Class of 2001
(Notes posted in the order they were received, with the newest posts on top.)
Romina Mulloy-Bossio died tragically in a house fire on November 11, along with her husband, Michael Levine, and their son, Ariel Levine. Romina was an associate with Baker & Botts in downtown Dallas, where her practice involved complex workouts, bankruptcy reorganizations and litigation. A native of Argentina, Romina was bilingual in English and Spanish. In her early academic career, she studied international relations at the Universidad del Salvador in Argentina and the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain, before earning her undergraduate degree at Stetson University. At Vanderbilt Law School, she was the president of the Spanish Legal Society. After earning her law degree, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable John T. Nixon of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. Jack Kinzie, Senior Associate in Baker Bott’s bankruptcy division, Jack Kinzie, said, "She was one of those people who touched everyone she knew. The thing that made Romina special was not that she a terrific lawyer, which she was, she was [also] our number one volunteer." Romina led a team of lawyers and staffers who donated their time at Julius Dorsey Elementary School. The team mentored students, tutored, read to them and collected gifts for the children at Christmastime. Her son, Ariel Levine, was about to celebrate his fifth birthday. Her husband, Michael Levine, was an independent contractor. Posted 11-13-09
Brendan Thompson has joined Willis North America as corporate in-house counsel. Prior to joining Willis, Brendan was a partner at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, where his practice focused on corporate and commercial transactions. Brendan, his wife Charity, and their daughter Mya currently live in Nashville. Posted 4-2-09
Juan Gonzalov Villasenor moved to Denver and joined the United States attorney's office as an assistant United States attorney in the civil division. Posted 2-21-09
Tara Cleare and Joycelyn Stevenson have been elected partners with Boult Cummings in Nashville. Tara and Joycelyn are the first women of color to be elected partners in the firm's nearly 100-year history. Posted 1-12-09
Robert L. Hess II is now a partner in Husch Blackwell Sanders, where he practices with the firm's Business Litigation group. His practice focuses on representing and advising health care providers, businesses, political committees, and individuals involved in disputes with state and federal government. Robert is based in the firm's Jefferson, Missouri, office. Before earning his J.D. at Vanderbilt, Robert earned his B.E. from Vanderbilt magna cum laude. Posted 1-12-09
Justin M. Riess was named a member of Moore & Van Allen. He is based in the firm's Charlotte, North Carolina, office, and lives in Charlotte with his wife, Amanda Kims Riess, and their two sons, Xander (3) and Austin (10 months). Posted 12-31-08
Seema A. Mahini and her husband, Rob Mahini, proudly welcomed a baby boy, Alec Faisel Mahini, on March 7, 2008. Alec was quick to assert himself as the new boss of the Mahini household. Rob and Seema are both still working as lawyers for the Federal Government in Washington, D.C. Rob works in the Office of the General Counsel at the Federal Trade Commission and Seema works in the Office of the General Counsel at the Department of Agriculture. The family resides in Vienna, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Posted on web 11-3-08
Brendan Thompson and his wife, Charity (Myatt) Thompson, welcomed their first daughter, Mya Lynn Thompson, into the world on March 14, 2008.
Kenneth Sanney has joined the Brentwood, Tennessee, law firm of Day & Blair. Ken is a member of the boards of directors of the Tennessee Bar Association Family Law Section and of CASA, an organization that advocates for children in the Williamson County Juvenile Court system. He is an adjunct professor at Middle Tennessee State University and served in the U.S. Air Force during Operation Desert Storm.
Matt Buesching and wife Katie (Halloran) Buesching announced the birth of their second son, Charlie, on July 15, 2007. He joins big brother, Ryan.
Michael Sherman, his wife Paula and daughter Elizabeth Juliet, welcomed a new addition to the family, Olivia Fae, on September 9, 2007. According to Mike, both children are adorable as they, quite fortunately, take after their mother.
Anna Lee Barry and Dave Barry welcomed their son Zachary in August. Zachary joins big sisters Caroline and Ella. Anna is working for biotech company Genentech, Inc. as a patent counsel. Dave is with the law firm of Fenwick & West.
Corey Stringer has joined the Nashville office of Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz. Corey's practice focuses on commercial real estate and construction law.
