Lisa Harris Jones
(Founding Member/Attorney at Law)

Although active in a variety of areas of the law, Ms. Jones concentrates her practice in lobbying, government relations and procurement. She has represented both publicly held and private enterprises, encompassing both small and large business entities.

As an associate with the law firms of Shapiro and Olander (1993-1997) and Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC (1997-1999), Ms. Jones represented the City of Baltimore and many of its agencies and related quasi-public entities (i.e., the Department of Housing and Community Development and Community Development Financing Corporation), in complex real estate development and financing transactions.

In 2000, Ms. Jones opened up her own firm. Now, 12 years later, she remains the first and only African American female in the State of Maryland to operate her own practice with a focus in lobbying and government relations.

Through hard work and tireless advocacy, Ms. Jones is widely regarded as a lobbyist with the ability to effect real change in the legislative process regardless of the size of her client or the perceived power of her opponent. As a result of her successful track record, for the last three years her clients have enabled her to become the first African American (and the only female lobbyist) to be ranked in the top five earning lobbyists in Maryland following the conclusion of the legislative session, landing in the number three spot.

Currently, Ms. Jones represents a wide range of business interests before the Maryland General Assembly and Baltimore’s City Council, Liquor Board, Board of Estimates, Planning Commission and Zoning Board.

Among her many legislative accomplishments, Ms. Jones lobbied successfully for the passage of a priority lien bill on behalf of the Community Associations Institute Maryland Legislative Action Committee (“CAI”), an organization representing common ownership communities like condominium associations. For many years, CAI had battled with financial institutions over this important legislation. In only her second legislative session representing CAI, Ms. Jones was able to facilitate an agreement and secure the votes needed to pass the bill. This new law allows condominium associations to recover up to four months of association fees at the time of a foreclosure sale. Hard hit by the downturn in the housing market, association fees are vital to the financial stability of all common ownership communities.

In the 2010 session of the General Assembly, Ms. Jones led the fight to defeat a labor-backed bill which would have required contractors participating in public works contracts of $500,000 or more to provide health insurance to their employees. If passed, this bill would have inflated the cost of State construction jobs and negatively impacted a majority of the industry in Maryland.

Ms. Jones is honored to have received the YWCA Greater Baltimore's Special Leader Award in 2012. In 2009, she received The Daily Record's Leadership in Law Award. She has also been named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women in 2005 and 2009 by The Daily Record, 40 under 40 by the Baltimore Business Journal in 2001, the Top 25 Young Leaders to Watch by the Baltimore Times in 2002, and honored as a 21st Century Woman by the Maryland Coalition for Responsive Government in 2000.

Admitted to Practice: State of Maryland

Law School: American University Washington College of Law, Washington, DC (J.D.,1993)

College: University of Pittsburgh (B.A., 1990)

Recognitions: Recipient of the YWCA Greater Baltimore’s Special Leader Award in 2012; Recipient of The Daily Record’s Leadership in Law Award in 2009; Recipient of Maryland's Top 100 Minority Business Enterprises in 2006 and 2008 by The Daily Record and the Maryland Governor's Office of Minority Affairs; Recipient of The Daily Record’s Maryland Top 100 Women in 2005 and 2009; Baltimore Times’ 25 Young Leaders to Watch in 2002; Baltimore Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, July 2001; Maryland Coalition of Women for Responsive Government, Inc.’s 21st Century Women, October 2000; Recipient of Greater Baltimore Committee’s 2010 Bridging the Gap Achievement Award

Community Service: Co-Chair, 2012 Journey Home Benefit Committee to raise funds for Baltimore City's 10-year plan to end homelessness; Commissioner, Baltimore City Wage Commission; Member, City of Baltimore MBE/WBE Certification Appeals Board; Secretary, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Maryland Affiliate; President, Druid Heights Community Development Corporation, Inc; Board Member, Center for Fathers, Families and Workforce Development; Co-Chair, College Bound Mid - Summer Fest; Member, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Baltimore Metropolitan Chapter; Member, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Board Member, Hampden Family Center; Board Member, First Tee of Baltimore, Inc.; Member, Maryland Coalition of Women for Responsive Government, Inc. 21st Century Woman II

Professional Memberships: National Bar Association; Monumental Bar Association; American Bar Association; Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia; and Women’s Leadership Forum of the Democratic National Committee, Maryland Government Relations Association

Achievements: Recipient: American University Washington College of Law, Deans Fellowship for Research in Domestic and International Banking, 1991-1992; Women’s Law Association, Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin Scholarship, 1992; and Author: “The Civil Rights Act of 1991, The Compromise on Civil Rights,” American University Black Letter Law Journal (Spring 1992)