Derede McAlpin
Chief Communications Officer & Vice President
Association of Corporate Counsel
Ms. Derede McAlpin, Esq., has been Chief Communications Officer and Vice President at the Association of Corporate Counsel since October 2012. Ms. McAlpin oversees ACC's Media Relations, Social Media and Publications functions and manages integrated strategic communications initiatives to ensure the global bar association is out in front on issues affecting the in-­‐house counsel community. With more than 20 years of media and communications experience overseeing litigation PR, advocacy and crisis management campaigns for high-­‐profile organizations, C-­‐suite executives and public figures, she also serves as a resource for ACC members seeking strategic advice and guidance with their corporate communications initiatives. Before joining the ACC, she served as a Vice President of Levick Strategic Communications, L.L.C. At Levick, she led strategic communications, litigation, reputation management and marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, law firms, associations and other professional service organizations. Ms. McAlpin developed an international communications plan for the first person to receive a full facial transplant in America; worked on amicus curiae and Supreme Court issues including Snyder v. Phelps, the landmark first amendment case; and has served as lead communications counsel for global clients facing crisis and litigation issues, including regulatory matters, class actions, whistleblower cases, data breaches, and sports and entertainment issues, among others. Ms. McAlpin is a seasoned public relations practitioner with a background in law and solid experience in crisis communications, issues management, diversity initiatives, media training and working with the media in high profile cases. She has specialized expertise in developing positive news coverage for education, technology, legal, and health and financial services initiatives. Prior to Levick, Ms. McAlpin developed and implemented communications strategies and media relations activities for Howard University, resulting in a significant increase in news coverage and national awareness of the University's leading educational programs and initiatives, including placements in the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, and a host of other local and national television, radio, and print media outlets. In the financial services arena, Ms. McAlpin served as Vice President of Communications for an investment firm where she developed and implemented marketing strategies for institutional and retail clients along with media placements on networks such as Bloomberg Television, CNNfn, and CNBC. As Director of Public Information for the Investment Company Institute, she developed and launched Investing for Success, a nationally recognized investor awareness program. Ms. McAlpin regularly shares her extensive experience with her clients, but she also offers her expertise to the public. The National Law Journal published an article on law firm diversity written by Ms. McAlpin, and she has also spoken before numerous organizations including the American Bar Association, American Society of Women Accountants and various legal organizations. After graduating from law school, she served as a Judicial Law Clerk in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia where she gained extensive experience in trials, hearings, and other court proceedings on the civil, criminal, and family law calendars. Early in her career, she worked on the news team of Philadelphia's leading ABC affiliate WPVI-­‐TV, where she covered local and national news stories. She also worked in the station's public affairs department covering entertainment issues. Ms. McAlpin earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the Temple University School of Law and a BA in communications from Howard University. She also studied international law in Rome, Italy.