Meet the Founders
Ayanna Jenkins- Toney, Esq. is the CEO and founding partner at the Law Offices of Ayanna Jenkins-Toney, located in San Francisco and Marin County California.
For 15 years the Law Offices of Ayanna Jenkins Toney has provided experienced and trusted legal services to individual clients, families and small businesses in the areas of Family Law, Civil Rights, Civil Litigation and Personal Injury. This full-service litigation firm provides exemplary representation with personalized attention to the necessary details to fully comprehend and win your case. Committed to the ethical practice of law, yet steadfast in fierce positioning, this strategic firm devotes considerable attention, energy and time preparing all its cases. As committed advocates, they are devoted to providing you excellent service and successful results.
Ayanna Jenkins Toney is the Founder and senior partner of the firm. After graduating from Howard University in 1997, Ayanna continued her studies at Howard University School of Law 1998-1999, Pace University School of Law in 1999 and Golden Gate University School of Law where she earned a Juris Doctorate in 2002. Ayanna is licensed to practice law before the Supreme Court of the State of California, The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and The Supreme Court of the United States of America. Ayanna’s admittance to practice law within the courts of Washington D.C. is currently pending.
A highly decorated award recipient, Ayanna was recently recognized by Marquis’ Who’s Who as a Marquis’ Who’s Who in America. The California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) recognized Ayanna as the ‘Solo Practitioner of The Year" in 2018. She is also rated in the top 10% in the USA in Civil Litigation from Lawyers of Distinction. Since 2016, Ayanna has continuously been awarded the prestigious ’10 Best Attorneys in California’ by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys (AIOFLA). As an industry leader, she is consistently recognized by her peers as a preeminent innovative achiever in her practice. The Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum has named her as one of the Top Trial Lawyers in America.
In 2018, The National Bar Association (NBA) awarded Ayanna with an ‘Outstanding Service Award’ for her continued participation and generous contributions to the community. In 2011, Ayanna founded the North Bay Minority Bar Coalition. In 2013, she founded the National Justice Network, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation where she resides as current President. Ayanna was recently honored as a ‘Resilient Woman in our Community’ by The Peninsula Bay Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and she continues to thrive as a beacon of strength and perseverance and a role model to her peers and mother of her two children.
As a two term past President of the Marin Trial Lawyers and Past President of the Marin County Women Lawyers, Ayanna is steadfast in her involvement with protecting the rights of justice including women’s civil rights in the workplace. She holds a lifetime membership with the following: Charles Houston Bar Association, California Association of Black Lawyers, Best Attorneys of America, Power Attorneys of California and the Northern California Association of Black Women Lawyers where she previously served as a board member.
AWARDS
Here Ayanna advocates for her client at the 9th Circuit:
For 15 years the Law Offices of Ayanna Jenkins Toney has provided experienced and trusted legal services to individual clients, families and small businesses in the areas of Family Law, Civil Rights, Civil Litigation and Personal Injury. This full-service litigation firm provides exemplary representation with personalized attention to the necessary details to fully comprehend and win your case. Committed to the ethical practice of law, yet steadfast in fierce positioning, this strategic firm devotes considerable attention, energy and time preparing all its cases. As committed advocates, they are devoted to providing you excellent service and successful results.
Ayanna Jenkins Toney is the Founder and senior partner of the firm. After graduating from Howard University in 1997, Ayanna continued her studies at Howard University School of Law 1998-1999, Pace University School of Law in 1999 and Golden Gate University School of Law where she earned a Juris Doctorate in 2002. Ayanna is licensed to practice law before the Supreme Court of the State of California, The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and The Supreme Court of the United States of America. Ayanna’s admittance to practice law within the courts of Washington D.C. is currently pending.
A highly decorated award recipient, Ayanna was recently recognized by Marquis’ Who’s Who as a Marquis’ Who’s Who in America. The California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) recognized Ayanna as the ‘Solo Practitioner of The Year" in 2018. She is also rated in the top 10% in the USA in Civil Litigation from Lawyers of Distinction. Since 2016, Ayanna has continuously been awarded the prestigious ’10 Best Attorneys in California’ by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys (AIOFLA). As an industry leader, she is consistently recognized by her peers as a preeminent innovative achiever in her practice. The Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum has named her as one of the Top Trial Lawyers in America.
