Vanderbilt University Law School

Class of 1982

(Notes posted in the order they were received, with the newest posts on top.)

Bob Mansbach, a shareholder with Zimmerman Kiser Sutcliffe in Orlando, Florida, is chair of the 7,000 member Florida Bar Trial Lawyers’ Section. This is Bob’s eighth year of service on the section’s Executive Council. The Trial Lawyers’ Section was founded in 1967, and Bob is its 44th chair. As chair, Bob writes a column for the Advocate, the Section’s quarterly publication. He also meets with legislators, the Bar’s lobbyists, and trial and appellate judges to ensure funding for and continued access to the courts for Florida’s citizens. He is also involved in the section’s efforts to advance professionalism and education of its members. Posted 10-31-09

Robert L. Dietz, a shareholder of Zimmerman Kiser Sutcliffe (ZKS), has been awarded the 2009 Judge J.C. ‘Jake' Stone Distinguished Service Award, the highest pro bono honor bestowed by the Legal Aid Society (LAS) of the Orange County (Floria) Bar. The award is given to one attorney each year who has demonstrated lifetime dedication to pro bono work. Since 1986, Dietz represented more than 150 children in cases involving 1130 hours. The cases have often involved medical issues as complex as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, shaken baby syndrome, cocaine babies and injuries involving spiral fractures and severe burns. In addition to abuse cases, he has had abandonment, child development, failure to thrive and parental endangerment cases. Bob has practiced at ZKS, where he focuses on workers’ compensation, since 1984. Posted 6-29-09

Robert L. Dietz, a shareholder at Zimmerman Kiser & Sutcliffe in Orlando, has been selected to serve as Defense Research Institute (DRI) State Representative by the Florida Defense Lawyers' Association and the Dade County and Jacksonville local defense bars. In this capacity, Bob will represent DRI at state and regional bar meetings over the next three years. DRI is the largest defense international membership organization of attorneys defending the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation. Bob is a past president of the Florida Defense Lawyers' Association and has been a member of DRI for over 20 years. Posted 11-3-08

Robert L. Dietz is the 2008 recipient of the Douglas P. Lawless Alternative Dispute Resolution Award given by The Florida Defense Lawyers Association. The award is for outstanding contributions in the fields of mediation, arbitration or other forms of alternative dispute resolution. Bob is with the Orlando law firm Zimmerman Kiser Sutcliffe. He was selected for his contributions in the field of mediation, which includes membership on the Association of Attorney-Mediators national board of directors, the first Floridian ever elected. Robert has mediated over 1,300 workers' compensation cases, and is a frequent writer, speaker and trainer at national conferences on mediation. Posted 10-1-08

David R. Simon is of counsel with the Portland, Oregon law firm of Farleigh Wada Witt and has been reappointed to his fifth consecutive term as a reporting committee chair of the legal, tax and accounting committee of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC). The reporting committee that David continues to chair is designated AMT, tax accounting and state and local tax issues affecting agricultural cooperatives. David maintains a comprehensive business law practice assisting clients with regulatory, transactional, real estate and succession planning needs, and has over 25 years of experience as a business advisor to publicly and private- and family-owned enterprises. Posted 9-12-08

Robert L. Dietz was inducted as a Fellow of the College of Workers' Compensation Lawyers at its annual meeting in Chicago on March 28, 2008. Dietz is the youngest Fellow ever selected by the college. A partner in Zimmerman Kiser and Sutcliffe in Orlando, Florida, Robert is the first Central Florida attorney and only the second Floridian selected as a Fellow. Election as a Fellow recognizes outstanding accomplishment in the profession, sustained contribution to the field in scholarship and practice, and meeting the standards of integrity, professionalism and character.

David R. Simon has joined the firm of Farleigh Wada Witt in Portland, Oregon, where he will specialize in business law. He is a law committee member of the American Financial Services Association and Vice Chair of its Vehicle Finance Subcommittee. He is also a law committee member of the Legal, Tax & Accounting Committee of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and chair of its AMT, State Income Tax and Accounting subcommittee. Both committee appointments are by invitation only.

William L. Norton III, an attorney at Boult Cummings Conners & Berry in Nashville, is the managing editor of the Norton Bankruptcy Law and Practice, which has just released its third edition in order to incorporate recent changes to bankruptcy laws. The newly reorganized 13 volume treatise, which covers both business and consumer bankruptcy, offers step-by-step guidance through the entire bankruptcy process-from initial client interview to case conclusion-including official bankruptcy forms, tailored annotated practice forms with editors' comments and a new dictionary of bankruptcy terms. As managing editor of the publication, Bill is responsible for both authoring articles and overseeing a team of contributing editors consisting of more than 100 bankruptcy judges and practitioners nationwide.

Robert Dietz, shareholder with the Orlando firm of Zimmerman Kiser & Sutcliffe, received the Bob Seidl Semper Fi Award during the 27^th Annual Dick Batchelor Run for the Children on Saturday, October 27 at the Lake Eola amphitheatre on the corner of Rosalind Avenue and Central Boulevard. The Semper Fidelis Award is given to an outstanding member of the community who exemplifies the Marine Corps motto, “Always Faithful” towards children and Central Florida’s community. Robert is being honored for his work with abused children and his service as a guardian ad litem volunteer for the past 21 years. During that time he has represented 98 kids and donated 1,100 pro bono service hours.

