OUR STAFF
BRANDON BRADY
Office Manager
Brandon took an eclectic route to Namei & Dalence. He attended the University of Cincinnati where he studied English and Journalism, before joining the staff of CityBeat alternative news weekly. Life changes set him on a path of office management where he supported fields such as computer software and marketing research. In January 2023, Brandon joined the law firm as their office manager, helping oversee logistics, technology and support staff. In his spare time, Brandon enjoys attending live theater and concerts, and is the firm’s resident dog whisperer.
VALENTINA MORA RINCON
Immigration Specialist
Valentina joined McKinney & Namei as a legal assistant in May 2022. Prior joining the firm, she was focused on her legal education and working as paralegal at a corporate and business international law firm. During Law School she had the opportunity to be the student representative in the Board of Directors of her University and, with the Law School faculty committee. Valentina is Colombian and decided to move to the United States thanks to a scholarship opportunity to pursue her Master in the U.S. Legal System at the University of Cincinnati. She decided to join the law firm as it represents an opportunity to apply her legal knowledge and help people with a Latin-American background here in the States. She wants to be able to look the eye-to-eye and help them as she is an immigrant herself.
EDUCATION:
University of Cincinnati, Master in the U.S. Legal System (LLM), 2022.
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Law Degree, (expected 2022)
MEGAN HODORY
BILINGUAL LEGAL ASSISTANT
Megan joined McKinney & Namei in April 2021 as a Bilingual Legal Assistant. Megan graduated from Northern Kentucky University in 2019 with Bachelors of Arts in Integrative Studies and Spanish. She then moved to Malaga, Spain, where she taught English. Unfortunately, her time in Spain was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but she finished her teaching position virtually from here in the States.
Megan loves being able to put her Spanish degree into practice and assisting attorneys on immigration cases. She is grateful for the opportunity to learn more about Latinx culture. Megan works most closely with attorney David L. Dawson.
In her free time, Megan is usually either lazing around at her apartment or lifting weights that are entirely too heavy for comfort. Her true interests are fashion, photography, travel, hiking, reading, anime, and videogames—the nerdier the better!
ANNIE THRESS
LEGAL ASSISTANT
Annie loves working with immigrants and hopes to make the US feel a little more like home for Namei and Dalence’s clients. She studied humanitarian immigration through Villanova University and loves research and writing, but her favorite part of her job is interacting with our clients. She began working at the firm in 2022.
When she’s not at work, Annie is a busy mom, but if there’s free time, she likes to read, travel and create art. At home, she has an amazing husband, three teenagers, a dog and a cat. They live in Pleasant Ridge among fabulous neighbors.
NANCY LARCADE
SENIOR BILINGUAL LEGAL ASSISTANT
Nancy graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with an Associates Degree in Secretarial Science in 1971. She has extensive administrative experience, including being the secretary to the Dean at the University of Kentucky’s Pharmacy School; secretary in the Law and Internal Audit Departments at Federated Department Stores in Cincinnati, Ohio; secretary for the Controller, Vice President, and Executive Vice President at Sanger Harris in Dallas, Texas; administrative assistant to the Chairman and CEO of Lazarus in Cincinnati, Ohio; and finally, administrative assistant to the Chairman and CEO of Macy’s in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Nancy retired from Macy’s in 2016 and returned to part-time work when she joined McKinney & Namei in March 2020 as a file clerk.
Nancy lives in Fort Wright, Kentucky. In her free time, Nancy enjoys reading mysteries, watching old black and white movies, and spending time with her three grandchildren.
KARLA RODRIGUEZ
Intake Specialist
Born in St.Paul, Minnesota, and raised in her parents’ home state of Aguascalientes, Mexico, Karla is a proud first-generation Mexican-American. She is often the first point of contact for incoming clients, specializing in gathering case information and documents from new potentials, matching them with a consultation attorney that best fits their needs, and drafting service agreements when new clients are ready to hire. She also interprets for attorneys during consultations when needed. Karla graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 2022, having earned BAs in Sociology and Spanish with a concentration in Latino Culture Studies.
Karla has a mischievous orange tabby named Gimli, five tarantulas, and a few beetles. She loves the outdoors, learning about bugs of all kinds, and reading fiction, fantasy and history books. She handles all bug-related crises at N&D as the designated Catch & Release team, often saving her co-workers from the occasional stray spider.
CRYSTAL SANCHEZ
Receptionist
Crystal was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, and was raised in Puerto Rico. Crystal is a master of multitasking, handling phone calls, client payments, incoming mail and files, sending out hearing letters, and more! Crystal studied Criminal Justice at Hudson County Community College in Jersey City, New Jersey, and has plans to return to school for paralegal studies.
Crystal has two cats, sweet girl Lola, and Milo, who is always up to his orange cat activities. She loves 90’s and 2000’s R&B, classic salsa, road trips, cooking & baking, and watching TV shows with her 4 children. Crystal is known around N&D as the official coffee brewer, due to her impressive ability to brew the meanest pot of coffee you’ve ever tasted.
CINDY SOSSA
Bilingual Legal Assistant
Although she was born in Melbourne, Australia, Cindy owes her bilingual fluency to her Colombian parents. Like many immigrant's intentions, she and her family moved to the United States seeking better economic/educational opportunities in 2013 and she has been here ever since! She graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2023 with a BA in English Pre-Law and a Certificate in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution. Since she is also aspiring to be an attorney, she is currently exploring law schools to find the perfect fit for her next chapter, so stay tuned!
At Namei & Dalence Co., LPA, she works most closely with Attorney Martha Sofia Thomas where she specializes in Spanish translation for a range of legal needs. Her work includes filing immigration applications, participating in jail visits for criminal defense, assisting with in person and telephonic appointments with clients, and performing evidence-based research. She approaches every client interaction with compassion and understanding, striving to ensure they leave feeling seen, supported, and empowered.
Outside of work, Cindy has a Shih-Tzu named Winnie The Pooh who not only looks like a little bear, but acts like one too. She's an avid reader of many genres and spends her free time painting and staying active.
MARICELA LOPEZ
Bilingual Legal Assistant
As a proud Cincinnatian, Maricela has always called Cincinnati home. She is a dedicated and passionate bilingual legal assistant, bringing both linguistic fluency and legal support to the attorneys at the firm. Her favorite part of her job is being able to support and connect with clients. The opportunity to assist them through a challenging process, while ensuring they are heard, respected, and understood throughout, is important to her.
Maricela graduated with her BAs of Public Health and History in 2022 from Miami University. She is looking forward to applying to law schools this fall.
Mari loves yoga and is a diehard Bengals fan!