Employer: Jones Day Title and Practice Area: Partner, Business and Tort Litigation

Describe your biggest win or accomplishment in practice.  As first-chair trial lawyer on the Charlottesville Confederate statues litigation, our victory on behalf of the city councilors was monumental; but the biggest win was the tangential enactment of a law overturning the Commonwealth's prohibition on the removal of Confederate war memorials. This is a fitting epilogue to our hard-won victory in this pivotal moment in our country.

What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your first year practicing law?  One is never too junior to have a bright idea that could make a difference in the strategic direction of a case. Have the courage to speak up, the confidence to trust your knowledge and instincts, and the audacity to believe that you belong and add value to your team.

Who is your greatest lawyer mentor and what has he or she taught you?  Alexander Williams Jr., the judge for whom I clerked, was the first African American to hold several prominent legal roles in the state of Maryland. Williams taught me that my diverse background is among my greatest strengths, and that I have a responsibility to be a leader in the legal profession and to pave the way for other diverse lawyers.

Please share a brief key to your success.  I credit my success to the simple, yet eloquent and wise, counsel of my late grandmother: be you, you are more than enough; be kind, it will cost you nothing; and remember that "to whom much is given, much is required." Authenticity, humanity and humility have propelled me throughout my career.