Albert Partee was named legal counsel for the Tennessee Health Commmission. As general counsel, Partee is responsible for providing legal representation and support services to the Commission and to the bureaus, programs and boards associated with the department. He also serves as ethics-compliance officer for the department.

Bob Mansbach recently authored the chapter entitled "Ethics" in the first edition of Florida Medical Malpractice Handbook, a book published by the Florida Bar by Lexis/Nexis. He serves on the Florida Bar Trial Lawyers' Section's Executive Council, the Civil Procedure Rules Committee, and the Continuing Legal Education Committee. He has also testified before the Supreme Court's Committee on privacy in court records on behalf of the Trial Lawyers' Section. Bob is a shareholder with Zimmerman Kiser & Sutcliffe in Orlando.

Andy D. Bennett was appointed by Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen to fill a position on the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Middle Section left vacant when Justice William C. Koch, Jr. ('72) was named to the Tennessee Supreme Court. Andy will stand for election in Aug. 2008 and then for election to a full eight-year term in Aug. 2014. "Andy Bennett has developed extensive experience in his career with the Office of Attorney General, bringing both administrative experience coupled with trial and appellate court experience to this appointment," said Bredesen in a prepared statement. "I'm confident he will serve the Tennessee Court of Appeals with both honor and integrity." Bennett has been with Tennessee's Office of Attorney General since 1982. He served as an Assistant Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General for Legislative Affairs and Associate Chief Deputy before being named Chief Deputy Attorney General in 1997. Bennett received the Marvin Award in 2004 from the National Association of Attorneys General for outstanding leadership, expertise, and achievement in advancing the goals of the organization and was named a Tennessee Bar Foundation Fellow in 2001. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Supreme Court Historical Society since 1999 and currently serves as president of the organization. He currently resides in Hermitage.

Russ Heldman, former Tennessee 21st Judicial District Circuit Court judge, has joined the Nashville law firm of Hollins Wagster Yarbrough Weatherly & Raybin as a member. Russ served as circuit judge and chancellor of the Williamson, Hickman, Lewis and Perry county courts for eight years, and prior to that, he was a civil and criminal law practitioner for 14 years. He is listed as a Rule 31 civil/family mediator ands practices in the fields of civil mediation and civil and appellate litigation.

David Gordon's article on cross examination was published in the February 12, 2007 issue of Lawyers Weekly, a national newspaper for small firm lawyers.

Kenneth R. Weigand has been promoted to senior vice president of human resources at Walgreens. Weigand joined Walgreens in 1983 as an attorney in employee relations. He became corporate manager of personnel in 1988, was promoted to divisional vice president - employee relations in 2000, then to divisional vice president - performance development in January 2004. He was named vice president of human resources in January 2005.

Jan Neuharth was elected to the board of directors of Middleburg Financial Corporation. Neuharth is president of Paper Chase Farms Inc., former chairman of the National Council at Vanderbilt University Law School, a suspense author and well-known local community leader. She will take her seat on the Middleburg Financial Corporation board of directors immediately.

Judge Holly Brown is pleased to report that she has been re-elected for a 6-year term as District Court Judge for the State of Montana, 18th Judicial District, in Bozeman, Montana. The District Court is the general jurisdiction trial court which hears all criminal felony cases, civil matters in excess of $7,000, and all domestic relations, youth court, and probate matters. The District Court also has limited appellate jurisdiction over cases arising in the Courts of Limited Jurisdiction in their respective districts. In addition, Judge Brown serves as the judge designated to appoint and supervise the Water Commissioners for the Gallatin River, and she has twice served as an Associate Justice with the Montana Supreme Court. Judge Brown was appointed to the Bench by Governor Judy Martz in March 2004, and was then elected in November 2004 to complete the term for Judge Mark Guenther.

Kenton Erwin was named General Counsel of VTech Communications, Inc. in Portland, Oregon. VTech makes telephones (under the VTech and AT&T brands) and also makes children's electronic learning products. Kent is also very proud that his older daughter, Allison, is attending Vanderbilt (HOD at Peabody), and she follows Kent and his grandfather in attending Vanderbilt as undergraduates.

Bernard Taylor, a partner in Alston & Bird's Products Liability Group, has been named a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. A prestigious and elite honor, induction into the American College of Trial Lawyers is considered one of the most significant achievements in a legal career.

Keith A. Dunsmore has joined the Washington D.C. office of Powell Goldstein as a partner. Dunsmore's practice focuses on the securitization of commercial real estate assets, as well as on general corporate finance matters. Much of his work centers on commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) transactions, including a full range of post-issuance issues, loan assumptions, modifications, REMIC-related issues and defeasance transactions, representing master servicers and special servicers. He has been very involved with several industry associations, including the Mortgage Bankers Association and the CMSA, and is currently vice-chair of the Legislative Committee of the Mortgage Bankers Association. Dunsmore received his B.A. from Williams College, his J.D. from Vanderbilt University and his LL.M. in taxation from Emory University. He is a member of the District of Columbia and Georgia Bars.

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