In 2018, The National Bar Association (NBA) awarded Ayanna with an ‘Outstanding Service Award’ for her continued participation and generous contributions to the community. In 2011, Ayanna founded the North Bay Minority Bar Coalition. In 2013, she founded the National Justice Network, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation where she resides as current President. Ayanna was recently honored as a ‘Resilient Woman in our Community’ by The Peninsula Bay Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and she continues to thrive as a beacon of strength and perseverance and a role model to her peers and mother of her two children.
As a two term past President of the Marin Trial Lawyers and Past President of the Marin County Women Lawyers, Ayanna is steadfast in her involvement with protecting the rights of justice including women’s civil rights in the workplace. She holds a lifetime membership with the following: Charles Houston Bar Association, California Association of Black Lawyers, Best Attorneys of America, Power Attorneys of California and the Northern California Association of Black Women Lawyers where she previously served as a board member.
AWARDS
- 2018 Marquis’ Who’s Who awarded ‘Who’s Who in America’
- 2018 Solo Practitioner of The Year by California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL)
- 2018 Outstanding Service Award by National Bar Association (NBA)
- 2018 Top 10% Superb Rated Attorney, Ranked 10.0 by Avvo
- 2018 Best Attorneys of America (Rue Rating) by Best Attorneys Group
- 2018 Power Attorney by Power Attorneys Group
- 2018 Top 100 Lawyers by the National Black Lawyers Association
- 2017 Best Attorneys of America (Rue Rating)
- 2017 Top 10% In the USA in Civil Litigation from Lawyers of Distinction
- 2017 Top 10 Family Law Attorney by Attorney and Practice Magazine
- 2017 Marquis’ Who’s Who awarded as an Industry Leader
- 2017 Power Attorney by Power Attorneys Group
- 2017 Resilient Woman of the Community by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
- 2017 Distinguished Lawyer by the Expert Network
- 2017 Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum by Top Trial Lawyers in America
- 2016 10 Best Attorneys in California by American Institute of Family Law Attorneys (AIOFLA)
- 2016 Top 10 Ranking Under 40 by National Academy of Family Law Attorneys (NAFLA)
- 2016 President’s Award by the Marin Trial Association recognition for a decade of service
- 2016 Top 10 Client Satisfaction from the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys
- 2015 Top 100 Lawyers from The National Black Lawyers Association (NBLA)
- 2013 Rising Star Top Attorney in Northern California selected by Peer recognition for professional achievement awarded by the San Francisco Magazine
- 2012 November "Links In The Spotlight"
- 2012 Rising Star ‘Super Lawyer’ from Excellence in Practice Group
- 2012 Top ’40 Under 40’ Attorneys by the National Bar Association
- 2001 CALI Award ‘Excellence for The Future’ by the Golden Gate University School of Law
Here Ayanna advocates for her client at the 9th Circuit:
Andrew Carrington is a 1987 graduate of Oakwood University where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in Political Science. In 1990, Mr. Carrington obtained his JD from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., where he served as Lead Articles Editor of the Howard Law Journal.
Upon graduating from Law School, Mr. Carrington was recruited by the Washington State Attorney Generals Office to work in its Seattle Office. There, he defended the State of Washington in Industrial Insurance and Major Tort Actions. After leaving the Attorney Generals Office in 1992, Mr. Carrington was an associate at Merrick, Hofstedt & Lindsey, a Seattle Insurance Defense Firm, specializing in catastrophic injury cases. In 1995, Mr. Carrington began Carrington Law Office, P.C., a General Litigation Practice Firm in Downtown Seattle, focusing on Serious Personal Injury, Bankruptcy, Wills, Probate Litigation, and Criminal Defense cases.
Mr. Carrington is a past Chairperson of Washington State Bar Association Disciplinary Board and currently serves as a Conflicts Review Officer within the Washington State Bar Association lawyer disciplinary system. Mr. Carrington previously served as a member of the Judicial Evaluation and Recommendation Committee of the Washington State Bar Association, a committee tasked with making Supreme Court and Court of Appeals appointment recommendations to the Governor of the State of Washington.
Since 1990, Mr. Carrington has served on numerous community and civic boards, including the City of Seattle Head Start Policy Committee, where he was Chairman of the Board, Board of Directors of Amara Adoption Agency, Board of Directors of the Washington Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventist. Currently, Mr. Carrington Serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Walla Walla University, where he serves on the Executive Committee.
