As the home of Maryland’s legal profession, the Maryland State Bar Association celebrates the accomplishments of all of its members. MSBA is proud to highlight the recent achievements, career moves, and impact members are making within the legal profession. Please join us in congratulating the following members on their recent moves.
MONIQUE GILLUM recently joined the law firm of Brown, Goldstein & Levy to help individuals navigate complex legal systems and seek justice through litigation in various areas of civil rights law, including disability, education, and housing rights, as well as employment discrimination. Prior to joining BGL in 2022, Monique served as a Dunn Legal Fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia. While there, she litigated both individual and class action cases involving students’ rights, LGBTQ+ rights, conditions of confinement, and First Amendment claims.
Gillum graduated from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where she served as a Public Service Scholar and an Editorial Board Member of the Moot Court Honor Society. During law school, Monique worked on wrongful conviction and capital defense cases as an intern at the Innocence Project and the ACLU Capital Punishment Project. She also interned at Seeger Weiss, LLP, where she focused on mass tort matters and complex litigation.
MICHELLE DAUGHERTY SIRI will join Maryland Legal Services Corporation (MLSC), the state’s largest funder of civil legal aid, as the organization’s next executive director beginning October 30. Before joining the Women’s Law Center, Ms. Siri worked for the Social Security Administration, the Office of the Attorney General, and in private practice. She holds a bachelor’s degree from The College of William and Mary and earned her law degree with honors from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.
Ms. Siri received the Benjamin L. Cardin Public Service Award from the Carey School of Law in 2021 and has been recognized by The Daily Record with a Leadership in the Law Award and multiple Top 100 Women Awards. Ms. Siri served as the chair of the legislative subcommittee of the Delivery of Legal Services Committee of the Maryland Access to Justice Commission, and currently sits on the boards of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Maryland Bar Foundation, and Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence.
GEOFFREY T. WITHERSPOON, II, is joining McMillan Metro, P.C., as its newest attorney, bringing a wealth of experience, expertise, and a deep commitment to justice and equality. Witherspoon is admitted to practice in Maryland, D.C., and New York. He received his B.A. and J.D. from Howard University and has served in several respected positions, including as a D.C. Superior Court Clerk, a lead research assistant for the D.C. Domestic Relations Manual, and a Law Fellow with the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. Witherspoon also proudly served as the Co-Chair of the Social Justice Committee of the Washington Bar Association Young Lawyers; Division, where he was awarded the Donald A. Thigpen, Jr. Rising Star Award in 2019. Throughout his career, Geoffrey has demonstrated an exceptional ability to balance his legal expertise with empathy and compassion, always prioritizing effective communication and advocacy for his clients; needs.
JUDGE RICHARD “RICKY” SANDY has been named county administrative judge for the Circuit Court for Frederick County effective December 1, 2023. Judge Sandy has served as an associate judge at the Circuit Court for Frederick County since June 2016, upon his appointment by then-Governor Larry Hogan. He currently serves as vice-chair of the Judicial Council’s Legislative Committee, a member of the Juvenile Justice Subcommittee of the Juvenile Law Committee, and chair of the Court Process Work Group of Domestic Law Committee.
Prior to his judicial appointment, Judge Sandy served as a family law magistrate at the Circuit Court for Frederick County from 2007 to 2016. Judge Sandy earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Denison University, graduating cum laude in 1986. He earned a juris doctorate from Washington and Lee University in 1989 and was admitted to the Maryland Bar that same year. Judge Sandy began his career as an associate at the Law Offices of Stephen L. Lefebvre, Esq., from 1989 to 1991. He served as partner at Lefebvre & Sandy from 1991to 1993 and as president/owner at the Law Offices of Richard Sandy, PC, from 1994 to 2007. Judge Sandy has been a member of the Frederick County Bar Association since 1992, serving as president of the Frederick County Bar in 2006.
IFEANYI EZEIGBO has been selected by The National Black Lawyers (NBL) for the 2023 “Top 40 Under 40” in Maryland. Ifeanyi has been selected for this honor for the fourth consecutive year. The NBL is an elite network of legal experts comprised of highly successful and influential lawyers with reputations for providing excellent legal representation in their respective practice areas. The NBL’s “Top 40 Under 40” recognizes 40 of the most talented Black attorneys from each state or region who have demonstrated an outstanding reputation, notable achievements, and leadership and membership in other specialty lawyer organizations.
A member of the Medical Malpractice Practice Group at Goodell DeVries law firm, Ifeanyi represents healthcare providers and healthcare institutions in all phases of medical malpractice litigation. He was recently named a Rising Star by Maryland Super Lawyers in the Personal Injury — Medical Malpractice: Defense category.
LOUIS J. CANNON, JR., has recently joined Baker Donelson, a national law firm with more than 650 attorneys and public policy advisors, as shareholder. Focusing his practice on traditional labor matters, Mr. Cannon represents public sector entities and private businesses across diverse industries, such as health care, hospitality, higher education, retail, manufacturing, and distribution. With more than 15 years of experience, he works closely with clients to ensure labor and employment law compliance and avoid workplace disputes in a manner that is least disruptive to the organization’s business goals. Mr. Cannon, who most recently was principal at Jackson Lewis P.C., received his J.D. from University of Maryland School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Maryland.
MEAGHAN N. FARNHAM recently joined Tydings & Rosenberg LLP, a Baltimore law firm that serves individuals and businesses in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia, as an associate in its litigation department. Ms. Farnham is based in the firm’s Baltimore office. She represents businesses and their owners in commercial and fiduciary litigation matters. Her experience includes serving as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Vicki Ballou-Watts of Baltimore County. Ms. Farnham earned her law degree cum laude, from the University of Baltimore Law School (2022) and her undergraduate degree cum laude, from Loyola University Maryland (2019).