Mollie A. Ponds is an associate in the firm's Medical Malpractice and Healthcare section. She earned her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Southern University Law Center, where she also received certification in Public Interest Law.
During law school, Mollie gained extensive legal experience, serving as Vice President of the Criminal Law Society and as a member of the National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division. She clerked for the 19th Judicial District of Louisiana, participated in the Juvenile Justice Law Clinic, worked as a legislative aide in the Louisiana State Senate, and interned with the General Counsel Department at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.
Mollie further developed her legal expertise as a judicial law clerk for both the First City Court of New Orleans and the 19th Judicial District of Louisiana, advising judges on daily dockets, managing case materials, and preparing legal recommendations.
In addition to her legal career, Mollie is deeply involved in community service. She is a Board Member of the New Orleans Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. She has also been recognized for her commitment to civil rights, serving on the Executive Committee of the NAACP and being selected as a 2022 Amos C. Brown Fellow by the National NAACP. Through this fellowship, she traveled to Ghana to engage in cultural immersion and international social justice initiatives.
Mollie is admitted to practice law in both Louisiana and Missouri and is an active member of the Louisiana and New Orleans Bar Associations, the Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She holds certifications in Public Interest Law and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, demonstrating her dedication to both legal and social justice causes.
Steph is an associate in the firm’s Private Client Services practice.
Stephanie (Steph) Turcios focuses on tax-efficient estate planning, including wills, powers of attorney, and revocable living trusts. Steph also devotes time to pro bono cases tailored to estate planning and helping veterans.
Steph earned her J.D. from the University of Washington, where she served as a media editor of The Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts, and served as a legal extern at the Washington Supreme Court for the Honorable Justice Mary Yu. Steph is also pursuing her Tax LL.M. at the University of Washington.
Steph mentors law students interested in estate planning and speaks annually at the Loren Miller Bar Association Bar Prep program.
In the competitive legal field, where precision, advocacy, and dedication are essential, Jayson Rivera stands out for his commitment to excellence, originality, and client service. Specializing in complex litigation, real estate, insurance defense, and estate planning, Rivera has established himself as a promising attorney serving clients throughout the Tri-State area. Licensed to practice in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, he brings extensive knowledge and professionalism to a diverse range of legal matters.
What distinguishes Rivera is not only his ability to navigate complex legal issues but also his commitment to breaking barriers and challenging stereotypes within the legal profession. His practice is built on originality and a client-first approach, with an emphasis on delivering high-quality legal services tailored to each client's unique needs. Whether handling complex real estate transactions, litigating disputes, or advocating for fair compensation, Rivera approaches every matter with diligence and a commitment to achieving meaningful results.
Beyond his legal practice, Rivera is deeply committed to community empowerment and mentorship. Recognizing the challenges faced by aspiring attorneys, he dedicates his time to mentoring individuals pursuing law school and preparing for the Bar Exam. His mentorship extends beyond academic guidance, offering encouragement, practical insight, and strategies to help future attorneys navigate the demanding legal profession.
Driven by a vision of justice and equity, Rivera is committed to providing quality legal representation while empowering individuals through knowledge and advocacy. He understands the responsibility that comes with serving his clients and strives to ensure they receive the representation and guidance they deserve, whether pursuing fair compensation in litigation or helping families protect their futures through thoughtful estate planning.
Jasmine M. Williams is an accomplished attorney with more than nine years of legal experience advising clients, managing complex disputes, evaluating legal and business risks, negotiating resolutions, and developing practical legal strategies. Her practice has included civil litigation, commercial matters, contract drafting and review, business formation, and financial-services consulting.
Jasmine currently serves as a Litigation Attorney with Greene Legal Group LLC in Atlanta, where she manages a diverse caseload of civil matters from initial investigation through resolution. She advises clients and firm leadership regarding legal exposure, litigation strategy, settlement considerations, and potential avenues for resolution. Her experience includes negotiating directly with insurance carriers and opposing counsel, conducting depositions, managing discovery, drafting and arguing substantive motions, preparing for trial, and analyzing complex legal and factual issues.
In addition to her litigation practice, Jasmine is the owner of JM Williams Law, PC, where she provides legal writing, research, and business-law services. Her work includes drafting and reviewing commercial agreements, advising small-business owners regarding business formation, and providing practical legal analysis concerning contractual and business matters.
Earlier in her career, Jasmine practiced at DuBose Miller LLC, where she worked on civil and business litigation matters. Her experience included researching complex corporate and business issues, drafting discovery for business disputes, analyzing contractual issues, and preparing legal memoranda concerning shareholder derivative claims.
Jasmine earned both her Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration, cum laude, from North Carolina Central University. She graduated in the top 15% of her law-school class and earned a 3.80 MBA GPA. During law school, she served as a Senior Editor of the NCCU Law Review and was active in the Business Law Society and Sports & Entertainment Law Society. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from Saint Augustine’s University.
Jasmine is admitted to practice law in Georgia. She has been recognized by The National Black Lawyers as one of Georgia’s Top 40 Under 40 attorneys.
Throughout her career, Jasmine has developed a reputation for thoughtful legal analysis, strong advocacy, effective negotiation, and a practical approach to solving complex problems. Her combination of legal experience and business education allows her to evaluate issues from both a legal and commercial perspective while communicating effectively with clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders.
In her spare time, Jasmine enjoys spending time with her husband and children, taking walks on nature trails, and attending live events.
Whitney Thompson advises and defends clients throughout the supply chain in product liability and consumer protection litigation, including class action and mass tort disputes. Her practice spans the food and beverage, personal care, medical device, and technology platform industries, where she represents manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and online platforms.
Whitney skillfully navigates all phases of complex litigation, from pre-litigation demand responses and regulatory analysis through discovery, dispositive motions, and mediation and trial preparation. She also plays an active role in expert-related work by identifying and evaluating potential defense experts, performing due diligence analyses of plaintiff experts, and meeting with retained experts and their analysis team to develop case strategy.
Prior Experience
Before joining Faegre Drinker, Whitney was a business and tort litigation associate at a multinational law firm handling breach of contract claims, construction disputes, and alleged violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, False Claims Act, and Anti-Kickback Statute. At UCLA, she was a first-generation college student and served as a college counselor/mentor for underrepresented students in Los Angeles. At NYU School of Law, she was the admission chair of the Black Allied Law Students Association and worked with the admissions office to increase diversity of the student body. Whitney also studied international law at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China.
Personal Interests
Outside the office, Whitney enjoys dine-in movie theaters and playing Catan with friends.