BIOGRAPHY
At the McDermott Law Firm, Alexandra McDermott ("Ali") focuses her practice on all aspects of family law, employment law and business litigation, as well as personal injury litigation. She also has experience with general liability matters, mass and specialty tort actions, sexual tort claims and appellate law.
Memberships
Ali is admitted to practice in California, the United States District Court, Central and Northern Districts of California, as well as the United States Supreme Court. She is a member of the California State Bar and the Orange County Bar Associations.
Community Involvement and Awards
Ali is actively involved with women's initiatives. In 2007, she co-founded and established the Women's Summit which provides a forum for women leaders in the Southern California area to meet, discuss pertinent issues, and network at quarterly evening events and roundtable breakfasts. The Women's Summit works in cooperation with McDermott & Bull executive search firm.
Prior to starting her own law firm, Ali served as the firmwide representative for the Women's Forum at her prior law firm and established programs to target issues facing women, and more particularly to foster and promote the advancement and retention of women in the firm. In addition, in 2007, she established the SAGE internship program with Girls Inc. which was designed to expose a high school girl from Girls Inc. to the practice of law. As a result of her efforts in diversity, Ali was recently nominated for the Orange County Business Journal's Excellence in Business Awards.
Ali has also served as a board member for the non-profit organization Working Wardrobes and currently serves on the board of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Orange County. Ali is also a member of the cast of the CHOC Follies, a member of Women for Girls, and represents her neighborhood as the alternate delegate to Talega Maintenance Corporation. As a result of her philanthropic efforts, Ali was recently nominated for an award and recognized at National Philanthropy Day. In addition, Ali is a certified mediator in Minnesota. She is also a member of Madison Who's Who of Professionals as well as the National Association of Professional Women.
Education and Honors
Ali received her Juris Doctor from Chapman University School of Law. She was the editor-in-chief of the Chapman Law Review and vice president of the Appellate Moot Court Board. While at Chapman, she served as a judicial extern to Justice Thomas F. Crosby, Jr. at the California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, and as a judicial extern to Judge Gary L. Taylor at the United States District Court, Central District of California. Upon graduating from Chapman University School of Law, Ali received the Professionalism Award and was given the title "Giles Honor Scholar."
Ali was granted her B.A. in English literature from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. While at Washington University, she was a member of the Order of Omega Honor Society and co-founder of the Phi Lambda Psi Women's Honor Society. Ali was also a member of the Women's Leadership Training Institute.
Presentations & Publications
"Image Can Enhance and Protect the Total Health of Your Company," Total Health, p.6-7 (September 2007)
"The New SAE Reporting Requirement: The Latest Tool in Managing Risk,"Nutritional Outlook, p. 28-29 (April 2007)
"From Hiring to Firing: Strong Employment Practices Can Protect the Seeds That Grow Your Business," NNFA-West, Santa Clara, (September 2006)
"Attorney Career Issues for Women," panelist, Whittier Law School (September 28, 2006)
Other
Prior to practicing law, Ali was a former Area Sales Manager, Assistant Buyer, and Buyer for divisions of May Department Stores Company in St. Louis as well as Los Angeles.
