Dec. 3, 2002 – With the addition to staff of V.I. attorney Simone R. D. Francis, the national law firm of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. is expanding its St. Thomas office.
Francis will concentrate her practice in the areas of general litigation, environmental counseling and litigation, and employment litigation for employers.
Francis, daughter of James Francis and the late Melanie Vanterpool Francis of St. Thomas, attended All Saints Cathedral School from kindergarten through graduation as valedictorian in 1985. She graduated from Brown University and Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.
After working a year with a Washington, D.C., law firm, Francis returned home to serve as law clerk to then-Chief Judge Thomas K. Moore of the District Court of the Virgin Islands. She next became a partner in the law firm of Dudley, Topper and Feuerzeig, LLP and, as of Dec. 1, has joined Ogletree Deakins as a "Shareholder," according to a release from the firm.
Charles Engeman, managing Shareholder of the St. Thomas office, said, "We are excited to be able to enhance the service provided to our clients in the Virgin Islands and throughout the Caribbean." Chairman of Ogletree, Deakins Gray Geddie added, "Since opening our office in St. Thomas almost two and a half years ago, we have had tremendous demands from our clients to expand our practice."
Ogletree, Deakins was founded in 1977 and, with 14 offices nationwide, is one of the 250 largest U.S. firms. For more information, visit their website at www.ogletreedeakins.com.
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