Board of Directors

Leneer Hutchinson is an attorney in the Office of Corporation Counsel within the New York City Law Department, where she evaluates claims made against the City and works to resolve them in an equitable manner. Prior to joining the Law Department, Ms. Hutchinson was a Staff Attorney at Urban Justice Center where she litigated various residential housing-related matters in multiple jurisdictions on behalf of the underserved public. She maintains a deep passion for serving our City’s most vulnerable communities. While currently serving as Vice President of the Association of Black Women Attorneys, Leneer helps develop and implement the organization’s long-term strategy which prioritizes identifying professional opportunities for members, public interest efforts for communities in need, organizational fundraising, and member engagement. She also previously served as a co-chair of the judicial and legislative and scholarship committees.

Allison Hobbs is Senior Counsel, Business and Legal Affairs at ViacomCBS where she structures and negotiates a wide variety of complex transactions in connection with the development, production, acquisition and distribution of content across platforms. Prior to working at ViacomCBS, Allison served as Director, Business and Legal Affairs at Big Tent Entertainment where she oversaw both legal and business affairs for the company globally and was responsible for the worldwide enforcement of the company’s intellectual property portfolio. In addition to her professional obligations, Allison is a very active member of the community. She serves as a mentor to high schools students through iMentor, Inc. and has volunteered her time serving on judicial screening panels, serving as a coach for America Needs You, and serving with various other initiatives and organizations. Allison holds a B.A. in Spanish from the University of Connecticut and a J.D. from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law.

Adeneiki is a Trading Documentation Associate with RBC Capital Markets where she reviews, prepares, and negotiates derivative trading agreements. Prior to working at RBC Adeneiki was an assistant general counsel with the Vera Institute of Justice where she negotiated contracts with third parties and evaluated inquiries related to risk management and compliance. Adeneiki has previously worked as a consultant negotiating derivatives contracts; she also reviewed derivative agreements and provided advice about the interpretation of agreements for regulatory compliance requirements. Adeneiki attended Wesleyan University where she earned a Bachelor’s of Arts and studied abroad at the University of Bologna. Adeneiki continued her educational journey at Brooklyn Law School where she received her Juris Doctorate in 2016. Ms. Williams has been admitted to practice law in the state of New York since 2017. Adeneiki's achievements in law school included receiving the Silver Pro Bono Award for public interest legal work and volunteering as Treasurer for the Northeast Black Law Students Association. Adeneiki currently lives in Brooklyn and enjoys traveling and reading novels.

Moya M. O’Connor is an accomplished trial attorney whose practice focuses on the defense of complex matters in State, Appellate, and Federal Court.  More specifically, Moya provides litigation counsel in the fields of premises liability, automobile liability, labor law, property damage, subrogation, personal injury, and other intricate tort matters.  Moya also has experience handling workers’ compensation matters as well. Moya has achieved defense verdicts and verdicts of nominal amounts in venues across the New York Metropolitan Area. Outside of the office, Moya is very active in the legal community.  She is the Founder & CEO of Caribbean Attorneys Network, Inc. (CAN), a professional organization geared towards the development of attorneys, law students, and legal professionals of Caribbean descent.  CAN was the 2016 and 2018 recipient of the Bar Leaders Innovation Award from the New York State Bar Association.   Most recently, Moya was chosen as a 2021 NY CUP Fellow by the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP) and was elected as the Secretary of the Association of Black Women Attorneys.  In 2018, the Queens Tribune Press awarded Moya with the Caribbean American Legacy Award, and Crain’s New York Business included Moya on its inaugural list of Leading Women Attorneys in New York City. In 2017, The Network Journal  recognized Moya as a 40 under Forty Honoree, and the publication, News Americas Now, included Moya on it’s list of “12 Caribbean Executives You Should Know.” In 2016, Moya was also chosen to be a member of the Defense Association of New York’s Diversity Initiative Class of 2016.  Further, Moya has been published in the Claims & Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) Magazine and New York State Bar Association Torts, Insurance, & Compensation Law Section Journal. Moya has also spoken on various panels regarding trial advocacy and career development.

