The Women in Law & Leadership [Virtual Summit]: Washington D.C.

Based in Los Angeles, Pillsbury partner Stacie Yee handles employment litigation, arbitration and counseling, and complex commercial litigation for a global clientele.

Stacie litigates wage and hour, California Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act, discrimination, and retaliation/whistleblower, including qui tam, actions. She also resolves trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition and false advertising claims. Stacie provides preventative counseling to help clients avoid litigation and advises on contracts, policies, disability accommodations, terminations and other issues. She regularly helps Asia-based clients enter the U.S. market including to navigate employment laws. Over the years, she has worked particularly close with foreign airlines on employment-related and litigation matters, as well as with clients in the restaurant, food and beverage industry.

Shawn M. Wright concentrates her practice in the area of white collar criminal litigation, with a specific focus on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and international anti-corruption laws; criminal antitrust; public corruption; and government contracts matters. She represents corporations, boards of directors, and corporate executives in a wide range of internal and government investigations, audits and risk assessments, parallel proceedings, and before enforcement agencies and bodies such as the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and other authorities.

Shawn’s practice includes internal compliance program development for the FCPA, including establishing workplace compliance policies and procedures, due diligence in mergers and acquisitions, third-party relationships, and other transactions. She also conducts internal investigations and provides counsel on violations of the Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”).

Additionally, she represents companies and nonprofit organizations and their boards of directors regarding corporate governance, compliance, and internal controls issues.

Shawn is a member of the Women President’s Organization – Greenbelt Chapter, which supports and promotes women-owned companies. She is also a tutor and mentor to diverse women law students. She is an enthusiastic football and basketball fan, both professional and collegiate.

Cathy Hinger is a senior trial lawyer and partner in Womble Bond Dickinson’s Washington, D.C. office.  She defends companies in complex disputes with other businesses or the government.  She litigates cases involving business or government contracts, corporate fraud, constitutional challenges and employment claims.  She also counsels clients under investigation by governmental authorities and assists clients with internal investigations.  Cathy serves on Womble’s Professionalism Committee and leads the firm’s women’s leadership program, Women of Womble (WOW).

Anjum Unwala currently serves as Counsel at Capital One which she joined in April 2020. She advises the Customer Advocacy Office in the review and response of highly escalated consumer complaints, attorney prelitigation demands, and inquiries from state and federal regulatory entities.  Anjum also supports special projects in the business and serves as the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) complaints lead. During her time there, she has also managed an active pro bono practice by advising a DACA recipient on his immigration status and also by supporting the ACLU-Louisiana’s projects on racial justice. She currently also serves on the Legal Diversity and Inclusion Committee at Capital One.

Prior to joining Capital One, Anjum was an associate at both the New York and Washington DC offices of Hogan Lovells, focusing her practice in the government investigations group of the firm. While there, she also maintained an active pro bono case load by representing asylum seekers and a victim of domestic violence among other pro bono work. She also helped lead the Asian American Affinity group at Hogan Lovells with other attorneys of Asian descent to support attorneys of color and Asian descent in their legal practice through which she created programming and helped implement mentoring initiatives. 

Since 2017, Anjum has served on the board of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington DC Area (APABA-DC) in various capacities and is currently serving as the Vice President of Community Affairs. She graduated with her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and with a bachelor’s degree from New York University in finance and international business. 

Laura Pitts is a ten year practicing attorney with a focus in trademark and intellectual property protection. She achieved the Counsel level at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, practicing from their Alexandria, Virginia office. Laura manages clients’ global trademark portfolios, executes domestic and international trademark filings and handles opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. She leads the Bar Association of the District of Columbia’s Trademark Group.

Liz Davis advises and defends domestic and foreign companies and individuals in civil and criminal investigations, examinations, and litigation before the CFTC, DOJ, SEC, NFA, and exchanges, as well as corporate internal investigations. Liz previously was a Chief Trial Attorney at the CFTC, where she led regulatory enforcement matters encompassing issues ranging from manipulation, virtual currencies, compliance, and trade practice issues. Liz was also a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice and litigated numerous civil tax controversy matters in federal district and bankruptcy courts.

