Class Notes
Fine Print
1960s
Daniel Cohen L’68 received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Lafayette College, where he earned his undergraduate degree. Cohen is a Partner at Hof & Reid LLC, a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania law firm specializing in personal injury law. His practice has concentrated in land use law, business organizations and corporate matters, transactions and wills, trusts, and estates. Cohen has served as a member of a hearing committee of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and, in the nonprofit world, has served as President and board member of B’nai Abraham synagogue, Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation, and ProJeCt of Easton Inc., as well as having served on the boards for the Hugh Moore Canal Commission, Premier Bank, now Fulton Bank, Friends of the State Theatre Inc., and City of Easton Police Practices Commission. At Lafayette, Cohen has assisted Gateway Career Center as a volunteer in various capacities including job fairs, internships, and the 1826 Law Society.
Steve Gottlieb L’69 retired from his role as Executive Director at Atlanta Legal Aid Society. Gottlieb spent more than 45 years at Atlanta Legal Aid, starting as a summer student/associate in 1968, and the next year through the Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellowship Program. Following a stint as the Managing Attorney of the Georgia Legal Services’ office in Savannah, he returned to Atlanta Legal Aid in 1977 as Deputy Director and was promoted to Executive Director three years later. Gottlieb said what he’ll remember most about his tenure there is the staff.
Allen Sheptow L’69 was recognized at the Annual Florida Bar Convention’s Recognition Luncheon that honors 50-year Florida Bar members in good standing or members whose cumulative legal practice with the Florida Bar and one or more United States jurisdiction(s) totals 50 years, as of January 1, 2023.
1970s
Donald Kress L’71 was appointed as interim CEO of Coral Gables Trust, a wealth management firm headquartered in Florida. During the transition, Kress is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company, including strategic plan execution, finance, and marketing. He joined Coral Gables Trust after retiring from the Northern Trust Company in June 2014. He joined the Miami office of Northern Trust in October 1998 and served as the bank’s Fiduciary Practice Leader for Miami-Dade and Broward counties. He also acted as a senior trust administrator for a select group of high-net-worth clients. Kress is a member of the board of directors of the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens Trust Inc., is Secretary and Treasurer of the Peacock Foundation, and is a Director of Philanthropy Miami.
Andrew Schwartzman C’68, L’71 was named to the new Law360 2023 Telecommunications Editorial Advisory Board, which provides feedback on Law360’s coverage and expert insight on how best to shape future coverage. Schwartzman is a Senior Counselor at Benton Institute for Broadband & Society and taught at Georgetown University Law Center’s technology clinic from 2014 to 2019. He directed the Media Access Project from 1978 to 2012 and received the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s James Wilson Award, given for a “lifetime of public service.”
William Sussman L’73 was recognized at the Annual Florida Bar Convention’s Recognition Luncheon that honors 50-year Florida Bar members in good standing or members whose cumulative legal practice with the Florida Bar and one or more United States jurisdiction(s) totals 50 years, as of January 1, 2023. His extensive business experience as an attorney, businessman, and hard equity lender has helped him in the negotiation and mediation of complex disputes involving multiple parties, the workout of troubled loans, and the mediation of all types of commercial disputes including those involving disagreements between partners, shareholders, and other types of business organizations. He is a certified appellate mediator, having been in the inaugural class for this new mediator classification, and also a member of the Florida Bar Grievance Mediation, and Fee Arbitration Program.
The Honorable Eric Frank L’76 was celebrated in February 2023 by the judges of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania following his retirement from the Bankruptcy Court (including as Chief Judge) after more than 17 years of service. Judge Frank joined the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on February 16, 2006. He was elevated to Chief Judge on March 1, 2013. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Frank had more than 27 years of experience as a bankruptcy practitioner and was counsel in several cases that were decided by the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Judge Frank served as a member of the federal Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure from 1998 to 2005. He is a Contributing Author to the treatise, Collier on Bankruptcy (15th rev. ed.). Judge Frank is a past Chair of the Steering Committee of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Conference and a past President of the board of directors of the Consumer Bankruptcy Assistance Project in Philadelphia, which provides referrals and representation in Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases on a pro bono basis for eligible, indigent persons.
Michael Malloy L’76, a Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of the Pacific, was an active participant in events at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Law Schools held in San Diego. He served as organizer and moderator, and one of the commentators, for New Scholarship in Contract Law & Theory. He also commentated on a strategic compliance paper during the Business Associations Section panel on New Law Teacher Works in Progress. Also during the conference, Malloy served as the McGeorge representative to the Meeting of the AALS House of Representatives, and he was commentator for a paper on An Empirical Analysis of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s First Decade during the Administrative Law Section workshop. He was appointed Chair-Elect of the Section on Financial Regulation and will be responsible for organizing its panels during the 2024 AALS Annual Meeting. He continues to serve as a member of the Executive Committees of the sections on Business Associations, Contracts, and Socio-Economics.
Gilbert Casellas L’77, PAR’08 who serves on the board of directors of Prudential Financial, is on the selection committee for 50/50 Women on Boards’ “50 Women to Watch for Boards” initiative to spotlight board-ready women across North America. This groundbreaking initiative for board service will help close the gender gap on corporate boards by recognizing the most highly qualified female talent whose experience and skills make them ready to serve on a public company board.
Howard Zucker W’74, L’77 was named to The Bond Buyer’s Hall of Fame class of 2023. He was recognized for his 46 years as a public finance attorney specializing in housing and ‘reputation for the highest standards of integrity’, willing to deliver ‘hard truths to issuers and underwriters alike without concern for financial implications to him or his firm.’ Zucker is a Partner at Hawkins Delafield & Wood in New York.
John Parvensky L’79 retired as President and CEO of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, which offers housing, healthcare, and supportive services for the homeless in Colorado. Parvensky had served at the organization for 37 years.
Lynn Marks L’79 was presented with the Anne X. Alpern Award by the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s (PBA) Commission on Women in the Profession (WIP). She was honored at the WIP Annual Conference during the PBA annual meeting in Philadelphia. The Alpern Award is presented annually to a female lawyer or judge who demonstrates excellence in the legal profession and who makes a significant professional impact on women in the law. With a lifelong commitment to social reform, Marks began her career as the legal director and executive director for Women Organized Against Rape in Philadelphia. While in that role, she served as a victim advocate in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. For 25 years, Marks served as the executive director of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, a statewide organization that works to promote a fair, independent, and inclusive judicial system in Pennsylvania. In 2017, Marks was recruited to launch and lead the First Judicial District Juror Participation Initiative. She is the longest-serving member of the Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Fairness and currently serves as Chair of its Jury Services Committee.
