About

Deborah Nilson is a graduate of Syracuse University (1981, B.S. in Finance, Magna Cum Laude, Beta Gamma Sigma) and New York Law School (1984, Juris Doctor). She is a member of the New York State Bar, the Bars of the United States District Courts of the Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of New York, and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Deborah began her career at the law firm of Richard K. Bernstein & Associates, where she practiced mainly corporate law, and polished her French while working with a French-speaking clientele. In 1989, she co-founded the law firm Rozan & Nilson LLP, where she expanded her client base. In 2006, Deborah formed her own firm, Deborah A. Nilson, PLLC.

Michael Vaz d’Almeida is an Attorney at Law admitted in New York and in France (Paris Bar). He is a graduate of the Fordham University School of Law (LL.M. in International Business and Trade Law), of the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (French LL.M. in Competition & Contract Law), of the University Paris X Nanterre La Défense (French LL.M. in Business Law), and the University Paul Cézanne Aix-Marseille III (French LL.B. in Law with a specialization in Business Law).

Prior to joining The Nilson Law Group, PLLC in 2019, Michael worked as an attorney-at-law in a large law firm in France focusing on antitrust laws, business contracts and European law. He was a legal intern in several other small and mid-size law firms, in large companies in the US, France and Luxembourg, as well as at the Court of Appeal in Paris and the French Competition Authority.

Michael is a native French speaker, fluent in English and in Spanish.

Publications: Effects of COVID-19 on Business Contracts: Force Majeure Clauses, French American Chamber of Commerce newsletter (May 6, 2020) (co-authored with Deborah A. Nilson).

Nancy Maurice is a graduate of Louisiana State University (2019, LL.M. in Comparative Law with a focus on Business and International Trade), of the University Paris Nanterre (2015, LL.M. in European Business Law, Competition & Contract Law), and the University of Essex (2014, LL.B. in English and French Law with a specialization in Business Law). Nancy was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2020.

Prior to joining The Nilson Law Group, PLLC as an Associate in July 2022, Nancy worked as a litigation attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana, and as law clerk in several firms in Paris, France where she gained significant experience focusing on international commercial litigation, business contracts, and a variety of corporate matters.

Nancy is a member of the New York State Bar Association, and of the American Bar Association where she serves as an appointed Young Leader.

Nancy is a native French speaker. She is fluent in English and has a professional working proficiency level in Spanish and Portuguese.

Publications: Things Left Unsaid: Implicit Obligations Under Louisiana Law in Star Financial Services, Inc. V. Cardtronics USA, Inc., 12 J. Civ. L. Stud. (2019).

Emmanuelle Molina is a graduate of Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center (2020, Juris Doctorate with a concentration in Intellectual Property, and Comparative, International & French Law at Cornell University Law School – Université de Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) and Long Island University – C.W. Post (2011, M.S. in Immunohematology and 2007, B.S. Biology and Psychology). Emmanuelle was admitted to the New York State Bar and the Bars of the United States District Courts of the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York in 2021. 

Prior to joining The Nilson Law Group, PLLC as an Associate in June 2023, Emmanuelle worked as a litigation attorney where she gained significant experience focusing on international commercial litigation and intellectual property—particularly in fashion, music, and entertainment law, and was a legal intern with the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County: Children’s Law Bureau. 

Emmanuelle is a member of the Long Island Hispanic Bar Association, the New York City Bar Association – Fashion Law Committee, The New York Intellectual Property Law Association – Copyright Law and Practice Committee, the Suffolk County Bar Association, The Paris American Club, Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc., and is the Vice President of the Touro Law Alumni Association Board of Directors. 

Born and raised in France, Emmanuelle is a native French speaker. She is also fluent in Spanish and English, and has an elementary proficiency level in German and Italian. 

Publications: As Pertains to the Criminal Justice System, Is Hindsight 20/20?, 9 J. Race, Gender & Ethnicity 191 (2020). 

Charlotte Vaudoit is a graduate of the University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco (LL.M., with a specialization in Science, Technology, and Intellectual Property) and Paris II Panthéon-Assas University (LL.M. in Intellectual Property; LL.M. in Business Law; LL.B. in Private Law). Charlotte is admitted to the New York State Bar.

Charlotte has been with The Nilson Law Group, PLLC since August 2023 and currently serves as an Associate. She brings valuable experience from both the United States and France. Prior to joining the firm, Charlotte gained expertise in both transactional and litigation work at a leading Am Law 100 firm in Paris, handling domestic and international trademark and copyright matters, brand management, and intellectual property infringement cases. She also contributed her skills as a volunteer at a San Francisco non-profit, advising clients in the entertainment and art sectors.

Born and raised in France, Charlotte is a native French speaker, fluent in English, and proficient in Spanish.

