Dionna Maria Lewis, Esq. is a Founding Partner of the District Legal Group, PLLC. As a trial attorney, she manages a nationwide and local litigation docket focused on labor and employment law, contract litigation, and risk mitigation for small businesses. She represents clients as first- and second-chair counsel in trials, administrative hearings, and mediations before state and federal courts and administrative agencies. Dionna also serves as Of Counsel to the Fay Law Group, a boutique litigation firm based in Washington, D.C.
Dionna has extensive experience representing clients at boutique, mid-sized, and large law firms. She previously served as Senior Counsel at Alan Lescht and Associates, Senior Associate at Tully Rinckey PLLC, and Senior Associate at the Fay Law Group PLLC. Before founding the District Legal Group, she managed an active litigation docket involving labor and employment matters, civil litigation, and civil rights claims.
Her litigation experience includes appearances before state courts, federal courts, and administrative agencies, including the D.C. Superior Court, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (pro hac vice), U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Circuit Courts for Prince George's and Montgomery Counties, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Office of Special Counsel, Merit Systems Protection Board, and the D.C. Office of Human Rights. She handles matters arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Equal Pay Act, and related state law claims involving employment discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, breach of contract, wrongful termination, and employment torts.
In addition to her legal practice, Dionna was appointed to the District of Columbia Board of Elections by Mayor Muriel Bowser, with her appointment unanimously confirmed by the D.C. Council on January 5, 2016. In this role, she provides oversight of the independent agency responsible for administering elections, voter outreach initiatives, adjudicating campaign and election-related matters, and ensuring that all eligible District residents have access to the electoral process.
Jamice Oxley earned her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles in 2010 after receiving her Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 2006.
She has been recognized as a National Black Lawyers NBL Top 100 – New York honoree for 2021–2022.
Committed to serving her community, Jamice serves on the Marlborough School Board of Trustees' Development Committee and Alumnae Council Board, is a Yale University Alumni Interviewer, and is a member of the Ignite Advisory Committee.
Jamice is admitted to practice law in California and is actively involved in several professional organizations. She previously served as Chair (2017–2018) and Vice President (2016–2017) of the Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law Section Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. She is also a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, the Langston Bar Association's Entertainment Law Committee, and the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association.
A frequent speaker on entertainment, intellectual property, and media law, Jamice has presented at numerous conferences, law schools, and industry events. Her speaking engagements have included programs hosted by the California Lawyers Association, USC Gould School of Law Entertainment Law Society, the American Film Institute, Digital Hollywood, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Loyola Law School, the Women in Music Wellness Summit, the Catalina Film Festival, the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association Conference, and the Western Regional National BLSA Conference. Her presentations have addressed topics including intellectual property and social media, influencer law, diversity in entertainment, content development and financing, entertainment and sports law, film distribution, and protecting creative assets.
Jimoh Yussuf is a Colorado personal injury attorney known for tenacious, detail-driven, client-first advocacy aimed at winning justice for people harmed by negligence or corporate misconduct. He handles complex injury cases involving rideshare companies and defective product manufacturers, plus trucking, car, motorcycle, boating, and powersports accidents that require deep investigation and trial strategy. Connected to Colorado’s outdoor culture, he also represents clients injured in skiing/snowboarding incidents, mountain recreation incidents, and premises liability cases like slip-and-falls and dog bites. A Denver native, he earned a B.A. in English literature from Metropolitan State University of Denver and a J.D. from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, and is a member of the Colorado bar.
From the start of her career, Janeice Robinson has proven herself to be a powerful trial lawyer. In the courtroom, Robinson advocated for victims of criminal acts, some of whom were the most vulnerable in our community. Janeice wanted to be the voice for the people of her community. She has a compassion and empathy for victims, helping her clients through some of the worst times in their lives.
As a Virginia Beach native, Janeice Robinson has spent her career serving the community she was raised in. A former prosecutor in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Janeice spent 8 years helping victims of violent crimes get the justice they deserved. She left civil court and joined Allstate’s Special Investigation Unit as a Senior Trial Attorney, hoping to help defendants protect themselves following an accident.
It was her time at Allstate that gave her a unique view of how insurance companies fight to protect themselves, rather than their customers. She spent years watching the company develop new systems and processes in order to minimize the payout to accident victims. Robinson watched from across the aisle, an unrepresented or under-represented claimants would be denied the money they needed to recover because of a simple error or comment.
When she finally had enough, Robinson looked for a firm that matched her values and would give her the chance to really help people.
Having worked across the aisle from our team for years, she’d heard about the culture and integrity at our firm. Janeice knew if she wanted to be on a winning team, it had to be Rutter Mills. She has joined us to work in our pre-litigation department, helping clients through the critical, early stages of their cases. Her move to Rutter Mills allows her to work in a firm where “What Matters Most” is serving the community she loves.
Outside the office, Janeice can usually be found in the gym with her two sons and husband. The Robinson family has a passion for basketball. Janeice is never happier than when she’s talking about the athletic and scholastic accomplishments of her boys.
Vanessa Allen Sutherland is Executive Vice President of Government Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Phillips 66. She has over 25 years of legal experience.
Before assuming her current role in January 2022, Sutherland was Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for Norfolk Southern Corporation, where she held a series of positions.
Sutherland brings considerable knowledge of the public sector, having served as Chairperson and CEO of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board from 2015-2018 and as Chief Counsel at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration from 2011-2015. She also served in senior legal counsel roles for Altria Group and Philip Morris USA.
Sutherland earned a bachelor’s degree from Drew University, as well as a law degree and MBA from American University.