Our Board of Directors

Kanysha Phillips
BOARD CHAIR

Kanysha Elaine Phillips is an experienced litigator who focuses on M&A-related litigation, contract disputes, securities litigation, antitrust litigation, and shareholder derivative suits. Kanysha spent the first five years of her career at Davis Polk and Wardwell LLP, a top 10 Big Law from in New York City. Kanysha has experience preparing high-level officers for depositions and congressional testimony. Kanysha also led one of the largest document review and productions that the litigation department at Davis Polk has ever conducted.

Kanysha has been involved in Ms. JD since she was a Ms. JD Fellow in 2018. Since then, Kanysha has raised over $150,000 for the organization, in large part by securing an annual $50,000+ donation to Laddher Up. Kanysha served as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of Ms. JD from 2021 – 2023.

Kanysha takes pride in giving back to the community. She has taken on a range of pro bono cases, one of which led to the early release of an incarcerated individual from Rikers Island, NY. Kanysha also spent three years teaching a mock trial class to underprivileged youth in the Bronx, NY. Kanysha won the 2020 Pro Bono award at Davis Polk for her pro bono practice and donated the money she won to Ms. JD.

During law school at Howard University School of Law, Kanysha successfully fought against big banks that pushed individuals into predatory investment opportunities. Her advocacy resulted in the successful return of thousands of dollars back in the hands of mom-and-pop investors. Kanysha received her J.D. with honors. Kanysha has taught numerous students informally and formally in her roles as Civil Procedure Research Assistant, Constitutional Law Teaching Assistant, and as a Legal Writing Dean’s Fellow. Kanysha has spent time at the New York State Attorney General’s Office, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and on Capitol Hill. Prior to law school, Kanysha volunteered on numerous political campaigns across Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. In that capacity, Kanysha secured over $100,000 in donations for various campaigns.

Kanysha is not shy to taking on leadership opportunities. She was Vice-President of the Gamma Epsilon Philadelphia City Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, President of the La Salle College Democrats, a Senator for the Students Government Association, and Treasurer for her law school class. Kanysha has won numerous awards and scholarships. Kanysha has a Bachelors of Arts (BA) from La Salle University where she double-majored in Economics and Political Science.

Tristin Brown
BOARD MEMBER

Prior to becoming the Policy & Advocacy Director at the National Black Worker Center, Tristin was the Policy & Program Director at People’s Parity Project and an Associate Counsel at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. She first joined the Committee as the Small, Webber, Spencer Litigation Fellow of the Georgetown Women’s Law & Public Policy Fellowship Program.

Tristin graduated summa cum laude from Florida A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. At Georgetown, Tristin was the President of the Black Law Students Association, a Public Interest Fellow, Student Ambassador, and Online Editor and Special Projects Chair of the Georgetown Journal of Law & Modern Critical Race Perspectives. She was also recognized as a Pro Bono Pledge Honoree and Dean’s Certificate recipient for her special and outstanding service to the Law Center community and elected by her peers to represent her class as a 2019 student
commencement speaker. Additionally, at Georgetown, Tristin represented clients in the DC Superior Court as a student attorney in the Domestic Violence Clinic. She has held externships with the former Political Law Group of Perkins Coie LLP, Advancement Project and the litigation division of the Federal Election Commission. In 2018, she was selected as a Ms. JD Fellow.

Prior to attending Georgetown, Tristin worked as a staffer for former U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Graham and interned for U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, former U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Tristin has authored featured pieces in publications like Teen Vogue, The American Prospect, The Grio, and Bloomberg Law. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Alexandria Daugherty
BOARD MEMBER

Alexandria Daugherty focuses her practice on representing individual and corporate clients in connection with investigations and enforcement actions by government agencies. She has extensive experience with multi-faceted, high-stakes matters that involve the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and other federal agencies and state attorneys general. Alexandria has represented clients in a variety of sectors, including those in the automotive, technology, retail, financial, healthcare, and accounting industries.

Alexandria maintains an active pro bono practice in which she has recently represented a victim of domestic violence in a court proceeding. She was also part of a team that received the 2019 Humanitarian Award from the ACLU of Southern California for representing a U.S. citizen who was unlawfully detained by ICE officers and threatened with deportation. Alexandria is passionate about mentorship and helping women and girls pursue a career without limits.