Upon graduating from Law School, Mr. Carrington was recruited by the Washington State Attorney Generals Office to work in its Seattle Office. There, he defended the State of Washington in Industrial Insurance and Major Tort Actions. After leaving the Attorney Generals Office in 1992, Mr. Carrington was an associate at Merrick, Hofstedt & Lindsey, a Seattle Insurance Defense Firm, specializing in catastrophic injury cases. In 1995, Mr. Carrington began Carrington Law Office, P.C., a General Litigation Practice Firm in Downtown Seattle, focusing on Serious Personal Injury, Bankruptcy, Wills, Probate Litigation, and Criminal Defense cases.
Mr. Carrington is a past Chairperson of Washington State Bar Association Disciplinary Board and currently serves as a Conflicts Review Officer within the Washington State Bar Association lawyer disciplinary system. Mr. Carrington previously served as a member of the Judicial Evaluation and Recommendation Committee of the Washington State Bar Association, a committee tasked with making Supreme Court and Court of Appeals appointment recommendations to the Governor of the State of Washington.
Since 1990, Mr. Carrington has served on numerous community and civic boards, including the City of Seattle Head Start Policy Committee, where he was Chairman of the Board, Board of Directors of Amara Adoption Agency, Board of Directors of the Washington Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventist. Currently, Mr. Carrington Serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Walla Walla University, where he serves on the Executive Committee.
Robert L. Harris, Esq. is a retired Vice President of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). A native of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where he attended segregated schools, he migrated to Oakland, CA in 1960 and graduated from Oakland Technical High School in 1961. A 1963 graduate of Merritt College and a 1965 graduate of San Francisco State University, he was inducted into S.F. State University’s Hall of Fame in 2007. In 1972, he received his Juris Doctor degree from the University Of California School Of Law at Berkeley (Boalt Hall). At Boalt Hall, he was an associate editor of the California Law Review and published two articles in the Review. Admitted to the California State Bar on December 13, 1972, he was a state bar examination grader from 1973-79.
Shortly after graduating from law school, he joined the legal staff of PG&E and practiced law there for seventeen (17) years, handling a variety of legal matters before transitioning to the business side of the corporation in 1989. In 1985, he became the first and only lawyer in PG&E’s history to argue and win a case for it in the United States Supreme Court. In so doing, he became the first lawyer in the nation to convince the Supreme Court that a corporation, like an individual, has negative First Amendment rights. After completing the Advanced Management Program (AMP 103 ) of the Harvard Business School (1988), he became Division Manager of one of PG&E’s major operating Divisions where he had responsibility for over 500 employees and led the efforts to restore energy in the aftermath of the 1991 Oakland firestorm (one of the largest in the nation’s history) in record time. Subsequently, he was selected as Executive Assistant to the PG&E President and thereafter in 1994 elected Vice President of Community & Local Governmental Relations. And, in 1998, he was elected Vice President of Environmental Affairs (the first ever environmental officer for PG&E), and he retired on January 1, 2007 as Vice President of Environmental, Health, Safety, Technical and Land Services after 34 years of service with the Company.
As a community leader, he has distinguished himself in numerous endeavors and is the recipient of countless awards from across the nation. A former president of the Charles Houston Bar Association of the San Francisco Bay Area and a member of its Hall of Fame, he served in 1979-1980 as President of the National Bar Association (NBA), the first ever from the West Coast. As President of the NBA, he convened the first National Conference on Black on Black Crime in 1980. One of the founders of the California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) in 1977, he presided at its first meeting; has received its highest honor (the Loren Miller Award) and its Life Time Achievement Award. Moreover, he drafted California Code of Civil Procedure 527.7 on behalf of CABL which was sponsored by then State Senator Diane Watson. In 2013 he was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame and in 2016 into the CABL Hall of Fame.
Long active in Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, he served as the fraternity’s 27th Grand Polemarch (national president) from 1991-1995. He is also a past Sire Archon (president) of Alpha Gamma Boulé (Oakland) of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and served as Grand Sire Archon (National President) of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (the Boulé) 2008-2010. He is the recipient of a number of prestigious Awards including the Willie L. Brown, Jr. Leadership Award of the A. Philip Randolph Institute; the Lifetime Achievement Awards of the Charles Houston Bar Association; the Gertrude E. Rush Award of the NBA (2011), the Roy C. Nichol Lifetime Achievement Award of the Downs Community Development Corporation, the 2011 Heart of Gold Award (Rotary Club of Oakland), the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award of the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area, and the 2016 Civic Award of the Oral Lee Brown Foundation.
