Krista L. Newton

Patrick L. O'Neil is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law and Land Use and Zoning Law. Patrick L., who practices law in Bethesda, Maryland, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patrick L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Amy E. Totten approaches every case by carefully considering all perspectives involved. As a former prosecutor, she understands the importance of thorough preparation for trial and thoughtful analysis, particularly when clients are facing significant, life-changing circumstances. Her ability to anticipate opposing arguments allows her to develop practical strategies tailored to each client’s situation. Over more than two decades in legal practice, Amy has handled thousands of matters ra...

Kurt R. Karst provides regulatory counsel to pharmaceutical manufacturers on Hatch-Waxman patent and exclusivity, drug development, pediatric testing, and orphan drugs. He helps clients develop strategies for product lifecycle management, obtaining approval, managing post-marketing issues, and defining periods of exclusivity. As the co-founder and primary author of Hyman, Phelps & McNamara's FDA Law Blog , Mr. Karst often leads the response to new rules and regulations, sharing his interp...

Jennifer Eller is co-chair of Groom’s Retirement Services Practice Group and Fiduciary Practice. She’s been with the firm since 1998, beginning as a law clerk, and has been a practicing attorney at Groom since 2000. As a practice group chair, Jenny ensures that the strategic direction and initiatives of the group position Groom to serve the needs of its financial, corporate, and public plan clients. In her practice, she operates from a similar perspective. She advises financial in...

Anna-Liza Harris advises clients on tax issues related to asset-backed securitizations, residential and multifamily mortgage-backed securitizations, derivatives, and domestic and cross-border financing transactions. She is national co-chair of Katten's Structured Finance and Securitization practice and a partner in the Tax practice. An important aspect of Anna-Liza's practice is designing innovative securitization structures. These include many "first of their kind" transactions that require ...

Michael A. Branca is Co-Managing Partner of Peckar & Abramson’s Washington, D.C. office and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. He focuses his practice on construction and government contract law. Mike routinely represents general and prime contractors, construction managers, and other members of the construction and government contract industries. Given his depth of experience, he is able to provide an impressive range of services to his clients, including the review an...

Vincent “Vince” McKnight, Jr., is the Managing Partner of Sanford Heisler Sharp’s Washington, D.C., office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Whistleblower Practice. He also represents clients in employment discrimination and wrongful discharge cases. Vince represents whistleblowers in sealed and unsealed False Claims Act/qui tam suits under investigation by the United States and other governmental stakeholders. He has achieved significant success in such cases, including the ...

Lisa Hawke is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Health Care Law. Lisa, who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Lisa is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Stephen M. Seeger is a litigation partner specializing in construction and government contracts law. He has successfully tried dozens of complex cases in the state and federal courts of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, as well as arbitral panels, administrative boards and boards of contract appeals. With that perspective, he counsels clients on litigation avoidance and opportunity optimization. Steve is intimately familiar with the standard form commercial construction contrac...

Paula Calimafde chairs the firm’s Retirement Plans , Employee Benefits and Government Relations practice groups and is also a senior member of the Estate Planning , Tax and Nonprofit groups. She has more than 35 years of experience advising companies and tax-exempt organizations on qualified and non-qualified retirement plans and employee benefits, including non-qualified deferred compensation, welfare benefit and cafeteria plans. She is a nationally recognized leader in the field of cr...