Prior to joining Sidley, Alexandria was a securities enforcement and litigation associate in the Washington, D.C. office of an U.S. law firm. In addition, she served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Justice Sterling Johnson, Jr. in Brooklyn, NY and served as an intern in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. In law school, Alexandria was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and managing editor of the Columbia Journal of Race and Law.

Labdhi Sheth Desai
BOARD MEMBER

Labdhi Sheth Desai is a litigation associate in the Boston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

Labdhi is an experienced commercial litigator with a robust trial practice and extensive experience in IP litigation. She recently second-chaired a three-week trial while seconded to the Attorney General's Office of Massachusetts.

Beyond her legal practice, Labdhi is an active pro bono advocate, dedicating significant time to representing women and victims' rights. She has a strong commitment to mentorship, spearheading initiatives to support and guide diverse and first-generation attorneys.

Krystal Durham
BOARD MEMBER

Krystal Durham focuses her practice on complex civil litigation, white collar defense and investigations, criminal defense, and professional liability matters. Krystal has represented corporations, professional firms, and individuals in disputes spanning a wide variety of issues including professional malpractice, breach of contract, defamation, antitrust, employment, and First Amendment disputes. Krystal has also represented clients in investigations by, and litigation against, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), and other government agencies. Krystal has represented clients at all stages of litigation and has been a member of several trial teams. For her work, she has been recognized on Bloomberg Law’s “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40” list.

Born and raised in northern Virginia, Krystal earned a B.A. in History, with high distinction, from the University of Virginia. Krystal then received her J.D. from Columbia Law School where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. While in law school, Krystal served as a Staff Editor on the Columbia Journal of Race and Law and as a judicial extern for Judge Robert P. Patterson Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Before joining Williams & Connolly in 2015, Krystal worked at a major New York law firm. She is a mother of two, fierce advocate and mentor, and loves music, travel, and spending time with family.

Ashlei Ferguson
BOARD MEMBER

Ashlei Ferguson is Corporate Counsel at Microsoft, where she conducts complex workplace conduct investigations. As the front-line attorney/investigator, she leads and manages complex workplace investigations and make determinations regarding workplace behavior including company policies related to discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Prior Microsoft, Ashlei began her career with the District of Columbia Government at the Office of Administrative Hearings and the Office of Human Rights. Ashlei holds a J.D. from Florida A&M University’s College of Law and a B.A. in Public Relations, with a minor in Business Administration, from the University of Florida.

She is also a member of the American Bar Association and National Bar Association. She previously served on the Executive Board of the Greater Washington Area Chapter of the Women’s Law Division of the National Association (GWAC), and is the co-chair of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s 2022 Sources of Success Program Co-Hort. Ashlei volunteered on Georgetown Law Workplace Law Program and volunteers with various community centered organizations in the Washington, DC area.

Ruby Garrett
BOARD MEMBER

Ruby Garrett is a trial and investigations attorney at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in Washington D.C. Over the course of her career, she has led the strategy and execution of high-profile, complex, and sensitive cases involving civil disputes, internal investigations, and white-collar defense. She has argued and won favorable results in trial courts for her clients and guided them through their most difficult and thorny investigations, including those initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission. Ruby is the ultimate client advocate, counseling clients throughout the duration of the litigation and meticulously crafting the narrative in preparation for trial.

Ruby has previously served as a law clerk for the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the Honorable LaShann DeArcy Hall of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Ruby received her J.D. from The University of Chicago Law School where she served as editor-in-chief of The University of Chicago Legal Forum and president of the Black Law Students Association. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University where she became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and served as captain of the cheerleading team.

Ruby currently serves on the Family Justice Law Center Board (an organization fighting for families harmed by the child welfare system) and the Legal Services Corporation’s Emerging Leaders Council (an organization providing grants for high-quality civil legal assistance to low-income Americans).

Ruby is invested in expanding pathways for women navigating legal careers; she was therefore honored to join Ms. JD as a board member in 2022.

