2024-2025 Executive Board
The George Edgecomb Bar Association Executive Board: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025
The George Edgecomb Bar Association Executive Board: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025
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Tiffany Hilton is a native of Tampa Bay and received the GEBA scholarship in 2006. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Criminology and Sociology from the University of South Florida in 2009, her Juris Doctorate from Florida A&M University College of Law in 2012, and her Masters in Business Administration from the University of South Florida in 2017. Tiffany previously served as Treasurer, past Gala Committee Chair and the Corporate Sponsorship Chair of the George Edgecomb Bar Association. She is a Senior Legal Liaison for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (“MetLife”) focusing on contract negotiations for National Accounts prospects.
She is an alumnus of Class VIII of the Florida Bar Leadership Academy, served as a Governor on the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors; Young Lawyers Chair for Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter of the National Bar Association; Hillsborough County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Ex-Officio Board of Director member; and wa a committee member of the Florida Bar Student Education and Admission to the Bar Committee.
Tiffany currently serves on two standing committees of The Florida Bar – Cybersecurity and Privacy Law and the Leadership Academy. Alongside her work for the legal community, Tiffany serves as the Community Assistance Manager for The Junior League of Tampa. She has received several awards including the Golden Bull Award from the University of South Florida, the Outstanding Young Lawyers Award and the Theresa Jean-Pierre Coy President’s Award from the George Edgecomb Bar Association, the Iris Elijah Outstanding New Board Member Award and the Most Productive Board Member Award from the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors..
Chemere Ellis is the President and Founding Member of Chemere Ellis, PLLC, and focuses her practice on a wide range of commercial litigation, financial services litigation, and criminal defense matters. With over a decade of experience in the civil and criminal arena, Chemere is a seasoned litigator and trial attorney, and provides astute counsel and representation to individuals and corporations alike. Prior to establishing her law firm, Chemere was a commercial litigator at a premier Florida law firm. She represented individuals and corporations in business, contract, and trade secret disputes, broker-dealers and their associated persons in securities industry disputes, and appointed receivers in receivership proceedings.
Chemere has also had the honor of serving the people of Florida as a prosecutor for Florida’s Sixth Judicial Circuit (Pinellas County), where she prosecuted all manner of cases, including first degree life felonies. Chemere has served as the lead trial attorney on over forty trials, most of them jury trials, and has advocated for her clients in state and federal court and before arbitral tribunals.
Chemere earned her law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law, where she competed in the university’s oral advocacy competition and earned the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence. Prior to attending law school, Chemere completed her undergraduate studies at Seton Hall University, where she earned the magna cum laude designation in obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree with double majors in Finance and English. Chemere is licensed to practice law in Florida and in the District Courts for the Middle, Southern, and Northern Districts of Florida.
Cornelius C. Demps is the Founding Partner of The Demps Law Firm, PLLC specializing in appellate and business law matters. After beginning his career as an Assistant State Attorney serving as a trial prosecutor in New Port Richey, he would go on to serve as an appellate prosecutor at the Florida Office of the Attorney General in Tampa. During his time as an assistant attorney general, he argued cases before the Second District Court of Appeal, the United District Court for the Middle District, and the United States Court of Appeals for Eleventh Circuit. He has an AV preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, was named a Tampa Bay Business Journal Up and Comers 2017 nominee, listed on Florida Trend magazine’s 2018 Legal Elite for Government Attorneys, and is a Class IV fellow of the Florida Bar’s Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Leadership Academy. In 2019, Mr. Demps was listed among Florida Super Lawyer’s Rising Stars in Appellate Practice.
Shannon Walker earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Stetson University College of Law in 2021 with a Certificate of Concentration in Social Justice Advocacy and her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Florida. Prior to law school, Shannon worked with children as a middle school language arts teacher in Hernando County and then at various community and family-based social service agencies. While in law school, Shannon served as an intern at the Office of the Public Defender for the Sixth Circuit in Clearwater representing children experiencing foster care facing delinquency charges. After law school, she worked as an Assistant State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida, then transitioned into insurance defense work for a large firm in Tampa, and currently practices dependency law with DCF’s Children’s Legal Services. Outside of work, Shannon serves on several Boards including the George Edgecomb Bar Association, Stetson BLSA Alumni Advisory Board, and Xavier House Unlimited.
