Jessica Baldwin believes that understanding and compassion are key to effectively representing those accused of crimes. With over 15 years of experience as a prosecutor, Jessica uses her deep knowledge of the criminal justice system to provide strong, empathetic defense strategies for her clients. Jessica’s prosecutorial background equips her with unique insights into the complexities of criminal investigations and the strategies employed by the prosecution. She understands the immense pressure individuals face when confronted with criminal charges and is committed to providing compassionate, zealous, and effective representation. Jessica strives to guide her clients through the often-daunting legal process, ensuring they understand their rights and options while pursuing the best possible outcome in their cases. Jessica brings over 15 years of extensive legal experience to her defense practice. As a former Assistant Solicitor in the Ninth Judicial Circuit, she handled a diverse range of criminal cases, from misdemeanors to complex felonies, including domestic violence, drug offenses, sexual assault, and homicide. This experience provided her with a deep understanding of the criminal justice system, honed her investigative and analytical skills, and cultivated a strong sense of empathy for individuals navigating challenging legal situations. During her tenure as a prosecutor, Jessica supervised the Charleston Domestic Violence Unit and served as a founding member of the Ninth Circuit Fatality Review Team. She continues to contribute to the legal community as an Executive Board Member for the Tri-County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council.

Elizabeth Aniskevich is Senior Counsel at Singleton Schreiber. She is the head of the Consumer Protection group and a leader in Firm’s Class Action practice. Elizabeth leads complex litigation and consumer class actions out of Washington, D.C., with a particular focus on predatory consumer financial products. With fifteen years of experience, Elizabeth is committed to using her extensive legal expertise to advocate for individuals and communities facing systemic challenges. Elizabeth’s career encompasses a diverse array of legal fields, including consumer protection, securities fraud, and civil rights. She has handled all phases of litigation, from pre-suit investigations up to trial, and has experience with both individual and class action lawsuits. Her strategic leadership in her cases earned her recognition as a Rising Star in Securities Litigation in 2017 and 2018. Before joining Singleton Schreiber, Elizabeth served as Senior Litigation Counsel in Enforcement at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), where she led investigations and litigation aimed at protecting consumers in areas such as credit reporting and auto lending. Prior to the CFPB, Elizabeth was a Senior Attorney at AARP Foundation, where she led impact cases on behalf of older adults in a variety of areas, including consumer protection, housing, employment discrimination, and disability discrimination. Elizabeth began her career as an associate at a plaintiff’s class action firm, where she focused on securities fraud litigation and shareholder suits, and held public companies accountable for misleading investors. She also clerked for the United States District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia, where she handled the pro se docket for the district court judges. Elizabeth earned her Juris Doctor magna cum laude from American University Washington College of Law. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in Sociology and Criminology, from the University of Florida, where she graduated as valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In addition to her legal practice, Elizabeth is actively engaged in the legal community. She has been featured in media outlets such as CNN and NPR and served on the DC Bar Foundation’s Young Lawyer Leadership Network for eight years, from 2016 until 2024. Outside of her work, Elizabeth enjoys practicing yoga, being outdoors, and spending time with her cats.

Pontius Tax Law, PLLC strives to resolve sensitive tax problems through trust, dedication, and value. The law firm was founded by John Pontius. Mr. Pontius regularly represents individual and business clients with sensitive and serious tax matters before the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities. His client base is local, national and international. Over the course of his career, Mr. Pontius has represented businesses and individuals with complex tax issues in the following areas: FBAR examinations, offshore disclosures, FATCA, tax planning, unfiled tax returns, release of tax liens and levies, trust fund recovery penalty, IRS and state audit examinations as well as Appeals, penalty abatement, US Tax Court litigation along with defense of tax fraud and evasion. Mr. Pontius has extensive examination experience with federal and state audits, protests of proposed adjustments and audit reconsideration. He represents clients on tax liens and levies, collection due process hearings, offers in compromises and requests for penalty abatement. He has experience with employment tax issues such as worker classification and the trust fund recovery penalty. Prior to founding Pontius Tax Law, PLLC, Mr. Pontius practiced for five years at Maryland tax controversy law firms in Rockville, Annapolis, and Bethesda. Mr. Pontius has two years’ experience in the international corporate tax group at KPMG in Tysons Corner, Virginia where he researched and analyzed a wide range of complex tax matters in the areas of compliance, provision, planning, and restructuring. At the accounting firm, Mr. Pontius worked with a broad range of U.S. multi-national and foreign-owned clients doing business as corporations and partnerships in the communications, financial services, and defense contractor industries.

Wayne brings a wealth of knowledge and perspective to the office but more importantly he is known as an advocate for individuals and families. Wayne is a licensed private investigator who joined the firm in February 2024 after a twenty-six-year career in law enforcement retiring in 2023. Wayne has spent seventeen years investigating various criminal cases to include: domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assaults, suspicious deaths, and homicide investigations. Wayne has testified in numerous federal and state level cases regarding investigations, interviews, crime scene collections and preservation.

Gieta Nejad is a highly skilled private investigator specializing in criminal defense. Gieta has a Master of Science degree in Forensic Science- Crime Scene Investigation and previously served as a Parole and Probation Officer before joining Price Benowitz LLP. Gieta’s prior experience has allowed her to develop a deep understanding of the justice system and the complexities of criminal cases. Gieta collaborates with defense attorneys to meticulously analyze cases and provides insights essential to building a solid defense. She is dedicated to ensuring a fair defense for clients, maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, confidentiality, and integrity. In addition to her criminal defense work, Gieta also supports the firm’s other practice areas.