In this latest episode of Talks On Demand, Dr. Dawn Nicole McIlwain, CEO of ProcuraFind®, sits down with Amie Peele Leake of Peele Law Group at www.peelelawgroup.com , to break down the headlines around Taylor Swift and her latest trademark filings.
Shannan Holder Starkey is an accomplished attorney and law firm executive with more than fourteen years of experience in complex litigation, insurance defense, and strategic law firm management. As Of Counsel and Chief of Staff at Peele Law Group, Shannan serves as a trusted advisor to both the firm’s leadership and its litigation teams—overseeing operations, driving process improvement, and ensuring the firm’s strategic vision is seamlessly executed across all practice areas.
Prior to joining Peele Law Group, Shannan founded and leads her own boutique law and consulting firm in Florida, where she manages high-exposure property, casualty, and commercial litigation matters for national insurers as well as business consulting. Her work includes coverage analysis, bad faith prevention, fraud/SIU consulting, and litigation strategy development designed to reduce claim costs and improve resolution outcomes.
Shannan’s career has also included partner and senior counsel roles at multiple regional and national defense firms, where she led teams of attorneys and paralegals, guided trial preparation, and delivered data-driven reporting to insurers and corporate clients. She is known for her ability to bridge legal and business priorities—aligning client objectives with efficient litigation management, compliance, and claims handling best practices.
In her role as Chief of Staff, Shannan focuses on strengthening the firm’s internal systems, mentoring attorneys, supporting business development initiatives, and fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation. Her leadership reflects a deep understanding of both the legal and operational sides of firm management, making her a key contributor to Peele Law Group’s continued growth and client success.
Kelly Thompson is a trusted advisor and litigator who greatly enjoys the “people” aspect of practicing law. She brings a passion for learning her clients’ businesses and backgrounds to every case. Kelly works to understand what motivates her clients and what they want to achieve. This approach helps Kelly to create strategies and to offer thorough and dependable guidance. Kelly has had an exciting and varied career that includes many years litigating in a regional law firm, managing litigation as in-house counsel for a global Fortune 500 corporation, and serving as in-house counsel, Privacy Officer, and compliance director for a prominent healthcare organization. Kelly also clerked for the Late Honorable Larry J. McKinney of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
Kelly has appeared in state and federal courts, as well as mediation rooms, all over the United States, representing both plaintiffs and defendants. Her clients have included small businesses and corporate giants alike. Kelly is experienced in advising and litigating in the intellectual property, life sciences and healthcare spaces. She possesses deep experience navigating the Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act (HIPAA) for her clients, and also has extensive experience in data privacy and protection. Kelly also served for a time as a Deputy Attorney General for the State of Indiana, practicing administrative law as the attorney for many state agencies.
Member of the Indiana State Bar Association, the Health Lawyers Association and the Health Care Compliance Association
Education: Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, cum laude; Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Indiana University
Licensed to practice in Indiana
Admitted in the United States District Courts of the State of Indiana, and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
Czarina is a seasoned litigation paralegal with over seven years of experience in diverse legal areas including intellectual property, debt collection, criminal defense, personal injury, and family law. Since obtaining her Bachelor of Science degree in Pre-Law from Liberty University, she has honed her knowledge of legal procedures and case management systems. Czarina plays a pivotal role in supporting PLG’s attorneys and clients alike.
Throughout her career, she’s enhanced her skills in legal research, case management, and client communication, ensuring that each client receives the utmost attention and support. She brings patience and precision to her work as a paralegal.
In addition to her professional and personal pursuits, Czarina is a military spouse and a dedicated mother of three children. She embodies resilience and adaptability, navigating the challenges of relocations and family life with grace and determination.
With a passion for law, a flair for creativity, and a steadfast commitment to her family, Czarina exemplifies dependability and strength in her personal and professional endeavors.
Highly organized and detail oriented, Amy meticulously manages our client communications and secure filing systems. Amy schedules our meetings and keeps our operations running smoothly.
At the core of Amy’s work is her passion for helping others. With nearly 20 years in healthcare and hospital settings, she combines inherent compassion and distinct problem-solving dexterity to ensure that all our work delivers the utmost in client satisfaction.
Anne Ricchiuto is an accomplished first-chair litigator with nearly two decades of work in commercial litigation, dispute resolution and client counseling. Anne’s extensive experience includes a lengthy tenure at an AmLaw 100 firm, as well as consulting for a Fortune 1000 public company, resulting in unique insights into achieving effective outside counsel relationships.
With more than a decade of experience in intellectual property law, Alana has applied her expertise in areas including patents, trademarks, copyrights, licensing, and related litigation. Alana has worked with clients across the spectrum of business sizes and structures, and spent many years in a large university system in the field of technology transfer.
Ashley has more than a decade of experience as an attorney primarily focused on intellectual property, trademarks, contracts, estate planning, and sales and use tax.
At Peele Law Group, Ashley manages all aspects of clearance, protection, and maintenance of clients’ domestic and international trademark portfolios, including negotiations with various trademark offices to secure trademark registrations as well as disputes in front of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Susan’s positive and energetic support is at the heart of Peele Law Group. With her Trademark Paralegal Certificate, Susan manages the firm’s docket and trademark portfolios. A business owner herself, Susan has worked for years in high-level office administration roles. Her client-focused approach supports and ensures seamless interactions with each of Peele Law Group’s clients.
Amie Peele Leake is the founding partner of Peele Law Group. Amie has deep experience in branding, eCommerce, business, and advertising law. Applying skills gleaned from over 20 years at an AmLaw 100 firm, Amie has helped clients including multinational enterprises, Fortune 100 firms, marketing agencies, publishers, sports organizations, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and more.
Amie advises and advocates on a dynamic range of subjects, focused on our clients’ business goals, supported by legal and financial interests. She believes that legal should support the business, not the other way around. Amie’s passion is working with businesses where the PLG team can make an authentic and meaningful contribution to the client’s success.
Amie is also a certified civil mediator for all types of business matters. She also has a special focus on mediating intellectual property disputes.