As a civil rights activist, he has received the NAACP’s highest legal honor, the “William Robert Ming Award” (1986) for litigating civil rights issues. His leadership in the legal profession earned him the NBA’s highest honor, the “C. Francis Stradford Award” (1982) and the American Bar Association’s highest Pro Bono Service Award (1986). Because of his commitment to civic affairs, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, in 2005, bestowed upon him its highest honor, the “Laurel Wreath.” On two separate occasions, he served as Co-Chair of the San Francisco Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, and was its first Black Co-Chair.
He is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, and a member (Lead Director) of the board of directors of Amarantus BioScience, San Francisco, CA. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Tri-Valley Bank (San Ramon, CA) and a former member of the board of directors of Alta Alliance Bank (now, Torrey Pines Bank), Oakland, California. A Board member emeritus of both the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation and the Peralta Colleges Foundation Board of Directors, he is the current Secretary and General Counsel of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, and was the 2013 Commence Speaker for Merritt College, Oakland, CA. A former host of “All About Community” on Comcast cable OURTV78, he was selected for the History Makers in 2006.
Active in countless organizations, he is past chair of the United Negro College Fund’s Bay Area Advisory Board and has received its highest honor, the “Frederick D. Patterson Award.” From 1996-2000, he was a commissioner for the Port of Oakland and previously served as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Richmond. Active in energy matters, he is a former General Counsel of the American Association of Blacks in Energy, a former board member of the U. S. EPA’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, the Congressional Black Caucus’ National Energy Policy Commission, the California EPA Advisory Committee on Environmental Justice, and is a former member of the Board of Directors of the California League of Conservation Voters. A former member of the Board of Trustees of the Alta Bates Medical Center (Berkeley, CA), he is Past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the African American Experience Fund of the National Park Foundation (emeritus Board Member), and is the current Chair of U. S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s Finance Committee. From 2014 to 2015, he served as a member of Oakland’s Domain Awareness Center Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Privacy and Data Retention. On six (6) different occasions (1980, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 2009) he was selected by Ebony Magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential Blacks in America.” Harris is the author of the recently published book, “Goodbye, Arkadelphia! Turning Obstacles into Opportunities.”
He is married to Glenda Newell-Harris, M.D. and is the father of four children and the grandfather of six.
Shortly after graduating from law school, he joined the legal staff of PG&E and practiced law there for seventeen (17) years, handling a variety of legal matters before transitioning to the business side of the corporation in 1989. In 1985, he became the first and only lawyer in PG&E’s history to argue and win a case for it in the United States Supreme Court. In so doing, he became the first lawyer in the nation to convince the Supreme Court that a corporation, like an individual, has negative First Amendment rights. After completing the Advanced Management Program (AMP 103 ) of the Harvard Business School (1988), he became Division Manager of one of PG&E’s major operating Divisions where he had responsibility for over 500 employees and led the efforts to restore energy in the aftermath of the 1991 Oakland firestorm (one of the largest in the nation’s history) in record time. Subsequently, he was selected as Executive Assistant to the PG&E President and thereafter in 1994 elected Vice President of Community & Local Governmental Relations. And, in 1998, he was elected Vice President of Environmental Affairs (the first ever environmental officer for PG&E), and he retired on January 1, 2007 as Vice President of Environmental, Health, Safety, Technical and Land Services after 34 years of service with the Company.
As a community leader, he has distinguished himself in numerous endeavors and is the recipient of countless awards from across the nation. A former president of the Charles Houston Bar Association of the San Francisco Bay Area and a member of its Hall of Fame, he served in 1979-1980 as President of the National Bar Association (NBA), the first ever from the West Coast. As President of the NBA, he convened the first National Conference on Black on Black Crime in 1980. One of the founders of the California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) in 1977, he presided at its first meeting; has received its highest honor (the Loren Miller Award) and its Life Time Achievement Award. Moreover, he drafted California Code of Civil Procedure 527.7 on behalf of CABL which was sponsored by then State Senator Diane Watson. In 2013 he was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame and in 2016 into the CABL Hall of Fame.
