Class of 1990
Matthew Grad is CFO of Engineered Corrosion Solutions a PE backed company in St Louis and Amsterdam with a highly engineered solution to stop ruinous corrosion in fire suppression systems. Previously he was the CFO / Head of M&A for a US / Dutch provider of advanced clinical and diagnostic informatics at the point of care and M&A Director of Boeing’s Defense and Intelligence unit. Posted 12.18.23.
Rita Alliss Powers was named to Crain's Chicago Business 2022 "Norable Women in Law" list. Posted 9.26.22
Jennifer Grosvenor has been appointed by Northern Trust to Managing DIrector in their Houston office. Posted 8.1.22
Kurt ZImmerman has been elected to Chair at Foundation Broward Board of Directors. Posted 1.31.22
Robert Thomas Bateman was officially sworn in on August 19, 2021, in Robertson County as one of the 19th Judicial District’s newest judges. Posted 10.18.21
James Kent Schuster, known by his friends as a caring and charismatic man who loved his friends and family, died in Austin, TX August 11. He was 59 years old. Kent's passions included biking, running, and working on cars. He enjoyed all aspects of the outdoors, camping, hiking, hunting, boating, and fishing. Read his full obituary here. Posted 10.18.21
John Rolfe Jr. has been added to the Loeb & Loeb Nashville office. Rolfe joins the firm as of counsel, he is a longtime entertainment attorney and has negotiated publishing deals involving Nashville based musicians. He is thrilled to join the innovative group of entertainment lawyers. Posted 4.30.21
James P. Ruggeri, based in the Washington, D.C. office of Shipman & Goodwin, has been elected a co-managing partner at the firm. He is part of a three-partner leadership team. He also serves on the firm's Management Committee. Ruggeri focuses his practice in the areas of litigation, including trial and appellate involving general commercial, bankruptcy, and insurance defense litigation. He practices actively in federal and state courts around the country. Posted 2.15.21
Rev. Randall W. May earned a Master of Divinity from Methodist Theological School in Ohio in June 2014, and he earned a Master of Arts in Practical Theology from Methodist Theological School in Ohio in June 2015. He was ordained as a Full Elder in The United Methodist Church, and was appointed by Bishop Tracy Malone of the East Ohio Conference to serve as Senior Pastor of Geneva United Methodist Church in Geneva, Ohio in June 2019. Posted 4.7.20
Stephen Russell Davis has been appointed to the Board of Directors for Heron Therapeutics. Read more here. Posted 12.10.19
Derrick Mark Davidson died August 5. He was 56. In 1985 he earned his undergraduate degree in English at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas before earning his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Vanderbilt University’s School of Law in 1990. Derrick held licenses to practice in the U.S. Court of Appeal for the 8th Circuit. He practiced law in Northwest Arkansas. He loved his bloodhounds Tracker, Tess and Pepper very much and loved to spend time fishing on Beaver Lake. He is survived by his wife, Kelley Marshall Davidson; children Landon Davidson, Tyler Thompson and Taryn Thompson. Online condolences can be posted here. Posted 8.20.19
Rene Augustine will serve as Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General responsible for the Divisions international and policy matters. Read more: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/antitrust-division-names-rene-augustine-acting-deputy-assistant-attorney-general-responsible Posted 8.1.19
Lynn A. Hinrichs has been elected to the Lewis Rice Management Committee Member. Posted 10.29.18
Jennifer Robinson has been named co-chair of Littler’s hospitality industry group. She is co-chair with Houston shareholder, David Jordan. Jennifer is the office managing shareholder in the firm’s Nashville office. Posted 6.4.2018
Warren Matthews was selected to serve on the governing bodies of two leading nonprofit organizations in Alabama. He was named to the advisory board of the Blackburn Institute at the University of Alabama, a leadership development and civic engagement program specifically focused on improving the state of Alabama. Warren was also appointed to the board of directors of the United Methodist Children’s Home, an organization dedicated to providing housing and support for at-risk children in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Posted 5.9.18
Rene Augustine departed position as senior associate counsel in the office of the White House Counsel, to join the front office of the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division as senior counsel. Posted 2.16.18
Jonathan Pittman has been confirmed by US Senate to be Judge, District of Colombia Superior Court. Posted 2.16.18
Erik Albright has been recognized by Benchmark Litigation 2018 as a “Local Litigation Star”. Erik is partner at Smith Moore Leatherwood in Greensboro, North Carolina. Posted 10.25.17
Andrew B. Campbell will serve as assistant attorney general in the Public Interest Division. Andrew has been an equity partner at Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs since 1999. Posted 8.17.17
