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Shevelle McPherson

McPherson Law was founded by Shevelle McPherson, Esq., as a Professional Law Firm. Shevelle McPherson earned her bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and her law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark, New Jersey. She earned her master’s degree in Trial Advocacy from Temple Law School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She formerly served as an Assistant District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia where she was a Trial Attorney in the Major Trial Unit.

Shevelle McPherson is an experienced criminal trial lawyer and member of the National Association of Distinguished Counsel – The Nation’s Top 1% Attorney’s. She has successfully defended clients charged with capital homicide, murder, rape, robbery, burglary, carjacking, kidnapping, forgery, gun, DUI, and drug offenses. She has been selected a "Rising Star" Attorney by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, featured in the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Magazine, Rising Stars Edition, as well as the Philadelphia Magazine. She has also been featured in South Jersey Magazine, and the Top 100 Successful Women in Business Magazine.

Shevelle McPherson is a member of the New Jersey State Bar. McPherson Law is dedicated to providing our clients with both aggressive and quality legal representation.

Yolanda Melville

Yolanda N. Melville serves as Senior Counsel and Director of Community Engagement, the position charged with serving as a liaison to stakeholders across the state to connect them with the Office’s initiatives. Melville was previously a Partner at Cooper Levenson, P.A., where she represented municipal and corporate entities as solicitor/general counsel, handled litigation in the federal and state courts, and led the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Melville clerked for the Honorable Susan F. Maven in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division. She received her B.A. in English and Government from the College of William and Mary, M.S. in Criminal Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University and J.D. from Howard University Law School, where she was the managing editor of the Human Rights and Globalization Law Review.

Professional Associations and Memberships

Yolanda has many credentials and association affiliations:

Awards and Honors

Yolanda has been honored with many awards for her work:

Community Involvement

Yolanda is very active in the community:

Education

Yolanda attended The College of William and Mary where she graduated in 2007 with a dual degree in English and Government. Yolanda also earned a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Howard University School of Law in 2012.

Tracey Salmon-Smith

Tracey Salmon-Smith, a trusted adviser and pragmatic problem solver, assists clients with commercial and business disputes, employment litigation, securities law and internal investigations. As a former assistant United States attorney (AUSA) who also spent several years as in-house counsel for a global financial services firm, Tracey knows firsthand the pressures and challenges her clients face. Tracey is known for her composure under pressure and her commitment to achieving results.

Financial Services

Tracey represents brokerage firms and individual registered representatives in customer and employment arbitrations, litigation and regulatory matters. She offers her clients depth of experience defending claims brought in Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitrations, including allegations of sales practice violations such as fraud, breach of contract, misrepresentation, selling away, unsuitability and churning. Tracey also defends clients in product-related litigation stemming from variable annuities, alternative investment products, mutual funds and preferred securities.

Regulatory Counsel

Tracey works with clients from initial contact to resolution to successfully manage regulatory inquiries, examinations and investigations by state and federal regulatory agencies and self-regulatory organizations. She also advises clients on current litigation and regulatory trends and issues, as well as e-discovery and information management.

As an employment litigator, Tracey defends corporate clients against claims related to age, race and gender discrimination; workplace sexual harassment; whistleblower complaints; unpaid wages; and wrongful discharge. She handles these complaints in court and in arbitration, including before the FINRA Dispute Resolution Division. Tracey also handles internal investigations and high-stakes class and collective action matters.

Speaking Engagements

Highly respected throughout the legal community, Tracey is much in demand as a speaker before organizations such as the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), Practicing Law Institute (PLI), American Bar Association (ABA), National Bar Association (NBA), New York City Bar Association, New Jersey State Bar Association, The Knowledge Group and Corporate Counsel Women of Color (CCWC).

In addition to her experience in private law firm practice, Tracey had the advantage of serving for seven years as in-house counsel for UBS Financial Services Inc., and seven years as an AUSA for the Eastern District of New York. During her time as an AUSA, Tracey held the positions of Acting Chief of Environmental Litigation and Chief of Bankruptcy.