Ashley Gherlone
BOARD MEMBER

Ashley Gherlone is an associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in the bankruptcy and restructuring group in New York, NY. Ashley has represented public and private companies, creditors, private equity sponsors, agent banks, independent directors and purchasers in chapter 11 proceedings and out-of-court restructuring matters. She is also a member of Simpson Thacher’s Women’s Committee and Connections Selection Sub-Committee.

In addition to proudly serving on the Ms. JD Board of Directors, Ashley serves as an Assistant Secretary of Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., a non-profit international environmental advocacy group. Ashley received her J.D. magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, where she served as an Online Executive Editor for The Georgetown Law Journal and was elected to the Order of the Coif. She received her B.A. magna cum laude from Elon University where she studied Environmental Studies, International Studies and English Literature. At Elon, Ashley completed two semesters abroad in Copenhagen and Costa Rica, served as the chair of the Elon University Honor Board and was a Periclean Scholar.

Ashley first became involved with Ms. JD when she attended the LaddHer Up retreat in the spring of 2023. Ashley dedicates her free time to being active, practicing yoga and hiking with her dog, Honey.

Katherine Griffitts
BOARD MEMBER

Katherine Griffitts is an associate at Latham & Watkins LLP in the Complex Commercial Litigation group in Washington, D.C. Katherine represents individuals, private and public companies, and private equity firms in all stages of litigation, starting with the development of litigation strategy (both offensive and defensive) through discovery, motions practice, trial, and post-trial. Katherine has advised clients on a variety of matters, including fraud claims, breach of contract, copyright infringement, violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and claims in courts around the world. Katherine is also a member of her firm’s Women’s Lawyers Group and First Generation Professionals Group.

Before joining Latham & Watkins, Katherine was a law clerk for the Honorable Charles F. Lettow for the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. She received her J.D. magna cum laude from Notre Dame Law School, where she served as an Articles Editor for The Notre Dame Law Review and as a judicial extern for the Honorable Jon E. DeGuilio of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. Katherine received her B.A. summa cum laude from Morehead State University, where she studied English and Legal Studies.

Katherine first became involved with Ms. JD as an attendee of the 2024 LaddHerUp conference.

Kim Higgins
BOARD MEMBER

Kim Higgins is an accomplished employment attorney with extensive experience in litigation and counseling. Currently serving as the Employment Law Counsel at Medtronic, Kim advises businesses and global functions teams on myriad employment issues, manages litigation cases in state and federal court, develops and conducts training sessions and provides subject matter expertise in mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Kim also currently leads the Retention & Representation Workstream for the Legal Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA) Committee.

Prior to joining Medtronic, Kim was Counsel at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP where she provided comprehensive legal counsel to U.S. and Global clients and represented clients in state and federal court. While at Pillsbury, Kim embraced one of her passions in helping small businesses and founders by helping form the Black-Owned Startup Support (BOSS) Lab to aid in addressing some of the systemic inequities in venture funding and provide legal and advisory services to innovative startups with high growth potential. She also guest lectured at the University of Southern California’s Master of Health Administration program on minimizing employment risks in healthcare administration.

Kim's legal career began in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and small boutique trial firms where she gained valuable experience in employment litigation, wage & hour class actions, and civil and criminal trial work. Kim holds a Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Black Studies from Claremont McKenna College. While at Loyola, Kim was a
member of the nationally ranked and award-winning Byrne Trial Advocacy Program which she then coached for several years after graduation. Prior to her legal career, she was a human resources manager for a major retailer and spent several years in corporate retail management.

Kim has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America© Ones to Watch, The National Black Lawyers©, and Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers© (Rising Star) for her contributions to the field of employment law. She has also served in various volunteer positions in professional and non-profit organizations including the Los Angeles Center for Law & Justice and the California Minority Counsel Program. In her spare time, Kim also enjoys formally and informally mentoring young students and aspiring attorneys, which is one of the things that attracted her to Ms. JD. Kim is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Amanda Hunter
BOARD MEMBER

Amanda Hunter is the Founder and CEO of Parnell Hunter LLC, a boutique executive search firm focused on in-house legal engagements. Amanda is an accomplished executive recruiter and licensed attorney with over 18 years of combined experience in managing executive search engagements and practicing law. She has worked for several highly regarded organizations, and during her most recent tenure with one of the top-five global executive search firms, she managed executive search engagements for General Counsel, C-suite, and Board opportunities for publicly traded, private, and nonprofit clients in industries that include legal advocacy, transportation, retail, financial services, industrial, technology, and healthcare.

