Donahoe Kearney - July 2021

Donahoe Kearney - July 2021

BRIEF July 2021 FROM BROOKE'S PERSPECTIVE

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A FAREWELL TO BROOKE

Many of you have come to know Brooke Birkey, our Director of Client Services, pretty well over the past five years. Maybe you talked to her on the phone when you first called us, were encouraged by her when you felt down, or read some of her great articles in our newsletter. My personal favorite article she wrote was in the January 2020 newsletter about starting out at age 19 with nothing but a “credit card and a scrappy attitude.”

One of the things I have loved about working at Donahoe Kearney is that I have been given so many opportunities to learn and try new things. I have grown a lot professionally over the past five years, and I have Frank to thank for that. Frank never said “no” to an opportunity for me to try something new, and I would say that I now have an entire skill set that I didn’t come in with. Thank you, Frank!

New Employee Spotlight on Brooke from July, 2016.

And it has been an absolute honor to work alongside Frank, Keith, Priscilla, Andrea, Summer, and Amaris (and others over the years). This team does amazing work and helps people stand up for themselves in situations where they wouldn’t otherwise have the tools — there’s a lot of honor in that. And I love the people! Some of the clients I have known the whole time I’ve been here ( you know who you are ), and they feel more like a work-family now. I appreciate how they have stayed in touch and shared their family updates with us. They make true one of our core values: We Make Clients for Life! I still believe the same thing I did in that new employee interview from July of 2016: Always be thankful for what you have today because you don’t know what tomorrow will bring. And I have had many things to be thankful for every single day over the last five years — and so much for today! Thank you to you, Donahoe Kearney, and our amazing clients. You made this job so much fun and so very rewarding! A very heartfelt thank you to Donahoe Kearney, - Brooke Birkey

Naturally, I couldn’t resist telling her the final version had a typo and it changed to “ a credit card and a crappy attitude ,” and that has been a long-running joke here. Like many of you, we all really enjoy working with Brooke. She has been a great coworker and friend. So, we are sad to see her go but very happy for her at the same time. One of the things we really stress here is to live your best life — I know it sounds like a cliche, but it’s true. We try to do that every day. And encouraging our clients as we guide them through the legal process after a serious injury is a big part of our “secret sauce.” It’s what sets us apart and makes us the right choice for so many people with serious injury cases. We want you to thrive! When the pandemic hit, it gave Brooke an opportunity to reassess her situation, and to her credit, Brooke took the opportunity to make the most of it — moving to Florida (where she’s from) and buying a cool house there! She has continued to help us by working remotely, but for an engaging team player like Brooke, remote work doesn’t cut it — she has to do more. It’s in her DNA. And we totally get that. So, it is a bittersweet goodbye that we say to Brooke, and I hope you will join us in wishing her the very best!

- Frank Kearney

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A FAREWELL TO BROOKE

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Meet Sunshine, Brooke’s new Florida cat. Florida cats are the laziest.

Brooke's new home in Florida

Remember our offices in downtown DC? There’s a sign on the wall that says, “Work like a captain, play like a pirate,” in Brooke’s office — definitely must be a Florida thing.

You may not know this, but Brooke is very much a karaoke enthusiast. She has been known to launch into an ice-breaker at a firm meeting, asking everyone what their go-to karaoke song is … Ask Frank what his is …

Ready to relax on her new back patio

MEET GRACE

OUR SUMMER ADMINISTRATIVE CLERK

Grace Tifford is currently studying tuba performance while also on the pre-law track at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is from Rockville, Maryland, and graduated from the Brookewood School for Girls in the class of 2020. Grace was born and raised in an extremely musical family and has been playing the tuba for 7 1/2 years. She has always taken tuba playing seriously, participating in the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras for six years and the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship for three years, and she was involved in many prestigious summer camps, such as the National Youth Orchestra of America

and Boston University Tanglewood Institute of Music. After graduating from the University of Maryland, Grace hopes to attend the George Washington Law School to further her education with a concentration in medical malpractice and combating the disparities in health care for racial minorities. When Grace is not consumed by her studies, she enjoys spending time with her seven siblings, watching football, and playing sports.

