Erica Brody is a partner at Brody Hardoon Perkins & Kesten, LLP. A former prosecutor, has devoted her career to demanding justice and accountability on the behalf of people whose civil rights have been violated. In 2025, she obtained a $11 million-dollar jury verdict against the state police for its discrimination against a female trooper, one of the largest employment verdicts in Massachusetts history. She was named to Forbes’ Advisor’s List of Best Personal Injury Lawyers in Boston, awarded Massachusetts Lawyer of the Year in 2023, and was recognized by the Federal Bar Association for her outstanding advocacy in securing a historic $7 million-dollar settlement in a precedent-setting case against the Department of Children and Family Services and state social workers. Her clients consistently express appreciation for her results, her tireless advocacy, her empathy, and for her understanding of the societal barriers and personal costs that are often associated with coming forward to report abuse, harassment, and discrimination. Erica’s cases are regularly featured in the media, and she has served as a legal analyst in both the local and national news.
Erica is licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and she appears regularly in federal and state court, as well as before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.
Erica is also frequently retained to conduct workplace investigation. Her prosecutorial background and experience in employment litigation allows her to navigate the often sensitive and intensive fact-finding inquiries required in ensuring that investigations are conducted promptly, equitably, and effectively.
Erica’s trial experience also prepared her to teach “know your rights” training to companies and municipalities – training that is required by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. She has attended MCAD-certified trainings and has educated management and employees alike. She understands how courts analyze the legal issues that arise in these cases and what they will look like before a jury, and uses this insight to advise workers and employers on how to prevent discrimination and harassment in the workplace, as well as how to conduct fair, thorough, and thoughtful investigations into reports of workplace misconduct.
Erica earned her B.A. at Tufts, where she graduated magna cum laude and with highest honors. She earned her J.D. at Boston College Law School. During law school, she studied abroad in London at King's College School of Law, where she worked for Cherie Blair at Ms. Blair’s law firm and at her women’s foundation. Following Erica’s graduation from law school, she spent a year clerking for the Massachusetts Superior Court Justices.
Awards
- Forbes, Best Personal Injury Lawyers 2023
- Federal Bar Association’s Robyn J. Spalter Outstanding Achievement Award
- Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers 2021, 2022
- National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys 2021 Top 10 Under 40, 2021
- National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, 2021
- Superlawyer Rising Star, 2020, 2021
Publications
- “Tort Liability of Schools and School Employees,” Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education’s School Law Text (2015-present) (available on Westlaw).
Teaching/consulting
Erica regularly consults with news outlets on the topics of child abuse, domestic violence, and litigation. Erica has been hired by municipalities and corporations to train management and employees to help prevent discrimination and harassment in the workplace. She has also lectured at Northeastern University first complaint evidence in sexual assault cases.
News & Results
Recently, Erica secured an historic $7 million settlement against the Massachusetts Department of Children and Family Services and state social workers in a lawsuit alleging that her clients’ constitutional rights were violated while they were children in Massachusetts’ state foster care. Her work on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse and harassment has been featured in the local and national news:- BC Law Magazine, winter issue 2026, Updates on Erica Brody ’11 https://lawmagazine.bc.edu/2026/01/for-the-record-18/
- ABC News Boston, January 17, 2026, Couple files discrimination suit against Liberty Hotel in Boston, alleging they were barred from women's bathroom https://www.wcvb.com/article/liberty-hotel-boston-bathroom-lawsuit/70031203
- Massachusetts Lawyer Weekly, Dec. 19, 2025, State Police major wins $11M gender bias verdict https://masslawyersweekly.com/2025/12/19/mass-state-police-gender-discrimination-11m-verdict/
- Boston Globe, Dec. 18, 2025, Jury awards $11 million in gender discrimination suit against State Police, https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/18/metro/state-police-gender-discrimination-11-million-verdict/
- Boston Globe, Dec. 12, 2025, Family of teen repeatedly raped at Springfield group home sues state agencies https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/12/metro/dcf-group-home-rape-sexual-assault-greylock-massachusetts-eec/