Dr. Graham L. Sisson Jr. has worked as an assistant attorney general with the State of Alabama for 20 years. Prior to that, he was in private law practice with Birmingham firms. In December 2016, Dr. Sisson graduated from Auburn University with his Ph.D. in counseling and leadership. Posted 8.1.17
Jonathan H. Pittman has been appointed to associate judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years. Posted 4.21.17
Michael Goldstone has been promoted to vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Rush Enterprises Inc. Posted 4.19.17
Joseph Hanks has been appointed to executive vice-president and chief financial officer of South American Gold Corp in Las Vegas, Nevada. Posted 4.19.17
Robert “Bob” Rowe is now Chief Executive Officer of Integreon, a leading global provider of outsourced legal, document, business and research support. Bob has also been appointed to the company’s board of directors. Posted 3.23.17
Rene Augustine now serves as special assistant and senior associate counsel to President Trump. Most recently, Rene served as associate counsel to President George W. Bush, and senior counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Earlier in her career, Rene served as a law clerk to Judge John Hargrove of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, an associate with Covington & Burling, and an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University Law School. Posted 3.22.17
Erik Albright, partner at Smith Moore Leatherwood in Greensboro, North Carolina was selected for inclusion as a “Local Litigation Star” in the tenth edition of Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation 2017. Posted 11.28.16
John T. Thomas has been named to the Board of Directors of EdR. EdR is one of the nation’s largest developers, owners and managers of high quality collegiate housing. John will serve as an independent director of the company. Posted 10.17.16
Erik Albright , partner at Smith Moore Leatherwood in Greenville, South Carolina, was included in “Power Players: Sports Lawyers and Outside Counsel” by Sports Business Journal. The publication recognizes honorees for their influence on the profession, depth of client list, and overall body of work. Posted 7.28.16
David Lyle Concannon joined Latham & Watkins in New York City as partner in the firm’s corporate department. He joins Latham from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe in New York and was previously a partner in the New York office of Andrews & Kurth and general counsel fora Nasdaq-listed technology company. Posted 5.3.16
Stephen Russell Davis has been appointed president and CEO of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs in central nervous system disorders. Before coming to ACADIA, Steve served as executive vice president and COO at Heron Therapeutics, Inc., executive vice president and COO at Ardea Biosciences, Inc., and in numerous executive roles at Neurogen Corporation, including CEO. Posted 9.17.15
Kevin Lewis Wilson (MBA’90) has been appointed senior vice president of business affairs for the Country Music Association. He will oversee talent contracts, residual issues, content distribution and new media. Previously, Kevin has worked with FOX Cable Networks, at which he served as vice president of business and legal affairs for the Speed network from 2002 to 2013. Posted 8.28.15
Lisa A. Lichterman has been elected a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Lisa is a shareholder in the Memphis, Tennessee office of Littler Mendelson where she represents management clients in both state and federal employment litigation as well as administrative proceedings before state and federal agencies. Posted 8.3.15
Gregory Thomas Stevens (BA'87) was included on the 2015 “Best of the Bar” awards list by the Nashville Business Journal. Greg is executive vice president, general counsel and secretary for Emdeon, a Nashville, Tennessee based company that provides revenue and payment cycle management and clinical information exchange solutions. Posted 5.15.15
Jennifer Robinson was included on the 2015 “Best of the Bar” awards list by the Nashville Business Journal. Jennifer is an office managing shareholder in the Nashville, Tennessee office of Littler Mendelson where she practices labor and employment law. Posted 5.15.15
Charles B. Reasor, III was included on the 2015 “Best of the Bar” awards list by the Nashville Business Journal. Charlie is one of the founders of White & Reasor in Nashville, Tennessee where his practice primarily involves commercial real estate transactions and commercial workouts. Posted 5.15.15
Guilford F. Thornton, Jr. (BS’84) has been elected managing partner of Adams and Reese in the firm’s Nashville, Tennessee office. He was also included on the 2015 “Best of the Bar” awards list by the Nashville Business Journal. Gif serves as legislative counsel to a number of businesses, trade associations and governmental entities with interests before Tennessee state government. Posted 5.15.15
Matthew Todd Tuten has joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld as a senior policy advisor in the firm's public law and policy practice in Washington, D.C., where he plays a principal role in the representation of major health care clients. He has led efforts to advance the firm’s health care innovations practice, which provides specialized expertise and advice to investors, payers and pharmaceutical and device manufacturers seeking to successfully navigate the challenges facing new products and treatments as they move from “concept to commercialization” in the health care marketplace. Posted 3.24.15
