Palestinian American Bar Association

About Us

Board of Directors

The activities engaged in by the Board of Directors on behalf of PABA are conducted solely in each Director's individual and private capacity and on a volunteer basis. Any references to employers, organizations, or other affiliations in the Directors’ biographical summaries are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended to represent any affiliation between PABA and any referenced employers and organizations.

DALAL HASAN

President and Director

California

Dalal Hasan is currently an in-house attorney at a global technology and Fortune 500 company where she provides strategic and legal advice on global compliance with a range of global legislation impacting the tech industry. She is an experienced compliance executive and attorney with over 14-years experience building, developing, and implementing compliance programs and advising and defending large publicly held multinational corporations in high-risk global investigations and regulatory actions.

Dalal earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, an M.A. in International Affairs and Economics from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.S. in International Politics and Middle East Studies from Georgetown University.

GABRIEL KHOURY

Vice President and Director

DC/MD/VA

Gabriel Khoury is a first-generation attorney and child of Palestinian immigrants from Taybeh, Palestine. In his legal practice, he specializes in regulatory issues and investigations. Gabriel also actively engages in immigration pro bono work. He holds a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and interned at the Federal Communications Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and various law firms. Before legal practice, Gabriel was an investigator at several private organizations.

JILL KEBLAWI

Secretary and Director

Texas

Jill Keblawi is in-house counsel at a global hospitality and Fortune 500 company. Jill currently focuses on executive compensation matters for the company with expertise in equity compensation, public disclosure and corporate governance relating to executive compensation, and compensation and benefits matters in corporate transactions. Jill has broad experience in employee benefits law, including tax-qualified and non-qualified deferred compensation plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Prior to her in-house role, Jill practiced at Seyfarth Shaw LLP and O'Donoghue & O'Donoghue LPP, both in Washington, D.C.

Jill received her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and her law degree from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. Jill resides in the Woodlands Texas with her husband and three children.

JAWAD MUADDI

Treasurer and Director

NY/NJ/CT

Jawad Muaddi is Counsel in the United States Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Enforcement in the New York Regional Office. Previously, Jawad practiced at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP and focused on litigation and government investigations. Before entering private practice, Jawad served as a law clerk to Chief United States District Judge Mark E. Fuller of the Middle District of Alabama.

Jawad graduated from Emory University School of Law and received an undergraduate degree in computer science from the University of Maryland. Jawad previously served on the board of the United Taybeh American Association. He resides in Bronxville, NY with his wife and two children.

ALI ALSARRAF

Director

Illinois

Ali Alsarraf is a Special Counsel at Jenner & Block LLP, where he represents clients in high stakes domestic and international disputes and investigations. Ali is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation, Human Rights & Global Strategy, Investigations, Compliance & Defense, and International Arbitration practice groups, and its DEI Protection Task Force. Before joining Jenner & Block, Ali served as a law clerk to the Honorable Ann M. Donnelly of the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Before clerking, Ali was a litigation associate at a top law firm in New York. Ali maintains an active pro bono practice involving immigration, civil rights, and prisoner rights matters.

Ali is a member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs Emerging Leaders Class of 2024 and the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession Social Impact Incubator 2024 Cohort. He is the President of the Muslim Bar Association of Chicago. He also co-founded and is the Chair of the Board of the Alliance for Inclusion and Justice, which is dedicated to standing up against hate, bigotry, and discrimination affecting Arab and Muslim communities.

Ali earned his law degree from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and his undergraduate degree from DePaul University. He resides in the Chicagoland area with his wife and two children.

PETER FARAH

Director

Ohio

Peter Farah is currently the Vice President, ESG, Deputy General Counsel, and Assistant Secretary of The J.M. Smucker Co., a leading marketer and manufacturer of consumer and pet food products in North America. In his current role, he has primary responsibility within the Legal Department for mergers and acquisitions, securities, and finance, and he leads the Company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts. Peter also manages the Legal Advisory and Transactions, Real Estate, and Sustainability teams and serves on the Company Leadership Team, ESG Governance Council, Sustainability Steering Committee, and Issues Advisory Council.

Prior to joining The J.M. Smucker Co., Peter was a Corporate Partner at Dykema Gossett PLLC and Schwartz Cooper Chartered in Chicago, Illinois and a Corporate Associate at Ropes & Gray LLP in Boston, Massachusetts. Peter also serves on the boards of the Center for Arab American Philanthropy, the Arab American Bar Association of Ohio, the National Arab American Bar Association, the Northeast Ohio Chapter of Make-A-Wish, and Old Trail School.

Peter received his Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School and his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Boston College. He resides in Cleveland with his wife and three children.

JALAL "JAY" SHEHADEH

Director

Florida

Jalal “Jay” Shehadeh is the Managing Partner at Shehadeh Giannamore, PLLC. He focuses his practice in the areas of real estate and banking. His prior experience includes serving as the Executive-Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary to the Board of Directors of U.S. Century Bank. He also previously served as an Assistant State Attorney in the Tenth Judicial Circuit of Florida.

In addition to career focused activities, Jalal dedicates time to philanthropic activities, primarily related to the subject of Palestine-Israel. He is also a board member of the Coalition of South Florida Muslim Organizations (COSMOS).

Jalal grew up in Palestine from the age of 8 until he was 16. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2006 with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, from Florida International University in 2009 with a Law Degree and from Florida International University in 2017 with a Master’s of Law in Banking Regulations. Jalal currently lives in Coral Gables, FL with his wife, Katherine Shehadeh, and his two sons, Amir and Nasir.