Women in Law & Leadership Summit: Washington, D.C.

Marissa Comart is General Counsel at Reverb, the leading online marketplace for new, used, and vintage musical instruments. In her role she leads the company’s legal function, advising on trademark, privacy, advertising, product, regulatory, compliance, contracts, employment, and other legal matters that arise in a high-growth tech-enabled marketplace.

Comart began her legal career in private practice and later moved in-house, gaining broad experience across litigation, employment, and commercial law before joining Reverb. She holds a Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law, grounding her practice in both analytical rigor and practical business counsel.

Aliya Robinson is a key figure at T. Rowe Price, serving as Senior Legal Counsel for Legislative & Regulatory Affairs, where she leads policy efforts on retirement and compensation issues, advocating for the firm’s positions with Congress and regulators. A respected voice in employee benefits, she previously held leadership roles at the ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, bringing extensive experience in developing retirement policy.

Ms. Rao has been practicing law for over 13 years and worked in a variety of sectors, including private corporations, public companies, government and non-profit with an emphasis in the healthcare, insurance, financial services, and energy industries. Her expertise is broad and she specializes in contract negotiation, healthcare, and ERISA benefits law. Ms. Rao is a committee chair for the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Forum for the Association of Corporate Counsel – National Capital Region assisting in advocacy and education of diversity initiatives and allyship.  She has served on her Office of General Counsel DEI committee.  Ms. Rao has completed the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace certificate with the University of South Florida and the Self to Systems Diversity Course with Berrett-Koehler.

Ms. Rao is licensed to practice law in Illinois, District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Ms. Rao received her law degree from Loyola University Chicago law school with a concentration in health law as a health law fellow.  Prior to law school, Ms. Rao obtained her Masters in Health Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and worked in administration and strategic planning for Novant Health, a North Carolina based hospital system.   Ms. Rao is from Knoxville, TN and graduated with honors at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Sonia Rocha is Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), where she serves as the chief legal advisor to NERC’s President & CEO, Board of Trustees, and staff on all legal, governance, regulatory, and enterprise risk matters. She also oversees NERC’s corporate assurance programs, including compliance and ethics, enterprise risk management, and internal audit functions, helping ensure legal and operational integrity across the organization’s mission to promote bulk power system reliability and security.

Rocha joined NERC in 2011 and has held multiple leadership roles, including Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, and Director of Enforcement, where she oversaw enforcement of reliability standards across the Electric Reliability Organization Enterprise. She has also served twice as acting General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, providing continuity of legal leadership during key transitions. Prior to NERC, Rocha was in private practice representing energy companies and advised governments in developing countries on energy policy matters.

Under her legal leadership, NERC continues to navigate a complex regulatory landscape, advancing reliability standards and compliance frameworks that are foundational to North America’s critical electricity infrastructure.

Catherine Toppin is Assistant General Counsel, Intellectual Property at Lockheed Martin, where she advises on a broad range of IP matters including portfolio strategy, patent preparation and prosecution, litigation support, commercial transactions, government contracts, and intellectual property rights management across diverse technologies. She is known for aligning IP strategy with business goals and fostering collaborative solutions in complex legal and technical environments.

Toppin brings deep experience as an intellectual property strategist and business partner, having held roles in law firms and corporate legal teams before joining Lockheed Martin. Her background spans work with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, patent prosecution, and management of IP portfolios covering software, hardware, and industrial systems.

She holds a BSE in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University, reflecting a strong technical foundation that supports her work at the intersection of technology and law, and she is active in advising and mentoring broader legal and engineering communities.

Katie Dugan is the VP, Employment Law, Ethics & Compliance at Match Group which is the global leader in online dating with brands including Match, Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid, The League, and more. Prior to Match, Katie had in-house roles at both Yext, Inc. and Mattel, Inc. At Yext, she led the global labor and employment function. At Mattel, she worked in various roles in the global employment, ethics & compliance function.

Before going in-house, Katie worked in litigation and advice & counsel roles in the employment law department at regional law firms as well as a boutique management-side labor and employment firm. She began her career as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Robert Polifroni, P.J.Cv. in the Superior Court of New Jersey.

Tania Medina Bryant is Chief Cybersecurity & Technology Regulation Counsel at Marsh McLennan. She guides enterprise strategy at the intersection of cybersecurity, emerging technology development, and global regulatory risk, advising teams across the business on how to translate complex requirements into practical, scalable action. Tania oversees key workstreams in technology compliance, data-loss prevention, and incident response governance. She also leads cross-functional efforts to monitor and interpret emerging cyber, AI, and data regulations worldwide, helping the organization anticipate and prepare for evolving obligations.

