Debbie Leitner
President
Senior Practice Manager
debbie.leitner@kattenlaw.com
At Katten Muchin Rosenman, Debbie is in a practice management role working with firm leadership regarding the management and operations of practice groups to drive the strategic and profitable growth of the Firm.
Debbie served on the Capital Chapter board for two years and was involved in committees prior to joining the Board. She has been an LMA member since 2010 when she entered the legal marketing industry, and quickly became involved by regularly attending programs, networking and volunteering. In 2012, a team she led won the National Your Honor Award for the Events category – a wonderful recognition!
Originally from New York, Debbie moved to DC to attend college at American University. She moved abroad and lived in London, UK for four years, earning a Master’s Degree and working in investment banking. She and her husband currently live in Washington, DC with their young son TJ. They are avid travelers and try to escape outside the United States at least two times per year.
Helena Lawrence
Immediate Past President
Senior Marketing & Business Development Manager, Orrick
hlawrence@orrick.com
Helena provides leadership and strategic guidance for innovation, client service, business development, sales, and marketing initiatives for Orrick’s Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Group. She works with lawyers across 16 offices, in 8 countries, on 3 continents to create go-to market strategies, and client retention and growth plans.
In 2017 as the LMA Mid-Atlantic Region’s first president Helena led the region through LMA’s restructure to maximize the value of LMA membership. Her love for LMA first started when she became involved with the association by joining Capital’s Communications Committee in 2010 and then joined Capital’s Programming Committee in 2013. Her first board position was as Capital’s Member-At-Large and in 2016 she served as Capital’s President-Elect. Helena also participated as a judge in the LMA New England 2016 Your Honor Awards.
Born and raised in California, Helena took the road less traveled and it lead her to Washington, DC. She currently lives in Arlington and enjoys going for long runs along the Potomac and taking weightlifting classes at her neighborhood gym.
Jenna Schiappacasse
Incoming President
Director of Marketing & Business Development, Rosenberg Martin Greenberg, LLP
jschiappacasse@rosenbergmartin.com
Jenna handles RMG's business development efforts, attorney coaching, firm brand strategy, public relations, digital presence, advertising, attorney rankings, event planning, sponsorships, content strategy, industry research and community involvement. She has a passion for professional services marketing, and enjoys assisting RMG's attorneys with their marketing and business development efforts.
She joined LMA in 2010 as a member of the Capital Chapter and Baltimore City Group, and served as chair of the Baltimore City Group from 2013-2016. She was a member of the Capital Chapter’s Communications Committee and the Baltimore City Group’s Programming Committee. In 2017, Jenna served as Treasurer on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Board, and was on the board’s Finance and Sponsorship Committees.
Jenna spends her free time traveling, running, practicing yoga, and enjoying good food (and good wine) with good friends. She lives in Annapolis, MD with her husband, Mario, and their rescue puppy, Afton.
Kara Kane
Treasurer
Business Development Manager, Environment, Antitrust, Transportation, and Insurance Practice Group, Steptoe & Johnson
kkane@steptoe.com
Kara is the business development manager for the Environment, Antitrust, Transportation, and Insurance Practice Groups at Steptoe, where she helps attorneys develop and maintain their client relationships and grow new relationships through practice management, strategic initiatives, and other business development efforts. She has been in legal marketing for more than five years now, and has been in business development the entire time. “I think that the relationships we build with the attorneys and the relationships we help them to build with their clients is the key to success in this world,” Kara says, “and I love being a part of it.”
Kara joined LMA within three months of starting in this industry, which enabled her to build her network and increase her knowledge of the industry. She has previously served as co-chair of the Future Leaders SIG and on the Events, Membership, and Nomination Committees. Now that she is on the Regional Board, she is excited to help our region and members transition to this new structure and to continue to make LMA the a great resource for members.
Kara is an avid traveler and takes a 2-3 week trip abroad every other year with mini-trips in between. She has been through most of Western Europe, a fair amount of Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Egypt, South America, and is currently planning trips to Colombia and Indonesia. She is also a voracious reader and almost always has more than one book going at a time. Kara is an animal lover and advocate of pet adoption – she adopted her cat, Ollie, this past December. She is also a lifelong Packers fan.
Azeema Mohaideen Batchelor
Secretary
Business Development, McDermott Will & Emery
abatchelor@mwe.com
Azeema leads the BD initiatives for McDermott’s Private Client & Wealth Management practice. Prior to her career in legal marketing, she practiced real estate law as an associate at WolfBlock LLP.
Azeema joined LMA in 2008 as a member of the Metro New York Chapter, and continued her involvement on the Programming Committee after relocating to DC in 2013. Azeema will be serving in her second year as Secretary on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Board, and will also be responsible for the Chapter’s advocacy activities.
A New York City native and graduate of Cornell and Fordham, Azeema still considers herself a relative newcomer to DC after so many years in NY. Outside the office, she enjoys going to movies and spending time on home improvement projects with her husband, Paul.
Katie Waterhouse Castillo
Director, Membership
Business Development Specialist, Baker Donelson
kcastillo@bakerdonelson.com
Katie provides systematic, ongoing research, preparation and follow-up to attorney business development activities and provides support for implementation of attorney business development plans at Baker Donelson.
