Miles & Stockbridge Expands D.C. Leadership Team
Melissa Johnson joins John Stalfort to co-lead firm’s Washington, D.C. offices through next phase after Krooth & Altman merger
Miles & Stockbridge, an Am Law 200 firm with more than 200 lawyers and offices in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and New York, is pleased to announce that Melissa A. Johnson will join John A. Stalfort in leading the firm’s Washington, D.C. offices. They will serve as Co-Managing Principals through the end of 2025, with Johnson assuming full responsibilities for both offices in the D.C. market in January 2026. Stalfort will support Johnson in her new role by serving as D.C. Market & Client Development Principal beginning in 2026.
Johnson is a Principal and the former Krooth & Altman Office Managing Principal. Stalfort is also a Principal and he launched Miles & Stockbridge’s Washington office in 2012 – an office he has led and helped grow into the regional leader it is today.
“Since the merger of Miles & Stockbridge and Krooth & Altman last December, we significantly expanded our presence in Washington, D.C. and emerged as a stronger, unified firm,” said Nancy W. Greene, chairman, president and CEO of Miles & Stockbridge. “We began integration efforts early, and since that time Melissa and John have been instrumental in fostering collaboration and creating new opportunities for both our clients and colleagues. Adding Melissa to Miles & Stockbridge’s leadership team in D.C. is a natural and exciting evolution in this integration process.”
As a result of the merger and other recent hires, Miles & Stockbridge’s Washington team has grown by more than 30 lawyers over the last year for a total of 71 lawyers. Lawyers in the firm’s Washington offices offer the full scope of sophisticated real estate development and finance representation needed by financial institutions, property owners, commercial developers and national corporate tenants. This includes a national real estate finance team that specializes in financings involving loans originated through programs of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSE), such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The firm’s Washington lawyers also have deep experience in government contracts, litigation, corporate matters, public finance, mergers and acquisitions, white collar compliance and investigations, and family law.
Miles & Stockbridge has 107 lawyers and four offices in Greater Washington—two in the District, one in Tysons Corner and a Rockville office that will move to Pike & Rose in North Bethesda at the end of September.
“As we approach our first anniversary as one firm, these two exceptional leaders will work closely to shape the strategy for unifying our Washington offices—aligning operations, space, culture and our market presence,” said Greene. “Together they will set the course for what’s next.
“John is an incredible leader—both within our firm and throughout the Washington community. He has built strong, lasting relationships with clients and serves in numerous leadership roles on local civic boards and organizations, including the Greater Washington Board of Trade, Junior Achievement of Greater Washington, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society-D.C., the Federal City Council, Easterseals – D.C. and as a member of The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. A go-to public finance lawyer, he has also served as bond counsel for many of the region’s most significant economic development projects.
“Melissa is equally exceptional. First as a leader with Krooth & Altman and now with Miles & Stockbridge, she has been instrumental in driving the success of our merger. Her focus on growth, collaboration and opportunity has made a lasting impact. She also is an outstanding real estate finance lawyer. Looking ahead, she is actively exploring ways to deepen her involvement in the community and continue building strong connections.”
The merger with Krooth & Altman followed on the heels of Miles & Stockbridge’s May 2024 expansion into New York with the opening of a Midtown Manhattan office and 2023 growth news in Richmond, Virginia, including an office expansion — moving into an 11,000-square-foot space in downtown Richmond that more than doubled the firm’s previous office footprint.
About Miles & Stockbridge
Miles & Stockbridge is an Am Law 200 law firm with more than 200 lawyers and offices across Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and New York. The firm’s lawyers help global, national, local and emerging business clients preserve and create value by helping them solve their most challenging problems. The firm, with a highly diversified client base, boasts 13 Chambers-ranked practices.
For more information, please visit the firm’s website, read the news release announcing the merger with Krooth & Altman and the news release announcing the closing of the merger and follow Miles & Stockbridge on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.