Long active in Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, he served as the fraternity’s 27th Grand Polemarch (national president) from 1991-1995. He is also a past Sire Archon (president) of Alpha Gamma Boulé (Oakland) of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and served as Grand Sire Archon (National President) of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (the Boulé) 2008-2010. He is the recipient of a number of prestigious Awards including the Willie L. Brown, Jr. Leadership Award of the A. Philip Randolph Institute; the Lifetime Achievement Awards of the Charles Houston Bar Association; the Gertrude E. Rush Award of the NBA (2011), the Roy C. Nichol Lifetime Achievement Award of the Downs Community Development Corporation, the 2011 Heart of Gold Award (Rotary Club of Oakland), the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award of the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area, and the 2016 Civic Award of the Oral Lee Brown Foundation.
As a civil rights activist, he has received the NAACP’s highest legal honor, the “William Robert Ming Award” (1986) for litigating civil rights issues. His leadership in the legal profession earned him the NBA’s highest honor, the “C. Francis Stradford Award” (1982) and the American Bar Association’s highest Pro Bono Service Award (1986). Because of his commitment to civic affairs, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, in 2005, bestowed upon him its highest honor, the “Laurel Wreath.” On two separate occasions, he served as Co-Chair of the San Francisco Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, and was its first Black Co-Chair.
He is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, and a member (Lead Director) of the board of directors of Amarantus BioScience, San Francisco, CA. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Tri-Valley Bank (San Ramon, CA) and a former member of the board of directors of Alta Alliance Bank (now, Torrey Pines Bank), Oakland, California. A Board member emeritus of both the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation and the Peralta Colleges Foundation Board of Directors, he is the current Secretary and General Counsel of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, and was the 2013 Commence Speaker for Merritt College, Oakland, CA. A former host of “All About Community” on Comcast cable OURTV78, he was selected for the History Makers in 2006.
Active in countless organizations, he is past chair of the United Negro College Fund’s Bay Area Advisory Board and has received its highest honor, the “Frederick D. Patterson Award.” From 1996-2000, he was a commissioner for the Port of Oakland and previously served as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Richmond. Active in energy matters, he is a former General Counsel of the American Association of Blacks in Energy, a former board member of the U. S. EPA’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, the Congressional Black Caucus’ National Energy Policy Commission, the California EPA Advisory Committee on Environmental Justice, and is a former member of the Board of Directors of the California League of Conservation Voters. A former member of the Board of Trustees of the Alta Bates Medical Center (Berkeley, CA), he is Past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the African American Experience Fund of the National Park Foundation (emeritus Board Member), and is the current Chair of U. S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s Finance Committee. From 2014 to 2015, he served as a member of Oakland’s Domain Awareness Center Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Privacy and Data Retention. On six (6) different occasions (1980, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 2009) he was selected by Ebony Magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential Blacks in America.” Harris is the author of the recently published book, “Goodbye, Arkadelphia! Turning Obstacles into Opportunities.”
He is married to Glenda Newell-Harris, M.D. and is the father of four children and the grandfather of six.
Chuck Hobbs is a trial lawyer and freelance writer who won the Florida Bar Media Award in 2010 and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary by the Tallahassee Democrat in 2011. Hobbs is a featured writer for The Hill and has been featured in the New York Times. A Tallahassee native, Hobbs is a graduate of Morehouse College, Florida A&M University School of Graduate Studies and the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Hobbs has appeared on CNN, Fox News, the E! Network, and numerous print, online and broadcast media outlets, discussing legal issues and offering social and political commentary. He is former legal adviser to the Florida State Conference of Branches of the NAACP, where his legal drafting skills helped defeat efforts to place a biomass plant in the heart of a neighborhood, influenced the extension of hours at Florida's voting precincts during the 2008 presidential election, and filing of legal briefs with the Florida Supreme Court in defense of the rights of disenfranchised minority groups. Hobbs is a member of Florida Supreme Court Historical Society, the Federalist Society, Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and 100 Black Men of America. Hobbs was recipient of the Tallahassee Area Chapter of 100 Black Men of America's "Advocacy Award" for his legal work on behalf of indigent clients.
