Thompson Coburn announced Monday that longtime federal prosecutor Errin Martin has joined the firm’s Dallas office as partner.
Martin, an assistant U.S. attorney of 17 years in the Northern District of Texas and chief of the national security cyber section for seven, boosts the firm’s business litigation and white collar defense and investigations practice groups.
“I look forward to putting my experience in government investigations to work for Thompson Coburn’s national client base,” Martin said.
Martin’s past high-profile cases include the prosecution of former Los Angeles Angels Communications Director Eric Kay in connection with the 2019 drug overdose death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs in the Dallas-area suburb of Southlake. Kay’s 2022 trial garnered a flurry of media attention. He was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison following his convictions for distributing a controlled substance resulting in death and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Martin also prosecuted Yassein Said, the brother of Yaser Said who was on the lam for more than a decade after killing his daughters and leaving their bodies in a car parked outside the then Omni Mandalay Hotel in the Dallas suburb of Irving. Yaser Said had appeared on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list before his arrest in 2020. His brother and son helped harbor him in North Texas homes to evade arrest. Yaser Said’s son pleaded guilty to his charges in exchange for 10 years in federal prison, but Yassein Said stood trial in 2021. Martin and her colleagues obtained a 12-year sentence for Yassein Said and convictions for conspiracy to conceal a person from arrest, concealing a person from arrest and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding.
“Errin’s background as a former federal prosecutor will be an invaluable asset within our white collar practice,” Thompson Coburn chair Chris Hohn said.
The Dallas office “is an important growth market” for the St. Louis-based firm, Hohn said. Thompson Coburn opened its Dallas outpost in 2020.
The firm’s inaugural Dallas team included a trio of litigation partners from Thompson & Knight, a firm where Martin previously worked as an associate for one year beginning in 2002. Prior to becoming a federal prosecutor, Martin was a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Paul Brown and U.S. District Judge Richard Schell.
Martin earned her law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Texas Tech University.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
You spent 17 years in the Northern District of Texas. What made you decide to leave now?
After, as you mentioned, 17 years and even more in total government service, it just was a good time to start looking. I did a lot in my career in the government, and I thought, ‘Let me just explore my opportunities and options.’ So it just really worked out. It was perfect.
When you decided to go into private practice, what was it specifically about Thompson Coburn that drew your attention?
I was familiar with many of the attorneys here in the Dallas office at Thompson Coburn, and so I was really drawn to their practice. They’re great lawyers and the firm culture was really appealing to me.
Thompson Coburn has a lot of Thompson & Knight alumni. You also worked at Thompson & Knight at one point. Did you already know lawyers at the firm from your time at Thompson & Knight?
Yes, some of us overlapped. And I always say, Thompson & Knight (although it’s no longer Thompson & Knight) is like Kevin Bacon and the six degrees of separation [theory]. It’s like this club that, once you’re in, you just meet a lot of Thompson & Knight alums.
What are some of your big takeaways from seven years of leading the national security cyber section in the Northern District of Texas?
The office is in great hands. The national security section is strong. As a resident of the Dallas area and the Northern District of Texas, you shouldn’t be concerned with that. There are a number of wonderful lawyers and prosecutors in that office, and investigative agencies are amazing in that section. I primarily worked with the FBI, although I worked with other agencies too, but the agents are just top notch.
The state of cybersecurity is so fast-moving, so ever changing, but I think we’re lucky to have really smart people that are keeping up with what the criminals are up to. And probably my biggest takeaway is: It’s not if you’re going to get hit, it’s when you’re going to get hit by a data breach or a cybersecurity incident, so it’s important to be prepared and protect yourself.
I read in your bio that you are a fan of true crime podcasts and TV shows. What are some of the podcasts you listen to and shows you watch?
I’m old school, so of course I like Law and Order. I loved Dr. Death. There was one called Down the Hill that was really good. And, of course, Dateline and 20/20. There are a number of episodes that my former colleagues have popped up on. Another podcast called Operation: Tradebomb, about the first World Trade Center bombing, was fascinating.
Given your career experience, how realistic do you find these programs to be?
Well, with a show like Law and Order, I’ll be kind of feeling like, “Wow, that wouldn’t really happen” or “That’s actually a bigger problem than you think it is.” But I’m not turned off by a Law and Order type of show. Some of the CSI kind of stuff, I’m like, “That’s outrageous. Nothing ever happens like that.” I always kind of have a critical eye but I can enjoy them and appreciate them without believing everything is exactly accurate.
What else would you like to share with our readers?
The team at Thompson Coburn, both in Dallas and across the other offices, is really experienced, and it’s very collegial. I’m really excited to be able to serve existing clients and new clients with a great group of people.