Amanda has engaged with thousands of executives, and she most enjoys handling in-house counsel searches because they combine her executive recruiting experience and her legal background. She founded Parnell Hunter as an executive search firm that delivers unparalleled service with a commitment to integrity, excellence, and genuine care for everyone involved.

As an attorney, Amanda served as in-house counsel for two government agencies and as a conflicts lawyer for White & Case LLP, a global law firm. In addition to her traditional legal experience, Amanda also spent six years as Deputy General Counsel for a quasi-judicial state government agency, where she served as a registered lobbyist, managed the agency’s information technology resources, and ensured the agency's compliance with open government laws. Earlier in her legal career, she served as a litigator for a boutique law firm, where she handled Title VII, ADA, whistleblower, and other employment law matters.

Chantal Hwang
BOARD MEMBER

Chantal Hwang Barksdale is Senior Legal Counsel at Apple Inc., where she partners with high-performing teams to deliver practical, business-focused legal solutions that drive innovation and safeguard intellectual property. With extensive experience collaborating with Product, Design, and Engineering teams, Chantal excels at integrating legal counsel into the development of visionary products, aligning compliance with organizational goals.

Prior to joining Apple and during her time in private practice, Chantal advised iconic global tech giants and disruptive startups, including Google, Meta, Uber, Snap, Nintendo, and Houzz. Her expertise includes building global IP portfolios, resolving high-stakes disputes, and providing mission-critical guidance to accelerate growth and mitigate risk in fast-paced, highly regulated industries. She has also successfully defended high-profile clients in complex federal court litigation.

Chantal is also an Adjunct Law Professor at UC Law SF (formerly Hastings) and a dedicated mentor in the Bay Area legal community. She supports aspiring law firm partners through the Asian American Bar Association’s Pathways to Partnership Program and collaborates with the UCLA Law Women LEAD Alumni Network to create a diverse, inclusive, intergenerational community of women that supports one another in their collective personal and professional growth.

Passionate about empowering the next generation of female lawyers, Chantal serves on the board of Ms. JD, where she helps support women pursuing careers in law. She is a champion of diversity, innovation, and value creation, leveraging her ability to bridge the gap between law, technology, and business to foster collaboration and deliver results.

Rara Kang
BOARD MEMBER

Rara Kang is an attorney at Sidley Austin LLP, where she focuses her practice on commercial litigation and disputes and provides expertise as a full-service litigator in a wide range of industries, including consumer products and services, energy, oil and gas, apparel, food and dietary supplements, and real estate. Rara’s experience spans all phases of litigation, from advising on pre-suit litigation risk management to guide business decisions, through fact investigation, discovery, and dispositive motion practice, to trial and post-trial motions. Rara’s practice includes defending companies in consumer fraud litigation involving claims of false labeling and advertising, responding to pre-suit claims under the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act, and counseling companies on drafting online terms and conditions to mitigate litigation risk. She also has experience representing clients in a variety of matters involving California-specific issues, such as the California Environmental Quality Act and the Health & Safety Code, and the California Air Resources Board.

Before joining her current firm, Rara was a judicial intern for the Honorable Paul L. Friedman for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was also a legal intern at the Department of Justice in the Criminal Fraud Section, Securities and Financial Fraud Unit. Rara earned her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. in political science and communication studies from the University of California Los Angeles.

Nazia Khan
BOARD MEMBER

Nazia Khan is a corporate and securities attorney at Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, where she passionately represents public and private companies across various industries including, but not limited to, life sciences, healthcare, cannabis, technology, transportation and food and beverage. Ms. Khan has extensive experience representing investment banks and domestic and international companies in securities offerings including, but not limited to, initial public offerings, including initial public offerings of SPACs, as well as private securities offerings. She also has extensive experience with listings to the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq and compliance related matters.

