Ms. Smalls is an accomplished leader with experience in law, politics, government and philanthropy. Her clients benefit from her strategic advice and legal counsel on complex legal, policy, and regulatory matters. Smalls’ service in two presidential administrations gives her unique insight into government and politics. Smalls recently served as the Monitor of a tier-one global financial institution having been appointed to that position by the New York State Department of Financial Services.
Smalls is a strategic advisor and multi-disciplinary leader with experience across law, government, politics, and philanthropy. Her clients turn to her for her independent sensibility and her trusted and strategic advice. In 2021, Smalls was named to the inaugural edition of "Northeast Trailblazers" by the American Lawyer, and recognized by Crain's New York Business as a "Notable Women in Law" , the National Black Lawyers as one of their Top 100 lawyers, and the Legal 500 in Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense. Smalls was featured as a "Power Player" in government and politics by City & State New York and the Amsterdam News in 2020.
In her private practice, she has fought for undocumented immigrants, victims of financial crime, and voters facing intimidation. Smalls litigates high-stakes matters, successfully securing two TROs, one against the Trump Campaign and one in 2021 against the City of New York. Previous representations include serving as co-lead counsel for one of the largest Fair Labor Standards Act class actions on record, representing more than 90,000 au pairs for wage fixing and violations of federal, state and minimum wage. She also served as counsel for the class of investors in two of the largest “feeder funds” that financed Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.
Her knowledge of the intersection of law and politics comes from serving, first, in the Clinton Administration as assistant to the White House Chief of Staff and as a liaison on policy and budget issues for the District of Columbia, and the Chief Regulatory Officer at the Department of Health and Human Services in the Obama Administration. In the 2008 election cycle, Dawn served as a regional political director for the Hillary Clinton for President Campaign, covering six states, and in the general election as the New York political director for then-Sen. Barack Obama.
In addition to her private practice, Ms. Smalls is a recognized civic leader. She serves on the board of the Roosevelt Institute, a think tank and campus network that serves as the non-profit partner to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York. She also serves on the Board of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a non-profit farm and educational center whose mission is to shape an ecological food culture that centers farmers and their stewardship of the land to amplify their success. Previously, Smalls served on the Board of the American Constitution Society, the nation’s leading progressive legal organization, from 2015 – 2021.
As a commissioner of the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics, Smalls provided oversight to the state agency tasked with ensuring that state elected officials and lobbyists comply with the state’s ethics and lobbying laws and regulations. Previously, Ms. Smalls served as the Secretary of the New York City Bar’s Ethics Committee.
Ms. Smalls also worked for the Open Society Foundations and the Ford Foundation, two of the largest philanthropies in the world, managing approximately $40 million of grants promoting and increasing civic engagement, political reform, and grassroots activism. Ms. Smalls is actively engaged in politics, advising candidates on the local, state and federal level.
Hi! I’m Kelley, a creative professional with a deep passion for graphic design, branding, and all things digital. With over a decade of experience, I’ve led teams and driven projects across a wide range of areas, including web development, SEO, social media, and large-format printing. My skills go beyond traditional titles, blending creativity with strategy to deliver impactful results.
