D.C. Bar Communities Announce 2026 Lawyer of the Year Awardees

May 26, 2026

The D.C. Bar Communities are honoring 12 Bar members for leadership in their practice areas, excellence in their professional and personal lives, and dedication to the mission of the D.C. Bar and its Communities.

The D.C. Bar Communities Lawyer of the Year awardees will be recognized at the Bar's Celebration of Leadership on June 18 at the Westin DC Downtown.

"The D.C. Bar Communities are dedicated to advancing the professional development and technical competence of their members through a strategic framework of high-quality educational programming, leadership opportunities, and networking initiatives," said Austin Ownbey, chair of the D.C. Bar Communities Committee, on the important role that Communities play in supporting the D.C. legal community. "Beyond these pillars, the Communities also serve as a vital voice for the legal profession by facilitating the development of public statements and the filing of amicus briefs on critical issues," he said.

"By integrating these advocacy and professional efforts with a focus on member wellness, the organization fosters a comprehensive environment that supports the career trajectory, civic engagement, and personal well-being of the D.C. legal community," Ownbey added.

The following Community Lawyers of the Year were selected by their Community peers for distinguished service to the Bar.

Maxwell Mishkin
Arts, Entertainment, Media and Sports Law Community

Max Mishkin, a partner at Ballard Spahr LLP, works with journalists, news organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and creative professionals of all types in a wide range of matters. In state and federal courts across the country, Mishkin regularly defends clients against defamation, privacy, and other content-related claims. In addition, he frequently conducts pre-publication review for press organizations and entertainment companies and opposes subpoenas for sources and other information protected by reporters' privilege. Mishkin served as co-chair of the Arts, Entertainment, Media and Sports Law Community from 2021 to 2022.

Angela Parsons
District of Columbia Affairs Community

Angela Parsons has been an active member of the D.C. Affairs Community for over a decade, working collaboratively to develop programs and other Community activities. Currently she serves as co-chair of the Community's Steering Committee. Beginning her career as a regulatory and government affairs attorney in the private sector, Parsons then shifted to roles with the District of Columbia government and the mayor's office. Currently she is deputy general counsel at the D.C. Public Service Commission, providing legal counsel in energy and telecommunications matters.

Zain Walker
Early Career Lawyers Community

Zain Walker has served as co-chair of the Early Career Lawyers Community Steering Committee for the past year. In this role, he has strived to provide new attorneys with opportunities for career advancement, networking, and pro bono work. Walker is a new attorney himself, graduating from Northeastern University School of Law in 2024 and relocating to the District of Columbia to serve as a judicial law clerk to the senior judges of the D.C. Court of Appeals for the 2024–2025 term. Walker now serves as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Superior Court Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, prosecuting various felony and misdemeanor crimes.

Conrad Bolston
Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Community

Conrad Bolston is senior counsel in the environmental and mass tort group at Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP's D.C. office. Bolston draws on his background in both government and private practice to help clients work through environmental and energy regulatory permitting, transactional due diligence, enforcement defense, and environmental justice strategy. Before joining Norton Rose, he served as senior counsel in the Office of General Counsel at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, where he helped develop policy on environmental justice. Bolston is a former defensive tackle with the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.

E. Regine Francois Williams
Estates, Trusts and Probate Law Community

As a dedicated trusts and estates attorney for nearly two decades, E. Regine Francois Williams brings clarity to complex decisions, guiding clients with integrity, precision, and strategies grounded in real‑world family dynamics so they can carry their legacy forward. She has contributed to the legal profession as a bar leader at every level, including as chair of the Young Lawyers Section of the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA); member of the D.C. Bar Estates, Trusts and Probate Law Community Steering Committee; and president of the Maryland Bar Foundation. She has been recognized for her professionalism by the American Bar Association with the Rosner & Rosner Young Lawyer Professionalism Award, by the MSBA with the Edward F. Shea Jr. Professionalism Award, and by the Maryland Daily Record for Leadership in Law.