1980s
Dalton Phillips L’80 published a book titled The Struggles of a Born-Again Agnostic. The theme of the book is that faith alone is not sufficient for religious belief; one must base belief on historical evidence, verifiable truths, and common sense. The book was published by Dorrance Publishing Co. and is available through their bookstore.
Jack Wiener L’82, in addition to his day job as an international securities attorney and adjunct law professor, has recently represented fencers pro bono. In June 2023, after a two-year effort in which he represented a number of victims, he succeeded in having SafeSport ban for life Olympic-level fencer Alen Hadzic for sexual misconduct. In July, The New York Times, in a full-page article, covered Wiener’s representation of three Russian Olympic fencers who have defected to the U.S. and denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Thomas Sabatino, Jr. L’83 joined Rite Aid Corp. as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. In his new role, he is responsible for managing Rite Aid’s enterprise risk management, compliance, regulatory affairs, and privacy. Most recently, Sabatino was Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Tenneco Inc. Before he joined Tenneco, Sabatino served as Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel at The Hertz Corp. and also as Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Aetna Inc.
J. Raul Cosio L’85, PAR’15 was named Co-Chair of Holland & Knight LLP’s Latin America practice group. Cosio has been a longtime Miami-based litigation partner at the firm. The practice has more than 200 attorneys and offices in Colombia and Mexico. Cosio has been with Holland & Knight since 1985 and has successfully handled dozens of civil trials in state and federal courts as well as in domestic and international arbitration proceedings. He has experience in business and securities litigation, international litigation and arbitration, trusts and estates litigation, financial services litigation, and commercial litigation. His clients include large U.S. and Latin American Fortune 500 corporations, domestic and international businesses, financial institutions, and individuals. Cosio is a former president of the Cuban American Bar Association and is a member of the Hispanic National Bar Foundation and the Orange Bowl Committee.
Terry Gillen L’85 started a new position in the Biden Administration as coordinator of the Economic Recovery Corps in the U.S. Department of Commerce.
R. Charles “Chuck” Miller L’85 joined Duane Morris LLP as a Partner in the firm’s Corporate Practice Group in its Washington, D.C., office. Miller was previously a Partner at K&L Gates LLP. Miller’s practice focuses on federal securities laws, principally in the area of investment company and investment adviser representation. He has practiced for more than 25 years in the asset management industry and regularly handles a wide variety of regulatory, transactional, and counseling matters. Miller has extensive experience concerning the registration, distribution and operation of open-end and closed-end funds and the regulation of investment advisers and broker-dealers. He represents some of the world’s largest financial services companies in addressing complex issues involving fiduciary obligations, innovative share classes, revenue sharing, trading restrictions and affiliation. In addition, Miller works regularly with investment managers and intermediaries in structuring and offering new investment products. In the course of his work, he frequently interacts with the SEC, FINRA, the MSRB and other regulatory agencies. Additionally, Miller has particular experience in working with investment advisers in establishing and operating separately managed accounts, wrap accounts, and other investment advisory programs. He is also known nationally for his work with retirement plans and college savings plans (529 plans), and regularly represents investment advisers, broker-dealers, and program administrators in setting up and maintaining new retirement plan platforms and 529 plans. Miller is a member of the American Law Institute.
Susan Bahme Blumenfeld L’87 was named to the 2024 Best Lawyers in America list for her work in employment law. Blumenfeld counsels public and private-sector single and multi-employer pension and welfare funds on critically important benefits and tax issues, a complex area of the law for which she is recognized by her peers. She advises plan administrators and trustees on the day-to-day administration and operation of pension and welfare funds, including the requirements imposed on employee benefit plans by the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA as well as other federal and state laws, helping clients make sure they remain in compliance as they work to protect their members. Blumenfeld works with welfare funds regarding operational, design and administrative issues relating to claims procedures and appeals, subrogation policies and compliance with COBRA, HIPAA, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) among other issues. She is a Partner at Willig, Williams & Davidson in Philadelphia.
Randall Pattee L’87 was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). The ACTL has a highly selective, invitation-only membership and is considered the most prestigious association for the Trial Bar in the United States and Canada. Membership cannot exceed one percent of the total lawyers in any state or province and invitations to become an ACTL fellow are extended only to trial attorneys “who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality.” Pattee, Co-Chair of Fox Rothschild’s Product Liability & Mass Torts Practice, is a Partner at the firm and represents clients throughout the United States in product liability defense and business and commercial disputes. He has been national or regional counsel for manufacturers in the HVAC, transportation, food, industrial controls and processes, construction, agricultural equipment, pharmaceutical, consumer products, and chemical industries.
Herb Wolfson C’85, L’88, G’91 joined Vaishvik Law International as Senior Legal Counsel and head of the United States desk, where he supervises international transactional work. The firm, based in Abu Dhabi, handles litigation in the DIFC Court and the ADGM Court (the two existing common law courts of the UAE). Wolfson and his team will also supervise litigation in the onshore courts in coordination with Emirati advocates. He plans to split his time between the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
Howard Krooks L’89 was selected to the 2023 Florida Super Lawyers list. He is a Member at Cozen O’Connor in Boca Raton, Florida. His practice is devoted to elder law and trust and estate matters, including representing seniors and people with special needs and their families in connection with asset preservation planning, supplemental needs trusts, Medicaid, Medicare, planning for disability, guardianship, wills, trusts, and health care planning with advance directives.
Constanze Ulmer-Eilfort LLM’89 was appointed to the supervisory board for Affimed N.V., a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company committed to giving patients back their innate ability to fight cancer. Since 2022, Ulmer-Eilfort has been a Partner at Peters, Schönberger & Partner, an interdisciplinary law and advisory firm in Munich, Germany. Prior to that, she worked at Baker McKenzie serving in several roles, including as Partner from 1998 to 2021, member of the Global Executive Committee from 2017 to 2021, and as Managing Partner of the German and Austrian offices from 2012 to 2017. Since 2021, she has served as member of the supervisory board of Evotec SE, a Hamburg-based, publicly listed drug discovery and development company. She also serves as Chair of the Advisory Committee at Smart4Diagnostics GmbH, a healthcare start-up based in Munich. Since 2022, Ulmer-Eilfort has also served as a member of the board of Proxygen GmbH, a Vienna-based biotech company developing and commercializing molecular glue degraders and is an advisor to the management board of Artidis AG, a Swiss healthcare company developing a technology platform for the rapid diagnosis of cancer.
