About
Attorneys Serving the Community (ASC) began in 1987 when a handful of Dallas women attorneys pooled their talents and interests, joining together in the spirit of community service. Today ASC is a dynamic volunteer organization of almost 400 women lawyers and law students from the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
ASC’s mission is to bring together women lawyers who collectively utilize their resources and talents to support local non-profit organizations whose programs benefit women, children or families. ASC also is committed to providing its members with leadership and networking opportunities as it carries out its primary mission of serving the community.
Each year, ASC presents fundraising events that support its selected beneficiary, culminating in the annual ASC Luncheon. ASC’s annual beneficiary receives not only all of the money raised by its events but also enjoys increased public awareness of its services.
ASC has been fortunate to have nationally-known guest speakers at each luncheon, including such notables as former First Lady Laura Bush and Today Show correspondent Jenna Bush Hager; Former First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; psychologist and columnist Dr. Joyce Brothers; opera legend Beverly Sills; athlete Wilma Rudolph; model Marla Hanson; community leader Alma Powell; environmental activist Erin Brockovich; actors Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker; “Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts; and author and screenwriter Antwone Fisher.
Since 1987, ASC has raised nearly $5 million for Dallas area non-profits. ASC’s success is a tribute to the strong commitment by many area lawyers, law firms, businesses and individuals to the beneficiaries ASC has served.
Maeghan Whitehead
2022 - 2023 Lead Chair
Maeghan Whitehead practices complex commercial litigation at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP. Maeghan represents clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to entrepreneurs across a wide variety of industries and has litigated cases in numerous federal and state courts. Clients appreciate Maeghan’s practical, business-oriented approach, high energy, and ability to excel when the stakes are high. Maeghan has been selected to D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas list, served on the board of directors of Shakespeare Dallas, and is a graduate of Leadership Arts Institute by Business Council for the Arts. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Tulane University Law School, where she served as a judicial extern to the Hon. Stanwood R. Duval, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Maeghan also holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated with honors. Maeghan is excited and honored to serve alongside Jennifer Klein Ayers and looks forward to bringing her advocacy skills to raise funds and awareness for Nexus Recovery Center. Maeghan loves all things ASC and has previously co-chaired the underwriting and luncheon arrangement committees and served on the networking, speaker selection, and charity selection committees. When not advocating for her clients and the causes in which she deeply believes, Maeghan enjoys traveling and cheering on the Texas Longhorns with her husband of nine years, Jim LaMarca, an Assistant District Attorney in Ellis County, and spending time with their two pugs, Wilbur and Queenie.
Jennifer Klein Ayers
2022 - 2023 Co-Chair
Jennifer Klein Ayers is a partner at Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, where she defends global businesses in complex intellectual property matters including patent infringement; trademark infringement; trade secret, non-compete, and unfair competition disputes; and large IT outsourcing disputes. Jennifer works on matters involving computer hardware and software, information technology systems, business process outsourcing (BPO) services, software-as-a-service (SaaS). She has represented both customers and providers in complex outsourcing disputes. Jennifer has considerable experience litigating cases throughout the United States, including all federal district courts in Texas, the District of Delaware, the Northern District of California, the Central District of California, the Northern District of Illinois, the Eastern District of Kentucky, the Eastern District of Michigan, the District of Minnesota, and the Southern District of New York. Jennifer has also litigated in the Delaware Court of Chancery and the New York County Supreme Court, including the complex commercial division. Jennifer’s recent victories include numerous Daubert orders excluding both technical and damages experts; summary judgment precluding the recovery of lost profits; summary judgment of invalidity; dismissal with prejudice due to unpatentable subject matter, and an award of attorneys’ fees. Jennifer is deeply committed to providing pro bono legal services, including for matters involving actual innocence. She has contributed to Sheppard Mullin’s Active Bystandership of Law Enforcement (ABLE) project. She is also the national co-chair of Sheppard Mullin’s Women Lawyers Group. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law. She was recognized by Texas Monthly as one of the Top 50 Up-and-Coming Women Attorneys in 2022, and has been selected as a Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers for five years in a row. She was also recognized as “On the Rise” by Texas Lawyer’s Professional Excellence Awards in 2020. Jennifer joined ASC as a first year attorney, and has been a member of the organization for the entirety of her legal career. She was one of the original co-chairs of ASC’s 5k Committee and has helped the organization run that event every year since its inception. Jennifer is excited to work with Maeghan to raise funds and awareness for Nexus Recovery Center. In her down time, Jennifer enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her husband, Thomas, their two kids, Caroline and Neal, and their dog Cooper.