Her background spans the military, public service, and the global private sector—experience that gives her a grounded, multidimensional perspective on organizational resilience, accountability, and operational excellence. Known for her clarity of communication and curiosity-driven approach, Tania brings a thoughtful, solutions-oriented lens to the complex challenges shaping the future of cybersecurity and technology risk.

Melesa Freerks is a healthcare regulatory and transactional partner who represents private equity sponsors, their portfolio companies, strategic investors, founders, and providers within the healthcare sector. Melesa is frequently called upon as special regulatory counsel in connection with major acquisitions, dispositions, and regulatory matters on behalf of healthcare strategic investors, public companies, private equity sponsors, and their platforms/portfolio companies.

She is engaged by private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies for guidance on structural, transactional, regulatory and enforcement matters and regularly advises healthcare clients on a broad range of healthcare-related issues including corporate transactions, federal and multi-state regulatory matters, compliance programs, fraud and abuse issues, employment agreements, and privacy matters.

Additionally, Melesa provides guidance on business issues and serves as transactional and regulatory counsel to both lenders and public and private borrowers in the healthcare and life sciences sectors as well as hospitals, physician group practices, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care centers, pharmacies, veterinary practice platforms, medical device companies, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, physicians, dentists, and other healthcare providers, artificial intelligence (AI) companies.

Melesa regularly counsels clients on the corporate practice of medicine and licensed professionals, state, and federal fraud and abuse laws, including Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Statute, False Claims Act, HIPAA, state anti-referral and anti-kickback laws, and related regulatory issues. Melesa also serves as outside healthcare general counsel for several clients.

Prior to joining DLA, Melesa was a partner for a Top 10 AM Law 100 global law firm.

Chimdi (Nwosu) Ginsburg Tuffs represents various employers and entities in complex litigation including employer, professional and executive liability claims, premises liability, trucking liability and product liability matters in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York federal and state courts. She draws on her vast courtroom experience as a former prosecutor in Philadelphia, and as a former felony sexual assault and domestic violence prosecutor in New York City, to develop an expertise in investigating and defending negligent security claims in the sexual assault context. She has tried many cases, both civil and criminal, to jury verdict and has experience in presenting before a grand jury. She prides herself on her aggressive, yet pragmatic, approach to litigation.

Rhina M. Roberts is an Associate General Counsel in the Multifamily Real Estate Department in Freddie Mac’s Legal Division. She provides legal advice and training to the Multifamily Targeted Affordable Housing business on all facets of originating, underwriting, purchasing and servicing multifamily mortgages.

Prior to joining Freddie Mac in 2018, Rhina was in private practice where she represented financial institutions in all aspects of commercial real estate financings with a focus on multifamily housing transactions.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from Davidson College, and a juris doctorate from Howard University School of Law, where she was a member of the Howard Law Journal. She is admitted to practice law in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and New York.

Tania Koles is the Compliance and Legal Affairs lead for  Microsoft’s US Public Sector Industries team, where she leads a team providing end‑to‑end legal and compliance support across regulated industry customers and partners. In collaboration with engineering, the business, and corporate legal teams, Tania helps embed compliance early in the deal lifecycle, accelerating transaction velocity while proactively mitigating risk. Tania advises on a broad range of public‑sector requirements—from FAR/agency clauses and CUI governance to FOIA/Open Records, audits, disclosures, and ethics obligations—delivering practical training and guidance to strengthen compliance literacy across Microsoft.  A licensed attorney with experience in government contracting, cloud, and IT services, Tania brings a mature legal presence to complex public‑sector relationships and mission‑critical programs.

Kamil Shields is a member of Sullivan & Cromwell’s Criminal Defense and Investigations Group and a partner in the firm’s Litigation Group. Her practice focuses on high-stakes investigations and regulatory enforcement proceedings, with a particular emphasis on matters involving consumer protection and compliance.

Ms. Shields rejoined the Firm in 2019 from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, where she served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Fraud and Public Corruption section. In her capacity as an Assistant United States Attorney, Ms. Shields served as lead prosecutor in 13 jury trials, investigated and indicted dozens of cases, drafted and argued procedural and substantive motions, worked with expert witnesses, and coordinated with victims of fraud and other crimes.

Liana M. Nobile is a Partner at Maron Marvel based in the firm’s Jersey City office, where she defends clients in premises liability disputes, insurance coverage matters, and a broad range of civil litigation including toxic tort, product liability, and general casualty claims. Before joining defense practice she gained valuable perspective as a plaintiff’s personal injury attorney, and early in her career she clerked for the Honorable Dennis J. O’Brien, J.S.C. (Ret.) in the Monmouth County Superior Court of New Jersey—experience that helped shape her litigation approach. She is admitted in New Jersey, New York, and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Drawing on more than 25 years of experience providing dedicated client service as an attorney and consultant, Maureen engages with Consilio’s customers to ensure a best-in-class client experience. She works cross-functionally across the company to develop and deploy best practices that embed Consilio’s commitment to service excellence, and to deliver the highest levels of quality and value. She seeks opportunities to create differentiating moments for clients—from bespoke educational sessions to loyalty programs to peer networking events—to foster client satisfaction and loyalty.