Barbara Linney serves as BakerHostetler’s International Trade team co-leader, building on nearly 30 years of experience advising U.S and foreign clients on international trade and business issues. Her multinational practice spans numerous industries, notably including the defense, aerospace, oil and gas, maritime, and medical device industries. Barbara’s practice has placed her before various federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the Bureau of Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce (BIS), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). She is well-versed in providing practical, business-oriented advice on complex issues involving a wide range of regulatory requirements – from U.S. and international export and import controls, anti-boycott rules and defense security requirements, to international economic sanctions and embargoes, regulatory requirements related to mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, foreign investment reviews and anti-corruption legislation. Licensed to practice law in three countries (the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom), Barbara is well-qualified to handle cross-border regulatory matters involving these countries.

Barbara’s in-depth knowledge of international trade and business matters make her a frequent speaker at conferences, both at home and abroad, as well as the author of numerous articles on these subjects. She is also an adjunct professor of export controls and economic sanctions at Georgetown University Law Center.

Samantha is currently Chief of Staff at Spark Therapeutics, the dedicated gene therapy subsidiary of Roche Holdings AG (NASDAQ: RHHBY), serving as a key partner for the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Team to help drive the overall corporate strategy and agenda, focus on enhancing operating efficiency, governance, process efficiency and effectiveness.  Having joined Spark in August 2020, Samantha previously served as Associate General Counsel, leading legal support for the corporate functions, including Human Resources, Real Estate & Corporate Facilities, Finance, Information Technology and Corporate Communications.  Prior to joining Spark, Samantha served as Executive Director, Corporate Counsel at Incyte (NASDAQ: INCY), helping the S&P 500 Component biopharmaceutical company build and execute strategies required to take the company global, enter new markets, double its annual revenue to ~$2 billion, and increase its headcount to 1,400.  Her previous experience also includes more than a decade at GlaxoSmithKline (NASDAQ: GSK), where she concentrated her practice in the area of pharmaceutical product development, manufacturing, and supply chain operations, advising on legal and compliance issues associated with complex supply networks comprised of large internal systems and extensive contract manufacturing operations with annual operating budgets in excess of $10 billion. A strategic advisor, business partner, senior leadership team member, corporate generalist, and prior business unit general counsel, Samantha helps executive teams make and execute key decisions across the organization.

 She received her J.D. and LL.M. in Health Law from Widener University School of Law, and dual bachelor’s degrees in international Area Studies and Political Science from Drexel University, as well as an Executive M.B.A. from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business.

 Additionally, Samantha is a tireless supporter of corporate social responsibility, diversity and inclusion, and mentoring initiatives. She is the founder of Jewels Advancing, Nurturing & Empowering (JANE), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Black and brown students and professionals achieve career success through mentoring and coaching.  She is also President of the Board of Trustees for KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools, a regional network of career and college preparedness charter schools in underserved local communities.   

 In all that she does, Samantha emphasizes integrity, equity, fairness, and humility.

Shantia Coley is a transformational speaker, facilitator and attorney who serves as in-house counsel for Wells Fargo. At Wells Fargo, she handles an international defensive litigation caseload and manages a docket of over 100 matters annually. As a millennial and first-generation college graduate, she is equally passionate about wellness, leadership and inclusion. As such, she enjoys engaging in courageous conversations on these and other topics.

Shantia is a graduate of Elon University where she currently serves on the President’s Young Leaders Council and North Carolina Central University School of Law. In her community, she was appointed to the Domestic Violence Advisory Board by the Charlotte City Council and recently joined the Goodwill Industries Board of Directors.

Shantia was recognized as one of the top 40 litigators in the nation by the National Bar Association and presently serves as its liaison to the American Bar Association. She has shared the stage with dynamic actress/comedienne Kim Coles and the phenomenal Miss USA. Shantia is married and is the mother of identical twin six-year-old boys.