1990s
Stephanie Abrutyn L’91 joined Dentons as Counsel. Abrutyn splits her time between New York City and Washington, D.C., in the firm’s Media and Entertainment group. She most recently worked as General Counsel for Grid, a D.C.-based media startup that was founded in 2022 and sold earlier this year. Previously, she spent 15 years at HBO, where she served in roles including Senior Counsel and Senior Vice President for Litigation and Public Policy within the network’s parent company of WarnerMedia. While at HBO, Abrutyn litigated cases including one brought by reality television actor John Devenanzio, who said the show “Entourage” had used his nickname “Johnny Bananas” without his permission. HBO successfully had the case dismissed in 2012. Throughout her career, according to Dentons, Abrutyn has also taught courses in media law as an Adjunct Professor at New York University and Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
Susan Brodsky Asch W’88, L’91 was promoted to General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Omega Flex, Inc.
Henry Jaffe L’91 joined Pashman Stein Walder Hayden’s Wilmington, Delaware office as a Partner in the bankruptcy, restructuring and creditors’ rights practice. Previously, Jaffe was a Partner at Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders and its predecessors for more than 20 years. Jaffe represents debtors, trustees, and creditors’ committees; secured, unsecured, and administrative claimants; and receivers in federal and state receivership actions. He has defended and prosecuted hundreds of avoidance actions in various jurisdictions throughout the U.S. and has assisted creditors with the assumption and renegotiation of complex executory contracts and leases. He has also helped clients including owners, contractors and suppliers in the construction industry with insolvency and bankruptcy issues. He counsels both buyers and sellers of assets in bankruptcy, including sales involving intellectual property, pharmaceutical assets, and other assets. Jaffe has also counseled, among others, large retailers, manufacturers, distributors, landlords, large equipment lessors, and parties in the petroleum and plastics industries on their bankruptcy and insolvency issues.
Randi Kremer C’88, L’91 is proud to announce that her son, Bradley Saunders C’21, entered Penn Carey Law this fall as a member of the Class of 2026. Wishing Brad and his classmates best of luck and much joy as 1Ls!
Wally Martinez L’91, PAR’19 was named to a new role, Chief Growth Officer, at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, after serving as the firm’s Managing Partner for 17 years. Martinez was the longest-serving Managing Partner at Hunton, and, as Chief Growth Officer, will work with the new Managing Partner and practice leaders on targeted growth opportunities in strategic practices and markets. In his new role, he identifies and attracts hires, and he works to ensure new hires are integrated well into Hunton’s culture. Martinez will also likely resume his litigation practice, which focuses on complex business litigation and white-collar criminal defense. He has represented clients accused of tax fraud, procurement fraud, public corruption, violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, money laundering, health care fraud and violation of the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
Karen Baillie L’92 joined Ogletree Deakins as a Shareholder in the firm’s Pittsburgh office. Baillie has a specific focus on advising and defending educational institutions, including counseling school leadership on student and employee issues ranging from discipline to Title IX. She also handles matters in all areas of employment law, including discrimination, accommodations, leave management, restrictive covenants, separations, reductions in force, union activity, policy advice, and many other issues that confront employers daily. In addition to her advice and counsel practice, Baillie assists employers in responding to administrative complaints and litigation and frequently oversees workplace investigations. She was chosen by her peers for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Baillie was previously at Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis, where she chaired that firm’s Higher Education practice group.
Scott Coffina L’92 joined Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP as a Partner in the firm’s Philadelphia office, where he practices in the Government Enforcement, Compliance, & White-Collar Litigation, Qui Tam & False Claims Act, and Title IX Practice Groups. Coffina most recently spent five years as Burlington County prosecutor, having previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Senior Deputy Chief Counsel to Governor Chris Christie, Associate Counsel to President George W. Bush, and Staff Assistant to President Ronald Reagan. In private practice, Coffina has led and conducted numerous internal investigations and defended individuals, corporations and colleges and universities in a wide variety of high stakes matters. He focuses his practice on white collar criminal defense, False Claims Act matters, compliance, political-legal controversies, health care fraud, higher education, and general crisis management.
Michael Kaufman L’92 joined Moritt Hock & Hamroff as a Partner and Chair of the firm’s Tax Practice Group. He was previously a Partner at Warshaw Burstein, LLP. Kaufman has extensive experience providing clients with advice in connection with U.S. federal income taxes. He regularly assists clients with corporate and international tax matters and tax-free reorganizations and structuring international joint ventures and cross-border transactions, as well as partnership tax issues and fund formation and structuring. Kaufman also lends his expertise to tax-related matters in connection with mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, stock purchases and sales, asset purchases and sales, and debt and equity offerings.
Constance Kossally C’89, L’92 was promoted to Chief Counsel, Region 4 – Atlanta, at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Michael Mavrides L’92 joined Dechert LLP as a Partner in the financial services and investment management practice in New York. An expert in the formation and operation of hedge funds on behalf of both domestic and international clients, his work includes providing fund formation and regulatory advice on the legal issues that affect hedge funds, their management companies, and the individuals in charge, as well as the sourcing and use of alternative data of asset managers.
Eric Siegel L’92 joined Philadelphia-based biopharmaceutical company Carisma Therapeutics as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. He was previously Chief Compliance Officer for Idorsia Pharmaceuticals. Siegel started his career at SmithKline Beecham and has previously worked in senior management roles for EMD Serono, Solstice Neurosciences, and Cephalon. In 2010, Siegel joined Incyte Corp. as Chief Compliance Officer, then moved to Jazz Pharmaceuticals before joining Idorsia in 2020.
Jennifer Brandt L’94 was elected Secretary of the American Bar Association Family Law Section (FLS) at the ABA’s annual meeting in Chicago. Brandt also serves as a member of the ABA FLS Finance Committee and is the Section’s Liaison to the ABA Standing Committee on Professionalism. She is Chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Family Law Group in Philadelphia and has significant experience representing parties in divorce, custody, and support/alimony matters throughout both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She assists parties with paternity issues, adoptions, and matters concerning assisted reproduction technology, negotiates prenuptial, post-nuptial, and cohabitation agreements, and mediates and arbitrates family law cases. Brandt appears regularly on national and local television and radio, and she frequently writes and contributes to numerous local and national publications. She is also the editor of Family Law Focus, a legal blog addressing current issues in family law. Brandt lectures regularly and plans courses for attorneys and other professionals on the topic of family law for organizations such as the American Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and New Jersey ICLE. She also teaches a course on divorce for Main Line School Night in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. In addition to the ABA’s Family Law Section, Brandt is an active member of the Family Law Sections of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Camden County bar associations. She is Co-Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Children’s Rights Committee, and she serves as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, an organization of select lawyers dedicated to expanding knowledge and advancing justice.
