Biography

Jessalee delivers practical, action-oriented advice to clients across industries.

She specializes in large-scale, complex legal projects and has wide-ranging experience in environmental, health, and safety regulatory and litigation matters. In particular, she advises clients on OSHA and its state equivalents, the Clean Air Act, and environmental compliance assessments. She also has expertise in global COVID-19 regulatory requirements, including general infectious disease management standards for employers. 

Jessalee has experience overseeing corporations’ compliance under court-appointed monitorships. She played a significant role on the Department of Justice-appointed Independent Compliance Monitor & Auditor team that oversaw Volkswagen’s compliance with civil and criminal settlements following its $33 billion “Dieselgate” emissions cheating scandal. Jessalee also served as a key member of the Court Appointed Monitor team overseeing Duke Energy’s compliance with its civil and criminal settlements arising from the Dan River coal ash spill. Rooted in this experience, she assists clients with the development and implementation of environmental compliance programs, and she is fluent in the international guidelines and policies used to develop strong systems for corporate environmental compliance.

She received a dual law and environmental degree from Duke University Law School and Nicholas School of the Environment. During law school, Jessalee was a law clerk at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Jessalee is located in Durham, NC and practices out of our Washington, DC office. 

Education

  • Wesleyan University  (B.A., 2007)
  • Duke University  (M.E.M., 2013)
  • Duke University  (J.D., 2013)

Bar Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • New York
  • North Carolina

Community Involvement

Prior to law school, Jessalee led a cross-country bicycle trip fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity and served as an Americorps NCCC volunteer in California. Jessalee is actively involved in her community in Durham, NC, where she has served on the local Environmental Affairs Board and Planning Commission, and maintains an active pro bono practice

Honors & Awards

  • "Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch," a Best Lawyers® publication, recognition in Environmental Law (2021-2024)
  • Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, Washington, DC, Rising Star (2017-2023)

Languages

  • French (proficiency)