Representative Experience

Successfully obtained a jury defense verdict for a multinational information technology company in the Southern District of New York in a matter involving claims of hostile work environment, race discrimination and retaliation.

Successfully represented a financial services firm in an arbitration matter involving claims of unsuitability, failure to supervise, breach of fiduciary duty and fraud related to investments in IPO purchases of closed-end funds, preferred stock and reverse convertible notes.

Obtained expungement for financial adviser and branch manager.

Represented a financial institution in a pregnancy discrimination matter in the Southern District of New York.

Represented a major retailer in an FLSA collective action in the Eastern District of New York.

Obtained summary judgement for a mass media corporation in an age and disability discrimination lawsuit in the Southern District of New York.

Successfully represented a gaming company in a gender discrimination suit, which was favorably settled after a jury trial in the Southern District of New York.

Successfully obtained expungement of arbitration matters from the CRDs of all four members of a broker team in a matter involving allegations of unsuitable recommendations.

Defended a financial securities firm in arbitration matters involving structured products.

Successfully defended a broker-dealer in a FINRA arbitration in which the claimant alleged unsuitability and failure to follow instruction, and subsequently obtained expungement for both respondent financial advisors.

Successfully defended a broker-dealer in a FINRA arbitration where the claimant alleged unsuitable recommendations for a variable annuity and improper switching of mutual funds.

Successfully represented a financial services firm in regulatory investigations.

Personal Interests

Tracey enjoys traveling, reading, cooking and mentoring young people.

Credentials

Bar Admissions

Court Admissions

Education

Desha Jackson

Ms. Jackson is the managing lawyer of Desha Jackson Law Group. Prior to opening her firm Ms. Jackson was of Counsel to the Law Office of Evelyn Padin for two years. Prior to working with Ms. Padin's office, Ms. Jackson was an associate with the firm of Wilentz, Goldman and Spitzer where she was assigned to the Employment Law Team. Prior to working at Wilentz, Ms. Jackson was the Assistant Director of the Equal Employment Division of the New Jersey Department of Corrections. There she assisted in investigations of corrections officers and staff discrimination complaints, provided advice with regard to equal employment issues, as well as provided training to employees about the anti-discrimination policy and procedures. Ms. Jackson completed courses at the Rutgers University Center of Management Development and obtained an Equal Employment Certificate. Ms. Jackson returned to the Department of Corrections in 2009 until 2016. She was an Assistant Director and served as the ADA Coordinator for the department during her entire tenure, as well as the manager of the construction and legal affair's units at various times during her tenure. Ms. Jackson created and provided training regarding the ADA, advised the Commissioner and other officials and managers regarding various legal issues and supervised employees. In 2016 Ms. Jackson became a legal consultant for the City of Newark's Public Safety Department. She was the lead hearing officer for all disciplinary matters and assisted with implementing their consent decree. She provided trainng and advise regarding discipline, various legal issues and the consent decree during her tenure.

Ms. Jackson also worked at the Department of Law and Public Safety Office of the Attorney General as a Deputy Attorney General (DAG) assigned to the Office of State Police Affairs from 2002-2007. This office was created by the 1999 consent decree between the State New Jersey and the United States Department of Justice which addressed the issues of racial profiling. As a DAG she primarily served as the prosecutor in disciplinary proceedings against New Jersey State Troopers. In 2004, Ms. Jackson was promoted to Deputy Director of this unit and served as Acting Director from October 2006 to March of 2007. Ms. Jackson was also in charge of the Consent Decree unit for the City of Newark's Police in 2016. 

