Professional Development Conference
September 30, 2016
8:45 am-4:00 pm
Venable, LLP (Tysons Corner, VA)
6 hours CLE, 2 hours Ethics
Speaker Biographies
Getting the Most for Your Clients
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Managing Risks in Contract Drafting
Kellie Budd
Kellie Budd is a partner at the law firm Doumar Martin, PLLC. Kellie is licensed to practice in Virginia. She received her law degree from George Mason University School of Law and is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia. Kellie works with companies at all stages of growth to provide them practical advice and assistance with entity formation, corporate governance, contract preparation and negotiations, private placement financing, company sales and acquisitions, and employment matters. Kellie negotiates executive compensation agreements as well as severance packages on behalf of corporate clients and individuals. In addition to drafting corporate documents, Kellie litigates business matters, including employment matters such as non-compete disputes, in state and federal courts. Kellie served as the 2012-2014 President of the Northern Virginia Black Attorney’s Association. She is a member of the Fairfax Bar Association where she serves as the Vice-Chair of the Judicial Selection Committee and serves on the Circuit Court Committee.
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Avoiding Ethical Pitfalls for New Lawyers
William H. Atwill, Jr.
William H. Atwill, Jr. (“Bill”) is a principal in the firm of Atwill, Troxell & Leigh, P.C., in Leesburg, Virginia. A 1978 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, he served on active duty as a Navy line officer before attending the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond in 1981. Admitted to the Virginia Bar in 1984, Bill has practiced commercial and construction litigation for over thirty years, first with Hazel & Thomas, P.C. (now Reid Smith LLP) until 1993, and then with iterations of his present firm. He has litigated a wide variety of commercial and construction cases. He has been a Commissioner in Chancery in Loudoun County since 1995. He is a member of the Construction and Public Contract section of the Virginia State Bar, a member of the Construction Law Forum of the American Bar Association, and a member of the Federal Bar Association and Virginia Bar Association.
Bill served on the Seventh District Disciplinary Committee beginning in 2006 as the Seventh District Chairman. He was appointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia to the Disciplinary Board in 2012. Since his appointment, he has served as Second Vice Chair, First Vice Chair, and currently as Chair of the Disciplinary Board for the 2016-2017 term. Virginia lawyers have long had the privilege of regulating themselves as a profession and Bill takes his role seriously to maintain the professional integrity and independence of the Virginia Bar.
Bill is a warm water scuba diver and enjoys biking. A long time reader to the elderly at an assisted living facility in Leesburg, he frequently encourages other attorneys to spend a bit of time with folks who just enjoy the companionship.
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Dominique Callins
Drafting and Attacking Marital Agreements
Dominique Callins is a Managing Attorney for DiPietro Family Law Group, and is dedicated to providing clients with competent, efficient and zealous legal representation during a most vulnerable and personal time in family life. She is dedicated to developing practical legal solutions, while preserving important family relationships. Her extensive experience includes divorce, child custody and visitation, spousal support and alimony, child support, equitable distribution, military divorce, support enforcement, international child abduction and third-party visitation.
Prior to working in law, Dominique worked as a teacher. She began her legal career as a judicial law clerk in both trial and appellate courts. As a teacher, she gained experience directly counseling children and parents through family transitions, understanding proper and effective communication between children and adults—which has helped shape her career in family law. As a law clerk, she worked directly with judges, including assisting in research and fact assessments, and this has provided her with insight into how judges think and what they consider in a case. Her additional experience in criminal defense and civil litigation enhances her family law practice, providing the expertise to advise clients on ancillary issues that often influence the course of domestic relations litigation.
Dominique is a member of the Fairfax Bar Association (FBA) where she serves on multiple sections and committees. She also serves as the Treasurer for the Northern Virginia Black Attorneys Association (NOVABAA).
She is a graduate of Florida A&M University, summa cum laude, and the College of William & Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law.
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Effective Criminal Defense Advocacy
Dontae Bugg
Mr. Bugg is the owner and manager of Bugg Law Firm, PLLC. The firm concentrates on criminal defense, serious traffic offenses, and family law matters. Mr. Bugg has an exemplary record for advocacy. Mr. Bugg has extensive experience before the state courts of Virginia and the District of Columbia, as well as federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia. Mr. Bugg began his legal career with the Richmond, Virginia firm of Bremner, Janus, Cook, & Stone handling criminal defense and civil litigation matters. He later joined the Lewis Law Firm in Fairfax, Virginia handling divorce, custody, support, and complex equitable distribution cases. He has a wealth of experience serving as a Guardian ad Litem for children in cases involving custody, abuse and neglect, and the termination of parental rights. Mr. Bugg has also served as court appointed counsel for persons facing civil commitment related to acute and chronic mental health issues. In his criminal law practice, he has represented hundreds of clients and handled a wide array of cases including DUI, drug distribution, violent assault, arson, and rape. Mr. Bugg has devoted a significant portion of his practice to the representation of indigent persons charged with crimes in state and federal court.
Mr. Bugg received his Juris Doctor from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond. Mr. Bugg is a member of the George Mason American Inn of Court, the Fairfax Bar Association and the Arlington County Bar Association. Mr. Bugg serves as the President of the Northern Virginia Black Attorneys Association. He is a former director of the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Bugg is active in the community as a frequent guest speaker at schools and various community groups. Mr. Bugg lives in Fairfax with his wife, Alexis, and their son.
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Effective Policy Advocacy
Melanie Bates
Melanie E. Bates is the Director of Communications at Future of Privacy Forum. She is responsible for all FPF communications requirements including website maintenance, media relations, internal member communications, and social media presence. She was previously the Director of Policy & Communications at the American Civil Liberties Union of the Nation’s Capital (ACLU-DC). Prior to ACLU-DC, she was the Legislative Director for Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells at the Council of the District of Columbia.
Melanie was the 2014-2015 President of the Greater Washington Area Chapter, Women’s Lawyers Division, National Bar Association (GWAC). She also served on the National Bar Association’s Board of Governors. Melanie is a graduate of the DC Bar Leadership Academy and the New Leaders Council Institute (NLC), Washington, DC Chapter.
Melanie earned her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Hampton University and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law.
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