Ms. Peacock has devoted her career to fulfilling the legal needs and solving problems for community associations since 2006.  She comes from a military family where service, leadership, and problem solving are infused into all aspects of professional and personal life.  Molly joined Rees Broome’s Community Association practice in 2015 after a fulfilling time as founder and lead attorney at the Peacock Law Firm. 

Examples of outcomes obtained by Molly include the following. 

• Successfully resolving a persistent covenants violation situation that had been existing for years prior to Molly’s arrival to this particular community as counsel; the parties could not agree to terms of a resolution, but the Fairfax Circuit Court, awarded judgment for the association for money damages, injunctive relief and all attorney’s fees;
  • This judgment was not complied with by the defendant, and so Molly then led the association through post-judgment legal action, the outcome of which led to remediation of all of the covenants violations at issue, a foreclosure of the property, and a full reimbursement of legal fees and money damages to the association from the foreclosure sale. 
• Working with a client to accomplish a whole-sale change of all violations letters (approximately 500 letters sent per month generally addressing approximately seven categories of violations); this association comprises approximately 850 acres so that the letters invite compliance in a manner that puts the homeowner and the association on the same team.  The tone of the letters went from punitive to collaborative which benefited both the Association and its members.
• Prevailing in Loudoun Circuit Court on three of three counts against defendants who damaged Molly’s client’s property.
• Drafting and enacting new, fully restated Bylaws for several condominiums and property owners associations in Virginia and Washington, DC.
• Assisting associations resolve potential hostile environment claims achieving full compliance with Federal law, fairness to the membership, and swiftness in reaching resolution.
• Assisting associations transition from declarant to association control in a fair, economical, and effective manner.
• Prosecuting and defending litigation of any type involving the community association, including disputes with the local government, the declarant, adverse homeowners, other parties, and debtors.

Molly’s approach to the practice of law is: (1) keep clients informed and timely respond to them; (2) solve problems in the most effective manner; (3) avoid problems by enabling a good understanding of the situation by the parties involved; and (4) if a problem is unavoidable or insisted upon by an adverse entity, prevail decisively. 

The practice of law is serious and requires decorum.  The gravity of legal and financial issues, and professionalism notwithstanding, it is also possible to enjoy serving the communities that Molly is privileged to represent, and she usually finds a way to do so.

Professional Credentials

• Speaker at WMCCAI Conference & Exposition, June 11, 2021, about Federal Fair Housing Accommodation Act and Social Media Liability, Part 2
• Speaker at Continuing Legal Education with the Fairfax Bar Association, April 2021, about Combating Toxicity in the Practice of Law
• Speaker at the 2020 Washington Metropolitan Chapter of Community Associations Institute’s (“CAI”) Conference and Exposition in a seminar about the nexus between Federal law and insurance for Associations, Washington, DC
• Author of Article “How To Use Your Association’s Lawyer Wisely” published in Quorum Magazine, January 2020
• Speaker at the Annual Law and Technology CLE, Fairfax County, Virginia (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020)
• Speaker at the 2019 National Conference for Community Associations Institute, in a seminar about How To Keep Your Legal Fees Down, Property Values Up; May 2019, Orlando, Florida
• Speaker at the Washington, Metropolitan Chapter of CAI’s 2019 Conference & Exposition, February 23, 2019 about Security and Technology in community associations
• Chair of the Law Practice Management Section of the Fairfax Bar Association, 2017-2021
• Peer nominated and selected as a Virginia Super Lawyer in 2018 and 2019 in the area of Real Estate
• Member of task force assigned by the Washington Metropolitan Chapter of CAI’s Legislative Action Committee to draft new legislation in Washington, DC governing homeowners associations
• Author of “Parking Space Assignments and Reassignments in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia” (Quorum October 2017)
• Member, District of Columbia Legislative Action Committee of WMCCAI
• Recipient in 2014 of the Community Service Award from the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce for work done for the greater McLean community
• Member (by appointment) of the McLean Planning Committee, McLean, Virginia (2013-2019)
• Speaker at the 2014 National Conference of the Community Associations Institute about Xeriscaping in Community Associations
• Keynote Speaker at the University of Richmond Law Technology Seminar in 2014
• Speaker at Condominium Essentials Class in collaboration with WMCCAI and the Alexandria and Arlington Housing Divisions, April 2013
• Author of a Chapter about Community Associations and Success in Best-Selling Book: Stand Apart, Edited by Dan Kennedy
• Author of “Brambleton Community Association v. Than: Are Bankruptcy Filers Receiving Bad Advice to Vacate Their Homes?”, published in The Fee Simple, a publication of the Virginia State Bar, May 2010; Molly Peacock litigated that case, lost, appealed to Circuit Court for a trial de novo, and prevailed on the merits and on 100% of requested attorney’s fees
• Law clerk, Alexandria Circuit Court, 2002 - 2004
• Member, Virginia State Bar
• Member, DC Bar