French-Speaking Attorneys

Margaret Shugart

Brattleboro, VT

Margaret joined Costello, Valente & Gentry in fall of 2019. Before becoming an attorney, she was an anthropologist-focused on Indonesia and organic rice farming, then a sommelier, working in several aspect of the wine business including provisioning yachts in South Florida and as a wine writer. She has traveled all over the world, from backpacking and conducting research, to leading cycling tours in France. The first day she moved to Vermont, she knew she wanted to stay. She lives in Brattleboro with her delightful toddler daughter, sweet scaredy-cat Squeak and hyper hamster, Monster.

Sidney Sadeghi

Newport Beach, CA

Sidney M. Sadeghi. Ms. Sadeghi has been an attorney for over 14 years. She has managed a diverse caseload involving civil trial litigation for the majority of her legal career. Ms. Sadeghi earned her education at the University of California at Irvine, Cambridge University in England, and Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. Over her career, Ms. Sadeghi has obtained a multitude of trial victories for a variety of types of cases spanning from business litigation, general civil litigation, criminal law, probate litigation, and worker’s compensation. Ms. Sadeghi is a zealous advocate for her clients. Ms. Sadeghi is a frequent public speaker and lead trainer at events and seminars to raise awareness in various areas. Ms. Sadeghi’s book she authored entitled “Law in a Nutshell for the CEO,” will be published and available in 2020. Ms. Sadeghi speaks conversational French, Farsi, and limited Spanish. In her spare time, she is an avid snowboarder, scuba diver, fitness enthusiast, and Lakers Fan. She resides in Orange County, California, with her husband and two daughters. Ms. Sadeghi came to our firm seeking a new way to make a difference in people’s lives in 2019, and her zeal for the injured workers we represent has proven to be an excellent addition to our team.

Morgan Maxey specializes in criminal defense and family law, also handling some civil work. He graduated from the University of Washington (2014) and Gonzaga University School of Law (2017 J.D.). He has experience with cases ranging from assault to homicide and various domestic issues. He is involved in promoting diversity through the Loren Miller Bar Association and Spokane County Bar Association.

Rachel Wilber

Santa Rosa, CA

Rachel Wilber is a Sonoma County native. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in French from Humboldt State University and a Master’s Degree in Education from Mills College. She graduated Cum Laude from Empire College School of Law in 2009 and passed the Bar in 2009. She has dedicated her practice to criminal defense, handling thousands of cases from misdemeanors to felonies.

Angelica D. Zolnierowicz

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Angelica D. Zolnierowicz is an Associate at Conrad & Scherer, focusing on complex commercial litigation, blockchain technologies, and criminal securities fraud. She holds a Master of Laws from Georgetown University Law Center and a Juris Doctorate from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. She also has Master and Bachelor degrees in International Affairs from Boston University. Admitted to practice in New York, North Carolina, District of Columbia, and Maryland, she is fluent in Polish and proficient in French and Spanish. She has held various legal roles, including a Military Commission Observer at Guantanamo Bay and Editor of the Journal of National Security Law and Policy.

Juan-Carlos Andaluz

Pompano Beach, FL

Juan-Carlos Andaluz is an attorney at Wooster Law specializing in personal injury cases, particularly traumatic brain injuries. He holds a background in health law and neuroscience. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from NSU Shepard Broad College of Law in December 2021 and studied Neural Science at New York University, graduating in December 2013. He passed the Florida Bar Examination in July 2022 and the New York State Bar Examination in July 2023, being certified in New York in April 2024. He provides pro bono legal services to disabled individuals and is fluent in English, Spanish, and French.

Arturo J. González

McAllen, TX

Arturo J. González is an attorney who graduated from South Texas College of Law in 1987. He has extensive experience in aviation accident cases, pharmaceutical and medical devices litigation, and defective products cases. He played a key role in the BP Texas City refinery explosion litigation and served as lead U.S. counsel in the Spanair Flight JK5022 crash case. He is licensed in Texas and New York and is fluent in Spanish and French.