Danielle L. Jackson is the Interim Managing Attorney of the Criminal Defense Practice at Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (“NDS”). Prior to joining NDS, she was a Court Attorney to two Black women justices in New York Supreme Court and a Staff Attorney in the Criminal Defense Practice of the Legal Aid Society. Danielle is currently a lecturer in law at Columbia Law School. In addition to serving on the board of AWBA, Danielle is a member of the Criminal Justice Operations Committee of the New York City Bar Association, sits on a variety of hiring committees, and mentors legal interns and junior attorneys. She is also a frequent volunteer for the Young Debaters Program where she serves as a judge in the final debate competitions among elementary and middle school aged children. Danielle received her B.A. in Communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her J.D. from Howard University School of Law.

Sherbune (Sher) Paul is an associate at Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP. Sher focuses her practice on transportation related matters including litigation, regulation, policy, technology, civil and administrative law. Sher also serves as the Secretary for the Transportation Law Committee at the New York City Bar Association. Prior to joining Windels Marx, Ms. Paul was the Supervising Attorney of the Appeals, Recruitment, Training and Seizures Unit at the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC). Sher is a zealous advocate who started her career at the Administration for Children’s Services where she prosecuted cases of child abuse and neglect. Sher is a first-generation professional of Haitian descent who is passionate about using her advocacy skills to serve her community. In addition to being an ABWA Director, Sher is the President of the Haitian American Lawyers Association of New York, Inc. and the Secretary of local non-profit, Little Haiti BK, Inc. Sher also serves as a Director on the Women Entrepreneurs & Executives board at the Haitian-American Business Network (WEE@HABNET). Sher earned her J.D. in 2016 from New York Law School (NYLS) where she continues to serve as a Director and the Law Student Engagement Liaison on the NYLS Alumni Association Board. Sher earned her Bachelors in 2012 at Stony Brook University. Sher is admitted to practice in New York and the Supreme Court of the United States.  Sher was recently named to New York City & State's 40 Under 40 Rising Stars.

Kia Roberts-Warren Esq. currently represents the NYC Department of Buildings for safety violations issued to construction companies and building owners in all five boroughs. Before joining the DOB, Kia was a policy research fellow for the NGO  [spell out NGO] on Women, Peace, and Security.  There, she was responsible for monitoring and analyzing the entire cycle of the UN Security Council decision-making including the procedure for the adoption of peacekeeping mandates in resolutions, their implementation of reports, presidential statements, and the 10 thematic agenda items that are   adopted in response to an emerging crisis to illuminate the ways in which WPS is being reflected and discussed. She also serves as a member to the NYC Bar Association UN Committee and NYCLA Committee on Foreign and International Law. She has mentored high-performing high school students who are first generation college-bound helping to prepare for the college application process with Minds Matter, Inc.   Kia earned her JD in 2017 from University of Baltimore School of Law with a Concentration in Comparative and International Law. In 2012, She received her BA in Asian Studies from Temple University. She aspires to work for the Secretary of State, the UN, or a UN mission in a legal capacity. As part of her continuing interest in learning, she is enrolled in French and Spanish courses with the goal to become fluent in French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and either Farsi/Arabic. When she does have free time her hobbies include reading, watching old Hollywood movies, a good brunch with friends and colleagues, and traveling. Kia will soon begin a new role with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

Doralyn De Dios is an Assistant District Attorney at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. Ms. De Dios earned her J.D. in 2016 from New York Law School and her B.S. from St. John’s University, in 2013. She is admitted to the New York State Bar. In addition to being an ABWA board member Ms. De Dios is the President-elect of the Dominican Bar Association. Doralyn was born in the Bronx and raised both in Jersey City, NJ and in the Dominican Republic. Ms. De Dios enjoys reading books, exercising, traveling and dancing.