George Edwards III has been involved in complex commercial cases for the last 17 years. He focuses his practice on business litigation and commercial construction litigation. After obtaining a degree in Chemistry from Rice University, he attended Howard University School of Law, where he became editor-in-chief of the law school’s legal newspaper. He started his career at The Gallagher Law Firm, which has a large toxic tort and environmental litigation practice. He continued his career at Phillips Akers, P.C., a litigation boutique in Houston, where Mr. Edwards represented large companies like Kroger and HEB. Mr. Edwards is a former member of the State Bar Web Services and Grievance Committees. He is currently a member of the State Bar of Texas Professionalism Committee. He is a former director of the Board of Directors of the Houston Young Lawyers Association and is a fellow on the Houston Young Lawyers Foundation. He is also an inaugural member of the Texas State Bar’s Leadership SBOT, which was designed to increase diverse leadership participation within the legal community through the nomination of lawyers who possess both the desire and the potential to assume leadership roles in their communities and the State Bar of Texas. Mr. Edwards is a Sustaining Member of the Harris County Democratic Party. He is also a member of the Harris County Democratic Lawyers Association. He is a civil rights activist and frequently represents victims of excessive force and violations of their Constitutional rights. He also serves as guardian ad litem to support the Harris County District Courts in resolving cases involving injuries to minors. Mr. Edwards is an outspoken advocate for children who have suffered abuse at the hands of others. He spends his free time traveling the world and reading novels. Mr. Edwards has given advice and prepared legal strategies for a variety of corporate entities, such as joint ventures, LLC’s, and LP’s. QUALIFICATIONS, ADMISSIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS SCOTUS Bar Member State Bar of Texas, 2006 U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit U.S. District Court for the Western, Northern, Southern, Eastern District of Texas U.S. Court of Federal Claims, Washington D.C. U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts The National Black Lawyers Houston Young Lawyers Association Houston Bar Association Houston Trial Lawyers Association Leadership State Bar of Texas, Inaugural Member Former Harris County Grievance Committee Member State Bar of Texas Professionalism Committee 2020 – 2025 Harris County Democratic Party, Sustaining Member Harris County Democratic Lawyers Association National Bar Association Houston Lawyers Association Editor-in-Chief, The Barrister Houston Museum of Fine Arts Group 5A: African American Art Advisory Association Holocaust Museum Houston
Ira L. Foster is the managing attorney of the Georgia Legal Services Program Macon, Georgia office. Ira attended undergraduate college and graduated with honors from Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia. Ira attended graduate school at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Ira obtained his Juris Doctor of law degree from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. Ira is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, the Macon Bar Association, the Houston County Bar Association, the Georgia Alliance of African American Attorneys, the National Bar Association, the National Black Lawyers and the William Augustus Bootle Inn of Court. Some honors and awards for Ira include being selected as an American Bar Association Foundation Fellow, Macon Bar Association's Lawyer of the Year in 2007, Fort Valley State University Alumni of the Year in Social Sciences, the Dublin-Laurens County Black Festival's Committee Citizen of the Year, the Adopt A Role Model Program Big Brother of The Year, the State Bar of Georgia Supreme Court Justice Robert Benham's Community Service Award, The Houston County NAACP 2009 Community Service Award, the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., State of Georgia 2011 Fraternity Brother of The Year and the 2015 State Bar of Georgia Access To Justice Committee Dan Bradley Award. Ira served as a board member of the Fort Valley State University Housing Foundation and the Fort Valley State University National Alumni Association. Ira currently serves as a board member of The Alpha Georgia Education Foundation, Inc., The Central Georgia United Way and the Macon Bar Association. Ira is a life member of the NAACP, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the Fort Valley State University National Alumni Association. Ira served as President of the Macon Bar Association for the 2015-2016 year. Ira has represented numerous students in disciplinary and special education cases. Ira has authored two articles for the State Bar of Georgia Child Advocacy Newsletter on education issues. Ira also co-authored an article for the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., national magazine on the School Dropout To Prison Pipeline issue. Ira has presented at workshops that have been held all over the state of Georgia including Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Waycross, Valdosta, Albany, Macon, Norcross and McDonough, Georgia on the School Dropout To Prison Pipeline issue.
Jack is a partner in the firm’s nationally ranked Government Investigations and White Collar Litigation practice, focusing his practice on civil litigation, regulatory enforcement, and congressional investigations for clients in the defense, technology, federal contracting, and other business sectors.
As an accomplished trial lawyer and legal strategist, Jack has handled a range of complex litigation, investigations, and enforcement matters, including representing clients in congressional investigations. His extensive experience in litigation, investigations, and strategic counseling is particularly deep with respect to defense industry clients and other businesses operating in the federal sector, including emerging companies for which he provides support for continued growth.
One of Jack’s principal practice areas involves conducting internal investigations and providing counseling on matters pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion, assisting several companies to develop and implement initiatives in these areas. Jack was one of five civilian members who served on an independent review panel that investigated the command climate and culture at Fort Hood, as they related to sexual assault, harassment and crime. After releasing their report, Jack and his fellow panel members testified before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Jack also provides particularly valuable counsel to companies through growth, particularly in the government contracting sector, guiding them through legal and regulatory compliance as they transition out of small business status and through graduation from the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program into viable competitive enterprises. He also assists companies with the seating and engagement of fiduciary and advisory boards.
As a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Jack served five years on active duty in the U.S. Army and continued his service in the Army Reserve while earning his J.D. at Pepperdine University School of Law. He has also served as a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito after first clerking for Alito at the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.