Members

Alissa L. DePass is the founder of DePass Legal, a boutique intellectual property and business law firm in NYC. As both a commercial litigator and transactional attorney, she counsels clients on key decisions impacting their businesses, ranging from strategies to protect their intellectual property to product development and regulatory compliance.  She also assists clients with matters involving workplace discrimination and NYC’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act. Alissa’s clientele spans various countries and industries, including tech, consumer products, health/wellness, international development, publishing, e-commerce and digital media. She began her legal career at one of the top 100 law firms in the nation, where she successfully defended corporate clients against multi-billion dollar claims and helped government entities recover million-dollar losses, both in the U.S. and abroad. Alissa has extensive experience in complex commercial litigation, including representing U.S. and international clients in state and federal courts around the country.  She is admitted to practice in New York, Florida and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (among the most prestigious federal courts in the nation). On a personal note, Alissa serves on the Advisory Board of the Queens Sickle Cell Advocacy Network, supporting people living with sickle cell disease and their families.  She also judges startup competitions, including for ConsenSys, the leading blockchain venture production studio worldwide, and Start-Up Chile, an accelerator founded by the Chilean government.

Jason A. Grant, a native of the Bronx, New York, is a 2002 graduate of the College of Arts & Sciences at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in African American Studies. Upon graduating from Syracuse University, Jason enrolled at Howard University School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctorate in May 2005. Jason began his legal career as an associate attorney at The Law Offices of Glenn S. Wainer. While pursuing his legal career, Jason worked part-time as a school coordinator for a reading mentorship program at Walker Jones Education Center for the non-profit organization, Everybody Wins DC! Jason is a founding partner of The DGO Law Group, PLLC. His practice areas include employment law, civil rights, family law, personal injury, criminal law and general civil litigation. From 2010 – 2012, Jason was the Chairperson for the Washington Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (WBAYLD). Through his involvement with the WBAYLD, Jason has coordinated various events, programs and committees, including the Raising the Bar Mentorship Program, “Tips from the Bench: Becoming a Judge,” “Surviving and Thriving Solo: Success Strategies for Solo Practitioners” and the 15th Anniversary Celebration of the Young Lawyers Division. Jason also has mentored high school students at Thurgood Marshall Academy Charter School in Washington, DC. Currently, Jason is President of the Howard University School of Law Alumni Club of Greater Washington, DC. In 2013, Jason was named to the Lawyers of Color Inaugural Hot List, which recognizes early to mid-career attorneys who are excelling in the legal profession. Jason is a member of the board of directors for the WBAYLD, WBA Educational Foundation, and an advisory board member for Sadiki Educational Safaris. Jason has self-published two books of poetry, "My Life, My World, My Truth" in 2010 and “Reflections in the Sun, Volume 1: The Love Poems” in 2015.

Dynamic and Successful solo attorney specializing in Entertainment, Employment, and Business transactions and litigation.

Deidra L. McEachern is the managing partner of McEachern & McEachern.  After graduating from Michigan State University, she went on to attend Howard University School of Law and has been practicing law for nearly 30 years.  After obtaining her license to practice law, she briefly worked at a D.C. law firm and then at the US Sentencing Commission.  But because of her entrepreneurial spirit it wasn't long before she branched out on her own and began practicing law as a solo attorney.  At that time she specialized in criminal defense, family law and personal injury cases. After marrying her husband they joined together to form their current practice, McEachern & McEachern, LLC.  In their practice he now handles all of the criminal defense cases and Attorney D. McEachern handles the family law, personal injury and contract law cases.  She prides herself in providing every clients with the same high level of representation regardless of how great or small their case is.  She understands that while each case is different and brings different benefits and challenges to the firm, each case also deserves personal attention and every person is entitled to competent representation.  That is exactly what she gives them.

Elaine L. Thompson has been practicing law since 1989. She began her legal career working as an Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Florida Attorney General's Office in Tampa. Over the next ten years, Ms. Thompson continued to develop her legal skills and knowledge while working in the Employment Discrimination Section and the Office of Civil Rights where she represented the State, State agencies, and State employees in appellate, trial, and federal habeas corpus proceedings. After honing her craft with the Florida Attorney General's Office, attorney Thompson worked in private practice representing parties in workers compensation matters, criminal appeals, civil appeals, civil litigation, and family appeals. Ms. Thompson worked briefly at the Fulton County District Attorney's Office. Upon her return to Florida, she worked at a private law firm which handled cases involving medical malpractice, personal injury, and limited appeals. From there she joined the Office of the Public Defender in Tampa where she served as a supervisor of the Appellate Division, represented clients in Baker Act proceedings, and handled post-conviction matters. After practicing law for more than twenty-five years, Ms. Thompson decided to focus her practice on the most rewarding work she performs as a lawyer - appellate cases. Having attended law school because of her interest in constitutional law, she continues to pursue work related to constitutional claims, civil liberties, disability rights, education rights, and individual property rights. In addition to appeals, Ms. Thompson provides litigation support to trial lawyers.

Lorna Maloney, Esq.  is the Founder and Managing Partner of Maloney & Hayes Law Offices, PC. with offices in Maryland and the District of Columbia.  She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology; Master of Arts Degree in Political Management and her Juris Doctorate Degree with honors. Ms. Maloney taught legal courses for several years before getting into private practice.  She is committed to providing exceptional legal service to all of her clients.