Dean Harold McVay has been selected as the most recent recipient of the San Bernardino Symphony Guild’s Golden Baton Award, which recognizes those whose contributions to the Symphony have far exceeded the norm. A longtime Symphony board member, Dean practices with Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith and is an adjunct professor at the University of LaVerne College of Law. Posted 3.24.15
Warren Carroll Matthews , a partner with Burr & Forman who co-chairs the firm’s manufacturing group, has been added to the firm’s newly expanded Mobile office in order to bolster the firm’s support to the area’s growing manufacturing industry. Warren will split his time between the firm’s Mobile and Montgomery offices . Also, Warren has been appointed as the chairman of the Alabama State Board of Bar Examiners. His term will run through February 2016. Posted 11.19.14
Stephen R. Davis has been named executive vice president, chief financial officer and chief business officer of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company. Steve, who is a CPA, had most recently served as executive vice president and chief operating officer at Heron Therapeutics, Inc. Posted 7.24.2014
Thomas Francis Payne died June 20. He was 67. Tom was a professor at Hillsdale College in Michigan and at the University of Cincinnati. He was also a private practice attorney in Cincinnati. Tom proudly served as an advisor to Alpha Tao Omega fraternity in Hillsdale and Cincinnati and to Semper Fi in Cincinnati. He was a member of Alliance Francaise. He is survived by his sister, Patricia A. Payne. Posted 7.16.14
Larry M. Parsons has been named vice president, general counsel, and secretary of McLane Company, a supply chain services leader, providing grocery, foodservice and alcoholic beverage distribution solutions for convenience stores, mass merchants, drug stores and chain restaurants throughout the United States. Posted 3.25.14
Robert Dean Rowe has been named to The National Law Journal's inaugural list of Legal Business Trailblazers and Pioneers.
In August 2013, Bob was announced legal practice leader at Huron Consulting Group, a leading provider of business consulting services. Bob, who becomes an executive vice president of Huron, previously served as a managing director and leader of Huron Legal's Discovery services business. He has more than 20 years of experience providing comprehensive e-discovery solutions and project management for legal matters to Fortune 500 corporations and law firms. As the head of Huron Legal's Discovery services business, he managed the company's e-discovery operations and offerings in the U.S. and internationally, including Huron's newest offering of Integrated Analytics. Posted 1.14.14
Jennifer Robinson , office managing shareholder for the Nashville office of Littler Mendelson appeared in the Tennessean article "Executive Q&A with Jennifer Robinson: Shared vision helps grow labor law firm." Posted 8.22.13
Joseph B. Hanks Sr., his wife, and their 14 year old daughter, Sarah Kate, have moved from Memphis, Tennessee to Maryland for Jody's new position as the vice president, general counsel and secretary of Graham Packing Company based in York, Pennsylvania, and operating from 97 locations worldwide manufacturing plastic bottles and related machinery. Sarah Kate has already joined the riding team at McDonogh School in Maryland, and Jody is adjusting to what he perceives as "cold weather" compared to Tennessee. Posted 3.1.13
Gif Thornton (BA '84) has been elected chairman of the executive committee at Adams and Reese. This is his second term as chairman after serving in the role in 2010. Gif is a partner in the firm's government relations team and serves as legislative counsel to a number of businesses, trade associations, and government entities with interests before the Tennessee state government. Gif was also one of five Nashville businessmen honored in June 2011 by the American Diabetes Association as Father of the Year.The event was held at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel Nashville and benefited the American Diabetes Association. Posted 2.20.12
Herman Taylor Bayless died April 14, 2011, in a single-vehicle accident near his home in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. He was 52. Before earning his law degree, Herman graduated from The McCallie School and Harvard University. He was preceded in death by his wife Marjorie. He is survived by his sons Jimmy Gentile, Taylor Bayless and Daniel Bayless, and his daughters, Victoria and Sierra Bayless. Herman had lived and worked as an attorney in Boston since earning his law degree. "Herman was a great classmate, intramural team mate and friend," writes classmate Victor Lee. "He could always be depended on by anyone in rough circumstances. He is also believed to be the only member of the class of 1990 to have shot game in the mountains of Tennessee and served it to his roommates while he was a student at Vanderbilt. He is greatly loved and greatly missed."