Katherine Rosefsky Leibowitz L’94 is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Leibowitz Law by launching a new brand identity and website experience. Leibowitz has been supporting the clinical trials enterprise for almost 25 years, and the firm provides clinical research, regulatory compliance, technology and data, and corporate and commercial services to the life sciences community. Clients of her boutique regulatory and technology transactional law firm include sponsors, research institutions, technology service providers and CROs. Leibowitz co-founded Leibowitz Law with her husband, Steve Leibowitz C’74, after 17 years at Hogan Lovells to make life sciences contracting easier and more accessible for small to middle-sized companies and institutions. The firm’s mission is to empower the life sciences community in its efforts to save lives and improve patient outcomes. Leibowitz regularly speaks at industry conferences, educating on clinical trial best practices, and technology and life sciences regulatory contracting.
Jonn Beeson L’96 was elected to the board of directors of Xtant Medical Holdings Inc., a medical device company that makes products for bone and spinal transplants. He was also named Chair of the board’s newly founded nominating and corporate governance committee. Beeson is a Partner at Jones Day, and his corporate practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions. He has particular expertise working with pharmaceutical and medical companies, with clients including AbbVie, Abbott Laboratories and Bristol Myers Squibb unit Celgene.
Beth Heleman L’96 joined the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law as an adjunct professor teaching Employment Discrimination.
Marc Kesselman L’96 received a 2023 Legends in Law award for his achievement as one of the most outstanding General Counsels in the United States. This honor comes from the Burton Awards Foundation for Legal Achievement, which are held in association with the Library of Congress and co-sponsored by the American Bar Association. Each year, the “Legends in the Law Award” goes to General Counsel based on an outstanding reputation in the legal profession and a demonstrated track record of addressing complex matters of national or global significance in a specialized area. Kesselman is Senior Vice President & General Counsel at Purdue Pharma L.P.
Clark Khayat L’96 was named Chief Financial Officer of KeyCorp, where he had previously been serving as Chief Strategy Officer. In his new role, Khayat oversees the company’s finance function, including such areas as accounting, tax, treasury, financial planning and analysis, investor relations, and corporate strategy. He joined KeyCorp in 2012, leading Corporate Strategy and then serving as Group Head of Commercial Payments. He established Key’s enterprise payments and Fintech partnership strategies. Khayat led the company’s strategy to build targeted scale through a series of investments in capabilities such as digital and analytics as well as successful niche acquisitions, including Laurel Road, Cain Brothers, and Pacific Crest.
Christopher Cox L’97 was promoted to Partner at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom’s New York office, where he practices mass torts, insurance, and consumer litigation. Cox has significant experience in coordinating and managing all stages of pre-trial discovery in multi-jurisdictional litigation. He regularly advises clients regarding discovery strategies and negotiates with opposing counsel regarding the scope of discovery, including in the e-discovery context. Cox has implemented and overseen factual investigation and expert witness development programs and has extensive experience in preparing company and expert witnesses for deposition and trial. In connection with his practice, Cox has developed knowledge regarding a variety of medical and scientific disciplines and public health issues.
Jonathan Leiken L’97 joined Dollar Tree, Inc. as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary. Leiken has more than 20 years of legal experience. He most recently served as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Diebold Nixdorf, Inc., a global technology company that provides systems, services, and software to the world’s leading banks (ATMs) and retailers (point of sale and self-checkout). Among many civic endeavors, Leiken is the President of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland and teaches as an Adjunct Professor of Law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
Priscilla (Sally) Mattison L’97, Of Counsel to Bernard M. Resnick, Esq., P.C., served as Lead Facilitator of the “Music Industry and the Law 2023” panel at the ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries’ Spring CLE and Governing Committee Conference, held in Philadelphia.
Seth Stuhl L’97 was honored with a 2023 Broadway League Leadership Award. The inaugural awards were given to distinguished Broadway League members who went above and beyond offering their time and expertise throughout the unprecedented era of Broadway’s 18-month shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their role in helping with Broadway’s reopening. Stuhl is Vice President, Business Affairs & Legal Counsel at Disney Theatrical Productions (DTG), the business unit of the Walt Disney Company responsible for the company’s Broadway, domestic, and international live stage play business. In that role, Stuhl is involved in most facets of DTG’s business, which currently includes nine companies of The Lion King, five companies each of Aladdin and Frozen, a reimagined United Kingdom touring production of Beauty and the Beast and international productions of Aida, Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Little Mermaid, and Mary Poppins. His work includes structuring and negotiating deals — and drafting resulting contracts — for talent such as composers, lyricists, book writers, directors, choreographers, and designers; working with international producer licensees on contractual arrangements and all legal aspects of such productions; working with outside and Disney counsel on immigration, intellectual property, litigation, and assorted other business and legal matters; and partnering with finance, tax, and accounting teams on financial aspects of business. Government affairs regarding both New York and the stage play industry are also part of Stuhl’s scope of work, and he serves as Vice Chair of the Government Relations Committee of The Broadway League, the trade union for the Broadway industry. In that capacity, he was active in the industry’s lobbying for federal and state relief for the performing arts, including the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program and the New York City Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit. Stuhl is Northeast Chair of Disney Legal’s pro bono program, a full member of The Broadway League (in which capacity he is a Tony Award voter) and on the Board of Directors of the Ali Forney Center, the nation’s largest organization serving LGBTQ+ youth.
Derek Winokur L’97 joined Milbank LLP as a Partner in the firm’s global corporate group in New York. He focuses his practice on private equity and mergers and acquisitions. Winokur most recently was a Partner at Dechert LLP, where he was Co-Head of the firm’s private equity practice.
Bruce Merenstein L’98 joined white collar defense firm Welsh & Recker as a Partner in the Philadelphia office. He was previously a Partner at Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis and a former Chair of the appellate practice. Merenstein first worked with firm founders Catherine Recker and Robert Welsh Jr. in 2016, when both firms represented co-defendants in a corruption trial against former Pennsylvania Congressman Chaka Fattah. Fattah was represented by Merenstein and another attorney; and Recker, Welsh and partner Amy Carver represented Herbert Vederman, a former government affairs specialist from Stradley Ronon who was convicted of bribing Fattah.