Ashley N. Scott is an experienced regulatory, legislative and public policy lawyer, and her career is focused on leveraging new transportation technologies to advance the public interest. She has served as a global regulatory attorney for Lime for all of its markets here in the US and internationally, and has overseen the company’s global policy strategy. Now, she has transitioned to serve as Lime’s Senior Director of Strategy and Policy Development. She has spoken across the country on emerging issues in micromobiltiy transportation and transportation equity. She is a former City Attorney for the City of Atlanta, campaign operative, and litigation attorney.  Her background includes creating and drafting regulatory frameworks for sharing economy technologies for the City of Atlanta. She has also served as the Chair of the American Bar Association’s Sharing Economy Committee.  Ashley holds a law degree from Emory University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida.

Brenda Oliver provides advice and counsel to United States and foreign companies to facilitate transfers of high level and special skilled employees to the United States, partnering with clients to build an immigration program that fits their unique objectives and scale.

Brenda’s maternal family immigrated to the United States from South Korea and her interest in immigration law was sparked during law school while working for an immigration practitioner. It was there that she gained an appreciation for the ability of a business to thrive when employers have an opportunity to employ talented foreign nationals. She also learned first-hand that employment of foreign nationals often rested on a nuanced understanding of the complex legal and regulatory system governing their ability to work in the United States.

Today, Brenda combines her experience and personal history, putting them to work for clients helping them to obtain nonimmigrant and immigrant visas and permanent residency based on employment and/or family sponsorship. She also provides guidance to clients on applying for employment-based permanent residency petitions and labor certifications for employees. She has worked with clients in creating a global rotational program, working to ensure compliant policies are in place prior to initiating immigration processes for their foreign national employees. Brenda also provides advice on I-9 compliance and assists with company audits to ensure U.S. employment authorization practices are being followed. Brenda has advised individuals seeking to gain permanent residency after successfully appealing denials of PERM applications and multinational manager petitions. She has also prepared clients for consular processing as well as advised clients with citizenship and naturalization issues.

Brenda’s pro bono activities focus on immigration law including assisting individuals in obtaining T and U visas and eventually adjusting their status to permanent residency. She is active in the immigration bar and the D.C. Bar’s pro bono immigration clinic.

CARRIE VALIANT is a Member of the Firm in the Health Care and Life Sciences practice in the Washington, DC office and co-chairs the firm’s health care fraud group. She is also Chair of the firm’s Diversity and Professional Development Committee.

Ms. Valiant writes and lectures extensively on health law fraud topics and is a co-author of Legal Issues in Health Care Fraud and Abuse: Navigating the Uncertainties, 4th ed., published by the American Health Lawyers Association in June 2012. She has been included on Nightingale’s Healthcare News’2004 and 2009 lists of Outstanding Healthcare Fraud and Compliance Lawyers, selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America^© (2006 to 2019) in the field of Health Care Law, named to the Washington DC Super Lawyers list (2007 to 2011, 2013 to 2019) in the area of Health Care, ranked by Chambers USA as one of America’s leading Healthcare lawyers (2007 to 2019), and recommended by The Legal 500 United States(2016) in the Health Insurers and Healthcare: Service Providers categories. In 1997, the National Law Journal selected Ms. Valiant as one of “40 Health Care Lawyers Who Have Made Their Mark” in the area of white-collar crime.

Ms. Valiant founded and is President of the Health Care Industry Access Initiative, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to promoting collaborative action across the health care industry to improve access to health care coverage and services in the United States.

Nnedinma (Nnedi) Ifudu Nweke counsels U.S. and non-U.S. clients on U.S. laws and policy affecting cross border transactions and international trade, including export control laws, economic sanctions and trade embargoes, antiboycott laws and regulations, anticorruption laws including Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and anti-money laundering laws.

Nnedi represents clients in international trade matters before several U.S. government departments and agencies, including the departments of Commerce, State and the Treasury. She has helped clients in various industries to effectively manage due diligence investigations in connection with investment fund formation, mergers, acquisitions and other transactions. Nnedi also advises clients on how to respond to U.S. government investigations, develop and implement compliance policies and procedures, prepare voluntary self-disclosures, and conduct internal reviews, audits and investigations.