Provide general business representation, assisting start-ups and mature business in organization, capital formation, and transactional, and litigation issues, serve as outsourced general counsel and/or chief compliance officer. Expert consultant in financial services regulation and enforcement, and internal investigation focused on consumer, cybersecurity, SEC, FINRA, and CFPB, issues in fintech, broker dealer, investment advisor, banking, asset management and fund representation.

Reyna is a proud graduate of Howard University School of Law.  After law school, she worked as a civil litigation associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and later as a Senior Attorney for the Social Security Administration, adjudicating disability claims in the Office of Appellate Operations. In 2016, Reyna decided to return to her political and advocacy roots and took a position as a Regional Voter Protection Director for the Hillary Clinton Campaign.  Utilizing her grassroots organizing skills as well as an aggressive approach to building partnerships, she trained over 750 attorneys on Ohio election laws and policies. In 2017, Reyna launched Walters-Morgan Law, which utilizes her extensive experiences in government and advocacy to help her clients understand the legal and business side of politics.

Miss Opal P. Lee is admitted to practice law in Florida and Jamaica. She founded the Law Offices of Opal P. Lee in 2006. Miss Lee earned a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Florida Atlantic University, a Juris Doctorate Degree from Florida International University College of Law, and Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School. While at Florida International University College of Law, Ms. Lee, who was on the Dean’s list, served as the Vice President of the Black Law Students’ Association, Vice President of the Caribbean Students’ Bar Association, and was a member of the law school’s Board of Advocates; she represented the law school at the Wechsler National First Amendment Moot Court Competition. Miss Lee is a member of the American Immigration Lawyer’s Associationand the Broward County Women Lawyer’s Association. Miss Lee may be heard each Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. addressing United States immigration issues on Nationwide 90FM Jamaica – the program, Immigration Mondays, is broadcasted globally.

Job J. Milfort is a founding and managing partner of Prioleau, Milfort & Rivers, LLC.  He focuses his practice on Employment Law and Business Disputes.  Job primarily handles employment discrimination and retaliation claims; failure to pay minimum wage and overtime issues; and breach of contract cases. He also handles cases involving restrictive covenants, trade secret misappropriation, and partnership dissolutions. Since forming his own practice, Job has obtained favorable results for business owners and a variety of professionals including: Lawyers, Doctors, Dentists, Pilots, Scientists, Chief Executive Officers, Executive Vice Presidents, Directors, Regional and General Managers, Law Enforcement Officers, Educators, Administrators, Paralegals, Managers, Sales Representatives, hourly workers, and Federal employees. In addition to representing employees, Job has successfully assisted business owners in complying with minimum wage, overtime and other legal requirements.  He is regularly called upon to serve as Counsel for his clients in matters before the U.S. Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other agencies.  

Staff attorney with the Criminal Justice Reform practice group for Alabama.  Work on a mix of litigation and policy.  Also dedicated to restoring voting rights to formerly convicted citizens.

Mr. Diaw is an experienced IP litigation and counseling partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Mr. Diaw’s litigation experience includes examining and defending expert and fact witnesses at depositions, arguing dispositive and discovery related motions before federal district court and magistrate judges, and examining witnesses at trial for both plaintiffs and defendants. Representative products within Mr. Diaw’s patent litigation experience include wireless networking devices, personal computer hardware and software, cellular telephones and mobile broadband devices, consumer electronics devices, and agricultural products among others. Mr. Diaw has represented clients in active patent litigation venues including the Eastern District of Virginia, the Eastern District of Texas, and the District of Delaware. Mr. Diaw’s IP counseling experience includes extensive work with startup companies at various stages of maturity and work for larger entities. Mr. Diaw has guided clients through legal issues associated with the development and launches of new products, developed terms of use and terms of service agreements, and established IP protection policies and procedures to ensure that growing companies protect their IP. Mr. Diaw also advises clients on IP issues related to mergers and acquisitions, and financings. Mr. Diaw’s M&A advisory experience includes a $2.1 billion acquisition in the generic pharmaceutical space. Mr. Diaw helped lead the IP analysis that drove the deal which involved a substantial portfolio of generic drug products and critical IP issues related thereto. Mr. Diaw has represented and counseled clients in a wide range of industries including the financial services, mobile application, personal computer design and manufacture, telecommunications, consumer electronics, medical device, power systems, and pharmaceutical industries. Mr. Diaw also represents clients in general litigation matters in state and federal courts. In addition to his IP litigation and counsel, and general litigation practices, Mr. Diaw also provides counsel to professional athletes on a broad range of issues. Mr. Diaw received a B.A. in English from Georgetown University in 2006, with a minor in computer science, where he was a 4-year varsity athlete on Georgetown’s basketball team. He received his J.D. in 2009 from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was a member of the Virginia Sports and Entertainment Law Journal’s Editorial Board advisor. Activities: Mr. Diaw serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors of Georgetown University’s Hoya Hoop Club. Mr. Diaw is also an At-Large member of the Board of Directors of Hoyas Unlimited. He is also a Class Agent for the University of Virginia School of Law Foundation. Recognitions: Mr. Diaw was recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star and Top Rated Intellectual Property Attorney in D.C. in 2017 and 2018. Mr. Diaw has received numerous awards for his commitment to pro bono including an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs for his work on a case that resulted in a groundbreaking state-wide settlement with the State of Virginia concerning accommodations for deaf inmates in its prisons.