Vanderbilt University Law School

Class of 2000

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

Dan Cohen and Jenny Feltham Cohen welcomed their second daughter, Cecilia Caitlin, on June 27, 2008. Big sister Elizabeth is almost 3 years old. The Cohens live in Atlanta.
Posted on web 8-26-08

Kevin Kent, a shareholder with Conrad O'Brien Gellman & Rohn, has been profiled by “Business & Finance Magazine” in its “Most Influential US-Ireland Business Leaders” issue. The magazine recognizes and profiles the most senior and important business figures across Ireland and the United States. The issue was released in New York City in July at the magazine’s US-Ireland Business Awards ceremony, which was attended by business leaders from both sides of the Atlantic. “Business & Finance” is Ireland's premier business publication and since 1974, it has recognized individuals and corporations through its annual Business & Finance Awards in Ireland, and in 2007 expanded the awards program to New York to reflect the strong and unique connections between Ireland and United States businesses. Kevin’s practice focuses on the representation of corporations and professionals in a broad range of complex commercial litigation, including class actions, civil RICO, director and officer liability, and legal malpractice, as well as fiduciary, trademark, copyright and employment litigation. A significant portion of Kevin's practice involves white-collar criminal defense, including grand jury investigations overseen by U.S. Attorneys’ offices as well as the defense of clients in parallel civil litigations. Kevin is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, England and Wales, and is in the process of completing the exams to qualify as a solicitor in Ireland. Prior to joining Conrad O’Brien, Kevin was a law clerk for The Honorable Louis C. Bechtle, Chief Emeritus of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Kevin is a graduate of Boston College and studied at the U.N. Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Magee College, University of Ulster, in Ireland. Kevin is a member of Philadelphia’s Irish American Business Chamber & Network and The Brehon Law Society. He is also a founding member of the American Ireland Fund’s Young Leaders of Philadelphia, a charitable organization dedicated to promoting educational, cultural, and community development throughout Ireland.
Posted on web 8-19-08

Thomas C. Quinlen has been named Litigation Counsel with International Paper in Memphis, Tennessee.

Doug Abell was named Vice President and Corporate Counsel at Kindred Healthcare. Previously, Mr. Abell was Senior Director and Corporate Counsel. Joining  the Company in October 2003, Mr. Abell now provides corporate and securities advice to the Company and acts as lead counsel in several of the Company’s merger and acquisition transactions.

John Fredland was promoted to Major in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps in January 2008. He has served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for the 92nd Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, since September 2007. He moved to his current assignment after a two-year tour in the Appellate Defense Division at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, DC.

  Brian L. Eftink was named a member of Miller & Martin in the Chattanooga office. Brian concentrates his practice in the areas of state and local tax, commercial real estate and bond financing. In addition, he assists major U.S. and international companies in their expansion and relocation projects throughout the country. Brian is the Chair of the Board of Directors for Bethany Christian Services of Greater Chattanooga and is a member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association. In October of 2007, Brian was a member of the Tennessee Delegation for the 2007 Trade Mission to China, led by Governor Phil Bredesen.

  Derek W. Edwards was named partner with Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. Derek practices in the firm's Trial and Appellate practice group in Nashville, Tenn.

  Mark J. Plotkin was named partner with Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. Mark practices in the area of intellectual property law in the Nashville, Tenn. office.

  Christopher E. Thorsen has been named a Member of the Nashville, Tenn. firm of Boult Cummings Conners & Berry. He practices in the areas of commercial litigation, securities litigation, intellectual property litigation, and related counseling. During his tenure at the firm, he has served as interim in-house counsel for one of the largest insurance brokerage firms in the world, where he managed litigation throughout North America. Thorsen is a member of the Nashville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations and is serving on the Tennessee Bar Association's Litigation Section's Executive Council.

  Austin L. McMullen has been named a Member of the Nashville, Tenn. firm of Boult Cummings Conners & Berry. He has an active bankruptcy practice, primarily representing creditors, and also represents clients in commercial litigation before state and federal courts. McMullen is a regular contributor to the Norton Bankruptcy Law Adviser and has served as a continuing legal education speaker on bankruptcy topics. He is a graduate of the Building Trial Skills and Taking and Defending Depositions programs of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.

  Emily Hatch Bowman has been named a Member of the Nashville, Tenn. firm of Boult Cummings Conners & Berry. She represents financial institutions and corporate clients in a variety of commercial lending, real estate transactional, general corporate and business transactional matters. Bowman is a member of the Nashville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties.

Tim Meyer, formerly an attorney with Stites & Harbison, has become legal counsel within the development services group of Health Care REIT, based in Brentwood, Tenn. Prior to joining Stites, Tim served as associate counsel for publicly traded Windrose Medical Properties Trust. Windrose was acquired in 2006 by Toledo, Ohio-based Health Care REIT, which is also publicly traded. While at Stites, Tim was counsel to Maryland-based Windrose during its acquisition.

David Crow and three others left the Nashville, Tenn. law firm of Bass Berry & Sims to form a new entertainment law firm named Milom Joyce Horsnell & Crow. The group's clients include Publishing Group of America, DreamWorks SKG, Arista, Interscope, Crysalis, RCA Records, and Skaggs Family Records, among many others.

  Kellie Cook Gruenefeldt and her husband Dr. Alan Gruenefeldt welcomed a baby boy, Connor Lee Gruenefeldt, March 27, 2007. Kellie is currently taking an extended leave of absence from her law firm, trading drafting legal briefs for changing dirty briefs. They continue to live in Auburn, California.