Gabrielle DuBois Bailey L’99 was elected to the board of directors for Glenmede, a leading investment and wealth management firm. She serves as Glenmede’s Chief Fiduciary Officer, providing executive oversight and leadership over fiduciary strategy, ethical standards, and legal compliance to promote a strong governance system. Prior to joining Glenmede, Bailey served as Chief Fiduciary Officer and Director of Delaware Trust Services at CIBC Private Wealth Management for the U.S., and as the Director of Delaware Trust Services at Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management. Bailey is a frequent speaker at the annual Fiduciary Investment Risk Management Association Conference and was named one of the “50 Most Influential Women in Wealth Management” by Private Asset Management Magazine. She sits on the board of the Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation and is a member of the University of Richmond Alumni Recruitment Committee.
Paul Litton, C’94, L’99, PhD’03, a graduate of Penn’s joint JD/PhD in Philosophy Program, was named Dean at the University of Missouri School of Law. He joined its faculty in 2006 and has taught Jurisprudence, Death Penalty Law, Criminal Law, and other courses. Litton served as Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development for seven years before becoming Interim Dean in 2022.
2000s
Edo Banach L’01 joined Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, a multidisciplinary, integrated professional services firm, as a Partner at the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. A seasoned healthcare leader with a record of success in both the public and private sectors, Banach leverages his deep understanding of home-based, hospice and palliative care; Medicare and Medicaid law and policy; and health care delivery to increase access to care and create a more equitable health system for communities throughout the country. Banach has established himself as a trusted partner for post-acute and long-term services and supports providers looking for strategic legal, regulatory and policy counsel. He advises on a variety of federal and state regulatory matters, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), fraud and abuse, administrative appeals, privacy and consent, and state licensing issues. He also counsels clients on Medicare-Medicaid program integrity and overlap as well as on coordinating Medicaid home health partnerships. Additionally, as former president and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Banach has extensive experience directing nationwide efforts to deliver care for patients with complex health needs and has led numerous legislative and administrative advocacy efforts before the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Health and Human Services, and the White House. A former deputy director of CMS’ Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office, Banach helped improve program coordination and reform the delivery system for approximately 10 million enrollees. Tapping into this experience, he helps clients adapt to changes in the Medicare-Medicaid program and provides counsel on Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage and dual eligibles matters, among other related issues. Additionally, Banach advises clients on providing more integrated care for individuals seeking post-acute and long-term care, including for Special Needs Plans, Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, and Home and Community Based Services.
Kesha James L’01, who previously served as Legal Aid of Southeastern PA (LASP)’s Deputy Director for Advocacy, was elected to LASP’s board of directors as a member-at-large. LASP provides free civil legal aid in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania. Currently, James serves as Executive Director at Management Information Exchange. From 2013 to May 2022, James’s work at LASP included overseeing the program’s legal services delivery system and impact advocacy while supporting all aspects of senior management. She also formerly served as LASP pro bono director and staff attorney for LASP’s mortgage foreclosure and predatory lending prevention unit.
Aaron Kesselheim L’01, G’01 was awarded the 2023 Joseph I. Lieberman Award for Outstanding STEM Achievement by the Center for Excellence in Education, a nonprofit dedicated to nurturing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) excellence through national and international programs for students and teachers. Kesselheim is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a faculty member in the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He developed and leads the Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law, one of the largest non-industry funded academic research centers in the country that focuses on pharmaceutical policy and evidence-based use of medicines. Author of over 600 publications in peer-reviewed medical and health policy literatures, Kesselheim was recognized as one of the top three most-cited health law scholars in the U.S. from 2013 to 2020 in Web of Science, Westlaw, and GoogleScholar. Kesselheim has testified before Congress on pharmaceutical policy, medical device regulation, generic drugs, and modernizing clinical trials. He is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics. In 2020, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
Andrea Kirshenbaum G’98, L’01 joined Littler Mendelson’s Philadelphia office as a Shareholder. She was previously a Principal at Post & Schell, where she chaired the firm’s Employment and Labor practice group. Kirshenbaum’s practice focuses on providing counsel on compliance with wage and hour laws and defending employers in federal and state courts against litigation under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state laws relating to wages, pay practices and worker classifications. She represents employers in complex class and collective actions involving a variety of employment-related disputes. Kirshenbaum has experience working with clients in a range of industries, including construction, commercial real estate, energy, financial services, health care and pharmaceuticals, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, and technology. In addition to wage and hour issues, Kirshenbaum counsels and represents employers on a range of matters that arise in the employer-employee relationship, including those involving discrimination and harassment claims, leave and disability accommodation, and trade secrets and restrictive covenants. She also represents employers in government investigations, audits of employment policies and practices, and labor relations matters. An author and speaker, Kirshenbaum regularly writes and presents on legal and regulatory developments impacting the workplace. In 2022, she was appointed to the civil rules advisory committee of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Kirshenbaum also serves as a board member of the Duke Philadelphia regional board, the Asperger & Autism Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, and the Committee of Seventy, a nonprofit organization that advocates for better government in Philadelphia, as well as Vice President of the board of directors of OROT, a special education initiative in Jewish day schools in the Philadelphia region.
Matthew Lang L’02 joined Lyell Immunopharma, Inc.’s executive management team as Chief Business Officer. The clinical‑stage T-cell reprogramming company advances a diverse pipeline of cell therapies for patients with solid tumors. In this newly created role, Lang will serve on Lyell’s executive committee and will be responsible for its legal, compliance, human resources, alliance management and early commercialization teams. He will also serve as Lyell’s Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary. Lang was previously Chief Administrative and Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at Myovant Sciences, where he built and led numerous functions at various stages including legal, compliance, human resources, alliance management, corporate communications, and risk management and helped build and lead the company through Phase 3 clinical development and global approval and commercialization of Myfembree® and Orgovyx®. While at Myovant, he negotiated numerous U.S. and European co-development, licensing and commercialization deals as well as multiple financing and acquisition transactions totaling over $7.5 billion. Lang also served as the Managing Director and General Manager of Myovant’s European operations in Basel, Switzerland where he was responsible for all aspects of Myovant’s ex-U.S. business operations.
Ted Powers L’02 was appointed a Partner at Jones Day’s newly structured corporate practice in New York. He focuses on advising private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies. He has more than 20 years of experience practicing corporate law, including private and public mergers and acquisitions, asset and stock transactions, minority investments, and general corporate and securities matters. Powers has played a lead role in negotiating, managing, and implementing a number of high-stakes private equity, M&A and corporate transactions for clients in a wide range of industries.
Eric Johnson L’03 won reelection as Mayor of Dallas, Texas, with over 98.7 percent of the vote. The win broke a 114-year-old record for the highest vote percentage garnered by a mayoral candidate in a contested race in Dallas history.
Chrystal Dyer LaRoche L’03 joined Loeb & Loeb after spending nearly 12 years with Ropes & Gray. LaRoche focuses her practice on real estate, representing lenders and borrowers in finance transactions, purchasers and sellers in acquisitions and dispositions, joint venture capital partners in forming and investing in a wide array of asset classes, and tenants/subtenants and landlords/sublandlords in a variety of leases.
