Taylor keeps business implications top of mind when negotiating and drafting real estate agreements for clients.
Clients value Taylor’s background as in-house counsel for a large national food and beverage distributor. She routinely negotiated the acquisition and sale of distribution rights to major brands. Taylor also handled labor & employment matters that included Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigations, mediation and litigation. However, much of her experience – which she now brings to real estate clients – is in negotiating, drafting and reviewing:
- Purchases and sales
- Development
- Lease agreements
- Easements
- Phase 1 environmental assessments
- Economic incentives
Taylor offers clients the time, dedication and attention to detail required for successful real estate transactions. She understands what legal recommendations look like from the client’s side of the table. She ensures transactions reflect the client’s goals, with the aim of developing lasting relationships.
Industry
Real Estate, Development & Construction
Services
Corporate Real Estate
Retail Real Estate
Recognition
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Real Estate Law, 2024
- Austin Monthly magazine, Top Austin Attorney, Real Estate, 2023
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Pathfinders Program, 2023
- Austin Black Business Journal, Up & Coming Top 10 Central Texas Lawyer, 2022
Education
- J.D., Texas A&M University School of Law
- Texas A&M Law Review, Notes and Comments Editor
- Black Law Student Association, Secretary
- Sports & Entertainment Law Society, Marketing Director
- Mahon Inn of Court
- Phi Delta Phi
- Texas A&M Public Interest Law Fellowship
- B.A., University of Texas at Austin
- Psychology and Government
Admissions
Professional Memberships and Certifications
- Austin Bar Association
- Tarrant County Bar Association, Corporate Counsel, Real Estate and Women Attorneys sections
- State Bar of Texas
Todd Beharry is a senior associate in WSHB’s New York City office focusing his practice on complex tort litigation, with an emphasis on New York Labor Law.
He earned his law degree from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, where he was a Notes and Comments Editor for Touro’s Journal of Race, Gender and Ethnicity and served on the Moot Court. While in law school, Todd also worked as a student attorney in Touro’s Small Businesses & Not-For-Profit Clinic, a legal intern for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and as a judicial intern for the Hon. Justice Chereé Buggs. Todd's honors include the Martin Schwartz Award for Excellence in Civil Rights; Special Service to the Public and Community Award; and Exemplary Dedication and Service to the Law Center for Exceptional Contributions to the Journal of Race, Gender and Ethnicity.
Todd earned his Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University with a focus in clinical and direct practice. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and Justice Studies from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where he served in the AmeriCorps.
His previous experience includes serving as a judicial law clerk for the Hon. Ernest M. Caposela, Superior Court of New Jersey, where Todd managed civil, criminal, general equity and election dockets.
When not practicing law, Todd is an active member of his community. He currently works pro bono for Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in addition to participating in several creative endeavors.
Education
- Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center (J.D., 2021)
- Columbia University School of Social Work (MSSW, 2017)
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice (B.A., 2013)
Licensed to Practice in
- New York
- New Jersey
- District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
Kandace Brackins is an Associate with Marks, O’Neill, O’Brien, Doherty & Kelly. She is admitted to practice in New Jersey and the District of Columbia.
Kandace graduated magna cum laude from Oakwood University, with a Bachelor of Arts in Pre-law / Political Science and a minor in Psychology. Upon graduation, she attended the University of Dayton School of law. During law school, Kandace received a Pro Bono award for outstanding volunteer service and was involved in the Black Law Student Association and Child Welfare Association. Kandace also interned for the Honorable Anthony Capizzi in the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, Juvenile Division, and the Honorable Alice O. McCollum in the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, Probate Division.
Prior to joining Mark’s O’Neill, Kandace focused her skills working with various legal service companies on internal employee investigations and litigation matters for pharmaceutical and big tech companies. Kandace has also worked in a boutique family law firm where she assisted clients with complex family law matters and drafted motions and memorandums on behalf of the firm partners.
Additionally, Kandace is proud to have served as a military police sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve. Kandace’s military service has honed her inclusive leadership and team building skills as well as her ability to multitask and perform well under high-pressure situations.
Since joining Marks O’Neill, Kandace has focused her practice on casualty, employment, and professional liability matters.
Outside of work, Kandace enjoys volunteering, exercising, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Education
- J.D., University of Dayton School of Law
- B.A., Oakwood University, magna cum laude
Bar Admissions
- New Jersey
- District of Columbia
Practice Areas
- Casualty Group
- Employment Law, Municipal & Public Entity
- Professional Liability
Desirae C. Thomas represents clients in all aspects of labor and employment law. Desirae’s services range from advising on everyday employment needs to offering in-depth analysis and strategic guidance for litigation, as well as representing clients in legal matters.
Desirae regularly represents pro bono clients in housing matters. She is a graduate of the Geoffrey Fieger Trial Practice Institute at the Michigan State University College of Law.
Prior to joining the firm, Desirae represented clients in complex litigation disputes in North Carolina. She has advised clients at various levels of litigation, from fact investigation through the appeals process. Her experience includes labor and employment, breach of contract, independent and regulatory investigations, securities issues, health care and other general business litigation matters.
Ms. Casondra Turner is a Milberg Senior Counsel with over a decade of experience practicing law, whose primary area of focus involves Information Technology class action matters.
Ms. Turner began practicing law at an AmLaw 50 firm where she defended large institutions in securities fraud class actions and white-collar criminal matters including bribery and off-label device promotion.
After, she became a clerk for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, where she drafted opinions on countless legal issues. She went on to practice civil defense litigation for another AmLaw-rated firm, where she helped clients resolve contentious financial disputes through successful motions and persuasive negotiations.
Throughout the course of her career, she has successfully handled numerous pro bono matters, helping clients obtain asylum, expunge their criminal records, and obtain executive pardons, as well as preparing donor materials for non-profit fundraising initiatives.
Ms. Turner received her J.D. from Boston University Law School, where she was an editor for the International Law Journal and the External Vice President of the Black Law Students Association. During law school, she co-founded a non-profit to provide micro-loans in Central Africa and addressed educational disparities through the UCLA Civil Rights Project. While enrolled, she also worked for an immigration law firm, drafting more than twenty briefs for clients seeking asylum and waivers of inadmissibility. She also participated in the law school’s Human Trafficking Clinic, helping women and children obtain immigration status after they had been trafficked.
She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia in just three and a half years, earning dual Bachelor’s degrees in History and International Affairs with honors (and a minor in Spanish).
Today, her inspiration is rooted in making a difference in the lives of others and discovering creative solutions to complex legal issues. She is an Adjunct Professor at Albany State University, where she teaches Criminal Justice and Business Law to undergraduate and Master’s level students. She was awarded Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2023 for her work in reestablishing the prelaw program and helping students prepare for the LSAT and gain admission to law school.
A vigorous advocate for human and civil rights, she is a current board member of the Celia Newsom Legacy Foundation.
Ms. Turner is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and Georgia.
Outside the office, she enjoys gardening, exploring small cities, and soaking in new cultural experiences abroad with her husband and two sons.