Our People
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.
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.
Valerie Teachout
Senior Counsel
Valerie Teachout is Senior Counsel in the Employment Law and Litigation practice areas.
Ms Teachout is a distinguished employment attorney with over two decades of experience representing private and federal-sector employees. Her experience primarily includes representing employees who have suffered discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination.
Ms. Teachout is particularly adept at navigating the complexities of federal employment laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Her considerable successes include a landmark reversal in a sex discrimination case before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals: Merritt v. Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc., 601 F.3d 289 (4th Cir. 2010).
Ms. Teachout provides a high level of service to clients. She is known for her ability to communicate complex legal concepts, empowering clients to make informed decisions about their cases. Her dedication to justice and fairness in the workplace has earned her a reputation as a tenacious advocate for employee rights.
Ms. Teachout earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.
Jodi Danis
Senior Counsel
Jodi Danis is Senior Counsel in the Employment Law and Litigation practice areas.
Ms. Danis has over 25 years of experience protecting the rights of individuals and advocating for justice in employment discrimination, civil rights, breach of contract, and Constitutional cases. Before joining Potomac Legal Group, she developed and resolved groundbreaking cases during a distinguished career as an attorney at the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). An experienced advocate for employees who have been victims of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, Ms. Danis has practiced in federal trial, appellate, and administrative courts.
Ms. Danis previously held senior roles in the U.S. Department of Justice, including Deputy Chief and trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section, Acting Deputy Special Counsel and Special Litigation Counsel in the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section, and attorney in the Appellate Section. At the EEOC’s Office of General Counsel, she successfully litigated appeals in disability discrimination and sexual harassment cases. Earlier in her career, she was an associate at a leading Am Law 100 firm, in Washington, D.C.
Ms. Danis has been at the forefront pursuing employment discrimination claims that involve technology, AI, and automation in employment decision making. She has successfully challenged facially neutral hiring practices with disparate impacts based on sex, race, or national origin, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Her work has also targeted the misuse of temporary employment-based visa programs in the agricultural, hospitality, and technology sectors, with particular expertise in IT recruiting and staffing practices.
Notably, Ms. Danis helped secure over $2.5 million in civil penalties against employers who used a university’s recruiting platform to discriminate, and obtained a settlement requiring the university to reform the system. Her advocacy has helped dismantle algorithmic barriers to fair hiring and expanded access to employment opportunities.
Among her significant litigation victories, Ms. Danis successfully defended the U.S. Air Force against a Constitutional challenge to a contract for direct conversion of base maintenance functions, winning a summary judgment that was upheld on appeal. AFGE v. U.S. Air Force (D.D.C. 2000).
Ms. Danis earned her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, and her Bachelor of Arts in English and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. She clerked for Judge William Canby Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Jodi Danis is not licensed to practice in Maryland. She is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and New Jersey, and is admitted to the United States Supreme Court Bar, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Fourth Circuit, Fifth Circuit, Ninth Circuit, the District of New Jersey, and several other federal district courts.
Ayline Finucane
Of Counsel
Ayline Finucane is Of Counsel in the Employment Law and Litigation practice areas.
Ms. Finucane is a highly skilled attorney with a diverse background in civil litigation, intellectual property law, and international affairs. With over 15 years of experience, she offers expertise in complex litigation and international disputes.
Ms. Finucane advises and represents clients in a wide range of matters, from business and professional disputes to commercial negotiations and alternative dispute resolution. Her experience and linguistic skills have positioned her as a valuable resource for clients navigating complex legal landscapes.
Ms. Finucane holds an LL.M. in Intellectual Property from The George Washington University Law School and an LL.B. from The Academic Center for Law and Science in Israel. She is fluent in Hebrew and Arabic. Ms. Finucane is not licensed to practice in Maryland. She is licensed to practice law in New York and California.
Phoebe Gurdon
Legal Assistant
Phoebe Gurdon serves as Legal Assistant to the Firm. Ms. Gurdon earned bachelor’s degrees in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Anthropology from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Ms. Gurdon previously served in the Firm’s summer internship program, and she has worked for non-profits and social justice organizations in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. She has also severed as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate Guardian Ad Litem for at-risk youth in the District of Columbia foster care system.
Sheryl Osakue
Law Clerk
Sheryl Osakue serves as Law Clerk to the Firm. Ms. Osakue earned her Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School, and she is a graduate of Georgia State University. During law school, Ms. Osakue served clients of the Rutgers Intellectual Property Law Clinic and handled trademark, copyright and patent matters.
Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Osakue earned competitive internship opportunities with the New Jersey Transit’s Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Office, the Hon. Angela Foster of the New Jersey Superior Court, as well as a $200 billion multi-national pharmaceutical company.
Alyssa Mattson
Law Clerk
Alyssa Mattson serves as Law Clerk to the Firm. Ms. Mattson earned her Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law, and she is a graduate of Roanoke College. Ms. Mattson was a student attorney in the Washington College of Law Civil Advocacy Clinic and served as a senior journal staffer.
Prior to joining Potomac Legal Group, Ms. Mattson was as paralegal and legal assistant to several law firms in the Washington, D.C., area, and served as a judicial law intern to the Honorable Carlos F. Acosta in Montgomery County Circuit Court, in Rockville, Maryland.
Sonya Andrews
Law Clerk
Sonya Andrews serves as student Law Clerk to the Firm. Ms. Andrews is currently enrolled as a law student at American University Washington College of Law, and she is a graduate of the University of Houston.
Ms. Andrews previously served as a Legal Intern for the Office of General Counsel at the Washington, D.C., Office of the State Superintendent of Education and as Incoming Student Attorney for the District of Columbia’s Community Economic and Equity Development Clinic. She has also severed several law firms in legal support positions.