- Boston Globe, May 7, 2025, Woman says Boston hotel guard accused her of being a man in women’s bathroom: ‘My worst nightmare coming true’ https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/07/metro/woman-accused-of-being-man-in-womens-bathroom-boston-hotel/
- BC Law Magazine winter issue 2025, Then Came the Reckoning, https://lawmagazine.bc.edu/winter-2025/
- US News & World Reports, August 11, 2023 Former Foster Children Win $7M Settlement After Alleging State Turned Blind Eye to Abuse. Four former foster children who were allegedly abused by a Massachusetts couple will be paid $7 million under a settlement with the state
- Boston Globe, August 11, 2023, State reaches $7 million settlement with four victims of foster parents who oversaw Oxford ‘house of horrors’
- NBC News Boston, August 11, 2023, Kids abused at Oxford foster home win historic $7M Mass. DCF settlement. The settlement is the first of its kind involving the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families and social workers
- ABC News Boston, August 11, 2023, Former foster children reach $7 million settlement with DCF in Oxford, Mass. 'House of Horrors' case
- WBUR Boston, August 11, 2023 Former foster children reach $7 million settlement with DCF in Oxford, Mass. 'House of Horrors' case. Former foster children win $7 million settlement after alleging state turned blind eye to abuse
- Worcester Telegram and Gazette, August 11, 2023 Oxford 'House of Horrors' survivors reach $7 million settlement with Mass. child welfare agency
- MassLive, August 11, 2023, Oxford ‘house of horrors’ children reach $7 million settlement, attorneys say
- NBC News Boston, April 27, 2023: "DCF Destroyed Unsubstantiated Reports of Abuse, Erasing Potential Evidence for a Future Case: DCF tells the NBC10 Investigators that up until 2008 the department was required by law to expunge any unproven allegations of abuse and investigation.
- Boston Globe, March 22, 2023, “State board allowed woman accused of abusing foster children to keep nursing license for more than a decade: Nursing board received two complaints about Susan Blouin’s alleged ‘house of horrors’ but took no action.”
- Boston Globe, March 9, 2023: “Allegedly beaten and abused in an Oxford ‘house of horrors,’ former foster children file suit against state social workers, State received more than a dozen complaints, but left children in the home.”
- Boston Globe, January 7, 2023: “Massage therapist at Massage Envy in Medford sexually assaulted two women in three days, lawyers charge, Masseur Gilberto DaSilva facing trial for rape in May.”
- NBC Boston, January 25, 2023: “Missed Warning Signs: Massage Therapist Charged With Rape.”
- Boston25 News, September 22, 2022: “Judge ruled Ricardo Arroyo’s records from past allegations can be made public, with exceptions”
- Dailymail UK, January 27, 2022: “Social worker 'who was groomed, sexually harassed and pressured to perform oral sex on married Boston judge in his chambers' will be paid $425,000 by state trial court before her case goes before a jury in civil case”
- Boston Globe, January 27, 2022: “Trial court to pay $425,000 to social worker who says she was pressured into sex with judge, Ex-judge Thomas Estes still faces federal lawsuit over alleged misconduct."
- WCVB Channel Five, August 13, 2021: “Holyoke Soldiers’ Home employees take legal action against former leaders.”
- Law360, April 1, 2021: “Judge Must Face Clinician’s Discrimination Suit.”
- WCVB Channel Five, December 20, 2019: “Lawsuit filed over Oxford foster home abuse, State accused of ignoring 'red flags' of abuse for years”
- MassLive, December 27, 20219: “Former foster children of Massachusetts couple Susan and Raymond Blouin file lawsuit alleging years of sexual, physical abuse”
- Worcester Telegram, December 26, 2019: Former Oxford foster children file $40M lawsuit against couple, state over “house of horrors.”
- Masslive, December 27, 2019: “After nearly 20 years, secrets in Oxford foster home come to light.”
- Berkshire Eagle, January 25, 2018: “Job lost because of objections to judge's sexual advances.”
- Daily Hampshire Gazette, January 25, 2018: “Court clinician’s lawsuit alleges sexual misconduct in judge’s chambers.”
- Berkshire Eagle, November 18, 2018: “Parties in suit against former drug court judge win confidentiality”
Areas of Practice
- Child Abuse and Sexual Assault
- Education Law
- Employment Law
- Investigations and Trainings
- Personal Injury
- Municipal Law and Government
- Sexual Harassment and Discrimination
Education
- Boston College Law School, J.D. (2011)
- King’s College School of Law (2011)
- Tufts University, B.A. in Comparative Religion, magna cum laude and highest honors (2007)
Bar Admissions
- First Circuit Court of Appeals
- United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
Memberships and Affiliations
- Board Member, Federal Bar Association Civil Rights Section
- Federal Bar Association
- Massachusetts Bar Association
- Massachusetts Trustees of the Reservation

