Who We Are
The Collective is a highly skilled team of hand-selected Black women Lawyers, Experts, Change Agents, and Problem Solvers, all with successful careers in their individual fields of expertise, who were tired of seeing people who looked like them being misrepresented and recognized the need for a better way to serve clients.
Mission
To provide exceptional legal and comprehensive crisis management services to families and individuals in need.
To provide a choice alternative to Black Businessmen, Businesswomen, Artists, Entertainers, Athletes, Celebrities, and others involved in high net worth or high profile cases currently represented by firms who care about your money but don’t care about you.
Philosophy
We believe the traditional practice of solely focusing on a client’s legal matter, while silently watching them struggle in other areas of their lives, does them a great disservice. Instead, here at The Collective, we prioritize overall client well being. Our innovative practices simultaneously guide our clients through the legal process in a way that achieves optimal results in the courtroom, while ensuring they are equipped with tools they need to handle any stresses, anxieties or personal issues exacerbated by their case, thereby safeguarding their interests beyond the courtroom. In doing so, we’ve shifted the legal industry’s narrow view of what legal representation should look like.
Promise
At The Collective, we are committed to handing all cases with utmost diligence, integrity, discretion, and confidentiality. However, our commitment extends beyond merely fixing your legal problems. We care about the client, not just the case. Therefore, our team ensures our clients are properly advised and have the tools to not only resolve &/or avoid additional legal problems, but also to face and overcome issues in all aspects of their lives moving forward.
Divisions
CORE DIVISION
Servicing individuals, families, and small businesses in need of top notch legal counsel, comprehensive expertise and care.
PREMIERE DIVISION
With our unique focus on high profile/high net worth cases, we provide Black Artists, Entertainers, Athletes, Celebrities, and others involved in high net worth or high profile legal matters with comprehensive legal and crisis management services, guaranteed to safeguard their interests both in & out of the courtroom.
NON PROFIT DIVISION
Dedicated to our community.
Providing a host of free resources and launching local & nationwide initiatives (like our yearly free expungement tour) geared toward ensuring our community has access to critical knowledge, services and representation.
Practice Areas & Service Offerings
Our attorneys specialize in Family Law, Criminal Defense, Entertainment Law, Business Law, and Litigation.
We provide the following service offerings:
CASE STRATEGY/ MANAGEMENT
With our unique focus on high profile cases, we provide confidential & comprehensive case strategy and management services to high profile individuals and their teams. By conducting a thorough analysis of existing or potential legal matters, we identify the strengths and weaknesses of each case, create a clear case strategy based on our client’s goals, and assist with the execution of the plan via ongoing consulting, case management, or serving as co-counsel.
NEGOTIATION/ DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Whether you are looking to make an amicable split, resolve a legal dispute or negotiate a new business deal, our dispute resolution team and expert negotiators work to ensure our clients walk away with the best resolution/deal possible.
LITIGATION
The Collective is comprised of a Stellar Legal Team to handle your Litigation needs. Whether you are facing Divorce, Child Custody/Support Disputes, Criminal charges, Lawsuits, or other serious legal matters, our team is equipped with Legal Specialists, Strategists, and experienced Trial Lawyers who will advocate on your behalf to protect your interests.
Comprehensive Counsel + Specialized Services
CRISIS MANAGEMENT DIVISION
The problem with traditional law firms, is that lawyers don’t care about what happens outside of the billable hour; meaning they care about the case, but not necessarily the client. The Collective, however, understands that legal issues have a tendency to detrimentally effect other areas of your life. Depending on the level of conflict, cases can to lead to anxieties or mental health issues, as well as trigger actions, which may jeopardize your reputation and livelihood. When they do, our team is there with comprehensive services to ensure you have the tools you need to safeguard your interests, not only inside the courtroom, but outside of the courtroom as well. In doing so, we step up where other firms fall short, helping our client’s navigate the collateral damage that often accompanies legal battles.
Our in-house team of highly skilled professionals is experienced in the following:
- Crisis Management & Strategy
- Mental Health
- Personal Development
- Anger Management
- Domestic Violence Education and Recovery
- Reputation Management
- Communication Strategy and more
Driven by more than just dollars, our team ensures our clients have the tools they need to fix what’s broken, both in and out of the courtroom, thereby positively affecting all aspects of their lives, long after their legal issues are behind them.
“We were just tired of seeing people
who look like us being
consistently misrepresented.”
The Collective
Meet The Team
Named as one of Black Enterprises “Top Black Female Attorneys you should know”, Merissa prides herself in the successful resolution of High Profile Legal Matters through thoughtful representation and dynamic litigation.
Additionally, as
head of the Crisis
Management Division, Nicole works directly with The Collective’s clients on conflict resolution, communication strategy and reputation management.
Angela’s strong networks, superb people skills, and brilliant investigative techniques are necessary to developing factual histories to ensure proper case preparation and follow through.
She is a Member of the Florida Bar, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida and Seminole Tribal Court. She also serves as Guardian ad Litem in all Florida and Georgia courts.
Adept at knowing when to calmly negotiate vs when to aggressively litigate, Joleena is astute and principled, always putting the best interest of The Collective’s clients above all else.
As an attorney, counselor and advocate for the protection of rights, Shannon is a uniquely positioned conduit of change, ever focused on the needs and interests of our clients.
With a focus on high quality representation, personable & professional service, and effective results, Natalie utilizes experience, passion, and knowledge to get the job done.
strategist, Dr. White works within all divisions of The Collective to provide comprehensive finance auditing, accounting, tax, wealth management and business management services.
