Dennis Whitley, III, a life-long resident of Prince George’s County, Maryland, graduated from Rutgers School of Law, Newark, New Jersey in 1996, and is admitted to practice before the State and Federal Courts in the District of Columbia and the State of Maryland.
Mr. Whitley focuses his practice in the area of general civil and appellate litigation, administrative law, land use and zoning. He represents clients in complex administrative and constitutional matters relating to zoning violations, administrative appeals, landlord and tenant, breach of contract and personal injury matters, appearing regularly before state trial and appellate courts and administrative tribunals. Mr. Whitley’s extensive litigation experience includes being the sole or lead attorney handling jury and bench trials in both District and Circuit Courts throughout the State. He has also successfully participated in dozens of appeals in the Maryland appellate courts, appearing before both the Court of Appeals and the Court of Special Appeals.
Mr. Whitley is also involved in professional, civic and community activities in Prince George’s County and the State. He has served as a court-appointed trustee in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County and as a mediator in the District Court for Prince George’s County. He is an appointed member of the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission and serves on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Assembly for School-Based Healthcare, Inc. Mr. Whitley is also an active member of the Laurel community, currently serving as a member of the City of Laurel’s Greenbuild and Moderately Priced Dwelling Task Force. He is also previous member of the Board of Directors for the Ashford Homeowners’ Association and a current member of the Wellington Architectural Review Committee.
Mr. Whitley is an active member of the Maryland State Bar Association, the Prince George’s County Bar Association and the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association.
Bar Admissions
• Maryland
• District of Columbia
Education
• JD, Rutgers School of Law
• BA, Morgan State University
Giget C. Johnson graduated from Clark Atlanta University, located in Atlanta, Georgia, with both a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Master of Science degree. She obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Mercer University, Walter F. George School of Law, located in Macon, Georgia. Admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 2002, Giget is authorized to practice law in both state and federal courts, at both trial and appellate levels. She is admitted to practice before the Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia, the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia, the U.S. District Court in the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh and Sixth Circuits. Giget is a registered sports agent.
Clarence represents clients in a broad range of complex commercial, product liability, mass tort, and other high-stakes litigation in federal and state trial and appellate courts across the country. His extensive experience in numerous industries and legal disciplines has given him the perspective necessary to help clients identify their most pressing legal and business issues, develop and implement effective resolution strategies, and achieve their core goals. Among other sectors, Clarence has represented clients in the energy, financial services, manufacturing, and real estate industries. His clients also include municipalities, government entities, and not-for-profit organizations. Clarence has significant experience defending employers in disputes involving claims of discrimination, retaliation, and violations of noncompete agreements. He has represented financial services institutions in Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), and other regulatory compliance matters. He has also represented oil and gas companies in litigation and settlement negotiations alleging violations of federal and state environmental laws. In addition to serving as first-chair trial counsel, Clarence has served as lead attorney defending major class action claims and as a member of a national coordinating counsel team. Drawing on his experience as outside counsel and de facto in-house counsel, Clarence understands the priorities and pressures facing his clients and works closely with them to identify potential issues and prevent problems so that they can refocus attention and resources on their primary business objectives. In this context, Clarence regularly provides litigation-avoidance counsel and training, helping clients review labor and employment policies and handbooks, draft corporate bylaws, ensure effective board governance, and review employee, vendor, and other key contracts. A former adjunct professor at the Mississippi College School of Law, Clarence has taught classes on legal analysis and appellate advocacy. Before entering private practice, he served a clerkship with Chief Judge Henry T. Wingate of the US District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. Noteworthy AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating in Martindale-Hubbell Mid-South Super Lawyers , Class Action/Mass Torts, Litigation (2013–2021), Top 50 “Super Lawyers” Mississippi (2018), “Rising Star,” Class Action/Mass Torts, Litigation (2012) Mississippi Bar Convention, Outstanding Young Lawyer Award (2016) Mississippi Business Journal , Top 50 Under 40 (2019), Leaders in Law (2018) Portico Jackson , Portico 10 (2016) Presentations "The Shark Whisperer - Dealing with Difficult Opposing Counsel," International Association of Defense Webinar, February 2, 2022 Memberships American Bar Association, Fellows of the ABA Capital Area Bar Association, president (2021–2022), vice president (2020–2021), secretary-treasurer (2019–2020), director (2017–2019) Central Mississippi Down Syndrome Society Board of Directors Century Club Charities Defense Research Institute International Association of Defense Counsel Jackson Young Lawyers, Athletic Committee (past chair), board member Leadership Jackson, Class of 2010–2011 Magnolia Bar Association, Membership (past chair) Mississippi Bar Association, Complaint Tribunal, Litigation Section (chair, 2018–2019), Ethics Committee, Young Lawyers Division (past director and chair, member of Mock Trial, Pro Bono, Disaster Relief (Central Region), Seminars, Nominating, Public Service and Strategic Planning committees) Mississippi Lawyer , editor Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors Phoenix Club of Jackson Rotary Club of Jackson University of Mississippi Alumni Association, Executive Committee 100 Black Men of Jackson
Bobbi devotes her practice to representing employers in a wide variety of employment and labor-related matters, and defending employers' interests before state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and labor arbitrators. Having worked for 10 years as a professional in the field of human resources, Bobbi is able to uniquely understand clients’ needs and issues, and provide both a practical and legal approach to employee and labor relations. Bobbi also regularly counsels employers and trains managers on a variety of personnel-related issues including anti-discrimination; hiring, evaluating and disciplining/discharging employees; performance coaching and counseling; conducting effective complaint investigations; diversity and inclusion; implicit bias; drafting employee handbooks and employment agreements; non-compete and non-solicitation agreements; and wage and hour compliance. Additionally, Bobbi works with in-house counsel, human resources managers, and executives on implementing proactive employee and labor relations practices, to avoid unnecessary litigation and to develop and sustain a positive and productive team of employees. Bobbi is an adjunct professor of law for the University of Pittsburgh School of Law's Human Resources Law Online Graduate Certificate Program. In addition, she serves as co-chair of Cozen O'Connor's Black Attorney Resource Group. Bobbi is also secretary of the Allegheny County Bar Association Labor & Employment Section Council, and member of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR). Much of Bobbi's pro bono activities are focused on working with the Neighborhood Legal Services Association, Protection from Abuse Project. Bobbi received her law degree from Duquesne University School of Law and received her bachelor's degree from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. PRACTICE AREAS Employment Litigation Labor & Employment Labor Relations & Disputes Trade Secrets, Restrictive Covenants, and Computer Abuse EDUCATION Duquesne University School of Law, J.D., 2000 Cornell University, B.S., 1991 AWARDS & HONORS 2020 TALI Executive Leadership Academy BAR ADMISSIONS Pennsylvania COURT ADMISSIONS U.S. District Court -- Western District of Pennsylvania U.S. District Court -- Colorado U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit AFFILIATIONS Allegheny County Bar Association University of Pittsburgh School of Law's Human Resources Law Online Graduate Certificate Program National Association of African Americans in Human Resources Neighborhood Legal Services Association
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.