Jasmine Lee Smith is an associate at the Tampa office of Garrison, Yount, Forte & Mulcahy, LLC. Jasmine graduated from Florida State University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology along with minors in Philosophy and African American Studies. She also graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 2021 with a concentration of Social Justice Advocacy. Jasmine is a member of the Florida Bar and serves as the Secretary for the George Edgecomb Bar Association. Jasmine is passionate about her work in the community, encouraging voter registration and participation, as well as advocacy for youth education.
Alexa is originally from Pensacola, FL, and a graduate of the University of Central Florida (Business Administration B.S.), Florida A&M University College of Law (J.D.), and Texas A&M University School of Law (Wealth Management LL.M.). She is a dynamic and detail-oriented Corporate Attorney with solid experience in navigating complex cross-border transactions and matters in the healthcare, life sciences, FDA regulation, and consumer product space. Since joining the George Edgecomb Bar Association, Alexa has served as a Scholarship Banquet Committee Member and the Co-Chair of The Young Lawyers Committee, representing the George Edgecomb Bar Association at the Affiliate Outreach Conference hosted by the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division. Alexa is committed to driving excellence and fostering collaboration in her new role as Press Secretary of the George Edgecomb Bar Association to ensure that all information is transmitted consistently and effectively. Additionally, Alexa is a member of the Tampa Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In her spare time, she enjoys quality time and interactive activities with family and friends, cooking, and reading inspirational devotionals.
After graduating magna cum laude from the State University of New York (SUNY) in Potsdam, Joshua L. Monteiro earned his law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law. Joshua Monteiro began his legal career as an Assistant Public Defender for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County and the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Pasco County, where he defended clients charged with a spectrum of criminal offenses.
In county court, he defended clients charged with misdemeanors such as criminal traffic violations and DUI cases. In circuit court, he defended clients charged with the most serious felony offenses, including drug trafficking, aggravated assault, and sexual battery. Joshua also practiced civil insurance defense for a prominent Miami firm where his practice included personal injury insurance defense, first-party insurance litigation, matters involving property and casualty insurance, as well as a wide variety of other torts, insurance litigation, and appellate law. After joining Sammis Law Firm, Joshua has continued to focus exclusively on criminal defense. He was recently promoted to Partner/shareholder.
In addition to his legal and educational experience, Joshua served over 29 years in the U.S. Army on both active and reserve duty. He retired as a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve in 2022.
Julian Brathwaite-Pierre, Esq. earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida (2007). He obtained his juris doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law (2012). While in law school, Julian was a member of the Student Body Legislation Committee, as well as participated in the Immigration Rights Clinic. Julian is admitted in Florida (2012). He is also admitted in the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida (2021).
Julian is a senior associate in the Tampa office of Luks, Santaniello, Petrillo, Cohen & Peterfriend. He is a member of the first party property, product liability and general liability practice groups. Prior to joining Luks, Santaniello, Petrillo, Cohen & Peterfriend, Julian represented various national creditors in various creditor’s rights litigation early in his career. He has also worked as an Assistant Public Defender in the 13th Judicial Circuit, in and for Hillsborough County, and one of Florida’s largest insurance defense firms.
Sherilee Samuel is Senior Counsel in the firm’s Litigation Group. Her primary practice areas are premises liability and products liability. She serves as local counsel on various types of matters, including consumer collection defense. Her practice also includes nursing home defense. Sherilee’s law practice affords her extensive federal court experience, which has included premises liability and consumer collection defense trials.
In her products liability practice, Sherilee has represented manufacturers in the consumer products, home appliance, and automotive industries. In her personal injury practice, Sherilee has represented clients in the amusement park, hospitality, retail, and home builder industries.
Sherilee is a native of Jamaica, West Indies. She has practiced as a clinical social worker in Brooklyn, New York, and was the director of a bi-national mission program based in Elkhart, Indiana.
Sherilee has served on the George Edgecomb Bar Association’s Executive Board and as its Role Model Committee Chair. She is Chair of the Hill Ward Henderson Scholarship Committee. She has been a “Big” with Big Brothers Big Sisters. She is also the founder and director of “Let’s Talk College,” a youth mentoring program. Sherilee has served on the Boards of Directors for Mennonite Mission Network, Drug Abuse and Comprehensive Coordinating Office (DACCO), Southeast Mennonite Conference, and The Spring of Tampa Bay.
Baron was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. Baron is a graduate of Lincoln University and Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Baron is Assistant General Counsel for the Department of Business & Professional Regulations.
