Dionne Savage

Dionne Savage is a business attorney with two decades of legal experience in real estate, structured finance, securities and corporate law. She founded Savage & Associates in January 2010 to represent community and economic development clients with complicated legal needs. She now serves a diverse client base that includes community development entities, developers, entrepreneurs, investors, banks, government agencies and nonprofits.

The focus of the firm—to drive capital investment and economic development to disadvantaged communities—is deeply personal. Dionne grew up in a working-class family in Philadelphia and saw the ways that neighborhoods with limited resources struggle to provide the goods and services necessary for residents to maintain a basic standard of living. Early on, she set out to become a force for change.
Prior to founding Savage & Associates, Dionne practiced law at a number of well-known corporate law firms, including Ballard Spahr LLP, White and Williams LLP and Stevens & Lee. During her time in Big Law, Dionne routinely helped to execute complicated financial and real estate transactions for Fortune 500 companies and sophisticated institutional investors. Through direct experience, she learned how capital is acquired, structured and leveraged to accomplish client goals.

Dionne earned a J.D. from American University in 2000. During law school, she interned for U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton and provided legal assistance to small businesses and nonprofits in urban communities through the American University Community & Economic Development Law Clinic. She earned a B.A. from Temple University, graduating with honors. Dionne is currently admitted to practice Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Washington D.C.

In addition to her legal practice, Dionne is an adjunct law professor at American University’s Washington College of Law, teaching corporate legal drafting. She has also appeared as a legal contributor on local and national media outlets.

Since founding the firm, she has received a number of professional recognitions. She is a named Lawyer of Distinction, member of Inner City Capital Connections and a Certified Woman-Owned Business. She is an alumnus of Goldman Sach’s prestigious “10,000 small businesses” program.