Jeff Anderson, a U.S. Attorney and Registered Foreign Lawyer, is widely recognised as a pioneer in sexual abuse litigation and a champion of survivors of sexual abuse by paedophile priests and other members of the clergy. In nearly four decades as a litigator, Jeff has represented hundreds of clients and has tried over two hundred and fifty jury trials to verdict. Known for his optimism, energy and compassion for clients, Jeff is credited with being instrumental in exposing the large scale cover-up of paedophile priests in the United States in the early 1980's. As one of the first trial lawyers in America to publicly and aggressively initiate lawsuits against sexual predators—and the institutions that conceal and protect them—Jeff’s efforts have obtained justice for thousands of survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
His actions have resulted in numerous punitive damage verdicts in the US that not only help bring victims to a path of healing, but also serve to punish and deter the institutions and leaders who protect abusers. An indicator of the great impact Jeff’s work has had in the effort to seek justice for children who have been sexually abused is the number of national and international media outlets that have featured his work. Just in the last year, Jeff’s work has resulted in major stories on CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, BBC, and Italian Public Television. In addition, Jeff has been featured in articles and profiles in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Minneapolis Star Tribune, People Magazine, the ABA Journal and numerous other publications.
Jeff’s tireless efforts extend beyond the courtroom. He is a frequent lecturer, survivor advocate and author who argues for legislative and judicial protection of children and the prevention of childhood sexual abuse.
While Jeff has received many awards and recognitions, he was most honoured, in 2009, to receive the National Crime Victim Bar Association’s Frank Carrington Champion of Civil Justice Award for his extraordinary efforts to pursue justice for victims of crime through civil litigation.
Jef McAllister is a U.S. attorney and Registered Foreign Lawyer working for AO Advocates in London. An honours graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School, he also obtained a Ph.D. in Modern History at Oxford as a Marshall Scholar. He clerked for Robert F. Peckham, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court in San Francisco and worked as a corporate associate at Sidley Austin in New York. From 1989 to 2006 he worked for TIME Magazine, as Diplomatic Correspondent, White House Correspondent and London Bureau Chief, and appeared regularly on CNN, the BBC and other international news outlets. Since 2007 he has been Managing Partner of McAllister Olivarius in London, working on a variety of significant civil rights cases, business transactions and litigation.
Georgina Calvert-Lee is a practising barrister with extensive litigation experience in both the UK and the US. With a broad-based background in commercial litigation, including cross-border disputes, she has most recently been integrally involved, on behalf of the victims, in a number of sensitive civil and human rights matters with successful results. She was previously associated with the international law firms of Coudert Brothers, in Washington, D.C., and Sonnenschein, Nath and Rosenthal in Chicago.
After receiving her bachelor's degree in Philosophy and French from the University of Oxford, Calvert-Lee graduated from bar school with the highest grade of any woman barrister in her class and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1993. She has also accumulated various awards for performance or publications during her legal career, including the Chicago-Kent College of Law Dean's Evening Merit Scholarship (1996), Chrystal MacMillan Prize (1993), and Harmsworth Scholarship (1992).
Mike Finnegan has worked on all aspects of childhood sexual abuse litigation, including a significant case against the Boy Scouts of America, clergy abuse cases in numerous US states, vulnerable adult sexual abuse, and discrimination cases. His law review article on the statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse in Minnesota was published in 2004 and has been widely acclaimed by legal academics and by those seeking legislative relief for victims of childhood sexual abuse who are burdened by unrealistically short statutes of limitation.
A creative thinker and keen legal strategist, Mike is an attorney of record in the highly visible case filed by Jeff Anderson against the Vatican for the Catholic Church’s concealment and protection of abusive priests. The case, John V. Doe v. The Holy See, is currently moving into discovery and trial in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.
Mike received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Yale University in 1999 and his Juris Doctorate from William Mitchell College of Law in 2004.
Sandy has more than a decade of experience working with Jeff Anderson. She is a major source of comfort for clients and works to ensure that the legal process is one based on support and trust. Sandy is also responsible for directing discovery, coordinating and assisting in the preparation of case resources, and keeping clients abreast of the development and status of their cases.
Born and raised in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Sandy graduated from Chippewa Valley Technical College with a paralegal degree.
Patrick Dewechter has a B.A. in Intellectual History from Yale University. Hailing originally from a Jesuit high school in Philadelphia, USA, he has worked extensively as a team leader in groups striving to improve the circumstances of local communities and to offer one-on-one support to struggling peers – objectives he continues to pursue in his work at AO Advocates. He has experience both as a peer mediator and retreat coordinator. Prior to joining the firm, Dewechter was a junior paralegal at US-based law firm Archer & Greiner, P.C. His focuses at AO Advocates are on client relations, case management and IT systems development.
