Nichad Davis is a personal injury and civil rights attorney who fights to protect the rights of others. Nichad has always been driven to help others. Born in Fairfax, VA, he was one of five children and learned at an early age to advocate for himself and others. When times were tough, he knew that having a solid education and strength of character were keys to overcoming poverty and adversity.
A Passion for Civil Rights Is Born
Nichad’s family moved to Greensboro when he was young, and it was there that his passion for civil rights would be nurtured and encouraged by his grandfather and role model, Estell Harper. Estell, a professor at North Carolina A&T State University, played a pivotal role as a counselor and faculty advisor to the Greensboro Four, the four young Black students who staged the historic 1960 sit-in at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter.
Nichad recalls witnessing impassioned speeches about “freedom and justice” and hearing about famous civil rights activists, such as Jim Brown, convening in his grandfather’s living room. He knew early on that his destiny included fighting for the rights of others.
A Belief in the Importance of Education
Nichad understood the value of education and applied himself wholeheartedly while in college. He attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he majored in Psychology and graduated with honors. He received multiple awards, such as the Martin Luther King Service Award and the University Transition Opportunities Program (UTOP) Mentor of the Year Award.
One of the most pivotal moments in Nichad’s life was his study abroad experience. Nichad traveled to South Africa on an Odyssean Study-Abroad Scholarship as a student and research assistant at Stellenbosch University. He returned home eager to create change in the world and began his career as a 7th grade Teach for America instructor in Eastern North Carolina.
Nichad also coached his school’s football and basketball teams and volunteered with educational programs, such as DUKE T.I.P. and Freedom Schools. These experiences further ignited the desire in Nichad to fight for educational equity, economic justice, and civil rights.
Law School Beckons
After three years with Teach for America, Nichad turned to the practice of law to reach his goals of promoting justice. He earned his J.D. from the Norman A. Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University where he was the recipient of the Janette Soles Nelson Public Service Scholarship, awarded to students committed to public service and academic excellence with leadership potential.
Nichad was an active member of the Mock Trial team and he competed nationally, earning recognition and awards such as the National Black Law Students Association (NSBLA) National Championship and Nation’s Best Advocate awards. While at Campbell, he was also inducted into The Order of Barristers (law school graduate honor society), received the David Teddy Innovative Leadership Award, and was awarded the International Academy of Trial Lawyers Award for distinguished achievement in the student advocacy program.
“My true purpose is to be an advocate for people who are facing painful circumstances and need someone to stand up for them.”
Before joining the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, Nichad litigated civil rights, personal injury, wrongful death, and education and employment discrimination cases. He brings with him “other side experience” gained while working as a law clerk and attorney at an insurance defense firm. He combines this work experience with an undeniable energy and an eagerness to help others.
Firm Partner Coleman Cowan describes this zeal by saying, “Nichad is driven by a desire to help the injured and oppressed get back on their feet and stand up for their rights, no matter the challenges to face or the forces to overcome.”
The legal community has recognized Nichad’s professional and civic accomplishments as well. In 2022, he was honored on Black Business Ink Magazine’s “40 Under 40 Most Influential African Americans in the Triad”.
Gerald Brooks grew up in tiny Livingston, on the western edge of Alabama’s Black Belt, and has carried forward the small-town values of hard work, respect, and fairness into his law practice.
Brooks graduated from the University of Alabama twice — with an undergraduate degree in business in 1998 and with a law degree in 2002. After receiving his J.D., he joined a Birmingham insurance defense firm, where he stayed for five years until he realized that he wanted to work on behalf of injured people instead of insurance companies.
“I enjoyed the experience there in the sense that I learned a lot and it made me a better attorney,” he says. “I don’t know if I’d be as good at what I do now but for the experience of seeing how the other side evaluates things, and the things that scare them. But you’re representing corporations, and your point of contact is an insurance adjuster who’s not concerned about anything but reports and evaluations that aren’t really about right or wrong.”
He crossed over to the plaintiff side of the law, joining a Montgomery law firm that concentrated in that area. He stayed there for three years, then ventured out on his own and joined forces with Chuck James, an old law school friend, in 2013, to form the firm of Brooks, Hubbard & James. That firm later became the Serious Injury Law Group.
Brooks’ practice focuses solely on personal injury cases, and he has achieved some significant outcomes on behalf of his clients. They include a medical malpractice jury verdict of $3.5 million, a jury verdict of $380,000 in a motor vehicle case, and multiple seven-figure settlements in medical malpractice and trucking cases.
Brooks admits that the competitive aspect of personal injury law appeals to him, but there’s more to it than that. “You want to win,” he says, “but honestly, I want to make sure the client has a good outcome versus what my personal ego might feel.”
“I also enjoy formulating the theories and doing the work that involves litigation. But the best part of all is when you get a favorable outcome for a client, seeing their reaction, and knowing that you have positively affected their life.”