Maureen also serves as Consilio’s Diversity & Inclusion Officer. She leads the development and implementation of the company’s strategies, policies, and programs for ensuring a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. Partnering with Consilio’s internal and client Advisory Boards on Diversity & Inclusion, Maureen guides the organization in carrying out its mission of attracting and encouraging a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and ideas; fostering a global, inclusive culture; and celebrating employees’ diverse strengths.

Maureen is a respected industry thought leader, speaking and writing frequently on significant issues that impact Consilio’s clients, such as current challenges for legal professionals around data privacy and security; strategies and tactics for engaging in cross-border discovery; the latest developments in e-discovery law and practice; and diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession.

Prior to joining Consilio, Maureen was a partner at Paul Hastings LLP, where she represented Fortune 100 and other multinational companies in complex employment litigation, including class and collective actions. Maureen also co-chaired the Firm’s E-Discovery Practice Group. In that role, she advised clients on various e-discovery issues, such as identifying and inventorying sources of electronic information, drafting legal hold notices, and developing protocols for document collection, storage, and management. She also consulted internally with attorneys at the Firm on e-discovery issues, and helped develop best practices for litigators engaged in e-discovery.

Kaitlin Descovich is a partner in Weil’s Governance, Securities & Reporting Group and is based in Washington, D.C. Kaitlin advises public and private companies, as well as nonprofit organizations, on corporate governance, disclosure, compliance, executive compensation and securities law matters, including in connection with M&A, capital markets, private equity investment and corporate restructuring transactions. Among the topics Kaitlin regularly addresses include fiduciary duties, risk oversight, director independence, governance structures, compliance policies, executive and director compensation, SEC reporting and other public disclosure matters, stock exchange requirements, conflicts of interest and related party transactions, and cybersecurity and AI governance and disclosures.

An industry-leading environmental attorney, Lisa Rushton guides corporate clients, including global, multi-national, and local corporations, real estate developers, financial institutions and investment funds on matters relating to federal, state, and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations and was identified by Chambers as one of the leading environmental practitioners for business transactions. Lisa serves as Head of the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group, Co-Head of the Energy and Natural Resources Sector and Head of the firm’s Renewable Energy Subsector.

With substantial experience in matters relating to air and water pollution control laws, solid and hazardous waste management and cleanup, toxic substance control laws and the development of “brownfield” properties, clients rely on Lisa’s guidance and due diligence to understand environmental issues attendant to corporate and real estate transactions, debt and equity financings, public offerings, and bankruptcy proceedings. She routinely assists buyers, sellers, lenders, borrowers, debtors, landlords and tenants with understanding and apportioning environmental liabilities; manages the environmental due diligence process; and drafts and negotiates contractual provisions covering environmental aspects of business and real estate transactions.

Lisa has more than thirty years of experience representing clients in environmental litigation and overseeing the investigation and remediation of site conditions. She counsels clients on compliance obligations and the implementation of environmental management systems and assists clients in the defense of claims relating to environmental liabilities and allegations of non-compliance. She has specific experience representing clients in such industries as:

• Energy generation and sale
• Waste management
• Real estate development
• Telecom
• Pharmaceutical
• Chemicals
• Adhesives and coating manufacturing
• Pulp and paper manufacturing
• Aluminum and steel mills, and
• Airport management

Lisa is described as “incredibly responsive, efficient, business-oriented and practical” by a client, who further highlights her ability to “parse through complicated environmental issues amazingly quickly and thoroughly.”

Sarah Coyne is an accomplished litigator and former federal prosecutor focused on white collar criminal defense, internal and government-facing investigations, and related complex litigation. A partner in Ropes & Gray’s global litigation and enforcement practice group, Sarah advises clients on a broad range of matters relating to financial crime, securities fraud, health care fraud, and high-profile allegations of misconduct and serious wrongdoing.

Her experience spans heavily regulated industries, including financial services, health care and life sciences, technology, and sports. Clients describe Sarah as an “incredible advocate” and “the kind of person you want in your corner” in Chambers USA, where she is highly ranked for white collar crime and government investigations.

Before entering private practice, Sarah served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for 11 years and in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey for three years. In New York, she was Chief of the Business & Securities Fraud Section and also held key roles in the Public Integrity Section. Sarah prosecuted and supervised many high-profile criminal investigations, and briefed and argued numerous successful appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits.

