Damien Smith has been working in personal injury law in Virginia since 2018. Damien is motivated by his clients’ personal stories and works hard to fight for the justice and fairness they deserve. Damien started at a small firm, where he learned to always put client service first. He has handled hundreds of settlement and litigation cases from car accident and premises liability claims to dog bite lawsuits and other personal injury cases. Damien also has robust experience in handling criminal, traffic, and bankruptcy matters. Prior to his time in personal injury law, he worked in corporate compliance relating to consumer financial regulation. Damien is a member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and is pending admission to the D.C. bar. He regularly devotes pro bono time to low-income clients facing collection and housing actions at the Legal Services of Northern Virginia in Fairfax, Virginia. Originally from Fauquier County, Virginia, Damien earned his undergraduate degrees in philosophy and political science from James Madison University. Damien then went on to earn a graduate degree from James Madison in European Union Policy Studies in Florence, Italy. While enrolled in this program, Damien was recognized for the best paper in the Master’s symposium. During the two years he spent in Florence, Damien also taught English as a second language. Damien completed his law degree at George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, in 2014. He served as the Executive Editor of the Journal of International Commercial Law, and worked on a voter restoration project that assisted Virginia residents with regaining their voting rights after felony convictions. Damien lives in the Woodley Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C., with his wife. They enjoy walking through the Zoo, exploring the city, rooting for all of the local sports teams, and caring for their community garden plot and abundance of house plants. Damien enjoys reading, jazz music, playing soccer and softball, and practicing the guitar and cornet.

Mr. John Kidwell, Esq. has been the owner and managing partner of The Law Offices of Kidwell & Kent since 2004. Mr. Kidwell also owns and operates his in-firm commercial and residential real estate title company, Old Dominion Title Services, Inc., and is a licensed financial securities and registered representative. Combining these expertise: Law, Real Estate, and Finance; Mr. Kidwell has designed his firm to provide the highest quality counsel in the areas that matter most and are at the core of most families and their business concerns. Every year since 2013, Mr. Kidwell has been peer-nominated and selected by the Heritage Registry as a pillar of the community for his work as a Top Attorney in North America and continued dedication to charity. In 2021 he was published by Lawyers of Distinction as a Top Estate and Business Planning Lawyer in America in The New York Times and USA Today, and in 2022, Kidwell & Kent was featured in Fortune and Forbes Magazines as a Top DC Area Estate and Wealth Planning Law Firm. To learn more about our costs and services or how we may be able to assist you, please give us a call today at 703-764-0600 or complete our online contact form and we will be in touch.

Kabara Korth Praskavich is a partner at Maddox & Gerock, P.C., where she has devoted her legal career exclusively to domestic relations matters. She approaches each case with a commitment to helping clients feel informed, supported, and grounded during what is often a deeply stressful experience. Her background includes a wide range of family law matters, including custody, support, property division, and enforcement. She frequently handles cases requiring detailed financial analysis, such as those involving business valuation, executive compensation, and the identification of marital waste. She is also a nationally recognized speaker on these topics. Kabara adapts her approach based on the specific needs of each client. Some cases may resolve efficiently through negotiation or mediation, while others call for a more intensive litigation strategy involving financial or psychological professionals. Most matters fall between these extremes, and Kabara helps clients weigh their legal options in light of their goals, the emotional and financial costs of each path, and the circumstances of their case. After earning her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, where she completed over 350 hours of pro bono service in family law, Kabara interned with the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and clerked for the D.C. Superior Court, where she worked on cases involving civil commitment, and child protection. She earned her undergraduate degree in history from the University of Chicago. Kabara now lives in Maryland with her spouse, children, and dog. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, and exploring her love for all things nerdy. To learn more about working with Kabara or to schedule a consultation, contact Maddox & Gerock, P.C. by calling 703-883-8035 today.

