Attorney

Jennifer Porter

About

Providing excellent and informed representation to her clients is the hallmark of Jennifer Porter’s career. For over 25 years, Jennifer has successfully represented hundreds of people who have been injured through no fault of their own; people who were often just in the wrong place at the wrong time but suffered significant or catastrophic injuries as a result.

Jennifer believes that people not only need and deserve someone who listens to them and talks the talk of a skilled litigator, but who also has the skill, experience, and background to walk the walk, preparing a successful claim for settlement or for litigation while also providing sound advice, sensitive to the needs of the individual.

Jennifer is in the unique position to provide that level of representation to her clients and to maximize recovery for her clients, as a result of her years working as house counsel for Progressive Insurance and also as hired counsel for several of the country’s major insurance carriers, round-tabling defense strategies with insurance adjustors, engaging in defense-oriented training and education courses, and litigating hundreds of bench and jury trials using defense trial tactics.

In addition to her proven skills as a personal injury litigator, Jennifer has also developed legal experience in other practice areas, having litigated matters of family law relating to divorce, support, and child custody in both levels of court in Virginia, as well as criminal defense, traffic matters, and school disciplinary matters.

The thing that matters most is helping people navigate tough times with skill and sensitivity, and with a robust practice in personal injury, Jennifer looks forward to new legal challenges each day.

Jennifer hails from East Tennessee and is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, College of Law – Go Vols! She completed her third year of law school as a visiting student at American University, Washington College of Law and is a 20+ year resident of Virginia. She is a committed member of the Virginia legal community. A long-time member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association (VTLA), Jennifer has served on the VTLA Women’s Leadership Caucus, VTLA Business Partners Committee, and the VTLA Membership Committee. She is also active with the Fairfax Bar Association (FBA), in which she currently serves as a member of the Circuit Court Committee and the Domestic Relations Sub-Committee. Previously, she was a member of the FBA Young Lawyers Section, serving on the Board of Directors and then as President in 2007/2008, and then in her capacity as immediate past President, she served as a member of the FBA Board of Directors.

Jennifer has been recognized as a Super Lawyer and has received the prestigious AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating of her legal ability and professional ethics from the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating system for members of the legal profession and carries an Avvo Rating 10/10, also based on reviews from her peers. Jennifer is licensed to practice in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and California.

In addition to her professional career, Jennifer is committed to her local community, having served on the Board of Directors of her neighborhood Swim Club and her neighborhood Civic Association. She is also troop leader to a very active group of middle school and high school aged Girl Scouts. Jennifer is a proud US Navy military spouse and mother to three school-aged daughters, and she can frequently be found at the soccer field, swimming pool or PTA meeting. She is active with the Naval Officer’s Spouse’s Club, the Military Spouse J.D. Network, and the Military Officers Association of America.

Education

  • Tusculum University
  • University of Tennessee, College of Law
  • American University, Washington College of Law

Bar Admissions

  • Virginia
  • Maryland
  • District of Columbia
  • California

Awards & Recognitions

  • AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating
  • Avvo Rating 10/10
  • Super Lawyers 2020 – Present

Attorney

Stephanie Himel-Nelson

Stephanie has been a practicing attorney for over 20 years and is the firm’s newest attorney, specializing in estate planning. She firmly believes everyone needs an estate plan and takes pride in helping Virginia families plan for each stage of life. As the firm’s latest member, she’s excited to use her skills to safeguard your family and your financial future.

Stephanie is a member of the bars in Virginia and Washington, D.C., and is also a seasoned litigator with experience in complex commercial contract litigation, government contracts, and construction law, as well as negotiating and drafting commercial contracts.

Stephanie originally hails from Louisiana but grew up living around the world with her military family. After college at the University of Miami and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, she met her husband, a proud Navy man, before moving across the country to Virginia. She attended George Washington University School of Law, where she was the Executive Notes Editor of the International Law Review. After more than a decade of practice as a litigator, Stephanie co-founded Blue Star Families, an influential nonprofit supporting military families.

Stephanie now lives in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia with her husband and three boys, expanding the firm’s practice across the Commonwealth of Virginia. She believes strongly in giving back to the community and is an active volunteer, having served as the president of the board of directors for her children’s swim club, PTA secretary, the band booster club treasurer and secretary, and contracts chair for the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach.

In her spare time, Stephanie also serves as a stroke and turn official for USA Swimming, the Virginia High School League, the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association, and the Virginia Beach Swim League. On the weekend, you can find Steph and her family on the pool deck at swim meets or cheering on Virginia Tech at football games. (But she still roots for the Canes when Miami and Virginia Tech face off!)

Associations & Court Admissions

  • Commonwealth of Virginia Bar
  • District of Columbia Bar
  • Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
  • Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
  • Court of Federal Claims
  • Eastern District of Virginia
  • District Court for the District of Columbia

Paralegal

Allison Alvey

A passion for helping people drew paralegal Allison Alvey into the field of personal injury law. After seeing the difference her work with the firm could make in a client’s life, she knew she’d found the right calling.

Allison finds great satisfaction in helping people who’ve been injured in an accident receive the resources they need to rebuild their lives and move forward. As part of the close-knit team at Jennifer Porter Law, she enjoys interacting with both clients and colleagues as they collaborate together to reach crucial goals.

She works directly with clients to help them obtain the treatment they need to further their recovery. In addition, she gathers information from new clients and conducts research to locate documentation to build the strongest possible case files.

Dedicated to helping animals as well as people, Allison devotes much of her time outside the office to caring for rescued pets. Of course, she also greatly enjoys spending time with her human family and friends.

Bookkeeper

Andria Yerves

Andria is an accomplished bookkeeper with a genuine passion for numbers and meticulous organization. With her extensive experience in the legal sector, she has developed an innate understanding of the financial requirements specific to law firms. Andria takes great pride in ensuring that these needs are consistently met, contributing to the smooth functioning of the firm.

Andria enjoys the warm and caring atmosphere that Jennifer Porter Law presents, making collaborative work genuinely fulfilling.

During her free time, Andria practices yoga and finds joy in the company of her beloved Cane Corso.

Executive/Legal Assistant

Maria Guerra

Maria is an invaluable member of our team. She brings a wealth of technical know-how and is fantastic at creating internal systems and solutions to efficiently manage our client’s files and helping keep Jennifer and the team on track. Outside of work, Maria enjoys baking cakes, cooking Asian food, painting, and playing the piano.

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