Sarah maintains a robust pro bono practice, currently serving on the board of directors of the Legal Aid Society of New York. For several years, she was a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where she taught a course on white collar crime. She also regularly presents at major industry conferences.

De’Borah Coggins is a strategic HR leader and trusted executive advisor with more than a decade of experience shaping workforce strategy, organizational effectiveness, and leadership development across multi-state, multi-market operations. She currently serves as Senior Human Resources Business Partner at Tricon Residential, Inc., a Blackstone portfolio company, where she partners with leaders to align people strategy with business priorities.

Known for her expertise in employee relations and risk mitigation, De’Borah has led high-sensitivity workplace investigations and coached leaders to strengthen accountability, communication, and inclusive leadership behaviors. Guided by her leadership motto to “lead with empathy,” she is recognized for balancing compassion with clarity to foster trust, psychological safety, and performance. De’Borah holds an M.S. in Human Resource Management from Capella University, a B.B.A. in Human Resource Management from the University of West Georgia, and an A.A. in Teacher Education from Gordon College, and is SHRM-CP certified. She serves as D&I Director for the Greater Henry SHRM Chapter, is a member of the Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI) and was recognized with the Tricon Culture Icon Award (2025) for advancing leadership, culture, and inclusion.

In addition, De’Borah is the owner of Empathetic HR Solutions LLC, an HR consulting firm specializing in employee relations, complex workplace investigations, and leadership guidance. She is also an active member of Tau Epsilon Omega Chapter in Atlanta, Georgia, proudly serving as part of the South Atlantic Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated

Lynda Noggle is Director and Chief Counsel, Securities & Governance at Lockheed Martin Corporation in Bethesda, MD, where she provides legal leadership on securities law, disclosure, executive compensation, and corporate governance matters for one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense companies.  Lynda is responsible for advising senior executives and the board on SEC compliance, reporting and other public disclosure matters, stock exchange and corporate law requirements, conflicts of interest and related party transactions, executive and director compensation compliance and strategy, fiduciary duties, and governance structures in complex public company and global regulatory environments.  Prior to her current role, Lynda was Director of Operations for Lockheed Martin’s Legal Department where she developed the function’s AI enablement strategy and managed the operational aspects of its reorganization into a centralized department.

She holds a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and a B.S. in Labor and Industrial Relations from Cornell University.

Rachel Cohen is a partner in Weil’s nationwide IP, Technology & Science Litigation practice. She is a go-to legal strategist with extensive experience across all aspects of complex litigation, representing leading global technology and life sciences companies in high-stakes intellectual property disputes and trials in courts nationwide.

Katie John is Associate General Counsel at ABL Space Systems, where she leads legal strategy and oversees complex commercial contracting, government and regulatory compliance, and enterprise risk for a high-growth company at the forefront of commercial launch services. Her legal leadership is grounded in the demands of emerging technology, national security partnerships, and dynamic commercial ecosystems in aerospace.

Katie earned her J.D. with honors from The George Washington University Law School, where she was Senior Articles Editor of the Public Contract Law Journal and actively engaged in moot court, mock trial, and alternative dispute resolution activities.

Jessica Phillips is a partner and seasoned trial lawyer at Dunn Isaacson Rhee LLP with deep experience litigating high-stakes disputes across employment, contract, business torts, antitrust and competition, securities, constitutional law, defamation, healthcare, and intellectual property matters. She also counsels clients on complex regulatory challenges and has successfully litigated administrative law disputes nationwide.

Jessica has taken 14 cases to verdict in federal and state courts, securing major victories in significant business and civil rights matters—ranging from a $100 million jury verdict against Caterpillar to lead trial work in the landmark Sines v. Kessler civil rights case featured in the HBO documentary No Accident. Her work has earned numerous honors, including rankings by Chambers and Partners and Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Litigators in America,” and she has clerked for respected federal judges including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito.

Erin J. Morgan is a partner at Dunn Isaacson Rhee LLP and a trial lawyer who specializes in complex civil litigation, with particular expertise in jury trials, bench trials, and high-stakes arbitrations. She has taken eleven cases to trial or arbitration, securing favorable results for major corporations, financial institutions, and investment managers across industries including technology, industrial services, media, and finance. Notable wins include a high-impact jury verdict for Qualcomm in ARM Ltd. v. Qualcomm Inc. and a major arbitration victory in WWM Logistics, Inc. v. CFE International, underscoring her skill in managing fast-moving and critical disputes.

Erin’s work has earned broad recognition, including New York Law Journal’s Rising Star and inclusion on Benchmark Litigation’s 40 & Under List – Northeast and Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation. She maintains an active pro bono practice—handling family law and anti-hate cases—and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and as a Lecturer-in-Law at Columbia Law School. Ms. Morgan holds a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and a B.A., summa cum laude, from Bard College at Simon’s Rock.

