Makana Ellis is an Associate in ZEK’s litigation group with extensive experience representing clients in commercial and property-related litigation in Connecticut and New York. She regularly represents institutional clients, including major financial institutions, in state and federal courts and has managed cases through all stages of litigation, from inception through trial. Her practice spans a broad range of areas, from breach of contract, collections and compliance matters to criminal cases, evictions, foreclosures, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), housing, investigations, property, real estate, and torts. Prior to joining ZEK, Makana practiced at an AM Law 200 firm, representing clients in mass torts and production liability matters, medical malpractice cases, torts, and construction cases throughout the Northeast. She also practiced at Connecticut law firms, handling both litigation and transactional matters, including all facets of commercial and property litigation matters, collections, criminal defense, construction, employment immigration, evictions, estate planning, family law, foreclosure, FOIA, investigations, medical malpractice, probate, real estate, and torts in state court, federal court, as well as in administrative agencies in Connecticut and New York. Earlier in her career, Makana served as a public defender at the Bridgeport G.A. 2 Courthouse in Connecticut, representing clients on the motor vehicle and domestic violence docket and providing arraignments. She also clerked at the New Haven J.D. Superior Courthouse in civil, family, and criminal court. Prior to law school, Makana worked at Yale University as the inaugural director of the Dixwell-Yale University Community Learning Center, an educational facility, which provided after school programs for New Haven, Connecticut area youth, as well as health and wellness programs for adults. Outside of the office, Makana is actively involved in both professional community organizations. She serves on the boards of several non-profits, including the Shubert Theatre of New Haven, Gateway Community College Foundation, and the Yale Club of New Haven. She also interviews New Haven area high school students applying to Yale College through the Yale Alumni Schools Committee. In the legal community, Makana serves on the executive committee for the New Haven County Bar Association. She has served on various committees for the Connecticut Bar Association and is a past president of the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association of Connecticut and currently serves on its advisor council. For more than 20 years, she has been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, an international community service sorority. Makana is a graduate of Yale College (B.A.) and the University of New Hampshire School of Law (J.D.).