Board of Directors
Presidents
AIRIN CHEN (they/them) is an attorney for the US Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to HHS, they clerked at the US Court of Federal Claims, handling vaccine litigation. They obtained their J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and their B.A. from UC Berkeley. As a queer, trans, Taiwanese American attorney, Airin is invested health and racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights. As a multi-media artist, they are committed to cultivating LGBTQ+ art projects and community spaces throughout DC.
JOHN HEFLIN (he/him) graduated from Georgetown University Law School in 2020. During law school, John served as a staff member on the Georgetown Technology Law Review, with a focus on new developments in privacy law. He also interned at international non-profit, Ashoka, specializing in data protection and privacy compliance. Upon completing his internship, Ashoka hired him to continue his work on privacy compliance. Since joining Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP, John has focused on privacy and data security, cybersquatting, emerging technologies and intellectual property with a focus on trademark law. Prior to law school, John worked for former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe as his personal aide. He attended Marquette University obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
Vice President
CALEB HOLLAND (he/him) is originally from Smithfield, Virginia and has lived in DC since 2018. After graduating law school cum laude from the Catholic University Columbus School of Law, Caleb has developed his practice in the area of food and drug law and is currently an Associate at Steptoe LLP. Caleb has interned with the Office of Special Masters in the Court of Federal Claims under Special Master Katherine Oler and has worked for the Department of Commerce with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Caleb has published scholarly work on government-held patents for PrEP in the Catholic University Law Review, and he holds a graduate certification in Global Health from his alma mater, Old Dominion University. Caleb maintains an active pro bono practice, focusing on environmental and social justice issues. In his free time, Caleb enjoys watching tennis and spending time with his parrot, Martha Wash.
Secretary
MEGHAN DROSTE (she/her) works for a federal agency on equal employment issues. Prior to joining the federal government, Ms. Droste was in private practice with two DC-area firms representing federal and private sector employees who experienced discrimination in the workplace. She also shared her knowledge of employment discrimination law as an instructor with the Federal Employment Law Training Group, providing trainings to federal agencies across the country. Originally from Boston, Ms. Droste holds a B.A. from Boston University, an M.S. from American University, and a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School.
Treasurer
SHERRY YU (they/them) is a litigation associate at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. Sherry holds a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, a M.S. from Northwestern University, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, where they were on the board of OutLaw and were a recipient of DC LGBT Bar’s Lavender Equality Fellowship. Outside of work, Sherry is an avid CrossFitter, and was an OutAthlete in 2020 with the Out Foundation, a group dedicated to increase LGBTQ+ access in fitness, when they successfully advocated for CrossFit to allow the usage of preferred name for their certified coaches in competitions.
Members
ADAM BECK (he/him) is vice president for employer health policy and initiatives at America’s Health Insurance Plans. At AHIP, he led the successful push to repeal the Cadillac Tax, wrote much of the No Surprises Act, and successfully lobbied the Treasury Department to expand Health Savings Account rules to allow for coverage of chronic health services. Prior to joining AHIP, he was assistant professor of health insurance at The American College of Financial Services, where he ran the Chartered Health Care Consultant designation and the MassMutual Center for Special Needs, including lecturing nationwide on estate planning for special needs caregivers. He has authored a textbook on the Affordable Care Act and frequently appeared as an expert on health insurance reform on NBC News, as well as publications including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Forbes. His public service experience includes stints at the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Washington Office of the Governor of Louisiana, and as an early staffer on the 2008 campaign of President Barack Obama. He earned his law degree from Temple University, a master’s degree from The American College, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from The George Washington University.
ANDREW DAM (he/him) currently serves as a trial attorney for the Department of Energy’s Office of General Counsel, Litigation. His caseload includes FOIA, employment, contract, and NEPA lawsuits. Andrew grew up in Evansville, Indiana and attended Indiana University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Law & Public Policy with a Minor in Economics in 2017. He graduated from Georgetown Law in 2020. During law school, Andrew was a chair in OutLaw, Senior Articles Editor for the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law, and a student attorney in the Georgetown Law Civil Rights Clinic. Andrew served as a law clerk for the Honorable Laura A. Cordero in D.C. Superior Court from August 2020 to April 2023. During that time, Judge Cordero was the Presiding Judge of the Civil Division, the Deputy Presiding Judge of the Probate and Tax Divisions, and eventually the Presiding Judge of the Probate and Tax Divisions. From November 2022 to April 2023, Andrew also clerked for two other judges in the Probate and Tax Divisions: the Honorable Leslie A. Meek and the Honorable Erik Christian. During his clerkships, Andrew worked on a broad range of issues covering mortgage foreclosures, landlord and tenant disputes, discovery disputes, adult guardianships, decedents’ estates, D.C. tax law, and post-conviction criminal motions.
DENNIS JANSEN (he/him) is a state and local tax associate at Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP. Dennis holds a B.A. from the University of Miami, a J.D. from the University of Minnesota, and an LL.M. in taxation from Georgetown University with a certificate in state and local taxation. Prior to practicing tax law, Dennis worked at Thomson Reuters for 7 years and served as an editor at the Dallas Morning News, where he also reported on LGBTQ+ issues. Dennis splits his time between Houston and Dallas, where he lives with two dogs – a chiweenie named Gunter and a labradoodle named Ingrid.
JOHN LAPIN (he/him) is a litigation associate at O’Melveny & Myers. Before joining O’Melveny, John spent two years clerking in his native Colorado for the Hon. Philip A. Brimmer, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Before then, John was a white collar associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in DC. John received his J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a board member of OutLaw, managing editor of the American Criminal Law Review, research assistant in comparative constitutional law, law clerk at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and intern for the Hon. Beryl A. Howell, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Before law school, John was the Senior Assistant to the Special Counsel at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, where he worked on congressional and inter-governmental relations and served as a member of the Obama Administration’s working group on employment protections for LGBTQ+ federal employees. John received his B.A., summa cum laude, from Tufts University.