Matt Edwards
Family Law Community

Matt Edwards is a partner in the family law practice at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, where he focuses on high-stakes matrimonial cases involving complex financial arrangements, family-owned or closely held businesses, and complex custody matters. He also helps clients negotiate and enforce prenuptial agreements. Edwards is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and teaches business valuation and trial skills as a member of the faculty of the National Family Law Trial Institute. He also volunteers as a family law mentor for the D.C. Bar Advice & Referral Clinic, where he advises pro se litigants on family law and domestic violence matters, and serves on the board of trustees of the Greater Washington Community Foundation.

Kevin Barnett
Government Contracts Community

Kevin Barnett is counsel in Baker & Hostetler LLP's D.C. office, where he is a trusted advisor to government contractors of all sizes, helping companies navigate complex regulatory schemes and assisting contractors defend their rights through the bid protest and claims processes. Since 2021, Barnett has served on the D.C. Bar Government Contracts Community Steering Committee, serving as chair or co-chair for three years. He is a contributing author to the leading treatise on the attorney-client privilege, Attorney-Client Privilege in the United States, and maintains an active pro bono practice assisting veterans obtain disability benefits and helping nonprofits navigate the Freedom of Information Act.

Chelsea Daniels
Health Law Community

Chelsea Daniels is general counsel for Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC, where she focuses on health care law, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance. She advises executive leadership on the legal complexities of telehealth, policy advocacy, and federal regulations. Beyond her executive role, Daniels has shared her expertise as a moderator for the D.C. Bar on issues facing those in the community health space and has served as co-chair of the D.C. Bar Health Law Community. Daniels prioritizes mentorship through the creation of local legal internship programs and remains a steadfast advocate for health equity in the metropolitan area.

Parvin Huda
International Law Community

As senior counsel in the Office of the Chief Counsel for Industry and Security at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Parvin Huda specializes in export controls and related national security and foreign policy matters. Her portfolio includes sanctioned and embargoed destinations, antiboycott restrictions, and controls on technology transfers. Huda provides guidance on rules and legislation and handles administrative enforcement of export controls. Serving in her personal capacity, Huda is co-chair of the International Law Community's Subcommittee on Human Rights and Immigration. Huda is also a volunteer with Tasveer, a Seattle-based organization that promotes South Asian arts and filmmaking. She previously served on the board of the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project.

Kel McClanahan
Labor and Employment Law Community

Kel McClanahan is executive director of National Security Counselors, a nonprofit public interest law firm that focuses on legal matters relating to national security, with a particular emphasis on employment law. He often represents intelligence community employees and contractors, representatives of the news media, and advocacy organizations. McClanahan is also an adjunct professor at the George Washington University Law School and American University Washington College of Law. He sits on the Steering Committee of the Labor and Employment Law Community, as well as on the Steering Committee of the Make It Safe Coalition. He has previously served on the FOIA Federal Advisory Committee.

Shannon Taylor
Law Practice Management Community

Shannon Taylor is a business and transactional attorney with more than 20 years of experience across private practice, government, and nonprofit settings. At Taylor Law, PLLC, her practice focuses on equity and ownership matters, business structuring and governance, mergers and buyouts, and commercial agreements, along with employment guidance and contract negotiations. Prior to starting her firm, Taylor served as a special U.S. attorney in the Western District of Virginia and as a lawyer with Washington Empowered Against Violence. Taylor leads the D.C. Bar Law Practice Management Community Steering Committee, serves on the board of the D.C. Women's Network, and is president of the Historic GeorgeTown Club.

Loren Ponds
Taxation Community

Loren Ponds, a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, frequently advises clients on international tax planning and controversy matters, including mutual agreement procedure claims to resolve instances of double taxation and transfer pricing and foreign-derived intangible income audits. Ponds previously served as majority tax counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means, where she developed, analyzed, and refined the international tax provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA). She provides strategic counsel to clients on the impacts of the TCJA, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, as well as the Pillar One and Pillar Two frameworks spearheaded by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Ponds served as chair of the Taxation Community from 2021 to 2022.