Our People

Natalie Koss, Attorney, Washington, DC, Employment, Real Estate & Commercial Litigation

Natalie M. Koss, Esq.

Managing Partner

As a seasoned litigator, Ms. Koss has a record of achieving outstanding results for her clients in employment, federal employment and commercial matters. She has litigated or participated in cases involving many areas of commercial litigation, including contract, real estate, labor and intellectual property disputes.

Ms. Koss has extensive experience in complex litigation involving employment discrimination, non-compete agreements, employment contract disputes and unpaid sales commissions.

In recent cases, Ms. Koss won a $2.8 million arbitration award for a Federal technology sales representative for FMLA interference and retaliation claims. It is among the largest arbitration awards for the type of employment claims involved.

Ms. Koss also won a significant EEOC hearing victory for a senior Federal employee, which included a judgment for backpay, pre-judgment interest, instatement to an equivalent position, employment record expungement and compensatory damages. In an unpaid sales commission lawsuit, Ms. Koss helped her client win a $1.1 million jury verdict.

Employment Law, Litigation & Severance Agreements

As part of her employment, federal employment and labor law practice, Ms. Koss has litigated and secured settlements for numerous clients with employment claims, including gender and pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, age discrimination, race discrimination and more. She has litigated cases to enforce employee rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the D.C. Human Rights Act and Title VII. Ms. Koss frequently counsels employees and professionals about severance agreements and represents them in severance package negotiations.

Natalie Koss maintains a substantial federal employment practice. Ms. Koss has significant experience representing federal employees in litigation and EEOC hearings, and she is an experienced advocate in EEOC mediation. Ms. Koss also counsels and represents federal employees in federal agency or inspector general investigations and in responding to proposed disciplinary and adverse actions.

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Krista Johnson Smiley, Associate Attorney, Washington, DC, Employment, Real Estate & Commercial Litigation

Krista Johnson

Associate Attorney

Krista Johnson Smiley is an associate attorney in the Firm’s Employment Law & Litigation practice areas.

Ms. Johnson Smiley represents clients in complex employment disputes, with litigation experience in the courtroom and alternative forums, including arbitration, mediation and EEOC hearings. She has negotiated settlements, separation agreements, and compensation packages for employees across a wide variety of industries. Clients have included federal employees, sales executives, healthcare professionals, government contracting executives and technology professionals.

Ms. Johnson Smiley has represented employees with claims involving wage and hour disputes, age discrimination, sex discrimination, disability discrimination and race discrimination claims; she has resolved numerous cases through negotiated settlements and mediations.

In a recent matter, Ms. Johnson Smiley assisted a client to secure a large six-figure settlement when her employer failed to pay her an owed sales commission. It was only after the Firm filed suit against her employer in federal court that the employer considered mediation to resolve the matter.

Ms. Johnson Smiley represented a client during a federal employment EEOC hearing in a non-selection case, in which the employee had been passed over three times for promotion due to her age, race and sex. The case resulted in a significant six-figure award for the employee, including lost wages, attorneys’ fees and emotional distress payments.

Ms. Johnson Smiley has represented numerous employees in severance negotiations, including cases involving sexual harassment and retaliation. She has litigated cases involving wage and hour disputes in arbitration and non-selection cases before the EEOC and other venues.

Ms. Johnson Smiley started her legal career as a clerk for the Honorable Judge Raquel Trabal and the Honorable Judge Sherri Beatty-Arthur.

She is an active member of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association.

Ms. Johnson Smiley received her law degree from the George Washington University Law School. During her time there, she was an active member of Lambda Law, and she distinguished herself as the Production Editor of the Federal Communications Law Journal.

Before entering law school, Ms. Johnson Smiley worked for the Fifth Judicial District of Iowa and Iowa Legal Aid. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Studies at Iowa State University.

Krista Johnson Smiley is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia.

Jasmine Santos, Associate Attorney, Washington, DC, Employment, Real Estate & Commercial Litigation

Jasmine Santos

Associate Attorney

Jasmine Santos is an associate attorney in the Employment & Federal Employment practice areas focusing on the representation of both federal and private sector employees involving claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, as well as violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, and related state and local laws. Ms. Santos’ practice includes litigating on behalf of clients in Federal and state courts. As part of her Employment & Federal Employment practice, Ms. Santos has secured settlements for numerous clients with employment claims, including gender, pregnancy, age, and disability discrimination and retaliation.

While serving at Potomac Legal Group, Ms. Santos has represented clients in numerous complex matters. She represented a professional in an employment discrimination and partnership dispute and settled the matter through mediation. Ms. Santos represented an IT executive in an employment discrimination dispute and settled the matter through mediation. Ms. Santos counseled a number of professionals in negotiating favorable severance packages. Ms. Santos has also represented numerous professionals in employment discrimination disputes before the EEOC and settled the matters through mediation. Ms. Santos has represented professionals in employment discrimination and wage and hour disputes in Federal court.

Ms. Santos counsels employees and professionals regarding severance agreements and represents them in severance package negotiations. Ms. Santos has negotiated a number of lucrative severance and compensation packages for computer software salespeople, attorneys, IT executives, doctors, administrative assistants, and media employees. Ms. Santos also counsels employees in preparation for employer investigations and in responding to proposed disciplinary and adverse actions.

Moreover, Ms. Santos’ practice includes bank negligence negotiations. She has worked with clients to negotiate settlement of damages valued into the millions of dollars by asserting claims under the Uniform Commercial Code for acts of bank employee negligence, unauthorized ACH and wire transfers, unauthorized or fraudulent withdrawals, and other acts of negligence.

Prior to joining Potomac Legal Group as an associate attorney, Ms. Santos clerked for the Honorable Judge William P. Farley at the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Administrative Law Judges. While working for the Department of Labor, Ms. Santos was awarded the Unsung Hero Award. The award is given to employees who have contributed significantly to the overall efficiency of operations and enabled other employees to achieve results and meet deadlines that helped the department attain its goals and missions.

Ms. Santos graduated with her Juris Doctor from the American University Washington College of Law. As a student attorney with the Civil Advocacy Clinic, Ms. Santos represented employees in wage and hour disputes in D.C. Superior Court. Ms. Santos was also a member of the American University Business Law Review, where she served as the Associate Managing Editor.

Originally from Rochester, New York, Ms. Santos received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Criminal Justice from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Ms. Santos is an active member of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association. She is licensed to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Shelby Shilatz, Legal Assistant, Washington, DC, Employment, Real Estate & Commercial Litigation

Shelby Shilatz

Legal Assistant

Shelby Shilatz is a legal assistant to the attorneys at the Firm. Ms. Shilatz has a law degree from Florida State University College of Law and a B.A. in English from Florida State University.

Nikita Vasudevan, Legal Assistant, Washington, DC, Employment, Real Estate & Commercial Litigation

Nikita Vasudevan

Legal Assistant

Nikita Vasudevan is a legal assistant to the attorneys at the Firm. Nikita earned a law degree from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law, and she holds a B.A. in Justice from American University’s School of Public Affairs.

Kyle Jamolin, Law Clerk, Washington, DC, Employment, Real Estate & Commercial Litigation

Kyle Jamolin

Law Clerk

Kyle Jamolin is a law clerk assisting the attorneys in the Employment, Federal Employment, Real Estate and Commercial Litigation practice areas. Mr. Jamolin is a graduate of The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.