Carlos E. Moore, Managing Partner of Moore Law Group, PC, Carlos holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science in 1999 from the University of South Alabama and his Juris Doctorate from The Florida State University College of Law in 2002. Attorney Moore is also an alumnus of the University of Mississippi School of Law, having completed his last year of law school there as a visiting student. Licensed to practice in state and federal courts in Mississippi and Tennessee as well as before the US Supreme Court. He was the first African-American to receive the prestigious Outstanding Young Lawyer of Mississippi by the Mississippi Bar in 2008. Carlos is very active in several bar associations including the Mississippi Bar, the Tennessee Bar, American Bar Association, American Association for Justice, Magnolia Bar Association, Mississippi Association for Justice and Grenada County Bar Association. The National Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division honor Carlos with the 2012 National Young Lawyer of the Year award. He also received the 2014 Trailblazer Under 40, 2014 Esquire Award, & 2014 Presidential Fred D. Gray Legacy Award from the National Bar Association as well, and would soon serve as the Vice President of the Association. He's a certified member of The Million Dollar Advocates Forum and a former Mississippi Bar Commissioner. Additionally, his other accolades and community service commitments:
- Abundant Life Assembly, General Counsel
- Past Chair of the Workers' Compensation Section of The Mississippi Bar
- Founding Chairman of the Board, Grenada Unit of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Delta, Inc.
- 100 Black Men of Grenada, Inaugural President.
- National Law Group, Inaugural President.
- Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
- Leadership Grenada (2010) and Leadership Mississippi (2013)
- Mid-South Super Lawyers magazine: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 Super Lawyer-Rising Star
- Southern Region Black Law Students Association: 2015 Outstanding Alumni Award
- Selected for the second edition of Who's Who in Black Mississippi
- White House Fellows Regional Finalist: 2012
- Abundant Life Assembly, General Counsel
- Past Chair of the Workers' Compensation Section of The Mississippi Bar
- Founding Chairman of the Board, Grenada Unit of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Delta, Inc.
- 100 Black Men of Grenada, Inaugural President.
- National Law Group, Inaugural President.
- Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
- Leadership Grenada (2010) and Leadership Mississippi (2013)
- Mid-South Super Lawyers magazine: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 Super Lawyer-Rising Star
- Southern Region Black Law Students Association: 2015 Outstanding Alumni Award
- Selected for the second edition of Who's Who in Black Mississippi
- White House Fellows Regional Finalist: 2012
Mr. Adanté D. Pointer is an attorney with the Law Offices of John L. Burris. Since beginning practice in 2005, he has represented clients in civil and criminal litigation in courts throughout the State of California, specifically concentrating his efforts in the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
He is a Bay Area native and completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, Berkeley and earned his law degree from University of California Hastings College of the Law.
Adanté is not a stranger to high profile and high stakes police abuse cases. For example, in 2009, 22 year-old Oscar Grant was shot and killed by a BART police officer as he lay unarmed on his stomach. The shooting was captured on video and made national and international headlines for the shocking nature of incident. After litigating the matter for several years, Adanté managed to secure Mr. Grants mother and daughter a multi-million dollar settlement. The case was turned into the block-buster movie Fruitvale. He currently represents many families who have loved ones that were killed by Police Officers including, the families of Alex Nieto, Mario Woods, Luis Gongora, and Nandi Cain. He also currently represents over 10,000 people who were injured as a result of the 2012 Richmond, California Chevron Refinery Fire. He currently counts NFL player Michael Bennett as one of his clients as a result of the abuse he suffered at the hands of the Las Vegas Police while attending the Floyd Mayweather Connor McGregor Fight in Las Vegas.
Mr. Pointer is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. For the past several years Superlawyers Magazine has named him a Rising Star an esteemed designation reserved for less than 3% of all attorneys. In 2012, the National Bar Association selected him to receive the prestigious Nations Best Advocates Award. In addition, Ebony Magazine counted him among the countrys future leaders who they tabbed the 30 on the Rise. His opinions and analysis have been featured at multiple Know Your Rights Events and publicized in numerous newspapers, television programs, documentaries and radio programs. He is also a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
He is a Bay Area native and completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, Berkeley and earned his law degree from University of California Hastings College of the Law.
