Biography

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

She has wide-ranging experience in environmental, health, and safety regulatory and litigation matters, and excels in helping clients navigate large-scale projects and complex issues. In particular, she advises clients on state and federal enforcement defense, air and climate change issues, OSHA and its state equivalents, and environmental compliance assessments. She supports tech sector clients across all aspects of their operations, including data center construction, operation, and permitting.

Jessalee has significant experience overseeing corporations’ compliance under court-appointed monitorships. She played a key 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 Charlottesville, VA 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

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 (2017-2024)