- March 2024
Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Member Sarah Byrne was featured in the Mecklenburg County Bar News article titled, “Financial Literacy as a Tool for Trafficking Survivor Recovery,” which was published in the March/April 2024 issue. The article discusses MVA’s efforts to support human trafficking victims beyond traditional legal services and the firm’s newly developed financial literacy online tool for survivors.
- February 2024
Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Member Sarah Byrne was recognized by the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission during a press conference hosted by Moore & Van Allen on January 23. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings, District Attorney Spencer Merriweather, and anti-trafficking leaders discussed the fight against human trafficking in honor of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
- January 2024
Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Member Sarah Byrne co-authored an American Banker BankThink column titled, “Modern slavery survivors need support from more financial institutions,” which was published on January 22.
- September 2023
Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Regulatory Advise & Response Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne served as a presenter for the Charlotte Triage Pro Bono Partnership panel titled, “Human Trafficking and Financial Exploitation: Credit Repair Needs of Survivors and the Debt Bondage Repair Act,” which took place on September 20.
- September 2023
Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne served as a presenter for the “ACAMS Carolinas Chapter: 2023 AML and OFAC Symposium” which took place on September 13.
- July 2023
In observance of the United Nations’ World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that the Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project, in collaboration with Lexington Law and Credit.com, has developed an online financial wellness tool for human trafficking survivors.
- June 2023
MVA commends the US Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina District on the Balcazar Nature Harvesting, LLC (BNH) labor trafficking and fraud in foreign labor contracting case which resulted in significant sentences and restitution for the survivors. Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne, who served as a legal navigator for several of the victims, stated “the collaboration among federal agencies, service providers and pro bono counsel in this case meant that the victims’ rights remained protected, and ought to be a model for future forced labor cases.”
- April 2023
Moore and Van Allen’s Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project was recognized by United States Attorney Dena King during the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week event hosted by the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. MVA attorneys Sarah Byrne, Jennifer Braccia and Kristin Arnold represented the firm at the event.
- April 2023
Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne co-authored the Law360 article, “Meeting The Legal Aid Needs Of Human Trafficking Survivors” which was published April 21.
- January 2023
MVA Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne joined Kym Kurey with Vital4 Strategic as guest speakers for a live webinar that was held on January 26 titled, “CFPB’s New Rule on Human Trafficking: Overview & Updates.”
- December 2022
Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne was profiled for her work at the intersection of financial institution regulation and the fight against human trafficking in the Tech For Good section of Vital4’s December newsletter. Vital4 is a leader in providing global data for corporate risk and compliance.
- October 2022
Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne and Associate Jules Carter co-author the JDSupra article titled, “It’s Time to Rectify the Unconscionable Burden Placed on Sex-Trafficked Girls”. The article, published on October 17, discusses the gaps in the criminal justice system related to the criminalization of child sex trafficking victims.
- September 2022
Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that Sarah Dohoney Byrne, senior counsel in the firm’s Charlotte office and leader of MVA’s Human Trafficking Prevention & Compliance practice, has been named to The American Lawyer magazine’s 2022 list of South Trailblazers.
- July 2022
- April 2022
Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne and Litigation Associate Jules Carter co-authored the article, “A Penumbra of Rights at Risk: Human Trafficking Victims’ Rights in Federal Criminal Cases” which was published by the Boston University Law School Public Interest Law Journal Volume 31.2- Symposium 2022.
- March 2022
Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne served as the co-keynote speaker for the recent Ensure Justice conference which was hosted by the Global Center for Women and Justice in Costa Mesa, California.
- Sarah Byrne co-authors article published by the United Nations University Centre for Policy ResearchJanuary 2022
Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne examines the recently enacted Debt Bondage Repair Act and other financial sector measures to support trafficking survivors in her co-authored article titled, “Can New US Law Help Increase Financial Recovery and Reintegration of Survivors of Human Trafficking?” which was published by The United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNUCPR) on January 27. Please click here to view the article.
- November 2021
Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) was a proud co-host, as part of the National Survivor Law Collective (NSL Collective), of the “Legal Deserts” workshop, along with the ABA Commission on Sexual and Domestic Violence, and the Avery Center for Research & Services.
- October 2021
Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne shared her insights during the recent Ending Human Trafficking Podcast episode 261: Legal Advocacy with Sarah Byrne. Hosted by Dr. Sandie Morgan, Sarah discussed the need for trauma-informed legal services for survivors of human trafficking and their complex legal needs.
- August 2021
MVA Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project Leader and Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne and Financial Services Counsel Ed Ivey’s article titled, “Human Rights-Focused Lending Models Can Curb Trafficking” was published by Law360 on August 6.
- March 2021
Moore & Van Allen (MVA) Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne, who leads the firm’s Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project, was interviewed on the Human Trafficking Institute’s Trafficking Matters: A Douglass Fellowship Podcast which aired on March 11.
- January 2021
Today, on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Moore & Van Allen thanks it’s brave clients, community partners and Charlotte Triage volunteers.
- July 2020
Moore & Van Allen commits to bringing awareness today, World Day Against Trafficking in Persons - during the year in which the United Nations is focusing on championing human trafficking first responders.
- July 2020
Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that the firm’s Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project has become a signatory survivor support partner for the Liechtenstein Initiative’s Survivor Inclusion Initiative, housed at the United Nations University in New York.
- March 2020
The most vulnerable among us who are preyed upon for the economic benefit of another -- victims of human trafficking -- just got more vulnerable. It goes without saying that this global public health and economic crisis will touch most industries and systems. Developing and maintaining an effective response to human trafficking ought to remain high priority for our government agencies, schools, healthcare workers, law enforcement, courts and financial service providers. Perpetrators may take advantage of our fragile communities and temporary processes, causing already vulnerable people to become even more susceptible to victimization.
- Charlotte Magazine, February 2020
MVA’s Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project Leader, Sarah Byrne and her fight for victims of human trafficking was highlighted by Charlotte Magazine.
- January 2020
The MVA Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project had a busy month raising awareness by training hundreds of professionals and onboarding a dozen new client matters.
- July 2019
A victory for the Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project and its advocacy work! On July 22, Governor Cooper signed into law a bill increasing access to justice for human trafficking survivors. Charlotte Ethics and Compliance Counsel Sarah Byrne chaired the NC Human Trafficking Commission subcommittee responsible for drafting legislative recommendations providing post-conviction relief and a civil remedy for human trafficking.
- July 2015
Over the last year, the Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project at Moore & Van Allen has assisted victims of human trafficking in approximately forty matters.
- February 20, 2015
MVA recently hosted a “Representing Victims of Human Trafficking” CLE.
- January 2015
Members of the Charlotte Metropolitan Human Trafficking Task Force, along with representatives from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, numerous community organizations and the media, gathered for a press conference and training in MVA's Charlotte office on January 9.
- Carolina Paralegal News, October 2014
The Firm's Human Trafficking Project, and project leaders Sarah Byrne, Stephanie Gryder, and Sally Hentz, were featured on the front page article of Carolina Paralegal News.
- June 2014