A member of the Quebec Bar Association since 1984, Edouard has extensive experience in private practice with more than 18 years in medium and large Quebec-based law firms, with a focus in commercial law, banking litigation, bankruptcy and insolvency, business restructuring, raising capital for startups, including involvement as director of numerous private entities. Edouard is Vice President of Sawnode Technologies Ltd., a Quebec City-based manufacturing company selling specialty products to primary aluminum smelters in Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. He is also Executive Chairman and Founder of KOBO Resources Inc., a private junior mining company with exploration titles and activities in Cote d’ Ivoire, West Africa. He is a strategic advisor, having acquired more than 15 years of experience in the management of high tech and industrial companies.

Dennis O. Durocher

New Orleans, LA

Dennis Durocher concentrates his practice in commercial, construction, and civil rights litigation, and civil appeals. He handles matters in oil and gas regulation, intellectual property disputes, and property ownership through acquisitive prescription. Before joining Flanagan Partners, he served as an assistant attorney general at the Louisiana Department of Justice, where he defended the state of Louisiana in civil rights and tort actions. Mr. Durocher holds a PhD in French literature from Tulane University. He received his law degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, where he served on the Loyola Law Review and graduated cum laude.

Ann Jen, Esq. joined the firm in 2005 as an associate. She received her undergraduate degree from Barnard College Columbia University and her Juris Doctorate from St. John's University School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in New York and speaks Chinese and French.

Kayvon Hashemian is an Attorney at Law from Cypress, CA, born in Tehran, Iran. He is fluent in Farsi, Spanish, French, and Italian, which allows him to communicate effectively with diverse clients. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Irvine School of Law, where he focused on giving back to the community, including helping low-income individuals with criminal convictions. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Long Beach. Kayvon is known for thriving in overcoming challenges and is motivated by the litigation process. He is an avid tennis player and coach.

Brooke Bove

Long Beach, CA

Brooke Bove is an Associate Attorney at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo, specializing in advocating for plaintiffs who have been injured and harmed, including elder abuse cases. She earned her Juris Doctorate magna cum laude from Whittier Law School in 2011 and is an active member of several legal associations, including Consumer Attorneys of California and the American Association for Justice. She is fluent in Arabic and French.

Shakayle Grant

West Palm Beach, FL

Shakayle Grant is an associate in the firm’s Workers’ Compensation Division. She graduated from Florida Atlantic University and received her Juris Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2015. While in law school, she clerked for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, and the State Attorney’s Office, and participated in legal clinics. Before joining the firm, Ms. Grant practiced criminal defense and landlord-tenant law. She is a member in good standing with the Florida Bar.

Mason Maxey

Spokane, WA

Mason Maxey specializes in family law and criminal defense, with a focus on restorative and rehabilitative justice. He graduated from the University of Washington (2016 B.S.) and Gonzaga University School of Law (2020 J.D.). He has experience in various criminal and family law cases and is a member of the Spokane Bar Association and NAACP.

Elitza “Ellie” Z. Miltcheva grew up in Sofia, Bulgaria. She emigrated to the United States in 1995, and graduated from the College of Charleston (Charleston, South Carolina) in 1999 with a degree in political science (magna cum laude). She also studied Russian and French in college, which she speaks with some fluency whenever possible. Ellie attended Florida Coastal School of Law (Jacksonville, Florida) and graduated in 2010. She spent time working in the legal field in South Carolina before exploring the West, first in North Dakota, then Colorado, and most recently Montana. She has worked primarily in indigent criminal defense and construction law. Although inactive, she is a member of the South Carolina bar in addition to being licensed in Montana. As part of the Brown law firm, Ellie assists with construction defect cases.

Melissa Jean Phillipe

Boca Raton, FL

Melissa was born in Montreal, Canada, and moved to Miami at age 15. She graduated from Miami Killian Senior High School at 16. She obtained a paralegal position at an Immigration law firm in Sunrise, then earned an Associates degree in Pre-law from Miami Dade College and a degree in Criminal Justice from Florida International University (F.I.U.) in December 2008. She joined Drucker Law Offices in July 2009 as a paralegal, focusing on file preparation, case readiness for demand, and client preparation for statements and depositions, while learning personal injury litigation aspects. She is fluent in French, English, and Creole, and hopes to become an attorney one day.

