Announcement Of The Firm |
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KMB Announcement in PDF format, in color with photographs.
February 2006
We are pleased to announce the formation of Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP, a plaintiffs' employment, civil rights, and consumer law firm, located at 1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20009.
We are a boutique civil rights, employment, and consumer law firm specializing in the representation of plaintiffs in the areas of employment law, sexual harassment law, Sarbanes-Oxley and other whistleblower claims, disability law, civil rights and civil liberties matters, and consumer class actions. The founders of Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP have practiced together for many years at the firm of Bernabei & Katz, PLLC, where we were recognized as leading employment lawyers in the DC area and nationally. We are committed to representing our clients at all stages of disputes, including negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and litigation, in order to challenge governmental and corporate wrongdoing, and to secure just compensation and legal vindication.
Debra S. Katz, Partner
Debra Katz has been recognized as one of the "toughest" employment lawyers in Washington, DC by Washingtonian magazine and has been named on its list of Best Attorneys in Washington, DC. Ms. Katz was selected for inclusion in the 2006 and 2007 editions of The Best Lawyers In America. Ms. Katz serves as a faculty member of the American Law Institute-American Bar Association and Georgetown University Law Center's Continuing Legal Education program. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Union College in 1980, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 1984, she received a J.D. degree, cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin. Ms. Katz clerked for the Honorable William Bablitch, Wisconsin Supreme Court, from 1984-85. Ms. Katz was a founding member and name partner at Bernabei & Katz, PLLC from 1987 to 2006, when she formed Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP.
David J. Marshall, Partner
David Marshall has successfully litigated a wide range of employment discrimination matters, with a concentration on the representation of whistleblowers in the nuclear, financial and medical industries, and plaintiffs in sexual harassment cases. Mr. Marshall has also served as class counsel in several consumer class-action lawsuits, and as lead counsel in nationwide class-action litigation against the "payday" lending industry. Mr. Marshall was Of Counsel to Bernabei & Katz, PLLC from 1997 to 2006. He served as a staff attorney for the Political Rights Defense Fund in 1981-1985, and was an industrial worker and trade union activist from 1986-1996. Mr. Marshall received his Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Emory University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated first in his class in 1977. Mr. Marshall completed one year of graduate-level studies as a Robert Jones Scholar at the University of St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland, before earning his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School, where he graduated cum laude in 1980.
Lisa J. Banks, Partner
Lisa Banks has represented employment discrimination plaintiffs and whistleblowers at both the trial court and appellate levels for close to a decade. Ms. Banks was recently chosen by Washingtonian magazine to appear on its upcoming list of Best Attorneys under 40 in Washington, DC, and is nationally known for her expertise in the field of disability law. Prior to forming the firm, Ms. Banks was a partner at Bernabei & Katz, PLLC, where she practiced from 2000 until 2006. She served as an Appellate Attorney with the Office of General Counsel of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from 1997 to 2000. Ms. Banks received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut in 1990. She earned her J.D. degree from the University of Denver College of Law in 1995. She clerked for the Honorable Daniel M. Taubman, Colorado Court of Appeals, from 1995-1996, and for the Honorable Gregory K. Scott, Colorado Supreme Court from 1996-1997.
Ari M. Wilkenfeld, Partner
Ari Wilkenfeld is a seasoned employment law litigator who has experience both as a management-side employment lawyer and, for the past six years, as a plaintiffs'-side employment attorney. He is a founding partner of Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP, where he concentrates his practice on employment discrimination, employment contracts, and non-compete issues. Prior to joining Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP, Mr. Wilkenfeld was a partner at Bernabei & Katz, PLLC. Mr. Wilkenfeld received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Syracuse University in 1993. He received a J.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law in 1997.
Avi Kumin, Senior Associate
Avi Kumin has developed an expertise in employment discrimination litigation, family and medical leave issues, and whistleblower claims. Prior to joining Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP, Mr. Kumin was a senior associate at Bernabei & Katz, PLLC. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Brandeis University in 1996, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 2000, he received a J.D. degree from Yale Law School. Following law school graduation, Mr. Kumin served as a law clerk for the Honorable Judge Tena Campbell, U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. Mr. Kumin is proficient in Spanish.
Justine F. Andronici, Associate
Justine F. Andronici has a unique combination of women's rights, civil rights and employee rights advocacy experience. Ms. Andronici has served as a Senior Attorney at the Maryland Women's Law Center and as a consultant to other major feminist organizations. Ms. Andronici is a 2002 cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she studied women's rights and civil rights law as a Sparer Public Interest Law Scholar. Ms. Andronici earned her B.A. cum laude with honors in Political Science from Colgate University in 1994.
Nicole J. Williams, Associate
Nicole J. Williams joined Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP in May 2006. She concentrates her practice on a range of civil rights litigation matters. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Williams was an associate in the litigation section at the law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll, PC in Philadelphia, PA. Ms. Williams received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language and Literature from Yale University in 2000. In 2004, she received her J.D. degree from Boston University School of Law.
Gary Peller, Of Counsel
Professor Gary Peller of Georgetown University Law Center serves as Of Counsel to the firm, with a focus on consumer class actions and cases that implicate important questions of constitutional law. Professor Peller has served as class counsel in consumer class actions, including as lead counsel with Mr. Marshall in a nationwide class action against the "payday" lending industry. Professor Peller is a nationally renowned expert in the fields of constitutional law, torts, contract law, and consumer law. Professor Peller earned a B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from Emory University in 1977. He graduated magna cum laude in 1980 from Harvard Law School.
The founders of Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP came together to create a very special law firm. What sets us apart from other firms is our broad range of collective experience; our creativity, coupled with a strong sense of the practical; and our unflagging efforts to achieve our clients' objectives. Using our skills, talents, and resources, we are dedicated to protecting the rights of employees, promoting equal employment opportunity, curbing unfair and deceptive business practices, and helping to create a more just society.
Please tour our website at http://www.kmblegal.com. If you have any questions about the firm, please let us know and we will be happy to tell you more.