Jordan Arnold was appointed to the Homicide Chart at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office in December 2006. He will continue to handle assignments from the NYPD Major Case Squad, with whom he has worked as lead prosecutor on cases involving kidnapping, extortion, bank robbery and art fraud.

  Rod Kanter was named a partner within the Public Finance Practice Group of Bradley Arant Rose & White, effective January 1, 2007.  Rod practices in the Birmingham, Alabama office of Bradley Arant.

  Dan Cohen testified before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on May 11, 2007 regarding Title IX. The Commission is reviewing the so-called "third prong" of Title IX -- whether universities are meeting the athletic interests and abilities of their students. Dan has also co-authored a related legal article that was published in the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law. Dan is a senior associate with the Atlanta law firm of Rogers & Hardin.

  Carrie B. Rosen was recently elected to membership at Cozen O'Connor. Carrie practices in the labor and employment practice group. She concentrates her practice in the representation of management in responding to complaints of employment discrimination, providing advice on workplace policies, and helping employers reach effective settlement agreements. Carrie has experience in the areas of Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, WARN, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. She also serves as a volunteer attorney through the Support Center for Child Advocates.

  Mary Beard Mason, Senior Attorney in the employment litigation department with Federal Express Corporation, was recently selected as a member of the September 2008 class of The Leadership Academy's Fellows Program. This honor recognizes Ms. Mason as an emerging leader in the City of Memphis with the highest potential to play a critical leadership role in the renewal of that community.

  Tania N. Archer is an associate at Moore & Van Allen in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Colby Carter and his wife, Amy, announce the arrival of their second son, Christopher Paul, born on October 20, 2006. Their oldest son, William Courtright, turned 3 years old in October. Colby is an attorney with the Office of General Counsel at the Tennessee Valley Authority in Knoxville where he works in the areas of retirement, benefits and executive compensation.

Todd Stein has been named as counsel on the United States Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee under the leadership of Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.).

Carrie Rosen and Alex Helderman welcomed their son, Jacob Parker Helderman, on August 11, 2006. Carrie, Alex and Jake live in Philadelphia, PA where Carrie practices labor and employment law with Cozen O'Connor and Alex practices telecom litigation and general commercial litigation with Drinker Biddle & Reath.

  Jennifer Kirk Dunlap has married and moved to Charleston, South Carolina. Jenni is now an attorney with Parker Poe  Adams & Bernstein.

  Phillip F. Cramer has been named a member of Sherrard & Roe in Nashville. Cramer, who joined the firm in 2002, focuses his practice on business litigation, including insurance coverage, antitrust, business torts and contact disputes. Prior to his association with Sherrard & Roe, he was an Honors attorney in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., specializing in joint venture law and the entertainment industry. A native of Maryland, he served as law clerk for The Honorable Karen LeCraft Henderson of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit for the 2000-2001 term.

Mark D. Hillier and his wife, Claire E. Hillier, welcomed son Conrad M. Hillier to the family on November 26, 2006. Conrad was 6 lbs., 5 oz. and measured 19 inches at birth. Mark, Claire and Conrad live in Boca Raton, Florida.

Brant Brown and Amy Brown announce the birth of Audrey Marie Brown on October 9, 2006. They live in Kensington, Maryland.

  Elissa Schauman joined the St. Louis office of Polsinelli Shalton Welte Suelthaus. Elissa is an associate in the affordable housing and tax credit financing group. She has experience with large-scale development projects, parcel assembly, acquisition, sale and leasing matters.

  Carrie B. Rosen, an attorney with Cozen O'Connor in Philadelphia, was named a 2006 Pennsylvania “Rising Stars” by the publication Law & Politics.

Anne Marie Lowry Taylor and her husband, Kyle, reside in New Mexico with their four children: Kylee (8), Jackson (5), Logan (3) and Jolie (16 months). In Anne's "spare time", she works part time as Deputy Disciplinary Counsel for the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of New Mexico.

  Kellie A. Cook and Dr. Alan V. Gruenefeldt were married in May 2005 in California's gold country. The couple honeymooned in the Cook Islands and Fiji. They now reside in Auburn, California, where they enjoy their one stop-light commute to their respective legal and medical practices.

Jeff Baker and wife Jennifer are pleased to announce the birth of their second daughter, Katherine Scout Baker ("Kate"), born 6/26/06 in Jackson, Mississippi. She was 9'12" and 21 1/4 inches tall. Her big sister, Betsy, now is 18 months old. In addition, Jeff has been appointed Associate Professor of Law and Clinical Director at Faulkner University's Thomas Goode Jones School of Law in Montgomery, Alabama. Jeff left the firm of Watkins & Eager in Jackson, MS, where he litigated medical malpractice, product liability and other civil and commericial matters.

Mark A. Neyland is Assistant Director of Enforcement with the National Collegiate Athletic Association in Indianapolis, Indiana.

  Masami I. Tyson has joined Neal & Harwell as an associate. Born and raised in Yokohama, Japan, she is fluent in Japanese.

Brett Figlewski is a staff attorney with the Center for Battered Women's Legal Services, a division of Sanctuary for Families in New York City. Brett lives in lower Manhattan.

Jennifer Laura Feltham Cohen and Daniel Adam Cohen welcomed their first child, Elizabeth Mary, on July 23, 2005. They live in Atlanta.

Austin McMullen and his wife, Kelly McMullen, announced the birth of their first child, Reagan Mark McMullen, born in March 2006.

Do you have news you would like to share or just want to let everyone know what you are up to these days? Submit your class note online, e-mail Grace Renshaw or call 615-322-2606.

Please check the "Alumni MIA" list to see if you can help us find any of your "lost" classmates!