Marica O'Donnell

Santa Cruz, CA

Attorney Marica O'Donnell has been with Brereton, Mohamed, & Korte LLP since 2019. Marica is a passionate advocate who is actively involved in many aspects of civil litigation with primary concentration on trust litigation, conservatorships, elder abuse, real estate fraud and related disputes. Prior to obtaining her law degree, Marica has extensive experience in banking, insurance, finance and international trade. This background gives her a unique perspective and provides her with invaluable insights in solving complex matters for her clients. Marica is also a licensed life insurance agent.

Sabrina O’Brien

Middletown, CT

As an associate attorney at The Flood Law Firm, Sabrina brings a thoughtful, detail-driven approach to litigation. She focuses on delivering practical legal solutions and dedicated advocacy to every client. Clients appreciate her careful attention to their needs and her ability to break down complex legal issues into clear, actionable steps.

Andrew S. Rawlings

Bountiful, UT

Andy comes from a long line of Utah lawyers. His older sister, father, both grandfathers and several cousins are all attorneys. Initially, however, Andy veered far afield from the family profession; after graduating from Olympus High School, he signed with a talent and modeling agency in Los Angeles and spent the next couple of years working as a model and actor in Hollywood and New York. In 2010, Andy graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and French. In 2014, Andy graduated from the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law with his Juris Doctorate. After nine years of practicing exclusively family law and criminal defense, Andy decided he needed a change and joined the team at Hepworth Legal in order to expand his practice into general civil litigation. In his free time, he and his partner André enjoy weightlifting, cooking (they are both proud vegans), being outdoors, films and stand-up comedy.

James Adams Close, 'Jim', (or 'Sunshine') was a lifelong Harford County resident who passed away on August 13th, 2020 at the age of 71. He graduated from Harford Day School and Bel Air High School, and attended Temple University and the University of Baltimore Law School, passing the bar in 1978. He worked in private practice in Bel Air and became a Public Defender for Cecil County in 2005, retiring in 2018 but continuing private practice in Cecil County. He was survived by his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and siblings.

Debora Levine

Gilbert, AZ

Debora Levine, an Arizona native, is a family law attorney whose personal experience with divorce after 22 years of marriage makes her a compassionate and understanding advocate. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Arizona State University, a Juris Doctorate from Phoenix School of Law (2011), and a Master of Forensic Psychology from Walden University. Her diverse background includes working as a GED instructor, life skills educator for teen moms, and a public-school teacher. She has extensive experience in family law, including a landmark case involving embryos that led to a new Arizona statute. Debora is also a volunteer Girl Scout leader and at Law Day for Women.

Dan began practicing law in 1989 with the Salt Lake City law firm of Kimball, Parr, Crockett and Waddoups. He subsequently joined his father-in-law in his practice in Heber Valley. Shortly thereafter, he was asked to join the County Attorney’s staff in Wasatch County, and served as Deputy County Attorney. Dan became the County Attorney in 1993, and served as the chief prosecutor and civil attorney for Wasatch County. As such, he successfully prosecuted felony and misdemeanor cases in state and local courts. He also helped write the land-use code for Wasatch County and represented the County in all civil matters. In 1999, the County Commissioners asked Dan to oversee the establishment and development of several special service districts in Wasatch County. Dan served as general manager and attorney for up to six special service districts for approximately 16 years. In that capacity, Dan oversaw the financing and construction of over $200 million worth of water infrastructure. He has worked on numerous land-use, development and water projects in and around Wasatch County. Dan grew up in Wyoming, but has lived and practiced law in the Heber Valley for the past 25 years. He and his wife, BettyJo, are the parents of seven children. He enjoys backpacking, mountaineering and poking around in old mines. He speaks some Japanese, and is working on learning French.

Ali Sadrarhami graduated with Honors from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy. He attended Loyola Law School on a Merit-Based Scholarship, receiving Honors in Trial Advocacy. He joined Kazerouni Law Group, APC as a law clerk and became an Associate Attorney in 2017. He is fluent in Farsi and proficient in French.

Rhian Mayhew

Raleigh, NC

Rhian Mayhew, originally from Toronto, Canada, earned her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law. She has developed a strong foundation in civil litigation across North Carolina and joined Walker Allen in November 2024, focusing primarily on the representation of healthcare providers.