He also values positively affecting young lives in his community. In 2017, the firm launched its first Serious Injury Law Group Living History Essay Contest. Fifteen high-schoolers received $1,000 scholarships for essays on living heroes in their communities.
In his spare time, Brooks enjoys travel — he and his wife, Staci, have traveled widely around the globe — and Crimson Tide sports.
Margaret Lee, Esq. is a founding partner of The Camaj and Lee Firm, as well as a creative and entrepreneur dedicated to strong, client focused representation. Born and raised in Greenburgh, New York, she draws on her experiences as an African American woman to bring resilience, determination, and perspective to her legal practice.
Margaret earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, cum laude, from Howard University in 2011, and went on to receive her Juris Doctor in 2016. During law school, she gained valuable experience interning with the Westchester Regional Office of the New York State Office of the Attorney General, where she conducted legal research and drafted motions and briefs in matters involving state liability. As a 2L, she further developed her legal skills through judicial externships in the Bronx Supreme Court and the First Judicial Department, Appellate Term in Manhattan, where she conducted research, observed appellate proceedings, drafted judicial opinions and orders, and assisted judges with motion decisions and bench conferences. She also represented her law school in the National Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition and was actively involved in the Black Law Students Association and other student organizations.
After law school, Margaret began her legal career with Unilever in 2017, joining the Employment and Labor in house legal team. In this role, she prepares and responds to employment pre litigation matters, including Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charges of discrimination and complaints from various state agencies. She actively participates in mediations and fact finding proceedings and handles employee performance management matters across both corporate and factory settings. Margaret has also demonstrated strong leadership by supporting internal departments during Department of Labor investigations and regularly training Human Resources professionals on employment, labor, and benefits law topics.
In addition to her concentration in Employment and Labor, Margaret is also an entertainment attorney, providing counsel to individuals across the entertainment industry, including producers, artists, songwriters, record labels, and managers. She is passionate about helping her clients build legally sound foundations for long term success in their careers and business endeavors.
Outside of her legal work, Margaret is a self proclaimed foodie who enjoys exploring new restaurants and experiences, always ready to discover her next great meal.
Gregory K. Wells is a Maryland-based personal injury lawyer who earned his J.D. in 1984 from the University of Maryland School of Law. His practice focuses on Plaintiff’s medical malpractice, serious personal injury and wrongful death cases, as well as commercial and business litigation. He is also a highly sought-after Mediator.
Greg has been listed in Best Lawyers in America in the specialties of Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Product Liability and Professional Malpractice Law, and in both the “Maryland Lawyers” published by Baltimore Magazine, and “Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers” published by Law & Politics since 2007. He has also been listed in Washingtonian Magazine's “Washington D.C.'s Top Lawyers” (in every list since 2011). Best Lawyers in America named Greg as “Lawyer of the Year” for 2013, 2018 and 2019 in the area of Professional Malpractice.
Greg is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, which is widely considered to be the premier professional trial lawyers’ organization in America, and is a Past Chair of its Maryland State Committee. Greg is also a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, limited to 500 active trial lawyers in the United States and includes over 150 Fellows from nearly 40 countries. Greg currently serves as the Maryland State Chair for the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Greg is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates; and the Academy of Trial Advocacy. He has maintained the coveted “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell since initially being rated by his peers 20 years ago.
Kareem R. Vessup, Esq. is the founder of The Law Office of Kareem R. Vessup, Esq., which specializes in Civil Rights litigation and offers trial counsel services to attorneys representing injured plaintiffs in personal injury actions. He is admitted to practice in New York State Courts and the Eastern District of New York.
Regarded as a true trial talent, Vessup's early career has been marked by his aggressive yet charismatic and personable manner in the courtroom. He has often been praised for his ability to engender trust from jurors and clients and for his passionate commitment to the inner-city minority communities of New York City. These qualities have enabled Vessup to distinguish himself in his early career.
As an associate with prominent Plaintiff's Personal Injury Firms Block O'Toole & Murphy and The Pillersdorf Law Firm, and continuing in his own practice, Vessup quickly achieved verdicts and settlements totaling well in excess of $10 million.
In addition to practicing law, Mr. Vessup has taught trial advocacy at the undergraduate and law school levels of St. John's University for the past 11 years. He serves as an Adjunct Professor of Legal Studies at St. John's University for the past 7 years and recently completed his first year as a trial advocacy professor working alongside Prof. Lou Fasulo, Esq., at Pace Law School. Vessup has also been a guest lecturer in trial advocacy at several area law schools, mock trial programs, national leadership programs, and public schools.
Vessup is a double alum of St. John's University and St. John's School of Law. He has been recognized repeatedly for excellence in trial advocacy by the nation's leading trial organizations. Most recently, he was named a New York Metro Area "Rising Star” for 2013 and 2014 by Super Lawyers, a distinction reserved for top attorneys under the age of 40.