Ms. Khan graduated with honors and a concentration in Business Law from California Western School of Law and cum laude with a B.S. in Finance from George Mason University. Ms. Khan is passionate about supporting the advancement of women in the legal industry and serves as a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity mentor.

Roshal Marshall
BOARD MEMBER

Roshal Marshall is Managing Chief Counsel, Enterprise Data Privacy, Security & Technology Law at McKesson Corporation (NYSE: MCK), a Fortune 9 company, and one of the world’s largest providers of pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, health information technology products and services with revenues of $272 billion in 2022.

At McKesson, Roshal leads a team of lawyers providing advice to the enterprise and affiliated business units on a broad range of healthcare and technology-related matters. Prior to joining McKesson, Roshal held several positions, including Associate General Counsel at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, and as an Associate in the Litigation Practice Group at Sutherland, Asbill and Brennan LLP.

Roshal has also held several advisory positions for various Fintech and Healthtech companies, and serves as a Member of the Data Privacy and Integrity Committee for the Department of Homeland Security.

Roshal earned a J.D. from Emory University Law School and a B.A., cum laude, from Lawrence University.

Gabrielle McKenzie
BOARD MEMBER

Gabrielle McKenzie is an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in New York, where she spends the majority of her time working in the firm’s International Disputes and Resolution Group, building her international human rights pro bono practice, and serving as a mentor to junior associates. She is passionate about helping women and girls succeed in any career they choose to pursue.

Gabrielle graduated magna cum laude from California State University, Long Beach with a dual degree in Sociology and Linguistics. She received her J.D. with Pro Bono Distinction from Stanford Law School, where she was a senior editor on the Stanford Journal of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, social chair and gala chair of the Stanford Black Law Students Association, social chair of the Women of Color Collective, and an active member of the International Law Society, Workers’ Rights Pro Bono, Youth and Education Advocates, and Women of Stanford Law. While at Stanford, she also served as a Douglass Fellow with the Human Trafficking Institute, participated in a Human Trafficking Field Study in Thailand, and spent several quarters in Stanford’s International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic.

Gabrielle is an avid traveler who loves to explore new places and cultures. In her spare time, she enjoys playing soccer, drawing, painting, learning new languages, and spending time with her two puppies Zhu Li and Bucky.

Kara Michels
BOARD MEMBER

Kara Michels is a Partner at Neal Gerber & Eisenberg in Chicago, Illinois, where she focuses her practice on intellectual property enforcement, defense, counseling, and portfolio management. Kara represents clients in trademark, patent, and copyright litigation matters in federal court and in trademark matters before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Kara assists companies with online brand enforcement and in reclaiming domain names under the Uniform domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy.

Kara is passionate about mentorship in the legal profession. She is an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law where she teaches Advanced Legal Writing for Intellectual Property Practice, and coaches Loyola’s Vienna Vis Moot Team. Kara is also a member of the International Trademark Association and sits on the Association’s International Amicus Committee.

Kara holds a J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law (2017) as well as a B.S. and B.A. from Purdue University (2013). Kara first became involved with Ms. JD as an attendee of the LaddHer Up conference and then as a Board Member.

Steven Rice
BOARD MEMBER

Steven is an accomplished professional with over 15 years of nonprofit experience. He is currently building his business as a nonprofit consultant, dedicated to helping organizations thrive. Steven's passion lies in empowering his clients to reach new heights by offering a wide range of custom-tailored services to meet their needs. From expert data management to crafting effective fundraising strategies, and from seamless project management to flawlessly executed events - he's got it all covered.

Previously, he served as the Vice President of People at a start-up nonprofit where he spearheaded and established systems and processes in human resources, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and database implementation. Prior to that, he spent 10 years at a mid-size national nonprofit, where he built fundraising systems, coordinated and led multi-million dollar fundraising campaigns, and provided strategic input on donor/board engagement.

Steven is passionate about social impact causes and enjoys learning and empowering those around him. He earned his Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science from Morehouse College. In his spare time, you can find him learning Italian, exploring the DC food and wine scene, and traveling with his wife.

