Perkins Coie Represents the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia in Pro Bono Civil Lawsuit Over Unlawful Firearm Sales

WASHINGTON D.C., (September 17, 2024) Perkins Coie is pleased to represent the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia in a civil lawsuit brought by the DC OAG and the Maryland Office of the Attorney General to address the harms caused by unlawful firearm sales.  

The Complaint, filed on September 3, in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland, alleges that three Maryland firearm retailers knowingly facilitated the sale of over 30 handguns to a “straw purchaser” in violation of state and federal laws. Perkins Coie is working on the case alongside Everytown Law as co-counsel. 

A straw purchaser is someone who buys a firearm from a licensed dealer with the intention of transferring the firearm to another person, the true buyer, who is often prohibited from legally purchasing a gun on their own. Firearm straw purchasers act as intermediaries to bypass background checks and other legal requirements that the true buyer would not pass.  

The Perkins Coie legal team representing the DC OAG in this matter consists of partners Rachel Mechanic, Margaret Meyers, and Lee Richards, counsel Maria Stubbings, and associates Heath Hyatt and Courtney Otto. 

For more information, please see the Office of the DC OAG’s press release here.