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The leap into law
Darius was not initially drawn to law but instead studied social work and made his way to Washington, DC, where a graduate degree from Howard University opened the door to Capitol Hill.“ I was full of wanderlust, working in the US House and Senate and meeting members of Congress, senators, presidents, and vice presidents,” Darius explains.“ I grew up a C-SPAN nerd, watching speeches and seeing how decisions were made, and suddenly I was working with people I never fathomed I’ d be around.”
Then one piece of legislation in particular caught his attention: the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act, which, as he recalls it, added a prescription drug benefit to Medicare for the first time.“ That one law changed the landscape for seniors and families who no longer had to choose between food and their prescriptions,” Darius states.“ It made me think:‘ if I could be part of the law, I could be part of changing it’. That was a calling to use the law to make a difference in people’ s lives.” At 30, Darius went to law school, returning home to earn his degree in Louisiana.
Facts over pressure
The career that followed, first as a prosecutor and later as a litigator in federal enforcement, provided Darius the moments that still define who he is as a practitioner. One case has always stayed with him: a murder of a young woman and her boyfriend had been charged. The story made local and state news, and the community had made up its mind, but as the evidence stacked, Darius came to an uncomfortable conclusion.
“ I had to be the one to advise that we had the wrong guy, informing my boss, the authorities, and the chief of police,” he says.“ It wasn’ t easy and there was a lot of pushback in the community, but I had key evidence to prosecute two teenage boys who would spend much of their lives in jail. Although I knew I was doing the right thing, it was very hard.”
Similarly, Darius later took on a complex case while at the Department of Justice involving a physician who was prescribing controlled substance well beyond any legitimate need.“ We naturally believe, as a society, that doctors always do the right thing,” he says.“ The case was contentious and the pressure came from several directions, but in the end, the doctor’ s authority to prescribe controlled substances was ultimately revoked. Without questions, I think that case was a direct response to the opioid crises that we have and continue to face as a country.” In the end, he believes that his actions saved a lot of lives; and although difficult,“ it was something that needed to be done.”
Today, Darius is in-house counsel at a Fortune 200 corporation providing litigation and regulatory support on a wide range of matters. He combines his deep knowledge of how to navigate Capitol Hill and the executive branch of government, along with his corporate experience to identify and mitigate the Company’ s legal risks and ensure its compliance with state and federal regulations.
Paying it forward
From his pragmatic and grounded position, Darius is passionate about supporting his colleagues and peers. The people who invested in him as a young person have set the guidelines for how he treats the emerging lawyers he now mentors.“ To those much is given, much is required,” he states.“ A lot has been poured into me, and it’ s my duty to pour it back. I often ask younger lawyers about their personal statement from when they entered law school and what they
Saul Ewing _______________________________________________________
“ It is a joy and privilege to work closely with Darius to observe his poise, intelligence, and tactical approach to navigating complex legal and strategic issues for the company. He exerts a calming and steadying influence while tackling every legal challenge, no matter the stakes. We are honored to work alongside Darius on a wide variety of legal challenges and value each opportunity to partner with and learn from him and his team.” – Jon Singer, Partner, Saul Ewing LLP
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