Her practice extends to drafting license applications, OFAC sanctions lists delisting petitions, advisory opinion requests and other submissions to relevant U.S. government agencies. Nnedi also develops and delivers training presentations on a variety of international trade control topics.

Nicholas Tiger joined the neobank start-up Upgrade, Inc. as Associate General Counsel in 2021 overseeing consumer borrowing, new product development, and marketing guidance. Prior to joining Upgrade, Nick was Senior Counsel for Capital One and provided regulatory counsel to product, process, and customer service managers. While at Capital One, Nick was appointed to the Legal Diversity & Inclusion Committee and took on a leadership role in OutFront, the LGBTQ+ employee resource group.  Identifying himself as neurodiverse, Nick also regularly speaks out against mental health and disability stigma in the workplace.

In addition to being passionate about driving diversity in the legal field, he has also been widely recognized for his pro bono service where he has appeared in contested removal proceedings before the Board of Immigration Appeals. He was recently named a finalist for the 2019 Volunteer of the Year award for the Greater Washington DC metro area.  A new San Francisco resident, he can normally be found outdoors exploring the sights and sounds of the Bay Area.

Nicholas received his J.D. with an emphasis in International Law from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. While in school, Nicholas clerked for both a Federal Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Missouri and an Administrative Court of Appeals Judge abroad in Guanajuato, Mexico. He also holds a B.A. from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Kristi Davidson is VP, AGC and Corporate Responsibility for Movado Group, Inc. (NYSE: MOV), one of the world’s premier watchmakers and distributor of some of the most recognized and respected names in time.  Her mission is broad: elevate Movado Group’s sustainability and growth across all owned and licensed brands worldwide, empower its global workforce, and facilitate its first-class customer service and communications.  Kristi’s “typical” week involves providing best practice advice to Board and executive teams on strategic, commercial, and operational items; identifying and minimizing risk through contract review, negotiation, execution, and process development; crafting environmental, social, governance and other legal policies and institutionalizing practices; partnering on regulatory and compliance matters; and conceiving and implementing an array of brand protection initiatives.  Before joining Movado Group, Kristi was a partner and co-chair of the consumer products and retail group of an AmLaw200 firm.  Kristi graduated from William & Mary Law and earned her B.S. summa cum laude from Truman State University.  A converted New Jersey girl but military brat at heart, Kristi enjoys traveling and experiencing different cultures, and she can’t wait to get out of her house post-Covid!

Lesley Marlin is an experienced, senior in-house attorney with a specialty in labor and employment law. She works for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) as their Associate General Counsel for Labor and Employment. FINRA is a not-for-profit organization, overseen by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, dedicated to investor protection and market integrity through the regulation of brokerage firms doing business with the public in the United States.

 Ms. Marlin speaks frequently on various workplace issues, including labor and employment law topics, culture and psychological safety, diversity and inclusion, resilience, and career development.  Beyond her professional engagements, Ms. Marlin is committed to giving back to her community.  She serves on the Board of Directors for the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing.

Manasi Raveendran is Counsel and Trust & Compliance Officer for IBM, advising and providing support to the business primarily with respect to anti-corruption regulations. Prior to her current role, Manasi was on an international assignment with IBM in India, acting as one of the Regional Trust & Compliance Officers for India/South Asia. Manasi has also been a cybersecurity lawyer as well as a commercial sales lawyer for IBM. She currently serves as the Global Pro Bono Co-Chair and as one of the leaders on the US Diversity & Inclusion team of the IBM Legal and Regulatory Affairs Department. Manasi was also selected for the IBM Corporate Service Corps (CSC) and worked with a Moroccan non-profit organization on a female empowerment small business project. Manasi has participated in bar service through the American Bar Association (ABA) and previously served as the Chair of the Young Lawyers Division Corporate Counsel Committee and was appointed as a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service and the ABA Commission on Immigration Advisory Committee. Manasi also volunteers her time to mentor students of color through community and legal organizations. Manasi received her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School and her B.A. from Boston University. In her free time she enjoys exploring new cuisines, delving into a mystery novel, and going on adventures near and far. 