ANDREW LONGHI (he/him) is an associate at Covington & Burling and is a member of the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity and Communications and Media Practice Groups. Andrew received his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he clerked for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rwanda and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Prior to law school, he served in the policy and strategic planning office of Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker in the Obama Administration. He worked to shift how the United States deploys its vast economic tools to address pressing global challenges, and how the federal government engages the private sector as a more influential policy partner. Andrew also holds a B.A. in Government with Honors from Dartmouth College.
JOSH MOGIL (he/him) is a government attorney. He previously served as an associate at WilmerHale, as a Payton Fellow at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and in various roles at Capital One Bank, The White House, and USAID. Josh graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown Law and received his B.S. from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. After law school, Josh clerked at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Josh previously served as President of the DC LGBTQ+ Bar Association for the 2023 term.
ALAN MOORE (he/him) is Assistant General Counsel for Data Protection at S&P Global, one of the world’s leading providers of market analytics and financial ratings services. In that role, Alan oversees privacy and data protection provisions in S&P’s vendor negotiations for the Americas and Europe and serves as liaison to the Government Relations and Cybersecurity Incident Response teams. Prior to joining S&P, Alan worked in privacy legal roles in the healthcare, government, and technology sectors. He holds a JD from the Samford University Cumberland School of Law and an LLM with Honors in privacy law from the University of East Anglia Law School in Norwich, England. Alan is originally from rural Georgia and has lived in the DC area since 2019. Outside of work, he’s an avid Nationals fan, engaged in several community health and wellness initiatives, and member of the Washington National Cathedral Congregation.
JAGIR PATEL (they/them) works on education policy at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). At OMB, Jagir advises senior White House officials on issues related to college affordability and completion and sex-based discrimination protections in schools. Jagir’s career in education was sparked after teaching in the Mississippi Delta and Durham, North Carolina; working on education community development projects in Sierra Leone; and supporting LGBTQ+ and first-generation college students at Harvard College. Jagir graduated as a Blume Scholar at Georgetown Law, where they served as an Executive Editor for the Georgetown Law Journal. Jagir received their master’s degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education; their bachelor’s degree with the highest honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and a minor in education and licensure in middle and secondary grades social studies from Duke University.
PAIGE RANDALL (she/her) is an Associate at Foley & Lardner LLP and is a member of the firm’s Fund Formation and Investment Management and Transactions Practice Groups. Paige’s practice focuses on the representation of fund sponsors in the formation of private equity, real estate and venture fund. She also represents pension plans, institutional investors, endowments and foundations in their investments in private funds. Paige has a significant experience with a variety of transactions on the secondaries market. Paige graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 2018, where she served as Co-Editor in Chief of Vol. XIX of the Georgetown Journal of Gender & the Law. Since graduation, Paige has worked in both New York City and Washington, DC for large, international law firms. Paige currently serves on the Membership Committee of the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association and is active in Georgetown’s Early Outreach Program, which reaches out to and mentors recent high school graduates interested in a career in the legal field. She currently resides in Alexandria, VA with her wife and their dogs, and is an avid fan of the Washington Spirit.
PAYTON THORNTON (he/him) is an associate in the Antitrust practice group at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo. He focuses his practice on antitrust and competition matters, including antitrust compliance, merger review, and government investigations. He primarily advises clients in the health care sector. Payton graduated from George Mason University’s law school in 2022 with a concentration in antitrust law. He was president of the school’s LGBTQ+ OutLaw student group and Editor in Chief of the Journal of Law, Economics and Policy. Payton serves as a Young Lawyer Representative to the Antitrust Source, an online ABA publication dedicated exclusively to antitrust, consumer protection, and data privacy law. In his free time, Payton enjoys volunteering with the D.C. chapter of Gay for Good, a national non-profit with chapters in over 20 cities that mobilizes LGBTQ+ and ally volunteers to make a difference in their community.
ROBERT VLASIS (he/him) is litigation counsel at Winston & Strawn LLP. Industry titans like Apple, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Samsung, Microsoft, and Intel have entrusted Robert with their most sensitive patent-infringement matters for over 15 years. Robert is also dedicated to civic engagement and pro bono matters affecting the LGBTQ+ community. He has authored amicus briefs in landmark Supreme Court cases, and has represented numerous clients discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation and HIV status. Robert is a past Chair of the Eastern Caucus for the LGBTQ Victory Fund and has been involved with Lambda Legal, Whitman Walker, HRC, Human Rights Watch, the ACLU, the Houston Law Center’s Diversity Mentoring Program, and Callen-Lorde in New York. His service has been awarded the HIV Law Project’s Distinguished Pro Bono Service Award.
LAZARO ZAMORA (he/him) is an Associate at Hogan Lovells and a member of the firm’s Litigation Arbitration and Employment practice. Lazaro has experience defending class action lawsuits and multidistrict litigation at various stages of litigation, as well as arbitrating contract disputes. Lazaro also maintains an active pro bono practice representing immigrants, survivors of violent crimes, and veterans and their families. Before joining Hogan Lovells, Lazaro attended Georgetown Law, where he served as an executive editor for the Georgetown Law Journal and as a law fellow for the First Year Legal Research and Writing Program. Originally born in Havana, Cuba, Lazaro grew up in Miami, Florida, until attending Georgetown University for college.