Fun Fact: Grace is Frank’s oldest niece!

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PRISCILLA’S ESSENTIAL POTIONS Priscilla’s Essential Potions was a direct response to the global pandemic. Hand sanitizer was nowhere to be found and rubbing alcohol was scarce. I started making my own hand sanitizer using a combination of rubbing alcohol and natural pure essential oils that are well-known for their antibacterial properties. In the midst of the pandemic frenzy, I concocted these potions at home with limited resources and made them for my family and friends who didn’t have access to hand sanitizer. Jokingly, my partner said, “Babe, you should really make this into a business. People would love your product.” Of course, I chuckled, but then I sat there quietly while making the rest of the potions for my family, and I began to envision what it could look like. For the next three months, I devoted all my spare time to building my website, brand, and logo, and finally chose a name — Priscilla’s Essential Potions or PE Potions . The name is perfect because it does double-duty (my middle name is Elizabeth). I slapped an EIN on the brand, and just like that, I was ready to share my product with the world. The purpose of my products is to treat a variety of conditions and to help prevent further damage to the body by utilizing what nature has to offer. I am an advocate of natural remedies and a holistic way of healthy living first, before putting unpronounceable ingredients into my system. So, keeping that in mind, I expanded to other potions that address other common health issues. I am even starting a line specifically for our furry friends — since the health of my three pups is huge for me!

My potions are all handmade: mixed, stirred, and poured precisely by members of my family and me. I

have sold my products from the DMV all the way to El Salvador. They are natural, holistic, and non-traditional potions that offer something different from others who are making essential oil products. To learn more about my current offerings visit my website at PEssentialPotions.com. Currently, my products are for anyone who is interested in using holistic and natural remedies for common health care, beauty, and lifestyle issues instead of going straight to pharmaceuticals. My product has made nonbelievers into believers of essential oils and their power to heal. Ready to get started? I make it easy with four simple steps: 1) Just visit my website at PEssentialPotions.com; 2) click the potion and how many you’d like; 3) insert any commentary, allergies, etc.; and 4) enter payment and your shipping address. PE Potions can also be found on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook.com/PEPOTIONS/ Instagram.com/pessentialpotions/?hl=en

- Priscilla Senior Paralegal

CONGRATULATIONS TO SUMMER George Mason Grad!

Our Client Experience Specialist, Summer Roberts, graduated from George Mason University this spring. She is the proud holder of a bachelor’s degree in global affairs with a concentration in global governance. Way to go, Summer!

What do you mean we're not Facebook friends, Instagram buds or Tik Tokkers? Let’s get connected, people!

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Donahoe Kearney, LLP 708 Pendleton Street First Floor Alexandria, VA 22314 202.393.3320 DonahoeKearney.com

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1 A Farewell to Brooke

2 Meet Grace, Our Summer Administrative Clerk

3 Priscilla’s Essential Potions

Congratulations to Summer — George Mason Grad!

4 Frank’s Column: And the Masks Are Off

AND THE MASKS ARE OFF

And they’re off! (The masks, that is.)

Sean’s graduation from Gonzaga (where cigar smoking is apparently an extracurricular activity, at least for grads) gave us a chance to celebrate with our extended family — some we hadn’t seen in over a year — and it was moving, emotional, and a lot of fun. So much so that we’re doing it again on the Fourth. My hope is you and your family and friends can do the same this Fourth of July and for a long time after that!

If your family is anything like mine, it’s been a long haul over the last year or so. With so many changes, so much uncertainty, it was sometimes tough to adapt, and sometimes it felt like we were just surviving instead of thriving. And it’s been really rough on young people — let’s face it; it’s a lot easier to cope with shutdowns and staying home when you’re my age than in your teens and 20s.

- Frank Kearney

Do you know someone we can help? We make it easy on you to refer your friends, family, and coworkers! Just have them call 202-393-3320 or use this QR code for a confidential, no-risk assessment of their case.

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