French Community Events in Maryland

Priya Prakash Royal is a recognized tax law and cross-border planning expert with over 16 years of experience representing clients on sophisticated and international trusts and estates law, business law, and related tax issues, including those affecting nonprofits and persons with cross-border interests. She is a former IRS Estate Tax Attorney and admitted to practice in DC, MD, NY, NJ, and PA. At the IRS, Priya audited prominent and ultra-high-net-worth estates and gifts. Priya founded the Royal Law Firm PLLC in 2009, representing a similar clientele, and has structured sophisticated estate and gift plans on transferring domestic and international intergenerational wealth, business succession/asset protection, and charitable planning. The firm has developed an international family collaboration to further women's empowerment by furthering opportunities for exceptional legal professionals. She has also served as an expert witness addressing sophisticated tax and planning issues and has been retained as a tax consultant by other legal professionals. In addition to running the Royal Law Firm PLLC, she is Of Counsel for a prominent New York-based law firm and advises on the firm’s international tax matters. She remains committed to making women empowerment and diversifying the face of wealth. Through the Royal Law Firm PLLC, she has developed a multinational family collaboration between India and the US supporting exceptional legal professionals in the field. Priya is on the Board of STEP Mid-Atlantic as Treasurer. She is also on the Tax Steering Committee at the DC Bar and was the Vice-Chair of the DC Bar Steering Committee in Estates, Trusts, and Probate Law (ETPL). She was named Rising Star by Super Lawyers in 2021. She is a frequent speaker and author in the tax and trusts & estates field. She has been published by the ABA, Bloomberg Tax, and various trade journals, including Heritage Auctions, and is a frequent speaker at bar associations, national, and international conferences and events, including the DC Bar, NAPABA, SABA, USPTO, National Appraisal Institute, AIP, and various podcasts. She is an Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) and International Trusts and Estates Practitioner (TEP) and was awarded Trailblazing Attorney of the Year by the DC Bar Communities. Priya has a JD and LL.M. from Villanova, a BA from Rutgers, and an MBA from APUS. She is conversant in Hindi, Tamil, Spanish, and French.

Founded in 1975, the Alliance Française de Frederick is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to promoting the French language and Francophone culture. We rely entirely on a volunteer board and a cadre of dedicated teachers to bring enriching cultural experiences and high-quality educational opportunities to Frederick. The Alliance Française de Frederick is dedicated to promoting the French language and the Francophone culture throughout greater Frederick County and adjacent counties in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. To fulfill our mission, we offer small classes for all levels, ranging from beginner to advanced; sponsor numerous cultural events throughout the year; and participate in national and regional programs that help make the French language and Francophone culture accessible to residents of Frederick County and beyond. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, we rely on the generous support of our members and sponsors to fulfill our mission. The Alliance Française was founded in 1883 in Paris, France, and is the oldest and largest organization devoted to promoting the French language and Francophone culture in the world. The AFF is proud to be a partner organization of the Federation of Alliances Françaises USA. We rely on the efforts of our volunteer board and the support of our members to make our programs and events a success.

The Alliance Française de Baltimore is a unique place dedicated to French language and culture. As a registered entity of the Alliance Française worldwide network, we are bound to the “Charte Qualité” (Quality Charter) which is a serious guarantee for high quality training and exchanges. The Charter has been established by the Fondation Alliance Française in Paris. The Alliance Française is the largest non-profit network of associations worldwide, dedicated to the promotion of French language and culture abroad. The first Alliance Française was founded in Paris in 1883. There are now 813 Alliances Françaises in 137 countries, teaching 500,000 students of French at all levels. More than 40,000 participants have been attending the 103 Alliances opened in North America. The Alliance Française de Baltimore is a non-profit, entirely self-financed.

The Alliance Française d'Annapolis is a non-profit local branch of the international organization dedicated to the promotion of French language and culture. The Annapolis Alliance in Annapolis has been in existence since 1969, bringing together francophones and Francophiles in an atmosphere combining conviviality with cultural curiosity.