Partner at HEA Law PLLC, Washington D.C.
Mr. Auito, JD, MSE, MBA, is an intellectual property (IP) attorney with over 14 years of experience managing and monetizing IP portfolios, preparing and prosecuting patent and trademark applications, advising on freedom-to-operate matters, dispute resolution, litigation and branding. He represents clients of all sizes, ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to startups, on IP and business law matters. Mr. Auito serves on the Business Growth Council (BGC) and on the Advisory Board of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBEC) in Washington DC. He also holds advisor positions with several technology startup companies (mobile payments, UAV, blockchain). Mr. Auito also presents emerging legal and technical topics to trade organizations, professional associations, and universities throughout the United States and Asia. Prior to forming HEA Law, PLLC, he was equity partner for several years at a former top 25 IP law firm in Washington DC. Before law school, Mr. Auito was a project engineer at Applied Safety & Ergonomics, Inc., an engineering consulting firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he analyzed product designs and performed accident analysis and reconstruction, and he was an engineer at ACR Industries, a gear and component manufacturer servicing the aerospace industry.

Member at PCT Law Group, PLLC, Washington D.C.
Ms. Bell provides advice and counsel to business clients in contract disputes, and in regulatory and compliance matters, as well as in labor and employment issues. She also handles major complex litigation before local and federal courts and administrative boards. Her trial experience includes jury and bench trials with multiple parties, and class actions. Ms. Bell works with business clients to satisfy statutory obligations, establish policies and develop relationships that allow for strategic planning and efficient legal solutions. On labor and employment matters, Ms. Bell defends employment claims on behalf of employers before administrative boards and state and federal courts. She also handles government contract clients from the perspective of enforcing a contractor’s rights under the contract and defending against government claims. Before joining PCT Law Group, Ms. Bell was a member of the Business, Employment, and General Litigation & Trial Practice Groups at Jackson & Campbell, P.C. Ms. Bell joined Jackson & Campbell, P.C. after four years of private practice with a boutique litigation firm and a decade with the Attorney General’s Office for the District of Columbia where she served as a Senior Counsel in the Civil Litigation Division. Ms. Bell is a NITA certified litigator. She has taught courses on employment law, zoning and government contract-related issues.

Mr. Kelly’s practice has concentrated on the counseling and defense of clients in litigation arising out of construction defect and delay claims, professional liability claims, environmental and toxic tort disputes and pharmaceutical product liability claims. He also assists insurance companies in resolving coverage questions arising under general liability policies, and he represents insurers in coverage litigation. Mr. Kelly speaks and publishes frequently on litigation and insurance coverage topics. He authors and provides annual updates to the chapters on District of Columbia law in the highly-regarded Tort Law Desk Reference and the Product Liability Desk Reference. He has been appointed a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and has received the coveted “SuperLawyer” designation for Washington, DC, in the field of professional liability defense. Mr. Kelly’s education includes a BSE degree in Civil Engineering from Princeton University.

Alison R. Mullins, Partner at Shannon, Mullins & Wright, LLP, in Alexandria, VA 

Ms. Mullins focuses her practice on all aspects of commercial dispute resolution. In particular, she often represents architects, engineers, and others involved in the construction industry. Ms. Mullins received her J.D. degree from Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island. Before entering the private practice of law, she started her legal career as a contracts manager and in-house counsel at a large architectural firm in Northern Virginia. Ms. Mullins is admitted to practice in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. She is on the Board of Governors and Membership Chairperson of the Virginia State Bar Construction and Public Contracts Law Section, an Allied Professional member of the American Institute of Architects, Northern Virginia and District of Columbia Chapters. Ms. Mullins is an author/co-author of several industry periodicals, as well as a frequent presenter. 

Senior Broker, Ames & Gough, Washington, D.C.Ms. Sinks is a senior broker in Ames & Gough’s McLean, Virginia office. She joined the firm in 2016 and is responsible for evaluating clients’ risks, as well as all aspects of their insurance renewal process. She is directly involved in the placement of all commercial coverage lines, including property/casualty, professional liability, and management liability. Before joining Ames & Gough, Ms. Sinks was a director in Clark Construction Group, LLC’s Risk Management program from 2013 to 2016. Earlier, she was with Victor O. Schinnerer from 2004 to 2013, where she held positions of increasing responsibility during her tenure. She began as an associate account executive and ultimately became associate vice president and program manager. Ms. Sinks earned B.A. degrees in Economics and English from The University of Virginia, where she was a GEICO Jack & Dorothy Byrne Academic Scholarship winner. She also earned an M.S. degree in Insurance Management from Boston University.

Mr. Smith is co-chair of the Washington, D.C. Litigation Practice Group. His practice focuses on the representation of owners, design-builders, design professionals, construction managers, and general contractors in all phases of the construction process. Mr. Smith’s pre-construction experience includes drafting and negotiating construction, construction management, and design agreements. Mr. Smith assists clients with pursing their rights through litigation and alternative dispute resolution. His litigation experience includes all manner of construction and design disputes, including impact and delay claims, construction and design defects, differing site conditions, design negligence, terminations for default, change order and extra work disputes, requests for equitable adjustments, payment and performance bond claims, mechanics’ liens, prompt payment and conditional payment disputes, and bid protests. Mr. Smith has substantial experience arbitrating and litigating design and construction claims, with a proven track record of success. He is an advocate for early case assessment and mediation, and he has successfully resolved numerous claims through mediation. Mr. Smith has represented clients in state courts throughout the United States, federal courts, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the American Arbitration Association, and in several non-administered arbitrations.