Justice Francis M. McDonald on the Connecticut Supreme Court, and later served as Executive Assistant to Chief Justice Francis M. McDonald on the Connecticut Supreme Court.