Elizabeth McManus L’04, GRD’14 was promoted to Partner at Ballard Spahr’s Philadelphia office. Her promotion follows her return to Ballard Spahr in February 2022. She had taken her labor and employment practice to Epstein Becker Green in New York in 2018, and last year she returned to Ballard Spahr and now practices out of her home base in Philadelphia with frequent work in the New York office. McManus’ employment litigation practice represents businesses and organizations on matters involving race, gender and age discrimination, as well as leave and accommodation matters. Her work also includes conducting high-profile internal investigations and advising public and private employers on issues such as workplace policies, terminations, and layoffs. McManus first joined Ballard Spahr in 2015.
Jeffrey Scott L’04 served on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s transition team for Legal and Judiciary issues. Scott serves as Lead Compliance Counsel—Digital, Reporting, and Analytics at the Compliance Division of Pfizer.
Christopher Seaman L’04 was named to the Robert E. R. Huntley Professorship in Law at the Washington and Lee University School of Law.
Matthew Tripolitsiotis G’02, L’04 joined the Dallas-based litigation boutique Burns Charest LLP as a Partner. During a 19-year legal career, his clients have included Fortune 100 companies, components of the Dow Jones Index and FTSE 100 privately held companies, sovereign wealth funds, high net-worth individuals, and class action plaintiffs. Tripolitsiotis was previously at the New York office of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, where he was a core member of the legal team on some of the firm’s highest profile matters. That work has included representing American Express in reaching a $4 billion settlement from Visa and Mastercard (the largest settlement for a single antitrust plaintiff in history) and representing a nationwide class of consumers against Volkswagen of America, which resulted in a partial settlement valued at approximately $15 billion. He has also served as a court-appointed member of the plaintiffs committee pursuing price-fixing claims against the manufacturer of EpiPen devices, which led to settlements of more than $600 million for consumers. In addition, Tripolitsiotis has counseled clients in the areas of corporate governance, entertainment law, real estate, intellectual property, securities, and estate litigation. In 2022, Chambers & Partners USA ranked him as a leading antitrust attorney and its independent research found “Matt is extremely sharp, responsive and shows an impressive attention to detail” and described him as “a fantastic litigator with incredible depth of knowledge and professionalism.” He will continue to practice in New York City.
Javier Alvarez L’05 was ranked in the 2023 edition of Chambers & Partners USA, an annual listing of the leading law firms and attorneys in the world. This is the fourth consecutive year that Alvarez has been recognized by Chambers USA for Banking & Finance. Alvarez is a Managing Partner at TA PLLC, a full-service business law firm in Miami, and works in the firm’s Corporate and Mergers & Acquisitions practice groups. His practice focuses on a wide range of domestic and cross-border business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, financings, joint ventures, and other general corporate matters. Alvarez represents domestic and international companies, entrepreneurs, start-ups, funds, family offices, and strategic and financial investors in transactions involving various industries, including financial services, healthcare, agriculture, maritime, real estate, hospitality, and technology.
Kalpana Kotagal L’05 was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be a Commissioner on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Kotagal has extensive litigation experience handling cases on behalf of employees under a range of federal civil rights and employment discrimination statutes, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Kotagal is a Partner in Cohen Milstein’s Civil Rights & Employment practice and Co-Chair of the firm’s Hiring and Diversity Committee. She has been a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association community since 2010.
Ellen Tobin C’01, L’05 was confirmed, on her birthday, by the New York State Senate as one of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s judicial nominations. Tobin was most recently a litigation Partner at Westerman Ball Ederer Miller Zucker and Sharfstein in Uniondale. Upon joining the bench in July, she is sitting as an acting Supreme Court Justice at the Nassau County Supreme Court in Mineola.
Sarah Buzby L’06 joined Cherry Petersen Albert LLP as Senior Counsel. Her practice focuses exclusively on commercial real estate transactions. Buzby is a highly experienced real estate lawyer with more than 15 years of experience handling commercial real estate transactions and commercial lending transactions. Licensed in three states and the District of Columbia, she gained her experience while working for several large global law firms in Texas, California, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and she has also served as in-house counsel for one of the top real estate settlement companies in the Washington D.C., metropolitan area.
Rachael Kuilema Klein L’06 joined Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a member of the firm’s Trust and Estates practice group, she helps design and implement estate plans that meet clients’ financial, family, and philanthropic goals. She regularly prepares estate plans, supervises estate and trust administration, and handles probate litigation matters.
John Zurn L’06 was appointed Vice President of Facilities and Capital Projects at Longwood Gardens. In this role, Zurn oversees a team of more than 60 full-time staff, as well as the construction and maintenance of Longwood facilities, supporting infrastructure and systems, and all capital and operating projects. He comes to Longwood after 11 years as the director of design and construction at the University of Pennsylvania, where he oversaw budgeting, design, engineering, legal, architecture, construction, and measurement and verification of capital projects throughout the University. As an executive manager, attorney, and engineer, Zurn’s experiences vary from building rehabilitations to art installations. While at Penn, he managed the development of a master plan for the Morris Arboretum and the award-winning gut rehabilitation of the Richards Medical Research Labs, a National Historic Landmark designed by Louis Kahn. Zurn arrives as Longwood is in the midst of its most ambitious capital project in a century, Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience. The $250 million project encompasses 17 acres and includes a 32,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art conservatory, a new administration building, and new dining and event spaces. The project is slated for completion in fall 2024.
Justin Danilewitz CGS’03, L’07 was appointed Co-Chair of Saul Ewing’s White Collar and Government Enforcement practice. Danilewitz joined Saul Ewing’s Philadelphia office in 2017. His practice draws upon his trial and investigative experience as a former federal prosecutor in which he defended entities and individuals facing criminal and civil enforcement actions, conducted internal investigations, and responded to whistleblower complaints and false claims (qui tam) suits. An appellate advocate and legal writer, Danilewitz also serves as Vice Chair of Saul Ewing’s appellate practice.
Chris Haaf L’09 joined Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC, a law firm in Winston-Salem, North Carolina., as a Partner, bringing with him a strong background in business and appellate litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Haaf practiced at Chris Haaf Law PLLC, a firm he started in 2020. Before that, he was a Senior Associate at an AmLaw 100 firm.
2010s
Andrew Egan L’10 was named a 2023 New Jersey Rising Star for his work in Estate & Trust Litigation. As a Principal at Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C., Egan focuses his practice on navigating emotionally charged, high stakes probate, trust, and guardianship litigation.
