Derede McAlpin, Esq.

Derede McAlpin, Esq., is a Vice President at Levick Strategic Communications whose extensive background in law, strategic communications, and broadcast news provides clients with a unique blend of services and expertise. With more than 20 years experience crafting and implementing high-profile campaigns, she counsels clients on crisis and litigation issues across a broad range of areas including products liability, class actions, qui tam, mass torts, and regulatory matters. She also provides law firms and organizations with strategic counsel on Supreme Court, appellate, and amicus curiae issues. 

Throughout her career, Ms. McAlpin’s work with leading law firms and corporations has helped clients achieve their goals in a wide variety of practice areas and disputes – in the courtroom, the newsroom, and on the courthouse steps. As a former judicial law clerk for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, she gained invaluable experience while playing a key role in trials, hearings, and other court proceedings on the civil, criminal, and family law calendars. An interesting side-note to her communications resume was her involvement in the case that served as the basis of the film Silence of the Lambs.

Ms. McAlpin’s proven record of developing balanced news coverage in the legal, corporate, energy, technology, and financial services sectors has proven invaluable to clients with critical media needs. Having started her career on the news team of Philadelphia's leading ABC affiliate, WPVI-TV, she covered local and national news stories, worked in the station's public affairs department, and learned the intricate ins and outs of dealing with reporters on deadline and producers with their own agendas – knowledge she brings to bear as a sought after media trainer.

She currently serves as a contributor for the Washington Post’s "The League" providing crisis counsel on issues affecting the NFL and its players. During her tenure with ABC News (Philadelphia), she covered professional sports, including field/court and locker room coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles, Flyers, and Sixers for more than five years.

Prior to joining Levick, Ms. McAlpin developed and administered communications and spokesperson training plans, and media relations strategies for Howard University and Howard University Hospital – work that resulted in a significant increase in positive news coverage and national awareness of the University's leading educational programs and initiatives. 

In the financial services arena, Ms. McAlpin served as Vice President of Communications for an investment firm where she managed marketing for institutional and retail clients – garnering media placements on networks such as Bloomberg Television, CNN, and CNBC. As Director of Public Information for the Investment Company Institute, Ms. McAlpin developed and launched Investing for Success, a nationally recognized investor awareness program.

Ms. McAlpin holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the Temple University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Howard University. She also studied international law in Rome, Italy.