Zach is a proud born and raised Mississippian. Born in Oxford, MS,  Zach attended the University of Mississippi where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy Leadership through the Trent Lott Leadership Institute. While at Ole Miss, Zach was also a member of the Catalyzing Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) Program which promotes economic development and growth in rural areas of Mississippi.

After graduation, Zach attended law school at the University of Mississippi School of Law. During his time there, he successfully ran for and served as the Secretary of the Student Bar Association where he helped administer the student body as well as raise funds for student organizations. Zach graduated from Ole Miss Law cum laude. After passing the Mississippi Bar, Zach has pursued a practice in a number of areas, focusing mainly on general liability defense.

Outside of work, Zach is an active member of Pinelake Baptist Church and enjoys engaging in numerous different experiences with his friends and family whenever he can.

Jacob O. Malatesta is the Managing Attorney of the Jackson, MS and Memphis, TN offices. He is a native of the Mississippi Delta where he began his legal career practicing in Clarksdale, then Greenville, and settling with his family in Jackson.

After obtaining an undergraduate degree in Spanish and English at the University of Mississippi, Jacob graduated cum laude from the University of Mississippi Law School. While in law school, Jacob was a member of Phi Delta Phi, an honorary legal fraternity. He was selected by his peers as a member of the Moot Court Board and later elected as a member of the Executive Board where he served as Appellate Advocacy Chairman. Jacob was also selected by his professors to participate in the Duberstein National Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition. He was later named Moot Court Member of the Year by the Moot Court Executive Board and inducted into the Order of Barristers.

Jacob has successfully litigated general liability claims (including property damage, automobile liability, dram shop, and premises liability), professional liability (including medical malpractice and employment discrimination), and extra-contractual liability claims. Jacob’s appellate practice includes numerous victories based on both procedural and substantive law.

Jacob has experience litigating cases in both state and federal courts in Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas and Alabama, at both the trial and appellate levels and holds the AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for ethical standards and legal ability. Jacob has also twice been named a Rising Star by the SuperLawyers publication, making him only one of three Rising Star SuperLawyers in medical malpractice litigation in Mississippi.  In 2018, he was selected as an official member of the Lawyers of Distinction, a national organization that recognizes excellence in the legal field, and as one of the top 40 legal professionals in the state when named a Leadership in Law honoree by the Mississippi Business Journal.

Jacob went to law school because he loved language and rhetoric. While there, he grew to love trial and appellate advocacy and the ability to solve problems by presenting compelling stories.

Jacob lives in Jackson, Mississippi, with his wife, Christy, their sons, Peter and Andrew, and their dog, Yazoo. He is a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. In his free time, Jacob enjoys hunting, fishing, and serving as a beleaguered Ole Miss fan by spending warm fall Saturdays in The Grove.

Maloree G. McDonough was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas. In 2005, she graduated magna cum laude from Arkansas State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Political Science in ASU’s Honors College. She then attended the University of Mississippi School of Law where she obtained her Juris Doctorate in 2008. Some of Maloree’s law school academic memberships and honors include: Non-Resident Alumni Award; member of the Moot Court Board; 2006 Appellate Oral Advocacy Competition Quarter-Finalist; and author of a Bench Memorandum published in the 2008 edition of Mississippi Review of First Impressions.

In 2009, Maloree moved to Birmingham where she began her legal career practicing civil defense litigation. Her current practice focuses primarily on workers’ compensation defense, both at trial and appellate levels. She is a member of the Alabama and Birmingham Bar Associations, the Birmingham Bar Young Lawyers Section, as well as the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association. Maloree is admitted to practice in both Alabama and Mississippi.

Outside of work, Maloree is an active member of the Rotaract Club of Birmingham and the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Young Supporter’s Board. She is also a member of the Birmingham Women’s USTA Tennis League and enjoys playing competitive and recreational tennis.