Mr. O’Donnell has dedicated more than 25 years to representing individuals who have been injured in Virginia. He never represents an Insurance Company or Employer, and always speaks for the injured. Mr. O’Donnell gives individualized attention to each client, and together with his staff, carefully prepares each case, explaining the process along the way. First and foremost, Mr. O’Donnell wants his firm to be able to assist clients in getting the medical treatment they need, so that they can regain their activities/work and hopefully make a complete medical recovery as possible. Mr. O’Donnell has a statewide Virginia practice and welcomes calls from new clients and referrals from past clients and attorneys.

Andrew Lindsey is a valued member of the firm’s Northern Virginia legal team, but has litigated criminal cases from border to border of the Commonwealth. He has won the trust, praise, and respect of prosecutors and judges in multiple jurisdictions, as well as the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. He has experience resolving cases before trial, or reducing a clients' sentence who hired him after their initial trial was lost. Andrew believes that criminal cases are not decided by truth nor fairness, but by evidence. As a result, his approach to criminal cases is heavily centered on controlling and anticipating the evidence that would be presented by both sides at trial. Despite the Virginia Rules of Evidence being both technical and strict, he is known for pursuing creative ways to get preferred facts and arguments translated into admissible evidence for his clients. Andrew views criminal defense litigation as a team-based effort. This includes having valuable relationships with current judges and prosecutors who were prior criminal defense colleagues. Additionally, he consults his clients through each decision and step of their case, empowering them to make decisions by clearly explaining the legal context of any issues that may arise. At the same time, he prepares clients for the large amount of uncertainty involved in the local criminal justice system, and is ready to adapt case strategies based on dynamically-unfolding circumstances. He has a successful track record of resolving cases before trial with legal motions or favorable plea negotiations, and is highly successful in restoring gun rights throughout NoVA. Andrew has been practicing criminal defense law in the Commonwealth of Virginia since he graduated from law school, and prides himself on providing unrelenting and creative legal advocacy for every single client charged with any kind of crime. With almost a decade of experience exclusively in VA criminal defense law, he has handled multiple appeals to the Virginia Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Virginia, and has even overturned sentences imposed by the Virginia Parole Board long after criminal cases have ended. In order to continually provide exceptional service, Andrew also attends well over the 12 hours’ worth of required Virginia Continuing Legal Education (“CLE”) trainings each year. Andrew graduated cum laude from William & Mary Law School, where he focused in civil rights & criminal law. As a law student, he received top grades in relevant coursework, participated in criminal law moot court competitions, and wrote multiple scholarly articles published in William & Mary’s legal internet blogs, as well as its nationally-renowned Bill of Rights Journal, including his article on Virginia capital punishment. He also acquired valuable experience working for defense attorneys, prosecutors, and judges alike at the state and federal levels in Virginia and Washington, D.C: including Virginia’s Central Capital Defender Office, the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. After law school, Andrew spent four years defending Virginians from criminal prosecutions as an attorney in the Alexandria and Suffolk Public Defender offices, as well as a private criminal defense attorney in Fairfax and Prince William Counties. In that time, he worked on cases ranging from the lowest of misdemeanors to the highest of felonies covered by the news media, and consistently satisfied clients of all different financial and cultural backgrounds. Andrew lives in Fairfax County, Virginia and is happily married with children. Although originally from Texas, he keeps regular company with family and family friends in the DMV area, as well as further south along the East Coast. He primarily enjoys visiting breweries, distilleries, comedy clubs, and state/national parks and is a regular runner.