Jonathan Ellis L’10 was named a finalist for the Southeastern Legal Awards’ 2023 Attorney of the Year. As a Partner at McGuireWoods’ Raleigh and D.C. offices, he serves as co-leader of its national appeals and issues team, where he has worked since January 2022. Over the past year, Ellis has served as counsel before the Supreme Court, as well as the Second, Third, Fourth and Eleventh Circuits and state appellate courts. He has argued nine cases and filed more than 150 briefs before the Supreme Court throughout his career. Ellis had two filings before the Supreme Court: Gonzalez v. Google and Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith, both of which involved protecting the right of free expression. Pro bono work is important to Ellis. Pointing to a recent employment discrimination case he argued pro bono, Allen v. Atlas Box & Crating Co, Ellis spoke proudly of representing a plaintiff in the Fourth Circuit from his dismissal of his Title VII lawsuit, which the circuit court eventually reversed in his favor in February.
Marisa Geiger C’05, L’10 joined Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP’s New York office as an Intellectual Property/Privacy and Cybersecurity Partner. Recognized for her prowess in intellectual property matters by both Chambers USA and Legal 500 USA, Geiger advises a wide range of clients on the IP aspects of mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, carve outs, minority investments and spin-offs, as well as other corporate transactions. She also has extensive experience in structuring and negotiating complex, standalone IP transactions, including in the context of strategic alliances and joint ventures, collaboration and development agreements, cross-licenses, long-term services agreements, and distribution agreements. Geiger has also advised on the successful resolution of a wide range of intellectual property disputes.
Demetrius Warrick L’10 was promoted to Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. He has worked at Skadden’s New York office for more than four years in the firm’s M&A practice. He focuses on M&A, corporate governance, securities, and general corporate law, advising public and private on corporate matters, including strategic acquisitions, divestitures, auctions, strategic investments, reorganizations, financial advisor engagements, and joint ventures. In July 2022, he represented Waldencast plc. in its merger with Milk Makeup LLC and Obagi Cosmeceuticals LLC at $995 million.
Linda Bartosch L’11 was named to The Legal Intelligencer’s 2023 Lawyers on the Fast Track list. Bartosch is a Partner in Dechert’s global finance group, with a focus on real estate finance, structured finance and investment matters. She served as innovation lead and the Philadelphia contact for the Global Women’s Initiative, and she is a member of the steering committee of the Philadelphia chapter of 100 Women in Finance. Bartosch helps local nonprofits achieve 501(c)(3) status and advises on global micro-finance marketplace initiatives linking U.S. investors with borrowers in the developing world.
M. Shams Billah G’11, L’11, W’11 joined Barnes & Thornburg LLP’s New York office to lead its private credit team alongside its multidisciplinary private funds and asset management practice. He was previously a corporate finance Partner at Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP. Billah focuses his practice on advising credit funds and other global asset managers on corporate and finance matters and advising private equity firms and their portfolio companies in traditional middle market acquisition and financing transactions. He also has significant experience with debt restructurings, distress-to-own debt investments, liability management transactions, debtor-in-possession financings and exit financings.
Danielle Lemberg L’11 was promoted to Partner at Seward & Kissel LLP. Lemberg, a core member of the Business Transactions Group, advises on business transactions, equity financings, and general corporate matters. She co-founded and heads the Seward & Kissel Women’s Initiative and has been recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers, with clients and peers remarking that “she is incredibly responsive and hard-working” with “excellent technical and market knowledge.” She has been honored as a “Rising Star” (Legal 500), a “Woman Worth Watching” (Profiles in Diversity Journal), and an “Emerging Leader” (M&A Advisor).
Scott Oberlander L’11 joined Fisher Philips LLP’s Philadelphia office as Of Counsel. A specialist in restrictive covenants, trade secrets and confidentiality matters, Oberlander will be a member of the firm’s employee defection and trade secrets group, representing employers in restrictive covenant and trade secrets matters in state and federal court. As a member of this group, he will craft and help implement robust frameworks to anticipate, prevent, and detect employee theft and carelessness, and he will be ready to prosecute and defend companies in contentious non-compete litigation and trade secrets disputes. Oberlander will also partner with clients to prevent such workplace disputes by providing extensive counseling on employee relations issues. In this capacity, he will help employers of all sizes develop and implement protective measures with a focus on employment contracts, supervisor manuals, employee handbooks, and training and compliance programming. He was previously an employment litigator at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC.
Christopher Rosina L’11 joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP’s New York office as an Of Counsel. Rosina serves as a member of the firm’s Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation and Artificial Intelligence and Automated Systems Practice Groups. Before joining Gibson Dunn, Rosina worked as a senior member of Apple’s legal team, where he was the principal architect of Apple’s global privacy compliance program, including in preparation for GDPR and CCPA, and served as the primary counsel to Apple’s Data Protection Officer. In this capacity, Rosina provided strategic counsel across Apple’s business units, relating to almost all of Apple’s products and services, in addition to managing global regulatory responses and filings. In addition to his role advising Apple’s consumer-facing business, Rosina provided extensive guidance to the company’s internal teams on matters related to corporate infrastructure and employee privacy. Prior to his work at Apple, Rosina was Global Privacy and Security Counsel at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, where he served as the legal department’s principal adviser on privacy and cybersecurity issues and led development of the company’s privacy compliance programs. At Gibson Dunn, Rosina advises clients on all aspects of privacy and cybersecurity, including product counseling, compliance, advocacy, policy issues, and regulatory response in a dynamic legal landscape.
Molly Swartz L’11 was named a Law360 Rising Star in recognition of shepherding new financial services into successful launches and helping a lending platform’s credit underwriting model move forward without fears of regulatory scrutiny. She is a Partner in the Fintech and Payments practice at Paul Hastings LLP’s San Francisco office. Swartz represents and advises financial technology companies, internet marketplaces, and commercial and consumer lenders, regarding a broad spectrum of transactional, regulatory, and general corporate matters. She has experience with consumer protection laws, as well as the Truth-in-Lending Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, state money transmission and licensed lending laws, gift card laws, payment network rules, and other state and federal statutes related to money movement.
Nadia Banteka LLM’12, SJD’16 joined the Florida State University College of Law faculty as the Gary & Sallyn Pajcic Professor of Law.
Rodney Hill L’12 was elected Partner at Fried Frank’s Washington, D.C., office, where he practices tax law.