Melanie Merkle Atha, completed basic training in Collaborative Practice in Phoenix, Arizona. Melanie is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Practitioners (IACP), a consortium of lawyers, financial professionals and mental health professionals who are committed to helping resolve civil and domestic relations disputes in a collaborative manner outside traditional legal forums. Posted 3.10.11
Class of 1991
Jeffy Gordon has started a new position as Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) at Big Bad Breakfast & Waldo's Chicken and Beer. Posted 9.26.22
Will Cheek has joined Adams and Reese LLP as a Partner. Posted 6.6.22
Jeana Dawn McFerron-Berron has been elected to Drury University's Board of Trustee as a new board member. Posted 6.6.22
Adolpho Birch III has been appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to serve on the Access to Justice Commission, effective April 1, 2022. Read more here. Posted 3.21.22
Mark Wildasin was appointed United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. Posted 3.21.22
Mark Daniel Marderosian, known to many who loved him as Dan, of Old Lyme, CT, died on Monday, December 6, at the home he shared with his wife, the "love of his life," Maris Wacs, after a long fight with a rare form of cancer. He was 59.He is survived by his wife, his son Jordan Feinstein, his daughter Sydney Kriegsman, and his daughter Lindsey Feinstein. Posted 1.31.22
Roberts Clay Milling II, a native New Orleanian, passed away Saturday, October 9th in Atlanta, Georgia. He was 55. Clay is survived by his parents, R. King and Anne McDonald, and two sons, Roberts Clay III and William Paul. Clay was joyous, quick-witted, funny, charming, warm, and fun-loving. He was full of life and will be missed by many. Read his full obituary here. Posted 10.19.21
Phillip W. Snyder, has written and published a new novel entitled Of Juliette's Blood: A Novel of Love and the Law.. He retired from his solo practice in December, 2017 to devote time to other interests, including his writings and acquisition of a patent on a food production method. He currently resides in Durango, Colorado at the foot of the beautiful San Juan Mountains. If you would like to contact Philip, you can do so here. Posted 7.30.21
Marc E. D'Antonio was re-elected to his third term as Muscogee County Probate Judge in Columbus, Georgia. Posted 2.12.21
Asbed Guekguezian was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Posted 2.12.21
Mark Schein joins Vrde Partners as Global Chief Compliance Officer. Please Read More Here. Posted 12.2.20
Paul Gilbert was named as Rite Aid's General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Posted 10.16.20
Warren Lightfoot, Jr., has been elected as a Fellow of the College of Labor & Employment Lawyers. This distinction is given only to a few select lawyers who, throughout their career, have exemplified exceptionally high quality professional services to clients, bar, bench, and the public. This accomplishment is recognized as the highest honor bestowed on a Labor and Employment lawyer in the country. Read more here. Posted 10.6.2020
Greg Wesner has started his own life sciences company, Receptor Life Sciences. Posted 4.7.20
McKinley Wooten has been appointed as director of the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) by Chief Justice Cheri Beasley. Wooten has served as interim director since February 28, 2019, managing the administrative services provided to the Judicial Branch’s more than 6,400 employees and 213 judicial facilities in every county of the state. He previously served as deputy director of NCAOC, deputy secretary of the Department of Administration, and inspector general at the North Carolina Department of Justice. He is the first African American to serve as director of the NCAOC. Read more here. Posted 3.6.20
Roger Wylie has been named Managing Partner at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton. Mr. Wylie assumes his new role after serving as Managing Partner of Kilpatrick Townsend’s and as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He was also Co-Managing Partner of Townsend and Townsend and Crew prior to its merger with Kilpatrick Townsend. Mr. Wylie focuses his practice on patent prosecution and counseling, and advises start-up and established corporations, venture investors and other intellectual property stakeholders with regard to all aspects of patent prosecution and acquisition, counseling, licensing, and litigation. Posted 5.20.19
Mitch Glazier has formally taken office as Chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) . Posted 2.4.19
Timothy M. Lupinacci was chosen as the Chairman and CEO of Baker Donelson. Read more: https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/people/article/21026944/baker-donelson-picks-new-chairman Posted 10.15.18