Lily Colman Osborn has taken a leave of absence from her studies at the University of Leeds in order to contribute to a number of highly sensitive cases involving issues of civil and human rights in Europe and the U.S. She joins the AO Advocates team as a legal assistant, focusing on client relations, case management and legal research. Lily is an active member of the Fabian Society and Amnesty International and is passionate in her work for justice. She will serve as a first and continuing point of contact for survivors.
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Dr. Ann Olivarius has managed complex legal and financial matters for over 20 years.
As an undergraduate at Yale College, she was deeply involved in a landmark civil rights case, Alexander v. Yale, and later clerked for Marilyn Hall Patel, U.S. District Judge in San Francisco. Her legal career includes service as a legal and strategic financial advisor for Perot Systems and Computer Memories, Inc., devising contracts that became widely used in the software applications industry, and drafting London arbitration rules that have framed international arbitration practice for decades. She was also the first CEO and General Counsel of the Sarnoff Endowment for Cardiovascular Science, whose assets, valued at $100 million, and scientific programs grew substantially during her tenure.
Ann runs a thriving legal practice in London where she has worked for more than a decade to right the wrongs of discrimination and human and civil rights violations. She also serves on the boards of openDemocracy USA Inc., GenerationNext!, and the National Alliance for Autism Research (UK), also known as Autistica. She is Managing Director of Latitude LifeCare, a start-up developing a health product for active women, and is also CEO/Chair of the Rhodes Project, which evaluates the careers and life choices of Rhodes Scholars worldwide.
She graduated summa cum laude from Yale College and went on to study as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford, where she wrote a prize-winning doctorate in Economics. She then became the first person to complete degrees from both the Yale School of Management and Yale Law School, normally a five-year course, in three years, receiving highest honors. In addition to being an English solicitor, she is licensed to practise law in the US states of New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Patrick Noaker has successfully litigated hundreds of cases involving childhood sexual abuse in the United States. Recognised as an expert on sexual abuse litigation, Patrick has taught legal seminars and has had several articles published on the subject of childhood sexual abuse. He has been featured prominently in the media as a survivor advocate, including making appearances on CNN and NPR.
Patrick’s dedication and passion are fed by the incredible courage his clients display on a daily basis. By standing up to institutional corruption, Patrick helps empower his clients, guide them on a path to healing, and protect future children from being abused.
Recently, Patrick was instrumental in working with Jeff Anderson to develop and launch an initiative to detect, track and ultimately deter—through civil litigation—the exploitation of children for internet pornography.
Patrick holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, and earned his Juris Doctorate from St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri.
A passionate advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, Sarah graduated with honors from the University of Minnesota Law School. During law school, Sarah served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Sandra L. Margulies in the California Court of Appeal. She also worked as a summer associate at a preeminent plaintiff’s firm in San Francisco and as a student attorney in the University of Minnesota Law School Civil Litigation Clinic.
Between college and law school, Sarah worked as an AmeriCorps member at Admission Possible, a Twin Cities-based non-profit that helps low income students earn admission to and succeed in college. Sarah graduated with honors from Macalester College, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Economics.
Christine’s academic credentials make her a valued resource for the firm. In addition to earning her Associate of Arts degree, Christine’s work with clients is enhanced by a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Masters in Criminal Justice. She also serves as adjunct instructor at Inver Hills Community College, where she teaches Criminal Justice to paralegals.
Samar Abbas brings his experience as a management consultant and analyst to AO Advocates where he is primarily responsible for project management and settlement structuring. He previously worked for Axia Limited, a US-based business consulting firm, where he was involved in a number of cost-saving initiatives for multinational clients. He was also a research analyst for the Access to Justice Programme (“AJP”), a $350 million judicial reform initiative co-sponsored by the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Pakistan that has been credited with improving judicial efficiency and case-flow management in Pakistani courts.
Samar obtained a double B.A. from Yale College in Economics and Political Science with Distinction. His academic work at Yale focused on democratic rights and the interplay of religion and politics, whereupon he was inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha, the US National Political Science Honor Society. He went on to obtain a Distinction in the Graduate Diploma in Law, scoring especially highly in Constitutional and EU Law. He is currently expecting to be called to the Bar of England & Wales in July 2011.
Drew Dean graduated from Yale University with a double B.A. in Political Science and International Studies. While studying at Yale, he trained as a volunteer mental health peer counselor and worked with undergraduate human and civil rights organisations. He has since lived and worked in London as a Legal Assistant. At AO Advocates, Drew’s work centers on client relations, case management, and legal research. He serves as a first and continuing point of contact for survivors.
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