Susan’s clients depend on her in-depth industry knowledge and strategic insights. Her in-house experience informs her pragmatic, business-savvy counsel to health care industry clients. She regularly advises pharmaceutical services providers, managed care organizations, post-acute and long term care providers, and those who invest in the industry on the risks and potential benefits of strategic affiliations, complex service agreements, and due diligence in high profile transactions. She also provides counsel on government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and compliance and regulatory matters. She has particular insight into the challenges facing managed care organizations, specialty pharmacies, and pharmacy benefit managers. Susan is also part of Mintz’s leadership team.

Johnine P. Barnes has wide-ranging experience in litigating and defending administrative claims of harassment; retaliation and discrimination on the basis of age, race, sex and disability; wrongful discharge and breach of contract issues; and client compliance with the American with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and other federal and state statutes governing employment. Johnine has counseled and represented companies, government agencies and associations on labor law issues, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as analogous state statutes, collective bargaining, grievance arbitration and National Labor Relations Board proceedings. In addition to her labor and employment practice, Johnine’s practice also includes business litigation matters. She has experience handling non-compete agreements disputes, contract disputes, trade secret matters, international disputes, white collar crimes claims, property interest disputes and legislative matters.

Nancy Macan McNally is a leading member of the firm’s government relations team. Her practice focuses on developing and managing government policy programs for Fortune 500 companies, municipal entities, trade associations, and national coalitions in the healthcare, energy, environment, natural resources, and transportation sectors. Nancy’s more than 30 years of experience includes working with clients to design, implement, and manage legislative and public policy strategies, and advocating on behalf of firm clients before Congress and federal agencies. She has substantial knowledge and experience in the areas of legislative strategy, grassroots and media initiatives, direct lobbying, public education, and coordinating comprehensive lobbying efforts among multiple organizations. Nancy serves as the Co-Chair of the firm, co-coordinator of Van Ness Feldman’s Government Advocacy and Public Policy practice, and is a board member of VNF Solutions.

Daniele is the General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer at Indo-MIM Inc., a multi-national corporation which is the leading global supplier of precision-engineered products using Metal Injection Molding (MIM) as the core manufacturing technology.

 Daniele is responsible for overseeing compliance with laws, regulatory requirements, policies and procedures within Indo-MIM Inc. She provides leadership and direction in compliance matters by building and fostering a program of training, education, and cooperation throughout Indo-MIM’s manufacturing plants located in Bangalore, India and San Antonio, TX. Daniele also provides legal and strategic advice and support to senior leadership and Indo-MIM employees on a wide range of business issues including immigration, taxation, and personnel matters. Additionally, Daniele has spent the past three years spearheading the Indo-MIM’s efforts to open a manufacturing plant in Reynosa, Mexico which became operational at the end of 2022.

 Previously Daniele worked as a Senior Associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Skadden Arps. She represented clients in connection with congressional, government and internal investigations. These included investigations by the state attorneys general, the Federal Trade Commission; and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Her work included developing investigation strategies, preparing witnesses, and managing subpoenas and document discovery efforts. While at Skadden, Daniele was the recipient of the D.C. Bar’s 2017 Laura N. Rinaldi Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Award which recognizes outstanding commitment to pro bono service.

 Daniele graduated with honors from the American University Washington College of Law, and now serves as an Adjunct Professor and Course Coordinator for Introduction to Regulation and Compliance and Drafting for Compliance Professionals. She received her Master of Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. For her undergraduate degree, Daniele studied political science and economics at the University of Chicago.

 Daniele lives on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC with her husband and three children. 

Alesya Nasimova is the Senior Product & Regulatory Counsel at Bolt where she focuses on Product Counseling, Regulatory Compliance and Data Privacy & Protection. Before Bolt, Alesya was Deputy General Counsel and Head of Legal and Compliance at DailyPay. As their first legal hire, Alesya was in charge of the creation, implementation and training of Company wide Standard Agreements and Compliance Programs. Alesya spearheaded the Trademark and Patent filings, the Contract Negotiation of Revenue Driving deals and Data Privacy Regulation and Compliance. Before DailyPay, Alesya has worked in the Commercial Real Estate and Investment Funding sector as well as devoting her time to pro bono work representing defendants in Consumer Debt Litigation. Alesya proudly holds a Bachelor of Science and Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University.