In 1996 she was a judicial law clerk at the Monmouth Vicinage in Freehold, New Jersey in the criminal division for the Honorable Theodore J. Labrecque, Vincent Hull and Michael D. Farren, J.S.C. She also worked as a legal assistant at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in 1997 before becoming the first African-American female Assistant Prosecutor to be hired at the Ocean County prosecutor’s Office in its 150-year history. Ms. Jackson left the Prosecutors Office in May of 2000 and became an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Newark assigned to their Labor and Employment Section. During her tenure at the City of Newark, she represented the City in all labor and employment matters including disciplinary hearings, grievance arbitrations, mediations, appeals in the Office of Administrative Law, matters in Superior and Federal Court, as well as matters before the Public Employment Relations Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She also provided advice regarding labor and employment issues to managers in multiple City departments.

Ms. Jackson attended Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, Florida. While attending Stetson the faulty selected her to be in Who’s Who Among American Universities and Colleges due to her involvement and academic achievement.

Ms. Jackson is very involved in professional bar related activities and was named Young Lawyer of the Year in 2002 by the New Jersey State Bar Association (hereinafter "NJSBA") Young Lawyers Division. She is a member of several NJSBA and American Bar Association (hereinafter “ABA”) committees and sections including the NJSBA Entertainment, Sports and Arts Section and the ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries. Ms. Jackson is a past NJSBA Board of Trustee member, former Chair of the NJSBA Diversity Committee and past member and Vice Chair South Jersey of the NJSBA Judicial and Prosecutorial Appointments Committee.  Ms. Jackson is also a past president of the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association and the first women of color to lead the organization. She is also a past president of the the Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey.  

Ms. Jackson has also received many awards and honors throughout her career for professional and community involvement. She received a Women of Distinction Award from the Girl Scout Council of Greater Essex and Hudson Counties in 2005 and a Special Achievement Award from Lakewood NAACP in 2004. She is listed in the Congressional Record by the Honorable Donald M. Payne on February 5, 1998 for professional achievement and in 1998 received the Young Alumnae Achievement Award from Drew University. She has been selected for inclusion in the New Jersey Super Lawyers-Rising Stars Editions since 2006 until 2009. In 2007, Ms. Jackson also received a Professionalism Lawyer of the Year award from the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism and the New Jersey Women Lawyer Association and the Glenn Cunningham Community Service Award from the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE). Ms. Jackson is also an alumna of New Jersey Girls State, Hugh O'Brien Youth Foundation, Presidential Classrooms and the Leadership Training Conference. Recently, Ms. Jackson is featured in The 100 Top Lawyers Magazine for 2020. She was also appointed to the Drew University College Alumni Association Board in 2020.

Ms Jackson has advised various clients regarding contracts and business issues in the entertainment and sports industry. These clients have included athletes, dancers, singers, live stage performers, musicians, television personalities, disc jockeys, fashion designers as well as actors. She also has participated in numerous employment matters involving employees and employers including discrimination, severance agreements and policy matters. She has served as a hearing officer for numerous disciplinary matters. She serves as an investigator for various employment cases including discrimination, ethical matters and discipline. She has also counseled clients regarding matters before the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association as well as other issues surrounding athletics. Ms. Jackson is also General Counsel for the Central Jersey Chapter of NOBLE.

Ms. Jackson is also the creator of the Run Sister Run program at the Center for American Women in Politics. This program is designed to encourage African American Women to participate in the political arena and is planned in conjunction with the Ready to Run Program which provides training for women who are running for office.

Naomi Gulama

Associate Naomi Gulama focuses her practices on the management side of Labor and Employment Law and General Litigation by conducting research and drafting pleadings and motions pertaining to a variety of employment-related claims, including discrimination, retaliation, failure to accommodate, and restrictive covenants. Additionally, she conducts client interviews, drafts and reviews employee handbooks, and assists clients in complying with federal, state, and local employment and labor laws.

After receiving her Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University, as a double major in Criminal Justice & Political Science, Naomi went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers Law School. While in law school, Naomi assisted in representing low-income parents of students with disabilities in the Education and Health Law Clinic and worked several internships, including interning for the Honorable Arthur J. Batista J.S.C., and for Bristol-Myers Squibb in their employment law department. She also interned for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in their New York Office.