Leadership Q&A with Edward J. Loya, Jr.

EBG attorney Edward J. Loya, Jr. was recently named Chair of the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Criminal Law Section. I recently sat down with him for a Q&A regarding this honor, his work with the HNBA, and his white collar criminal practice at EBG.

Q: Most of our readers are probably familiar with the Hispanic National Bar Association, but for those who may not be, can you tell us a little about HNBA’s history and mission?

A: The HNBA, which was founded in 1972, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, national membership organization that represents the interests of Hispanic legal professionals in the United States and U.S. territories. In addition, on behalf of the 58 million people of Hispanic heritage living in the U.S., the organization advocates on issues of national importance to the Hispanic community. The HNBA’s membership includes members of local, state, and federal judiciaries, government attorneys, private sector attorneys (ranging from solo practitioners to “Big Law” attorneys), and corporate in-house counsel.

Q: Can you tell us what it is about your background and experience that makes you uniquely qualified for this leadership position with the HNBA?

A: I would say that my unique personal experience and my extensive experience as both a federal prosecutor and a white-collar criminal defense attorney make me uniquely qualified for this position. When I was 12 years old, my mom served as a juror in the Rodney King Trial in Simi Valley, California. You can say I had a front-row seat to one of the most explosive criminal trials of my lifetime. I grappled with the question of why justice was not done even though my mom had fought hard for a conviction. From that early age, I recognized that criminal law, when properly administered, is the lynchpin of our free and civil society and I have remained fascinated by this topic. After graduating from Stanford Law School, and immediately following my federal district court and appellate court clerkships, I joined the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. As a public corruption prosecutor, I handled investigations and trials throughout the country and in the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and American Samoa. At my previous firm and at EBG, I have continued to maintain a national practice in the area of white-collar criminal defense and investigations. I have extensive experience representing organizations and individuals under investigation for, or charged with, alleged violations of business-related federal and state criminal laws, including securities fraud, healthcare fraud, public corruption, embezzlement, financial improprieties, and theft of federal grant funds. I have also conducted internal investigations on behalf of corporations, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations facing potential action by local, state, and federal agencies.

Q: What are you hoping to achieve during your tenure as Chair of the HNBA’s Criminal Law Section?

A: My goal as Chair of the HNBA’s Criminal Law Section is to create a network of in-house attorneys, white-collar investigations attorneys, and criminal defense attorneys from different regions of the U.S. who can learn from one another and build relationships that can grow into business and professional opportunities.

Q: How will your HNBA role enhance your day-to-day practice at EBG?

A: I look forward to using my position as Chair of the Criminal Law Section to enhance my practice by developing my network among potential clients and leading practitioners in the field.

Q: Where can readers go to get more information the HNBA and become involved in its activities?

A: I would be delighted to be a resource for anyone interested in HNBA. Additionally, folks can find information at HNBA’s website: https://hnba.com/. HNBA also has regional affiliates in most cities where EBG has offices and I would encourage readers to research local HNBA affiliate organizations for additional opportunities.