Elaine Horn represents clients in a broad range of complex civil and commercial litigation matters, with an emphasis in the areas of employment disputes, products liability, and commercial contracts.  Her trial experience includes the representation of both defendants and plaintiffs in federal and state court, bankruptcy court, and arbitrations.

In her products liability practice, Elaine represents major pharmaceutical companies in mass tort litigation, including serving on the national coordinating counsel team.   Her employment practice includes conducting internal investigations, providing counseling on corporate and non-profit employment policies, defending employers in class action litigation, and litigating individual civil and administrative cases.   Elaine serves as Co-Chair of Williams & Connolly’s Employment Litigation and Counseling practice group.

Over the course of her career, Elaine has also litigated claims involving major hospitality and commercial real estate companies, and a wide variety of plaintiffs’ litigation, including favorable multi-million dollar judgments for a defrauded plaintiff.  Elaine’s pro bono work has included the representation of asylum applicants, supervising representation in landlord-tenant matters and administrative proceedings involving disability benefits, and supervising attorneys on appellate criminal matters

Elaine grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, and received double degrees from Texas A&M University in 1991, and her J.D., with honors, from the University of Chicago Law School, where she was on the Editorial Board of The University of Chicago Law Review.  Following law school, Elaine clerked in Los Angeles for Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  Following her clerkship, Elaine spent a year in New York working for the Office of the Appellate Defender, a non-profit organization that represents indigent criminal defendants on appeal.  Elaine joined Williams & Connolly in 1996.  She previously served on the Williams & Connolly Hiring Committee from 1999 to 2005.  Elaine currently serves on the Board of Directors for the House of Ruth, a local non-profit organization that provides housing and other services to homeless and abused women and their children.

Sampada is a senior manager in the Legal Managed Services group at EY helping the leadership team and clients with driving legal innovation across entity compliance and governance, contract lifecycle management, regulatory research and mapping, and managed document review services.  Prior to becoming part of EY Law, she served in multiple strategic leadership and client relationship roles at Thomson Reuters and Pangea3 assisting Fortune 500 clients.  Sampada was responsible for setting up US onshore operations for Thomson Reuters providing program management, mentorship and training a team of Managers and Associates to deliver legal managed services.

Education and professional affiliations

• Master’s in human resource development from University of Mumbai, India
• Bachelor’s in law (LL.B) from Government Law College, Mumbai
• Bachelor’s in Commerce from University of Mumbai
• Certified eDiscovery Specialist

Youshea Berry serves as the Deputy Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and Policy in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Youshea is a seasoned attorney with nearly 20 years of experience in the legal, foreign policy and national security sectors. At USAID, Youshea provides legal guidance to U.S.-based and overseas staff primarily on legislative, fiscal and budgetary matters. Prior to her current role, Youshea was the Chief for Senate Affairs at USAID where she helped prepare and advise dozens of senior Agency officials for nearly one hundred hearings and briefings before Congress.

Youshea is also an adjunct law professor at Emory University School of Law where she teaches International Law. Prior to joining USAID, Youshea worked as congressional staff (as Legislative Counsel and as a Congressional Fellow) in both chambers of the U.S. Congress–handling appropriations and international and foreign policy issues. In between stints on Capitol Hill, Youshea founded and managed a law firm practice advising corporations and nonprofit organizations on business transactions and commercial real estate matters. Youshea has received numerous awards for leadership and service to the legal community. She has served on the boards of local and international bar associations, including serving in leadership roles in the American Bar Association, National Bar Association, Bar Association of DC and the Maryland State Bar Association. She is currently on the Advisory Board of the Black Law Student Association (BLSA) at Emory which recently created an endowment for first year law students to increase diversity at the law school. She also serves on the broader Alumni Board at Emory Law School.