Providing excellent and informed representation to her clients is the hallmark of Jennifer Porter’s career. For over 25 years, Jennifer has successfully represented hundreds of people who have been injured through no fault of their own; people who were often just in the wrong place at the wrong time but suffered significant or catastrophic injuries as a result. Jennifer believes that people not only need and deserve someone who listens to them and talks the talk of a skilled litigator, but who also has the skill, experience, and background to walk the walk, preparing a successful claim for settlement or for litigation while also providing sound advice, sensitive to the needs of the individual. Jennifer is in the unique position to provide that level of representation to her clients and to maximize recovery for her clients, as a result of her years working as house counsel for Progressive Insurance and also as hired counsel for several of the country’s major insurance carriers, round-tabling defense strategies with insurance adjustors, engaging in defense-oriented training and education courses, and litigating hundreds of bench and jury trials using defense trial tactics. The thing that matters most is helping people navigate tough times with skill and sensitivity, and with a robust practice in personal injury, Jennifer looks forward to new legal challenges each day. Jennifer hails from East Tennessee and is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, College of Law – Go Vols! She completed her third year of law school as a visiting student at American University, Washington College of Law and is a 20+ year resident of Virginia. She is a committed member of the Virginia legal community. A long-time member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association (VTLA), Jennifer has served on the VTLA Women’s Leadership Caucus, VTLA Business Partners Committee, and the VTLA Membership Committee. She is also active with the Fairfax Bar Association (FBA), in which she currently serves as a member of the Circuit Court Committee and the Domestic Relations Sub-Committee. Previously, she was a member of the FBA Young Lawyers Section, serving on the Board of Directors and then as President in 2007/2008, and then in her capacity as immediate past President, she served as a member of the FBA Board of Directors. Jennifer has been recognized as a Super Lawyer and has received the prestigious AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating of her legal ability and professional ethics from the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating system for members of the legal profession and carries an Avvo Rating 10/10, also based on reviews from her peers. Jennifer is licensed to practice in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and California. In addition to her professional career, Jennifer is committed to her local community, having served on the Board of Directors of her neighborhood Swim Club and her neighborhood Civic Association. She is also troop leader to a very active group of middle school and high school aged Girl Scouts. Jennifer is a proud US Navy military spouse and mother to three school-aged daughters, and she can frequently be found at the soccer field, swimming pool or PTA meeting. She is active with the Naval Officer’s Spouse’s Club, the Military Spouse J.D. Network, and the Military Officers Association of America.

With over 15 years of experience in personal injury law, Lisa is dedicated to helping individuals navigate challenging moments with clarity and confidence. She began her career as a defense attorney for a major insurance company, where she handled thousands of cases and gained a deep understanding of how claims are evaluated and defended. She later spent six years at a plaintiff’s firm, advocating for injured individuals and guiding them through the legal process. Today, she uses that insight to effectively advocate for those she represents and work toward meaningful outcomes. Lisa is known for her thoughtful, client-centered approach and her ability to connect with clients and their families on a personal level. She understands that behind every case is a person facing uncertainty, and she is committed to helping them move forward. She finds it especially fulfilling to support injured individuals and help them reach outcomes that allow them to move on with their lives. Originally from Pittsburgh, Lisa attended Penn State University before earning her law degree from The Catholic University of America, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy. She now lives in Loudoun County with her husband, their two sons, and their bernedoodle, Murphy. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling with her family, especially to destinations that include a beach and fishing, as well as exploring her interests in food and wine. She also enjoys event planning, decorating, and visiting local wineries.

Dedicated to making the law accessible for all, Michelle is committed to helping clients navigate the complexities of personal injury law. She strongly believes that everyone deserves to have their voice heard and is eager to amplify the voice of every client. After obtaining a combined Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in English from the University of Georgia, Michelle attended the University of Richmond School of Law where she gained invaluable experience working with vulnerable populations through her numerous internships and externships. From those professional experiences, she has learned the importance of hard work, perseverance, and transparency. A second-generation Korean American, Michelle has lived in the United States and South Korea, providing her with close insight to the lives of immigrant and multicultural communities. She recognizes how comforting and empowering it can be to have a legal advocate by your side, especially for those who may struggle to ask for help. Outside of work, she enjoys taking landscape photos, spending time with her family and friends, and perfecting her recipes.