Jordan Sickman has joined law firm of Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn as an associate with the Bankruptcy, Reorganization and Commercial Department in the Detroit, Michigan office. He resides in Royal Oak, Michigan. Prior to joining the firm, Jordan was an attorney with Chapman & Cutler in Chicago and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto, California. Jordan is admitted to practice in Michigan, California and Illinois.
Michael Bronson married Jill (Beckner) Bronson in 2003, and they have a very cute 1-year old son, Daniel. Classmate Jeremy Clark has requested that it be noted that (1) Jeremy Clark and Scott Burns were groomsmen at the Bronson wedding, and (2) Jeremy and Scott are also very cute.
Jeremy Clark accepted a Corporate Counsel position with LifePoint Hospitals in Brentwood, Tennessee in June, 2006. In May of 2006, Jeremy married Nicole Westerman in Nashville. Class of 2001 graduates Michael J. Bronson and Scott Burns were in the wedding party.
Kerry Ducey married Sean Dailey ('02) last September in Carmel, California. Several members of the Classes of 2001 and 2002 were in attendance. Kerry and Sean currently live in Chicago where Kerry practices corporate securities law with Latham & Watkins and Sean practices commercial litigation with Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw.
Dax Lopez was recently elected to serve as the President of Georgia Hispanic Bar Association for 2006-2007.
Xinyi (Cindy) Wang is an associate in Davis Polk & Wardwell Corporate Department and works in the Hong Kong office. Since joining Davis Polk in 2001, she has completed a rotation in the Capital Markets Group.
Kim Gilman has been named Senior Counsel at WestPoint Home Inc. She will be practicing in the areas of corporate and intellectual property law.
Heath Fite and April Rogers welcomed their first child, daughter Margot Sims Fite, on April 29, 2006. Heath is an associate at Burr & Forman and April is an associate at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis in Birmingham, Ala.
Harwell Wells has been named assistant professor on the faculty of the Temple University Beasley School of Law. Harwell will teach in the areas of corporate law and professional responsibility. Most recently, Harwell was an associate in the securities practice group at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr in Washington, D.C. He also served as a law clerk for the Hon. Gilbert S. Merritt, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Nashville, Tenn. His teaching and research interests are securities regulation, corporate governance, professional liability and legal history.
Patrick Maroney and Jacky Prickett Maroney married March 19, 2005 in Amelia Island, Florida. Patrick is a corporate associate with DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary.
Thomas Barnett has accepted an attorney advisor position with the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of General Counsel, Civil Rights Division in Washington D.C.
Laura (Hua) Luo has joined the Tong Law Firm in Houston, where she represents small and midsized companies in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and technology transactions as well as business immigration. Previously, Laura was a corporate attorney at two leading international law firms, first in Silicon Valley at Wilson Sonsini Goodwich & Rosati, and later at the New York office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. Laura also worked at the Office of International Law and Policy of General Electric Company in Washington, D.C., where she worked on international trade issues.
Lori Schwartz Glenn, has been hired by the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville Division. Lori began work as an AUSA for the Nashville Office in October 2005. Lori is working in the general crimes division where her primary area of responsibility is economic crime.
Christopher Smith is currently Special Assistant Attorney General with the Office of the Attorney General of Maryland.
Courtney Spivey was appointed assistant U.S. attorney in the misdemeanor trial section in Washington D.C.
John Faldetta and Susan (Bartlett) Faldetta (BA Vanderbilt '98) welcomed their second daughter, Elizabeth Anne Faldetta, on April 26, 2005. They live in Nashville.
James B. Griffin delivered the 2005 commencement address at La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana, where he taught history from 1994 to 1998. Griffin practices land-use, local government, and environmental law in Covington, Georgia.
Mark Backofen and Victoria Mitchell were married on May 28, 2005. They live in Dallas.
Coretta Eugenia Johnson married Gary Mario Gray at the Louisiana Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge. Coretta, who earned her undergraduate degree at Tuskegee University, is an attorney and captain in the Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps. Gary, a fighter pilot and captain in the U.S. Air Force, is an instructor pilot with the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program, Sheppard Air Force Base, in Wichita Falls, Texas, where the couple lives. They honeymooned in Hawaii.
Brendan Thompsonmarried Charity Myatt on September 17, 2005, in Nashville. Brendan is an associate with Waller Lansden Dortch Davis.
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 Renshawor call 615-322-2606.
Please check the Alumni MIA list to see if you can help us find any of your lost classmates!