Adanté is not a stranger to high profile and high stakes police abuse cases. For example, in 2009, 22 year-old Oscar Grant was shot and killed by a BART police officer as he lay unarmed on his stomach. The shooting was captured on video and made national and international headlines for the shocking nature of incident. After litigating the matter for several years, Adanté managed to secure Mr. Grants mother and daughter a multi-million dollar settlement. The case was turned into the block-buster movie Fruitvale. He currently represents many families who have loved ones that were killed by Police Officers including, the families of Alex Nieto, Mario Woods, Luis Gongora, and Nandi Cain. He also currently represents over 10,000 people who were injured as a result of the 2012 Richmond, California Chevron Refinery Fire. He currently counts NFL player Michael Bennett as one of his clients as a result of the abuse he suffered at the hands of the Las Vegas Police while attending the Floyd Mayweather Connor McGregor Fight in Las Vegas.
Mr. Pointer is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. For the past several years Superlawyers Magazine has named him a Rising Star an esteemed designation reserved for less than 3% of all attorneys. In 2012, the National Bar Association selected him to receive the prestigious Nations Best Advocates Award. In addition, Ebony Magazine counted him among the countrys future leaders who they tabbed the 30 on the Rise. His opinions and analysis have been featured at multiple Know Your Rights Events and publicized in numerous newspapers, television programs, documentaries and radio programs. He is also a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
Winfield Ward Murray, Esq. is an attorney that grew up in Atlanta in a family that has been educated at Morehouse and Spelman for four generations. His great-great grandparents sent all five of their children to schools in the Atlanta University Center. And each generation since has attended either Morehouse or Spelman for their undergraduate education. In fact, his father, Winfield Ward Murray M.D., was one of the contributing founders of Morehouse School of Medicine.
Winfield graduated from Morehouse in 1998. He earned his J.D. degree from Howard University School of Law and then earned his LL.M. or Masters of Law degree from The George Washington University School of Law. Winfield began his legal career as a Judicial Clerk for the Chief Judge of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Since that time, he has served as a prosecutor with the City of Atlanta and also became the Chief Prosecutor for Atlanta’s Community Court which sought to reduce the rate of recidivism through alternative sentencing. He held that position for seven years. Later, Winfield became the Assistant Solicitor for the United States Department of Labor. In that capacity he worked on a special task force created by Congress and the White House to reduce a substantial backlog of cases stemming from the Mine Safety and Health Division (MSHA). Miners work in some of the most abysmal conditions in the United States and work-related injuries and death are a constant threat. However, Winfield was instrumental in improving the working conditions of miners throughout the southeastern region through rehabilitation of dangerous mines form West Virginia to Puerto Rico and he garnered millions in uncollected fines for the federal government.
Currently, Winfield serves as Trial Counsel in the Office of General Counsel for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development ensuring equality in the purchase, sale, and rental of homes. Principally, he is charged with eradicating discrimination in the housing industry whether the discrimination is based on race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, and/or sex. Winfield has won critical cases and cases of first impression under the Fair Housing Act. In fact, he recently secured one of the largest settlements in his region for a disabled senior citizen whose housing provider refused to grant her a reasonable accommodation so that she could continue to live in her home. Winfield also secured a substantial award for a single mother who was denied housing because she was a single parent of a minor child.
In addition to practicing law, Winfield is also a professor at Morehouse College where he serves as the Associate Pre-Law Director and teaches Constitutional Law and Moot Court. As a practicing attorney, Winfield brings a unique perspective to the Political Science Department whether it is teaching Constitutional Law students the preferred method of briefing cases for law school or capitalizing on his fourteen years of experience as a litigator to teach trial techniques to his Moot Court students. After creating the Morehouse Moot Court Team in 2013, Winfield led the Morehouse Moot Court Team to become the American Collegiate Moot Court Association’s national championship team during the 2015-16 academic year. The victory was historic on multiple levels as this was the first time that this honor had ever been achieved by an historically black college or university. The team was also the first African-American team to win the national championships. The team received a Proclamation from the Atlanta City Council for their historic feat and Morehouse remains the only HBCU to have a moot court team at the undergraduate level.
Lastly, Winfield serves on the board of several influential non-profit organizations including Gideon’s Promise, Communities in Schools – Atlanta, and the Judson Lyon’s Society. He is also a proud member of Leadership Atlanta class of 2017.