Breeana Somers
BOARD MEMBER

Breeana Somers is a Litigation associate who focuses her practice on consumer financial services matters. Prior to joining Ballard Spahr, Breeana worked for a Philadelphia law firm recognized as a “Litigation Powerhouse” by The BTI Consulting Group. In this role, Breeana represented banks, servicers, auto finance companies, and commercial lenders in state and federal courts. Breeana handles a wide variety of banking-related matters, including claims involving bank regulations, the Uniform Commercial Code, NACHA rules, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Electronic Fund Transfer Act, Truth in Lending Act, and Bank Secrecy laws. Breeana has successfully represented clients through all stages of the litigation process, from pre-litigation investigation through trial and appellate proceedings.

While attending law school, Breeana gained additional experience as a law clerk for the property subrogation department of a national law firm.

Kiara Vaughn
BOARD MEMBER

Kiara Vaughn is an associate in the Latham & Watkins Privacy & Cyber team and a member of the Data & Technology Transactions Practice sitting in the Boston office. She counsels a variety of clients on ever-evolving regulatory compliance; provides transactional support on mergers, acquisitions, lender financings and capital market offerings; and helps coordinate incident response. Ms. Vaughn supports clients across a variety of life stages, from emerging companies to public companies, and works across a variety of industries, including social media, life sciences, tech, aviation and national security matters.

Ms. Vaughn is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US and CIPP/E) and is actively engaged in DEI matters at Latham, founding the local chapter of the firm’s Multicultural Promotion and Attainment Coalition (MPAC) group, and holding positions such as local lead of MPAC and the Black Lawyers Group (BLG) as well as Co-Chair of the BLG Global Conference. Ms. Vaughn also recently sat on the Pro Bono Committee, helping to advance Latham’s goals of providing meaningful pro bono work for those in need, resulting in being a recipient of the Social Impact Award of the Inaugural New England Legal Awards and in Latham recently achieving the 2024 Pro Bono Asylum Award from one of its pro bono partners, PAIR. Ms. Vaughn continues to act as a liaison for the Pro Bono Committee and certain partner organizations.

Danielle Williams
BOARD MEMBER

Danielle N. Williams is Managing Counsel at Allstate Insurance Company, a Fortune 100 company, where she leads the Company’s legal defense strategies involving extra-contractual liability and coverage matters in several states. Danielle also counsels business clients on emerging legal issues and risks, provides training and education to the Claims department on extra-contractual risk and good faith claim handling, and serves as a Discovery Subject Matter Expert in the Global Litigation practice group. As a trusted advisor to senior leaders in the Claims and Law departments, she plays a critical role in shaping litigation strategy and risk management.

Before joining Allstate, Danielle was a trial attorney at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company where her practice focused primarily on complex and high exposure insurance defense litigation including, but not limited to, bodily injury, personal injury, premises liability, breach of contract, large property damage claims, commercial liability, and subrogation actions. Prior to joining Liberty Mutual, Danielle was a prosecutor in Baltimore County, Maryland and she has extensive civil and criminal trial experience.

Danielle holds a J.D. from University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where she was an evening student and served as President of the Criminal Law Association, an officer in the Student Bar Association, and member of the Black Law Students Association. She earned a B.S. in Criminal Justice, with a Minor in Business Administration, cum laude, from St. John’s University. Danielle is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and the State of Maryland.

Danielle is passionate about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in the legal profession. She is committed to advancing and elevating diverse talent in the legal profession and she finds purpose and passion in promoting the advancement and elevation of a diverse generation of attorneys. She is an alumna of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (“LCLD”) Fellows program, an LCLD Mentor, Harper College Mentor, member of the National Association of Women Lawyers (“NAWL”), Member of the Host Committee for NAWL’s 2025 Annual Meeting, and Co-Vice Chair of the Workshop Committee for NAWL’s General Counsel Institute 2025.

Danielle’s most important work is parenting her young children, ages 3-10, with her partner. Her experience as a mother and woman lawyer is a driving force behind her involvement with Ms. JD and her commitment to the Ms. JD mission.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS