Grace is a member of the firm’s Appeals and Issues team. Her practice focuses on high-stakes litigation before courts and agencies. Grace analyzes and briefs complex and novel issues of law in a wide range of subject areas, including administrative law, statutory interpretation, federal jurisdiction, choice-of-law, separation of powers, and criminal procedure. Grace is known for being a crisp and clear writer, and she helps clients develop efficient and creative legal strategies. She has argued in the Third and Fourth Circuits.
Before joining the firm, Grace clerked at every level of the federal judiciary, serving as a law clerk to the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr., of the United States Supreme Court, to the Honorable Stephanos Bibas of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and to the Honorable Gene E.K. Pratter of the U.S. District Court for Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Grace graduated first in her class from the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law, where she was a Levy Scholar. She served as an articles editor on the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and worked as a Littleton Fellow, teaching first-year students legal research and writing. She attended Clemson University as a National Scholar and is a sometimes-proud season ticket holder for Tigers football.
- Argued as amicus curiae in Skyline Tower Painting v. Goldberg, 148 F.4th 209 (4th Cir. 2025), persuading the Fourth Circuit to accept certain Class Action Fairness Act appeals as of right under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, avoiding the need for § 1453 petitions in many appeals.
- Defended individual executive at 3-week criminal securities-fraud trial, handling legal research, jury instructions, and motions practice, resulting in acquittals on most counts and order for a new trial on the remaining counts.
- Argued as amicus curiae for the Court in United States v. Armstrong, 132 F.4th 736 (4th Cir. 2025), convincing the Fourth Circuit that it had jurisdiction to hear criminal defendant’s appeal.
- Defeated petition for certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court in Lujan Claimants v. Boy Scouts of America, preserving bankruptcy plan providing more than $6 billion in compensation for survivors.
- Maintained dismissal of novel False Claims Act claims against fisheries in United States ex rel. Chiles v. Cooke Inc., 185 F.4th 12 (2d Cir. 2026).
- Obtained dismissal of hospitality company for lack of personal jurisdiction in Texas Court of Appeals.
- Won revival of major bank’s $60-million civil-fraud claim in Ohio Court of Appeals.
- Successfully defended dismissal of Medicare Advantage Organization from False Claims Act suit in Eighth Circuit.
- Defeated First Amendment speech claim, including request for temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, against state agency in Northern District of Georgia.
Insights
- Author, States May Not Obtain Civil Money Penalties Under the Consumer Financial Protection Act, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, May 19, 2025
- Author, Trump EO Extends Unprecedented Supervision to Independent Agencies, Creating New Opportunities for Regulated Entities, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, February 24, 2025
- Author, Supreme Court Opens Door to New Legal Challenges to Federal Regulations New and Old, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, July 3, 2024
- Recipient, Peter McCall Prize, University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law, 2020
- Levy Scholar, University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law, 2017-2020
- National Scholar, Clemson University, 2013-2017