Suzanne R. "Susi" Schaeffer

During his more than 30 years of practice, Mr. Jaffe has focused on dispute resolution internationally in arbitrations under various international arbitral regimes and domestically in court and arbitration proceedings. A significant part of his work has involved representing owners, contractors and other stakeholders in projects ranging from infrastructure and energy facilities to sports stadiums and a wide variety of commercial structures. He has acted as counsel in numerous international an...

Melinda focuses on providing holistic multi-generational income and wealth transfer tax planning advice and estate and trust services to high net worth individuals, families, and business owners. She brings a unique and diverse perspective from her work in private law practice, Big Four accounting firms, and private banking/trust services. Melinda has over thirty years of experience advising clients with regard to domestic and foreign trusts, family limited partnerships and LLCs, grantor reta...

Deborah D. Cochran has over 34 years of experience assisting individuals, families and business owners with all of their estate planning needs. Her practice includes designing custom estate plans for each client, as well as tax planning and trust and estate administration. Debby’s personable approach quickly puts her clients at ease and comfortable to discuss their family situation, helping them focus on what is most important to them. Debby then works with her clients to design the app...

Alyson J. Guyan is a principal in the Washington, D.C. Region office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She represents corporations and other entities in a wide variety of employment, discrimination, harassment, and wage and hour matters. Aly advises and represents employers in a broad range of employment law matters arising under federal and state law, including claims based on the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Americans with Disabi...

Practice Experience Jonathan is a leading global authority on international disputes and investment, as well as complex negotiations and crisis management. As head of Latin American arbitration, he has successfully advised on some of the most critical issues of the era in Latin America and beyond, such as the cultural patrimony of Machu Picchu, the new Ecuador international airport, the Argentine sovereign debt crisis, the development of the Peruvian energy sector and the Panama Canal expansi...

Brad Friend focuses his practice on Construction Law and Litigation – Construction, with an emphasis on construction law litigation, claim preparation, and dispute resolution. Based in McLean, Virginia, Brad represents clients in complex construction disputes across multiple jurisdictions. With more than twenty years of experience, he has served as lead counsel in multi‑million dollar matters involving a wide range of construction-related issues. Brad’s construction litigation exp...

Patrick Taurel is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Immigration Law. Patrick, 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 Patrick is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Robert K. Kry is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. Robert K., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Robert K. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Michael Spafford is a partner in the Investigations and White Collar Defense practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Washington, DC office. Mr. Spafford’s practice focuses on white-collar criminal defense, government investigations, regulatory enforcement, internal investigations, and related litigation. He has represented financial institutions, funds and other companies, as well as individual clients in numerous high-profile government investigations and parallel li...

Allison has advocated extensively for clients in government contracts litigation before the Boards of Contract Appeals (BCA) and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, as well as in bid protests before the Government Accountability Office (GAO). In these processes, she places clients in the best position for successful outcomes by covering all bases and ensuring she’s diligently safeguarding their rights under specific contract clauses. Outside of dispute resolution, Allison also advises gov...