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Jalesia F. McQueen Gadberry, an experienced attorney better known as Jasha, is owner and attorney of the St. Louis-based law firm, McQueen Gadberry LLC. A second generation immigrant fluent in Spanish, her practice areas focus on general corporate law, immigration law and international law. Jasha provides a full range of legal services to entrepreneurs, start-ups, globally minded business professionals, immigrants, foreigners, and businesses of various sizes and types. She has extensive experience from large and prestigious law firms in St. Louis. Now an established entrepreneur, she further understands the risks and frustrations associated with starting and growing a business.  Prior to graduating cum laude with a law degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law, she served as a captain in the U.S. Army. Jasha earned a master's degree in human resource management from Troy State University and an undergraduate degree in communications magna cum laude from the University of Tampa.
Jasha emphasizes a strong attorney-client relationship by offering flexible and flat fee arrangements and not basing fees through billing by the hour. Outside of her dedication to clients, she holds a federal appointment as one of 12 members to the Missouri Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and holds an appointment by the Governor to the Missouri Hispanic Business Trade and Culture Commission. Jasha also volunteers her services one day a month to assist Hispanic business owners at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis. Additionally, she educates aspiring business owners on the aspects of business law as a regular presenter on behalf of the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) and is an advisor and frequent contributor to KETC Channel 9's immigration documentary series Homeland. She also received the St. Louis Business Journal’s “40 under 40” award in 2007 and was featured as a “St. Louis Character” in 2010.
Education
- Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, IL
Juris Doctorate, cum laude (2002)
- Troy State University – Troy, AL
Master’s of Science, Human Resource Management (1996)
- University of Tampa – Tampa, FL
Bachelor of Arts, Communications, magna cum laude (1994)
Employment
- McQueen Gadberry LLC
Owner/Attorney (2009-present)
- Thompson Coburn LLP
Associate (2007-2009)
- Gallop, Johnson & Newman LLC
Associate (2003-2007)
- U.S. Army
Captain (1998-1999)
Lieutenant (1994-1998)
Civic Involvement
- One of 12 members of the Missouri Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights (2007-present - Federal Appointment)
- Hispanic Business Trade and Culture Commission (2006-present - State Appointment)
- Winning Women (2003-2010)
- Advisor to KETC Channel 9 four hour immigration documentary series Homeland due to release Spring 2011. explorehomeland.org
Professional Affiliations
- Missouri Bar
- Illinois Bar
- International Law Section of the American Bar Association
- Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
- American Immigration Lawyers Association
- Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis
- South County Chamber of Commerce
- Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Licensure
- Missouri (2003)
- Illinois (2003)
Languages
- Bilingual – Fluent in Spanish
Honors
- St. Louis Business Journal "40 Under 40" recipient - Class of 2007 (Awarded to top 40 business leaders in St. Louis area under 40 years old)
- Leadership Clayton Class of 2006
In the news
2010:
Presentations
Guest speaker to Ft. Leonard Wood's Hispanic Americans: Our Rich Culture, Contributing to America’s Future,
Hispanic Heritage Observance 2006
The Role of the International Attorney and Owning Your Own Practice. International Law Students' Association, St. Louis University School of Law, March 2010
Veteran Entrepreneurs Panel and Entrepreneurship 101, Second Annual Veterans Summit on Entrepreneurship, March 2010
Jasha spoke about establishing your own business as a member of a panel,
UMSL Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life, May 2010
Overview of the U.S. Immigration System. What Business Professionals Need To Know. South County Chamber of Commerce - St. Louis, MO. June 2010
U.S. Immigration: An Overview of a Broken System. Shalom Amigos: The Latino-Jewish Dialogue Group of St. Louis. August 2010
Overview of Corporate Law for "Start-up" Businesses. Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE).
Febuary 2010, April 2010, August 2010
Biography
Jalesia F. McQueen Gadberry was born in Tachikawa Air Force Base, Japan and has moved around her whole life, living and visiting places such as Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, England, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Peru, and Canada. Her mother is an immigrant from Lima, Peru and her father is a natural-born citizen of the U.S. As a result, Ms. McQueen Gadberry grew up in a bi-cultural household and is fluent in Spanish.
Ms. McQueen Gadberry is a veteran who reached the rank of Captain before leaving the active-duty U.S. Army in 1999. Ms. McQueen Gadberry’s diverse background and constant travels made her well-disciplined, agreeable to change and comfortable meeting new people in new environments.
Since her arrival in St. Louis in 2003, Ms. McQueen Gadberry has worked for some of the best law firms in the area and has not only grown quickly as an attorney but has also been an emerging young leader in the business community. Through her efforts, Ms. McQueen Gadberry was named as a “40 Under 40” St. Louis Business Journal recipient award winner in 2007. Her relationships with other business leaders in the community give her a broad and varied network from which to communicate. Through her many board positions and other activities, she has honed her understanding of the business world and its connection to the community, which makes her a more complete businessperson with an ability to serve her clients’ best interests.
Jalesia F. McQueen Bio (PDF Download)
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