Meryl Conant Governski focuses on high-risk, high-profile commercial litigation, with particular experience in defamation, privacy torts, First Amendment matters, and complex contract disputes. She regularly serves on trial teams in federal and state courts and is known for her ability to litigate on both sides of the “v,” having defended major media organizations while also representing victims of disinformation. In addition to litigation, Meryl advises clients on publication risk through pre-screening and strategic counseling.

Meryl has played key roles in some of the most prominent cases in recent years, including representing Blake Lively in her sexual-harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, contributing to the dismissal of Baldoni’s $400 million defamation suit, and serving as lead counsel for multiple media organizations—including Warner Bros. Discovery—in defamation litigation brought by Buster Murdaugh. She helped secure a landmark $148.1 million jury verdict for Ruby Freeman and Wandrea’ “Shaye” Moss against Rudy Giuliani and later cross-examined Giuliani in post-judgment enforcement proceedings. Her trial experience also includes defense victories for Uber Technologies and Oracle Corporation in major commercial disputes. Before law school, Meryl spent nearly a decade in communications, including roles at CNN and as an on-air broadcast journalist—experience that continues to inform her litigation and media strategy work.

Kiran Mand is a legal and business executive with over 15 years of experience providing strategic counsel and guidance to global organizations across various industries, including finance, technology, media, travel, and retail. Her legal expertise encompasses commercial transactions, strategic partnerships, data compliance, contract negotiation, legal process improvement, and team leadership.

Currently, Kiran serves as Assistant General Counsel at Capital One.  She supports the Premium Products and Experiences team, particularly Velocity Black, a travel concierge business. Her prior in-house counsel experience includes roles at DoorDash, Disney, National Geographic, and Gap.

Kiran holds a B.A. from McMaster University, a M.S.Ed from Medaille College, and dual J.D./LLB law degrees from Michigan State University and the University of Ottawa. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Kiran currently resides in McLean, Virginia, with her family.

Kiran’s mission is to enable and empower business growth and innovation while protecting and advancing the interests and values of the company and her clients.

Tara Mobley brings more than 20 years of senior leadership experience in professional services organizations to her role as Chief Executive Officer of Stein Sperling. As the firm’s first CEO, she was appointed to drive firmwide strategy, operational excellence, and sustainable growth—partnering with equity leadership to modernize governance, scale infrastructure, and enhance client service delivery. Tara has held executive leadership roles overseeing operations, finance, talent strategy, and business transformation, positioning her at the intersection of leadership, culture, and institutional performance.

Darla McClure, Principal and Managing Partner at Stein Sperling, is a strategic advisor to business leaders on employment law, governance, compliance, and complex commercial matters. She helps organizations navigate high-stakes disputes, workplace investigations, contractual negotiations, policy development, and risk management with clarity and confidence. Her work emphasizes pragmatic solutions that align legal strategy with business objectives, making her a trusted partner to executives and boards alike.

Darla holds a B.A. from Towson University and a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.  She has been recognized repeatedly by Best Lawyers in America (including “Lawyer of the Year”), Super Lawyers, and industry publications, reflecting peer-reviewed excellence and leadership in her fields.

Mackenzie M. Wrobel is an experienced trial lawyer litigating corporate and commercial disputes primarily in the Delaware Court of Chancery and the Complex Commercial Litigation Division of the Delaware Superior Court as well as arbitral forums. Mackenzie helps her clients resolve contractual matters and issues related to breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, corporate governance, and corporate control. Mackenzie is experienced in all phases of litigation and she has tried numerous disputes to verdict and through appeal.

Prior to joining Duane Morris, Mackenzie served as Associate Legal Counsel to Delaware Governor Jack A. Markell. As Associate Legal Counsel, she advised Governor Markell and the Governor’s Cabinet on issues ranging from contract development to state and federal constitutional issues in addition to assisting with the development of public policy.

Prior to that position, Mackenzie served as the Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Justice Randy J. Holland of the Supreme Court of the State of Delaware and as the Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Andrea L. Rocanelli of the Superior Court of the State of Delaware. During her two clerkships Mackenzie researched and advised on a variety of civil and criminal litigation issues at the trial stage, and complex commercial and corporate matters at the appellate stage in the highest court in the State of Delaware.

Mackenzie is a graduate of Widener University Delaware School of Law (J.D., 2014). While in law school, Mackenzie served as the Bluebook Editor of the Widener Law Review and a Certified Legal Intern at the Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Law Clinic. Mackenzie also completed a judicial internship with the Honorable Michael J. Haas of the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey. Mackenzie is a cum laude graduate of Millersville University where she served as an appointed member of the Board of Governors for Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education.