Lisa Margulies L’12 joined Planned Parenthood of Northern New England as Vice President of Public Affairs, Maine, where she oversees public policy, advocacy, communications, organizing, and electoral activities. After starting her legal career as a public defender in Philadelphia, Lisa worked on justice system reform across the country, collaborating with state leaders to examine laws and practices, develop data-driven, evidence-based policies, and pass comprehensive legislative packages.
Ian Nussbaum L’12 joined Latham & Watkins as a Partner in its M&A practice in New York. Nussbaum, who was previously at Cooley LLP, focuses on advising public and private companies on M&A, divestitures, joint ventures, corporate governance, and shareholder activism and takeover defense matters. He serves clients in industries including technology, healthcare, life sciences, financial institutions, consumer, gaming and leisure, and industrials. While at Cooley, which he joined in 2019, he represented technology and healthcare companies, among other clients through a variety of deals. He advised Instructure Holdings Inc. when it acquired LearnPlatform Inc. in December 2022 and also represented IAA Inc. in an agreement to sell to Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Inc. for $7.3 billion and was an outside counsel to Oyster Point Pharma Inc. when it was acquired by Viatris Inc.for $415 million.
Melanie Foreman C’08, L’13 was elected President of the Temple American Inn of Court, a legal association devoted to excellence in professionalism, ethics, civility, and legal skills. Previously, she served as Vice President, and before that, Treasurer of the association. Foreman is a Shareholder in the Philadelphia office of Marshall Dennehey. A member of the firm’s Casualty Department, she focuses her practice on litigation related to product liability, premises and municipal liability, and commercial transportation. She is a member of the board of governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association, the board of trustees of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, and devotes significant time and energy to additional causes, including Community Legal Services and Philadelphia Legal Assistance.
Benjamin Jacobs L’13 was named to The Legal Intelligencer’s 2023 Lawyers on the Fast Track list. As a Partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Jacobs litigates high-stakes employment cases, advises on complex workplace issues, and regularly manages clients’ most sensitive and important employment law matters. He has secured numerous victories and outstanding results for clients and conducts investigations related to workplace misconduct. Jacobs served for a year as assignment partner for the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh offices, and he is an active mentor to labor and employment associates. Jacobs is a trusted adviser to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, a nonprofit committed to improving the quality of life of people affected by frontotemporal degeneration and researching a cure.
Kimberly Klayman L’13 was named to The Legal Intelligencer’s 2023 Lawyers on the Fast Track list. She is a Partner at Ballard Spahr and has broad experience representing privately held emerging companies, as well as venture capital, private equity funds, family offices, and corporate venture groups that invest in high growth companies. She has led the firm’s Academy for Student Entrepreneurs for eight years and is a member of the Hadassah Women’s Organization.
Rachel Levick C’10, L’13 was named a Law360 Rising Star for her work in cutting a huge deal to resolve diesel emissions violations by Mercedes-Benz, helping win a victory for an oil company facing a remediation lawsuit in Indonesia, and regularly advising major automobile companies on emerging compliance issues. She is a Partner at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP’s Washington, D.C., office, where she practices in the firm’s Litigation Department and is a member of the Environmental Litigation and Mass Tort and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Practice Groups. Levick represents clients in a wide range of federal and state litigation, agency enforcement actions, cost recovery cases, and administrative rulemaking proceedings. In addition to being named a Rising Star, she was listed in the 2023 Lawdragon 500 X–The Next Generation edition. She was also named by Best Lawyers as “One to Watch” in Environmental Litigation for 2022 and 2023.
Gabriel Valdes L’13 was named to the Daily Business Review’s On the Rise list, which is part of its annual Florida Legal Awards. The list recognizes the state’s top lawyers 40 and under. He is a Partner at Sidley Austin’s Miami office.
Eric Veres L’13 was promoted to Partner at Abrams & Bayliss.
Tansy Woan L’13 was promoted to Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom’s New York office, where she works in complex litigation and trials. Woan represents a broad spectrum of clients in a wide variety of complex corporate, commercial, securities, antitrust and fraudulent transfer disputes in federal and state trial and appellate courts, as well as in arbitration proceedings. She also advises clients on a broad range of regulatory investigations conducted by the DOJ, the SEC and FINRA. Additionally, Woan frequently advises clients on a variety of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, including diversity and inclusion initiatives and ESG-related public disclosures.
David Argueta GL’14 was elevated to Shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP’s Mexico City office. Argueta focuses his practice on capital markets and financing transactions, as well as general corporate matters.
Luke Eldridge L’14 was promoted to Partner at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s New York office. He joined the firm in 2014 and is a member of its Investment Management group, where he focuses on advising sponsors of private investment funds on matters including debt, growth capital, emerging markets, and venture capital funds in the energy industry.
Arianna Scavetti L’14 was named a Law360 Rising Star for her guidance of the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association through a first-of-its-kind joint investigation of abusive coaching. She is a Partner at Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP’s Washington, D.C., office.
Steve Stoute L’14 was appointed to the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics. The appointment was immediate and continues through August 31, 2024. The mission of the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics is to provide leadership and assistance to the association in its efforts to provide equitable opportunities, fair treatment, and respect for all women in all aspects of intercollegiate athletics. The committee seeks to expand and promote opportunities for female student-athletes, administrators, coaches, and officiating personnel. It also promotes governance, administration and conduct of intercollegiate athletics at the institutional, conference and national levels that are inclusive, fair, and accessible to women. Additionally, the committee develops programs and resources, which can be of practical use to the association in its efforts to achieve its mission. Stoute began his term as the 25th President of Canisius College on July 1, 2022.
Wade Houston L’15 was promoted to Partner at Wilmington-based Abrams & Bayliss LLP, a boutique firm that specializes in corporate, business, and fiduciary law. Among his recent case work, he is on a counsel team representing T-Mobile U.S. Inc. in Chancery Court litigation over the company’s $26 billion merger with Sprint Corp. in 2020.
Britney Wilson L’15 was selected as a 2023 Health Law Scholar by the American Society of Law, Medicine, and Ethics and Saint Louis University School of Law’s Center for Health Law Studies. Wilson joined the faculty of New York Law School in May 2021 as an Associate Professor of Law and the Director of the Civil Rights and Disability Justice Clinic.
Akbar Hossain L’18, LPS’18 was elected to the Franklin & Marshall Board of Trustees. Hossain, who earned an undergraduate degree in government from Franklin & Marshall, is the Secretary of Policy and Planning for the Office of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and served as Executive Director of Governor-Elect Shapiro’s transition team. Hossain recently completed a term as the GOLD trustee to the board, and he is a member of the College’s Benjamin Franklin Society and 1787 Society.
Ian Weiss L’18 joined Seiden Law as an Associate in the litigation practice group.
2020s