Katie joined LMA in 2012 and has served on the Baltimore City Programming Committee and as the 2016 Technology Chair on the Capital Chapter Board of Directors. She is excited about her role as Director of Membership on the Mid-Atlantic Board of Directors for 2017 and 2018.
With a degree in graphic design, Katie brings her creative, out-of-the-box thinking to all aspects of her life. She enjoys trying new food and wine, traveling, creating whatever inspires her at the moment and spending time with her new husband, Jorge.
Rebecca Edwards
Director, Marketing and Communications
Business Development Manager, Williams Mullen
redwards@williamsmullen.com
Rebecca leads the marketing and business development efforts for the corporate and tax departments at Williams Mullen. She has previously managed business development for litigation and government investigations and has held positions in marketing communications.
She became a member of LMA Virginias more than ten years ago, first joining the chapter’s programs committee. She went on to serve as Communications Chair, Programs Chair, Chair of the chapter’s first full-day conference, and then as Chapter President in 2014.
Rebecca is a lifelong Virginia resident and encourages everyone to come check out Richmond, or RVA as the cool kids say. She is a big sports fan, especially of the Miami Dolphins, and loves checking out art museums, parks and live music.
Robin Oliver
Director, Sponsorship
Global Business Development Director, JD Supra
robin@jdsupra.com
As Global Business Development Director, Robin is responsible for working with law firms across the Mid-Atlantic region to help them elevate their thought leadership pieces on JD Supra’s online publishing and targeted content distribution platform.
Robin has been a member of LMA since 2000, and was the 2015-2016 Membership Chair for the LMA Virginias Chapter. As a Director on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Board, she will focus on the region’s sponsorship efforts.
Born and raised in Southeast VA, Robin is always close to the beach. She is married to a retired Naval Officer daughters – one in grad school and a sophomore in college. While she is still trying to manage the empty nest syndrome, she has many conversations with Miley their chocolate lab.
Amy Strope
Treasurer-Elect
Business Development Manager, Covington & Burling
astrope@cov.com
As a business development manager at Covington & Burling, Amy manages multiple-practice group, large RFP responses or proposals; executes business development training, programs, and events; drives various business planning initiatives; supports departmental process improvement efforts; and contributes to a firmwide experience management database. Amy joined LMA in 2017 as a member of the Mid-Atlantic Region. Prior to her career in legal marketing, she worked in professional services marketing and public relations in the commercial real estate and government contracting industries.
Amy is in Georgetown's Masters in PR and Corporate Communications program and in the community, she serves as an active member of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, Junior League of Washington, and So Others Might Eat (SOME) Winter Ball Committee.
Jacqueline Madarang
Director, Programming
Senior Marketing Technology Manager, Bradley
jmadarang@bradley.com
Jacqueline Madarang is senior marketing technology manager at Bradley, an AmLaw 200 law firm with over 500 attorneys in nine offices. She is based in the firm’s Washington, DC office. She oversees and manages the firm’s marketing technology stack, including the implementation of new tools firm-wide to assist in marketing and business development.
She leads the firm’s marketing technology team, its efforts in business development technology, marketing technology and digital marketing. She works with attorneys and practice groups across the firm and focuses on developing digital, social and communications programs that further business development objectives. She helps attorneys understand technology, social media and content marketing, and how they can apply these to business development and get results.
Jacqueline is a pioneer in defining the role of a marketing technologist in law firms. She is an active member of LMA and ILTA and has served in different leadership roles. In addition to her new board leadership role in the Mid-Atlantic region, she is also a member of LMA’s Educational Advisory.
When she is not traveling, she spends her time with her dog, friends and is a fan of the arts. She enjoys traveling for fun, wine, cooking and eating good food. She is a native Angeleno and sometimes misses the proximity of the beach from her current home.
Inna Kolomiytsev
Director, Communications and Programming
Director of Marketing & Business Development, Niles, Barton & Wilmer, LLP
ivkolomiytsev@nilesbarton.com
Inna manages the marketing communications and business development initiatives for Niles, Barton & Wilmer, a mid-size firm focused in commercial litigation, corporate, real estate and employment law. She focuses on individual attorney and practice group business development as well as leading continuous process improvement on projects including website management, marketing budget, CRM management, pitches and proposals, legal rankings, market research, client development, event planning, content marketing and external/internal communications. With a business background, she brings an analytical viewpoint, outside industry experience and the client-perspective to professional services marketing.
She joined the LMA Capital Chapter Future Leaders SIG as Co-Chair in 2012, and served as a member of the Baltimore City Group’s Programming Committee. She served on the LMA Baltimore Steering Committee as Board Secretary and Programming Committee Co-Chair in 2017. Inna is excited to continue to offer members programming that expands professional development and networking opportunities in her role as Director-at-Large, Programming and Marketing Communications, serving on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Board.
Inna emigrated from Russia with her family in the early 1990s and grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore, where she stayed for college and completed her MBA studies in International Business at Loyola University Maryland. Born in Uzbekistan, she has a passion for appreciating and honoring diversity and culture. She loves travelling and has been lucky to continue exploring cultural experiences and new cuisine across the U.S. and abroad with her “United Nations of Friends.” A dancer, outdoor enthusiast and a creative soul, she likes to recharge outside of the office. She supports community engagement and serves on the Board of the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, a Maryland environmental non-profit.