Vicky Bajwa is Director and Senior Counsel for Global Marketing & Intellectual Property at GoDaddy, where she leads legal strategy and risk management for worldwide marketing initiatives and brand protection. In her role, she advises on complex IP issues, advertising compliance, and global branding efforts for one of the world’s largest web services and domain registrars. She has built her expertise at the intersection of corporate law, intellectual property, and digital marketing — leveraging deep legal insight to support GoDaddy’s expanding global presence.

Bajwa has experience spanning business, corporate, commercial, and intellectual property law. Her professional background reflects both in-house counsel practice and strategic legal leadership within high-growth technology and consumer services environments. She earned her law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School and is based in the Washington, D.C./Falls Church area.

Corporations and individuals alike trust Sarah M. Hall, an experienced former federal prosecutor, to represent them in government investigations and prosecutions of the health care, anti-fraud, federal program/procurement, customs/smuggling, public corruption, securities, commodities, environmental, and criminal tax laws.

From her many years as a prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Sarah has extensive experience in every phase of a federal criminal case—from investigation to jury trials to appeals.

Melisa Brower is a partner in the Compensation, Governance, Pensions, and Governance practice at A&O Shearman in New York, where she advises public and private companies, boards, and senior executives on complex executive compensation, human capital, and corporate governance matters. She brings deep experience designing and implementing incentive arrangements, equity and cash-based plans, retention strategies, and compliance frameworks in the context of M&A, capital markets transactions, and SEC-mandated disclosures. Melisa’s practice spans U.S. and multinational issuers, with particular emphasis on compensation and human capital management disclosures, Section 13 and Section 16 compliance, and board-level governance advice.

In addition to her client work, Melisa contributes to thought leadership on executive compensation and governance, co-authoring articles and participating in industry panels on trends such as incentive design, DEI disclosures, and proxy season developments. She is actively engaged in pro bono work supporting arts and education organizations, and serves on the New York City Bar’s Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits Committee. Melisa earned her J.D., cum laude, from American University Washington College of Law and her B.A. from Vassar College.

Jamillia P. Ferris is a Chambers-ranked partner and co-chair of the Antitrust & Competition Practice at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Based in Washington, D.C., she represents clients across diverse industries in high-stakes merger clearance, civil conduct investigations, and strategic antitrust matters before the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. Jamillia’s experience spans complex transactional work — including representations in major technology, healthcare, and consumer deals — and defense against hostile takeover attempts, helping clients navigate nuanced regulatory landscapes with clear, business-focused guidance.

Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, Jamillia held leadership positions at both the Antitrust Division of the DOJ and the Federal Communications Commission, where she oversaw major merger reviews, including AT&T’s acquisition of DIRECTV. She is actively involved in shaping antitrust discourse through leadership in the American Bar Association’s Section of Antitrust Law and speaks regularly to global audiences on developments in competition law. In addition to her practice, Jamillia serves on the board of the D.C. Volunteer Lawyers Project and the Advisory Council of Lemonada Media.

Jenni Katzman joined Microsoft in 2023 and serves as Senior Director where she leads the U.S. Government Affairs policy efforts on intellectual property and digital safety, as well as on issues related to reducing the risks posed by synthetic content. She is also the USGA liaison for Microsoft gaming. Prior to coming to Microsoft, she served as General Counsel and Chief of Domestic Policy for Senator Ron Wyden. She was previously the Director of Policy and Program at the American Constitution Society. She also served in the Obama administration at the Department of Justice, White House Domestic Policy Council, and the Department of Education. Before that, she was the National Voter Protection Counsel for Obama for America, and practiced law at Steptoe & Johnson and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Jenni clerked for the Honorable Brian M. Cogan in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She graduated magna cum laude from Cornell Law School and earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University.

Erika Ayers Badan is a digital innovator, disruptor, and seasoned executive at the forefront of creation, distribution, and monetization of premium and culturally relevant digital content and communities.

As an early adopter of internet culture, Badan has always been interested in what’s now and what’s next, building brands in a way that’s compelling and commercially viable. She has a proven track record of being a digital entrepreneur, being talent-centric and content-first, while simultaneously delivering large-scale revenue growth.

Badan was named CEO of Food52 in April, 2024. Her remit was to re-build and reimagine the company. She re-shaped and re-invigorated content and community and put the overall company on a path to profitability. During her tenure, Badan aligned three disparate businesses (Food52, Dansk and Schoolhouse), dramatically reduced overhead costs, and reconciled a myriad of business models (media, drop-ship commerce, commerce marketplace and lighting manufacturing). She upgraded the company’s approach and management team and brought the company into social media and social commerce. She exited the business via a Chapter 11 restructuring and asset sale in February, 2026.