Winfield graduated from Morehouse in 1998. He earned his J.D. degree from Howard University School of Law and then earned his LL.M. or Masters of Law degree from The George Washington University School of Law. Winfield began his legal career as a Judicial Clerk for the Chief Judge of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Since that time, he has served as a prosecutor with the City of Atlanta and also became the Chief Prosecutor for Atlanta’s Community Court which sought to reduce the rate of recidivism through alternative sentencing. He held that position for seven years. Later, Winfield became the Assistant Solicitor for the United States Department of Labor. In that capacity he worked on a special task force created by Congress and the White House to reduce a substantial backlog of cases stemming from the Mine Safety and Health Division (MSHA). Miners work in some of the most abysmal conditions in the United States and work-related injuries and death are a constant threat. However, Winfield was instrumental in improving the working conditions of miners throughout the southeastern region through rehabilitation of dangerous mines form West Virginia to Puerto Rico and he garnered millions in uncollected fines for the federal government.
Currently, Winfield serves as Trial Counsel in the Office of General Counsel for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development ensuring equality in the purchase, sale, and rental of homes. Principally, he is charged with eradicating discrimination in the housing industry whether the discrimination is based on race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, and/or sex. Winfield has won critical cases and cases of first impression under the Fair Housing Act. In fact, he recently secured one of the largest settlements in his region for a disabled senior citizen whose housing provider refused to grant her a reasonable accommodation so that she could continue to live in her home. Winfield also secured a substantial award for a single mother who was denied housing because she was a single parent of a minor child.
In addition to practicing law, Winfield is also a professor at Morehouse College where he serves as the Associate Pre-Law Director and teaches Constitutional Law and Moot Court. As a practicing attorney, Winfield brings a unique perspective to the Political Science Department whether it is teaching Constitutional Law students the preferred method of briefing cases for law school or capitalizing on his fourteen years of experience as a litigator to teach trial techniques to his Moot Court students. After creating the Morehouse Moot Court Team in 2013, Winfield led the Morehouse Moot Court Team to become the American Collegiate Moot Court Association’s national championship team during the 2015-16 academic year. The victory was historic on multiple levels as this was the first time that this honor had ever been achieved by an historically black college or university. The team was also the first African-American team to win the national championships. The team received a Proclamation from the Atlanta City Council for their historic feat and Morehouse remains the only HBCU to have a moot court team at the undergraduate level.
Lastly, Winfield serves on the board of several influential non-profit organizations including Gideon’s Promise, Communities in Schools – Atlanta, and the Judson Lyon’s Society. He is also a proud member of Leadership Atlanta class of 2017.
Johnson Hor, CFCS, TEP, CFS, CAMS, CCBP, CCRS, Spec. Cert (AML-NPPS), PGDID, PGDL, CIBE, MSCIS, JD is the Director, Unimaginable Heuristics at Shoebox Ventures - a nonprofit enabling startups, founders, and nonprofits to excel. He's a member of the California, Federal, and SCOTUS bars. He advises startups in various fields. He serves on several community boards including Inspire to Do, San Francisco Community Business Resources, Golden Gate Artist Association, BeChinatown, Asian American Donor Program. He's a Coro Community Leader, a Honorary Alameda County Deputy Sheriff, an American Bar Foundation Life Fellow, an Association of Asian American Bankers Life member, and GIA Alumni Member. He's an Ambassador for the Hero Club as well as the HITLAB Women's Healthtech Initiative. He also sits on the Big Data Advisory Council for the Big Data Certificate Program at Cal State East Bay. He represented small credit unions at the White House Trade Finance Round Table, was on the San Francisco Dept of Public Health's Cultural & Linguistic Competency Task Force, served as a UN Global Compact COP Reviewer, was a National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network Research Liaison, wrote for Plaintiff Magazine, was Grants and Compliance Manager at Walden House, served as a National Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Competition Judge, and pro bono counsel for Bar Association of San Francisco's Justice and Diversity programs. His past board service includes: BeChinatown, the Lawyers' Club of San Francisco, the Substance Abuse Contractors Association, the Curtin Pacific Institute on Criminal Justice, Mexican American Political Association - SF Chapter, National Association of Asian American Professionals - SF Chapter, Lee Family National Convention of America, Visitacion Valley Community Center, the Artistry Matters, Freedom Riders Foundation Freedom Circle, Northeast Community Federal Credit Union, and the Coalition to Save St. Luke's Hospital.