Youshea recently earned a certificate from M.I.T.’s Seminar XXI program, a competitive 9 month leadership program for select national security and foreign policy professionals. Youshea earned her B.A. in English with a minor in Spanish from Xavier University of Louisiana. She earned a J.D. from Emory University School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in three jurisdictions and the U.S. Supreme Court. Youshea is a mother of two girls, wife of 16 years and a competitive triathlete.

Sabria McElroy is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, where her practice focuses on high risk, complex commercial litigation. She represents clients in a variety of areas, including antitrust, class actions, legal malpractice, and education. Sabria was an early member of a litigation team that brought a nationwide class-action suit on behalf of au pairs. The suit recently settled for one of the highest ever amounts in an unfair wages action.

In addition to practicing law, Sabria is a social entrepreneur. She is the founder of Born To Be, a company that creates sustainably sourced clothes for young girls that celebrate their achievements in STEM, sports, and other areas.

Sabria graduated from Yale Law School, where she received the C. LaRue Munson Prize for excellence in work in the law school clinical program. Before attending law school, Sabria was a public school teacher.

Amanda Wick is the Chief of Legal Affairs at Chainalysis, Inc. Previously, she served as a Senior Policy Advisor at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) where she advised on issues involving cryptocurrency, money laundering, and human trafficking. Before that, she served for nearly ten years as a federal prosecutor for the Department of Justice where she specialized in cryptocurrency money laundering, asset recovery, and BSA/AML issues. Chainalysis is the blockchain analysis company. They provide data, software, services, and research to government agencies, exchanges, financial institutions, and insurance and cybersecurity companies in over 50 countries. Their data platform powers investigation, compliance, and risk management tools that have been used to solve some of the world’s most high-profile cyber criminal cases and grow consumer access to cryptocurrency safely. Backed by Accel, Addition, Benchmark, Ribbit, and other leading names in venture capital, Chainalysis builds trust in blockchains to promote more financial freedom with less risk. For more information, visit www.chainalysis.com. 

Daphne Turpin Forbes is a trusted legal and business advisor at Microsoft with 20+ years of practice in the U.S. Public Sector and commercial industries.  Her corporate experience spans in-house at companies like Microsoft, Discovery Communications, ACS State & Local Solutions (a Xerox Company), Lockheed Martin, Hyatt Hotels, and General Motors.  She is well-regarded within the legal and business communities with recognitions as a top lawyer and corporate leader.  At Microsoft, Daphne leads a team of attorneys and assumes lead legal responsibility for a segment of the company’s Global Commercial Field Group (“GCFG”) where she negotiates, serves as the escalation point on complex legal matters, and provides advice on a wide spectrum of complex enterprise-wide license deals; including cloud services, ethics, and privacy issues (to name a few), and she advises on all other matters unique to the U.S. Public Sector and Education verticals.

Daphne is a leader who is passionate about diversity, inclusion, and equality.  She has participated and collaborated with various organizations as a champion for diverse lawyers, legal professionals, and women, with an emphasis on women of color.  In addition, Daphne is the U.S. Diversity & Inclusion (“D&I”) lead for GCFG and has served as a corporate leader in the company’s African American Employee Network.  A former Human Resources professional, who claims civility and coaching as her superpowers, Daphne is effective at and enjoys leading people, projects, and process. In addition, she is visible, active, and involved in her community. Daphne has long-standing memberships in several community service organizations.  She has served on various non-profit boards and advisory councils nationally and in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.  She currently serves as a Commissioner of the Prince George’s County, Maryland, Liquor Board as its Chairwoman.  She is a member of the Maryland State Bar and National Bar Associations.

Daphne is the recipient of various corporate awards for her D&I and client work. Most notably, she is the corporate recipient of the Microsoft MVP Circle of Excellence (Gold Club) Award, and the National Bar Association’s Clyde E. Bailey Corporate Leadership Award. Daphne is a graduate of Michigan State University, and the American University Washington College of Law.  