Badan currently serves on the board of global public safety technology leader Axon Enterprise (AXON). She is actively involved in Axon’s mission to protect life and reduce gun related deaths. She is also on the board of The Premiere Lacrosse League and actively involved in launching women’s lacrosse as a professional sport. Badan also serves as an advisor to 1Community and aids the organization in its strategy and mission development. Badan also serves on the board of Vice.

Badan is the author of the book “Nobody Cares About Your Career: Why Failure is Good, The Great Ones Play Hurt and Other Hard Truths.” Released in July, 2024. Nobody Cares About Your Career is Intertwined with anecdotes from her own career as well as a hard earned take on how to make work, work for you. She is the host of the WORK podcast and the author of “The Great Ones Play Hurt” Substack.

Badan is also the founder of Work Like A Girl. Originating as a tshirt idea at Barstool Sports, Work Like A Girl is a community of professional women of all ages and career stages. Hosted on Slack, Work Like A Girl connects professional women with other professional women interested in the same industries, topics and living in the same geographies.

Badan was the first-ever CEO of media magnate, Barstool Sports. Badan led the company through explosive growth (+5000% in revenue and significantly more in audience) from 2016 to 2024, expanding the company from a regional blog to a national powerhouse brand and media company. During her 9 years steering the company, Barstool became a top ten podcasting publisher in the US, with the world’s #1 sports, hockey, golf, and music podcasts, and a top 6 brand globally on TikTok. Ayers Badan has launched over 90 brands, including breakout franchises like Pat McAfee and Call Her Daddy. Badan sold the company to Penn Entertainment in 2020 for $550M and helped purchase the company back for Dave Portnoy in 2023 for $1.

Fast Company has named Badan as one of its “Most Creative People in Business.” Forbes and AdWeek have ranked her one of the “Most Powerful Women in U.S. Sports.” She has been named by The Big Lead’s as “The 75 Most Powerful People in the Sports Media Business” and also named by Crain as one of New York’s most “Notable Women in the Business of Sports.”

Badan has also held several senior roles at influential media and technology organizations, including President of BKSTG, CMO of  AOL, VP of Branding at Yahoo! and Senior Director of MSN Branded Experiences at Microsoft. She began her career at Fidelity Investments and spent her early career in advertising and marketing at notable agencies including Arnold Worldwide and Digitas.

Liz focuses her practice on corporate restructuring, bankruptcy, and other insolvency matters. She regularly represents debtors, secured lenders, creditors, and other interested parties in all aspects of large, complex chapter 11 cases and is known for her ability to quickly craft creative and practical legal solutions.

Liz was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware.  She received her honors undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware, where she was awarded the Bertram F. Levin Award for demonstrating outstanding intellectual curiosity about economics.  Liz graduated magna cum laude from Villanova University School of Law, where she served as a law mentor and participated on the Villanova Law Review as a staff writer and associate editor.

Prior to joining Young Conaway, Liz served as a law intern to the Honorable Kevin Carey (Ret.) in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware and to Master Abigail M. LeGrow and Chancellor Leo E. Strine (Ret.) in the Delaware Court of Chancery.

Eleanor Erney is Counsel in the Washington, D.C. office of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, where she focuses on international arbitration. Her practice includes investment treaty and international commercial arbitrations under major arbitral rules, representing both investors and sovereign states in complex cross-border disputes. She has experience in arbitration hearings, witness examination, post-award enforcement proceedings in U.S. courts, and tribunal secretary roles. Eleanor is also active in pro bono work and has been recognized for her contributions to international arbitration and dispute resolution.

Julia K. York is a Partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where she focuses on antitrust and competition matters. She represents multinational corporations across industries including pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, energy, and financial services in high-stakes litigation, merger challenges, and government investigations. Her practice spans both transactional and contentious antitrust work, including matters before the DOJ and FTC, and she is widely recognized for her leadership in complex competition disputes and enforcement matters.

Milli Kanani Hansen is a Partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where she focuses on mass torts, insurance, and consumer litigation. She advises clients in complex multi-jurisdictional disputes, class actions, and government enforcement matters, including investigations involving the U.S. Department of Justice and state attorneys general. Her practice includes coordinating large-scale litigation strategy, managing discovery, and representing companies in high-stakes regulatory and consumer claims.

Jacqueline Genovese Bova is an associate in Goodwin’s Intellectual Property Litigation practice who focuses her practice on representing clients in patent litigation in federal courts nationwide. Jacqueline’s experience includes advising clients in all stages of litigation from pre-suit investigation through trial. She also represents clients before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) in post-grant proceedings such as inter partes reviews (IPRs). Her experience covers a wide range of innovative industries including electronic devices, consumer products, fintech, and pharmaceuticals.