Regina S. Edwards appointed a U.S. magistrate judge for the Western District of Kentucky in Louisville. Edwards previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, where she has served as chief of the Civil Division and as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney. Edwards filled a vacancy created by the retirement of Magistrate Judge Dave Whalin. Read more: https://law.vanderbilt.edu/news/regina-s-edwards-91-appointed-magistrate-judge-for-the-western-district-of-kentucky/ Posted 8.03.18
Will Cheek is partner Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. He leads Waller’s alcoholic beverage law team. Will represents clients before the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission and local beer boards in licensing matters, enforcement actions and administrative hearings. Posted 1.15.18
Richard Miller is a wealth advisor at Glenmede in Washington, D.C. He is responsible for the delivery of wealth management advice, administration and solutions in the areas of wealth transfer, fiduciary, financial and charitable planning. Prior to joining Glenmede, he served as a senior relationship manager at Northern Trust. Posted 11.27.17
Mitch Dolloff (MBA ’04) has been named senior vice president of the Company and president of the Specialized Products Segment in 2016. He joined the Company in 2000 in the Mergers & Acquisitions department before serving as President of the Tubular Products Division. In 2007, he assumed the role of Director of Business Development for the Specialized Products segment. He was appointed President of the Automotive Asia division in 2011 and President of the Automotive Group in 2014. Posted 9.20.17
Mark H. Wildasin was appointed U.S. Attorney to the Middle District of Tennessee by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He will serve as an acting U.S. Attorney for 120 days, or until the U.S. Senate confirms a presidential appointee, making him the third appointment this year as Middle Tennessee's chief federal prosecutor. Posted 9.20.17
C. Runcie Clements IV has been promoted to executive vice president, general counsel of Cumberland Trust. Posted 8.1.17
Lisa V. Terry was appointed to senior vice president and chief ethics officer of The Export-Import Bank of the United States. Previously, she served as general counsel of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. Posted 11.28.16
John Jennings Garman of Montgomery, Alabama, died July 24. John was a professor at the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law at Faulkner University. In addition to his J.D. at Vanderbilt, he earned an LL.M. in European comparative law at Faculté de droit d'Aix-Marseille in Aix-en-Provence, France. After practicing law in Nashville, he taught undergraduate law at David Lipscomb University. He was a private pilot and had an amateur radio expert class license. He is survived by his wife, Rhonda Mayse Garman. Posted 8.23.16
David Andrew Francy joined Franklin, TN-based legal services firm Latitude. Previously, David was Caterpillar Financial’s senior corporate counsel. Posted 5.3.16
William Tompkins Cheek III was included on the 2015 “Best of the Bar” awards list by the Nashville Business Journal. Will is a member in the Nashville, Tennessee office of Bone McAllester Norton where he leads the firm’s alcoholic beverage team and provides licensing and regulatory compliance advice to restaurants, hotels, clubs, craft distilleries and breweries. Posted 5.15.15
Sharon Ann Mattingly is a member in Stoll Keenon Ogden’s Louisville, Kentucky,office. She is a member of the firm’s labor, employment & employee benefits practice as well as the securities & corporate governance practice. Sharon currently serves on the board for the Kentucky Public Pension Oversight and has served on the executive committee and board of directors for the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival. Posted 3.24.15
James Beattie has been appointed associate dean for academic affairs of Capital University Law School. Jim joined the Capital University law faculty in 2001. In 2002, he was named as the school's winner of the Association of American Law Schools Teacher of the Year Award. He has taught constitutional law, law and religion, jurisprudence, and the First Amendment, and served as a faculty advisor to the Capital University Law Review, the Jessup International Law Moot Court Team and the National Moot Court Team. He also served as chair of the university faculty senate. Before joining Capital's law faculty, Jim taught philosophy at Tulane and Xavier universities in New Orleans. He was a clerk for Chief Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit and then litigation associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York and with Greenberg Traurig in Miami before becoming a professor. Posted 7.18.2014