Michele Cober is Director of External Affairs & Strategic Alliances at Verizon where she manages strategic relationships with certain third party organizations representing various civil and human rights interests.  Prior to this role, she was an attorney in Verizon’s Federal Regulatory & Public Policy Group, advocating on behalf of the company at the Federal Communications Commission, focusing on wireline telecommunications, cable, and media issues.  She also represented Verizon in court, defending the company in litigation.  Prior to joining Verizon, Michele was in the litigation groups in the Washington, DC offices of both Kirkland & Ellis and Hogan Lovells where she helped clients manage litigation and arbitration matters, particularly complex commercial disputes.  Her wide ranging practice included contract disputes, construction law, healthcare and health insurance conflicts, education matters, and employment discrimination claims.  Michele continues to maintain an active pro bono practice and represents pro bono clients in a diverse range of issues, with a focus on criminal justice reform. 

She is a graduate of University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music and received her Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law.  During her time at Howard, she was the Executive Publications Editor of the Howard Law Journal.  After graduation, she clerked for the Honorable Deborah Chasanow on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. 

Erin Brown Jones advises clients on enforcement, compliance, and litigation matters across a range of regulatory regimes, with a focus on the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and US securities laws and regulations.

Ms. Brown Jones was recognized in Global Investigations Review’s 2020 “40 Under 40” list recognizing the next generation of outstanding investigations specialists.

Ms. Brown Jones represents clients in both domestic and cross-border investigations, and has experience collaborating with forensic auditors, navigating government-imposed compliance monitor decrees, and advocating in front of government agencies. Ms. Brown Jones has investigative experience with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), State Department, and Department of Commerce, as well as working with clients facing Congressional investigations. Her experience includes investigations around the world, including field work for major multinational companies in at least 14 countries across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.

In addition to her investigations work, Ms. Brown Jones also works closely with clients across industries – including the manufacturing, technology, pharmaceutical, aerospace, healthcare, and oil and gas industries – to review and enhance their internal compliance programs, including drafting policies and procedures, conducting risk assessments, and advising companies with respect to innovative compliance monitoring and analytics. Ms. Brown Jones also regularly advises clients in connection with cross-border M&A and capital markets transactions, including pre- and post-acquisition due diligence and counseling.

Prior to her experience at Latham, Ms. Brown Jones held fellowships with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Office of Force Transformation, and also served in the AmeriCorps program.

Ms. Brown Jones previously was a member of Latham’s Recruiting Committee, and currently serves on the firm’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Review Board.

Sadina Montani represents employers in state and federal courts and before various administrative agencies, defending claims of race, sex, disability and age discrimination, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations (including class actions), and wage payment claims. She guides clients through internal investigations and has developed particular experience in investigating and managing allegations of sexual harassment. Sadina is a partner in the Labor & Employment group in the firm’s D.C. office.

She also counsels and conducts training programs for clients on the full range of employment-related issues and has significant experience conducting wage and hour audits to ensure FLSA compliance.

Additionally, Sadina has significant experience with wage and hour matters and regularly conducts wage and hour audits for her clients to ensure FLSA compliance. She also has first-chair and second-chair trial experience and has successfully argued summary judgment and other substantive and procedural motions in state and federal court.

Sadina is an author and frequent speaker on a variety of employment topics, most notably on the impact of the #MeToo movement and the anti-harassment laws and best practices employers should understand. She serves as president for the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia (WBADC). Founded in 1917, WBADC is one of the oldest and largest voluntary bar associations in metropolitan Washington, D.C. and one of the oldest women’s bar associations in the nation. Its mission is to maintain the honor and integrity of the profession; promote the administration of justice; advance and protect the interests of women lawyers; promote their mutual improvement; and encourage a spirit of friendship among its members.

She serves as pro bono counsel for a number of nonprofit organizations, which focus on education, the environment, and various social services. In 2019, Sadina was awarded the Tom Nees Award for Exceptional Service by Community of Hope, a non-profit organization pursuing a mission to aid low-income families experiencing homelessness and struggling with health care needs, in recognition of her long-standing, deeply-impactful service to the women, men, and children who turn to Community of Hope for help. Additionally, she has been recognized by the D.C. Bar Association for her commitment to pro bono work.

Prior to entering private practice, she was a freelance musician and performed with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, and the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, among others.