Raluca Tomniuc is a graduate of the Fordham University School of Law (2017, LL.M., with a specialization in Corporate, Banking and Finance). She also holds a Master’s Degree in European Law (2006, Romania). Raluca is admitted to the New York State Bar.

Raluca is an associate of the firm, concentrating her practice on commercial contracts and corporate law. She advises private companies and emerging ventures on a wide range of complex corporate matters, including corporate formations, and mergers and acquisitions. Her experience also includes counseling senior executives on employment matters, such as the negotiation of employment and severance agreements.

Prior to joining the firm, Raluca represented investors and privately held businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector, in corporate transactions involving capital raising, structuring, and governance. She also advised institutional landlords and developers on commercial office and retail leasing throughout Manhattan and the greater New York metropolitan area.

Coco McKay is a graduate of Tulane University (B.A. in Political Science and French), where she developed an early interest in comparative legal systems and international affairs. During her undergraduate studies, she spent a semester studying abroad in Paris, deepening her academic and cultural engagement with France. After completing her degree, she moved to Luçon, France, where she taught English for one year before returning to New Orleans to pursue her law degree.

At Tulane Law School, Coco specialized in International and Comparative Law, won multiple moot court competitions, and participated in the Domestic Violence Clinic, where she represented survivors in pursuit of clemency and protective orders involving spousal support. During law school, she adopted her poodle, Lola, who later accompanied her on her move up the East Coast to New York, where she began her career as a litigation associate at a major international law firm.

Her practice included high-stakes international commercial disputes, securities litigation, white collar investigations, and antitrust matters, as well as regulatory litigation and compliance involving the CFTC, SEC, and DOJ. She also maintained a robust pro bono criminal defense practice under the Criminal Justice Act (CJA), representing indigent defendants in federal court.

Coco now brings her litigation background, cross-border experience, and long-standing signature Francophile flair to The Nilson Law Group, PLLC.

A native of Alabama, Coco speaks both English and French and remains devoted to a career—and a life—rooted in international engagement.

Nathalie Gast is a graduate of Mercy College (2003, A.A.S. in Information Technology, Cum Laude) and Lycée Acajou and has a Baccalaureate in Philosophy and Literature. She also attended courses at the Katherine Gibbs School (2000, Certificate in Administrative Studies with an Information Technology Focus, Dean’s List). Born and raised in Martinique, Nathalie’s native tongue is French.

Nathalie has over ten years of administrative and technology related experience. She started her career in database management and has since run offices and moderated websites. Most recently, Nathalie spent four years as a Trademark Researcher at a well-known, large intellectual property law firm, where she played an integral role with the maintenance of international trademark portfolios and brand enforcement, translated trademark descriptions and legal documents, as well as served as an interpreter. Nathalie joined The Nilson Law Group, PLLC in April 2011.

Ibou, a native of Senegal in West Africa, began his academic journey by earning his Associates of Applied Science in Business Administration in 2009, followed by a BBA in 2010, from the West African Catholic University and Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Dakar (Business School). Fascinated by the American culture, he ventured to the US to broaden his horizons and pursue further studies.

Fluent in his native Wolof as well as English and French, he worked as a translator in various agencies. His passion for fostering cross-cultural connections emerged as he worked for the NYS board of education, supporting foreign students in acclimating to life in the US. Ibou has also worked for a well-known telecommunication agency in business development.

Most recently Ibou held the role of a trademark paralegal at a prominent IP firm, where he managed both domestic and foreign trademarks. After an enriching time at the Nilson Law Group from 2018-2020, he has now returned in the firm in August 2023.

Claude Hilaire studied at the Law School of Port-au-Prince, State University of Haiti before getting a scholarship at the Louisiana State University as an exchange student in Law (2010-2011). She went back to her country to work in gender-based violence. She also volunteered in human rights grassroots organizations to give back to the community.

Claude moved to New York a few years ago to work at the Consulate of Haiti. She joined The Nilson Law Group in March 2022. She is fluent in both English and French.

Diane brings a multifaceted skill set to her role as Legal Assistant at The Nilson Law Group, PLLC, blending her administrative expertise with a developing focus on compliance and legal operations. With experience in both the private and non-profit sectors, she has held roles as an HR Coordinator and Executive Assistant, where she cultivated strong organizational and analytical abilities.

In addition to her background in Business Administration from Houston Community College, Diane completed a Software Engineering Certificate from the Flatiron School, further enhancing her technical proficiency. Fluent in French and English, she leverages her bilingual capabilities to support the firm’s diverse clientele effectively.

Committed to growth and excellence, Diane continues to expand her expertise, contributing to the team’s success through precision, collaboration, and adaptability.