Attorneys

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Philip M. Musolino is the firm’s senior partner. He practices extensively in three areas: complex civil litigation in the United States, principally in the District of Columbia; international law, with a focus on Africa, Eastern Europe and Western Europe; and, domestic and international transactional work. 

In the federal and national arena, Mr. Musolino has been lead counsel in disputes with various agencies of the US Government, foreign states, major banks, insurance companies and developers. He has litigated mass tort claims, as well as actions involving international transactions, fraud, fiduciary duty, negligence, wrongful death, contract breaches and federal procurement for small, mid-size and large companies, trustees, high net worth individuals and families, and for clients who could not otherwise afford to pursue their claims. The Firm’s multi-plaintiff cases include representation of hundreds of Kenyans in litigation arising out of terrorist attacks, has represented the Herero tribe in Namibia in an African tribe in its human rights claims, and was approved as counsel for a 40,000 member pyramid scheme class action.

In the international arena, Mr. Musolino has represented clients on matters in or involving Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Sudan, Iraq, Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Serbia, Spain, Greece, Germany and the Netherlands. He has represented clients in a wide variety of commercial transactions, and has also represented clients in international arbitrations in Switzerland, Paris and New York. The Firm and Mr. Musolino have been committed to the pursuit of human rights, particularly in Africa. He was a speaker before the District of Columbia Judicial Conference on the subject of reparations claims in the United States, and has been active in human rights litigation in the United States. 

Practice Areas:

• Complex Civil Litigation
• International Law
• Transactional Law

Education:

• Long Island University, BA (1977)
• The George Washington University Law School (1979)

Media Mentions

• The Washington Post
• The Delaware News Journal
• The Associated Press
• BBC Radio
• CNN.com 
• Time.com 
• The Legal Times Courttv.com 
• The Nation (Nairobi/Kenya) 
• The Namibian 
• The East African Standard
• Africa Intelligence

Admissions:

• The Supreme Court of the United States
• The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
• The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
• The United States Courts of Appeal for the Second, Third, Fourth, Seventh and Ninth Circuits
• The United States Court of Federal Claims 
• The United States District Court for the District of Columbia
• The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• The District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

Lisa J. Dessel is the managing partner of the Firm. She practices extensively in the District of Columbia in a variety real estate related areas, as well as on matters related to non-profit organization formation, administration and compliance. She is consistently recognized as one of the premier attorneys in her fields, and regularly provides judicial training for judges in the Civil Division of the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.

In the area of real estate law, Ms. Dessel represents many local property management companies, as well as property owners, and developers. She regularly litigates disputes involving residential and commercial landlord-tenant law, subsidized housing, purchase and sale, including statutory and regulatory purchase rights, and discrimination. Ms. Dessel has developed and taught training programs for property managers and staff covering all aspects of local real estate law.

Shortly after the Firm’s formation, Ms. Dessel and the Firm were firm was retained as landlord-tenant counsel to the court-appointed receiver for the District of Columbia Housing Authority. In part through her effort and expertise, the receivership was lifted, and she has since continuously served as counsel for the Authority.

Ms. Dessel also enjoys a strong reputation on matters related to non-profit organization, and devotes considerable time to her work with those organizations, including the Robert A. Shuker Memorial Fund operated by judges and members of the District of Columbia Bar for the benefit of the  District of Columbia students. 

Practice Areas:

• Commercial Real Estate Law
• Landlord Tenant Law

Education:

• Boston University, BS (1975)
• Syracuse University College of Law, JD (1978)

Affiliations and Activities:

• District of Columbia Bar Implementation Committee
• D.C. Bar Public Services Activities Corporation
• D.C. Bar Continuing Legal Education Program
• D.C. Bar Pro Bono Training Program in Landlord-Tenant Practice
• Metropolitan College of Catholic University
• DC Superior Court Landlord-Tenant Rules Committee
• Housing Conditions Court Committee
• Paperless Initiative in the Civil Division Committee
• Secretary, Robert A. Shuker Memorial Fund

Admissions:

• United States District Court for the District of Columbia
• United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
• United States Court of Federal Claims
• The District of Columbia Court of Appeals
• DC State Bar