Daniella Silberstein is Co-Chair of the firm’s Global Corporate Practice. Daniella counsels a broad range of private equity sponsors, other private companies, and public companies on mergers and acquisitions, as well as on general corporate matters. Daniella focuses her practice on U.S. and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, carve-out transactions, recapitalizations, joint ventures, and spin-offs. She also regularly represents clients in corporate governance matters, and has defended clients against hostile takeovers and proxy contests.

Daniella advises clients across industries such as health care, biotechnology, professional services, aviation, manufacturing, aerospace, and retail, and routinely works on both the buy-side and sell-side of transactions. She also counsels start-up and emerging companies in connection with formation matters and capital raise transactions.

In addition to practicing law, Daniella has taught a class on negotiating M&A transactions as an adjunct professor at Tulane Law School. She also co-chairs the GT Miami Women’s Initiative.

Kari Hall is a Partner in the Litigation and Consumer Financial Services practice at Paul Hastings in Washington, D.C. She advises banks, fintechs, and financial institutions on complex regulatory, compliance, and enforcement matters involving consumer lending, payments, deposits, and fair-lending laws. She represents clients in investigations and examinations by agencies including the CFPB, DOJ, Federal Reserve, FDIC, OCC, and state regulators. She earned her J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

Sripriya Narasimhan is Of Counsel in the Litigation Department at Paul Hastings, where she focuses on complex litigation, investigations, and white collar defense. She previously served as Deputy General Counsel to the North Carolina Attorney General and as Associate General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Transportation, advising on high-stakes regulatory and enforcement matters. She clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and earned her J.D. from Yale Law School.

Vineeta Kamath is Counsel in the National Security Regulatory Practice at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in Washington, D.C. She advises communications and technology companies on regulatory compliance, FCC proceedings, and strategic advocacy on telecommunications policy. Her practice also focuses on national security and foreign investment reviews, including matters before CFIUS and Team Telecom, as well as regulatory approvals for mergers, acquisitions, and license transfers.

Megan Rushton is a Senior Associate at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, where she focuses on complex business disputes, commercial litigation, and product liability matters. Her practice includes representing clients in high-stakes litigation involving toxic torts, chemicals, and mechanical products.

Megan brings a strong foundation in litigation strategy, informed by her experience as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. She is known for her disciplined, detail-oriented approach and her ability to navigate technically complex matters with clarity and precision.

She earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of South Carolina School of Law and has been recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch and Super Lawyers Rising Stars for her work in commercial and product liability litigation.

M. Florina Lupei is a Senior Associate at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, where she focuses on civil litigation and complex disputes. She represents clients across a range of matters, bringing a strategic and detail-oriented approach to high-stakes litigation.

Florina’s legal background spans both Europe and the United States, providing her with a distinct cross-border perspective on risk, advocacy, and dispute resolution. She earned her law degree in Romania and an LL.M. from The George Washington University Law School. She is known for delivering practical, business-focused counsel and navigating complex legal challenges with precision.

Rebecca helps clients including government contractors, healthcare companies, telecommunications companies, maritime businesses, and manufacturers strategically employ, avoid, or respond to litigation and arbitration with an eye toward achieving business goals. Her representations include disputes between current and former business partners, including joint venturers and service providers, prime and subcontractors, clients, competitors, and employees. Rebecca’s domestic representations span federal and state courts and arbitral institutions throughout the U.S. She maintains an international practice as well, with a particular focus on expert work in ICC arbitration and helping domestic clients navigate or avoid proceedings in foreign courts. Rebecca leverages her wide-ranging experience in the public and private sectors to craft efficient, tailored, and holistic solutions.

Maya Song is a partner in Ropes & Gray’s data, privacy & cybersecurity practice, based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. A nationally recognized leader in cybersecurity, data privacy, and government enforcement, Maya brings over a decade of leadership experience at the Department  of Justice (DOJ), to advising clients on complex cyber, national security, and white-collar matters.

Marina focuses her practice on litigation and motions practice, with an emphasis on products liability, automotive, and FELA defense.  She has experience with all stages of litigation, from initial responsive filings, through discovery, including trial.  She actively participates in case work-up and strategy, takes and defends party and fact witness depositions, and has written and argued motions in both state and federal court.  She has authored briefing which led to the exclusion of expert testimony in multiple state and federal court FELA actions, as well as obtained a grant of case dismissal in a federal action on the “rocket docket” of the Eastern District of Virginia.  She also has experience trying a federal jury trial as the second chair to a favorable verdict for a target railroad defendant, including cross-examining witnesses, arguing motions and jury instructions, and formulating trial strategy.

Outside of the courtroom, Marina is an active member of the Richmond running community.  She also enjoys checking out the Richmond restaurant scene and cheering on UVA sports.