Adolpho Augustus Birch III, has been elected to the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust, effective July 1. Adolpho is senior vice president of Law, Labor Policy and Government Affairs for the National Football League. His position includes oversight of the league's drug and conduct policies and collective bargaining agreement. He also oversees the league's player engagement efforts, which focus on continuing and financial education, career development, career transition and clinical assistance. Birch is the son of the late Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice A.A. Birch Jr. He earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard University before earning his legal degree from Vanderbilt Law School, where he was a student of Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos. Posted 5-27-14
Thomas Edward Campbell has been promoted to executive vice president-law & administration, general counsel and secretary at Oxford Industries. Posted 5-27-14
Melvin LeRoy Yarbrough has been promoted to chief executive officer at File & ServeXpress, the pioneer and national leader of electronic filing for the legal and judicial communities. Melvin was hired as general manager of File & ServeXpress in September 2013, and has been instrumental in implementing infrastructure in preparation for driving growth. As CEO, he will preside over the company's planned growth of product and service offerings. Posted 5-27-14
Melvin LeRoy Yarbrough, a business leader credited for galvanizing growth in start-ups and national companies, has been named general manager of File & ServeXpress, the pioneer and national leader of electronic filing for the legal and judicial communities. Melvin assumed leadership responsibilities at File & ServeXpress, based in Irving, California, on September 9. Melvin will lead strategic direction of the company as well as day-to-day operations and the implementation of all corporate goals. Posted 9.23.13
Robert Reynolds Dunn , a member at Bailey Cavalieri, has been appointed managing director of the 50 attorney Columbus, Ohio-based law firm. Beginning with his first employment in the mail room as a college student in the 1980's, Bob has a long history with the firm and its attorneys, and brings a unique perspective to his new position. Certified in Ohio as a specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law, Bob's practice is focused on planning and implementation of estate and business succession plans, probate litigation, and state and federal estate tax matters. He is chair of the firm's probate and estates practice group and will remain actively involved in serving clients in that area. Posted 7.16.13
Mark H. Wildasin has recently returned from a one-year detail to the American Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, where he worked as an attorney advisor in the Office of the Justice Attaché. During his detail, Mark assisted Iraqi judges in their investigations and prosecutions of terrorists accused of killing American soldiers and citizens, trained Iraqi judges and law enforcement officers on Iraq's new anti-human trafficking law, and worked with other embassies and non-governmental organizations on a wide range of Rule of Law issues. Mark has resumed his job as Civil Chief in the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville. Posted 6.12.13
Gary Hugh Collins was recently announced by Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy as chairperson of the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO), the state agency responsible for addressing discrimination through civil and human rights law enforcement and working to establish equal opportunity and justice for all persons within the state. Gary currently works as a Core Compliance Leader (Exec.) with GE Capital in Norwalk. He has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law since 2004. He previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C. after which he joined Day, Berry & Howard (now Day Pitney) where he was elected partner in 2006. Posted 6.11.13
Robert Duke Eggleston (BA'88), has joined the national trial and business law firm, Rose Walker, as managing partner of the firm's new office in Durango, Colorado. Duke is the former in house general counsel/ senior vice president of Durango Mountain Resort and Kirkwood Mountain Resort, and he continues to serve those organizations as outside general counsel. Duke's years of prior experience in the ski resort and real estate development industry include handling/supervising both transactional and litigation issues related to construction, lodging, property management, real estate, utilities, transportation, contractual agreements/disputes, and complex corporate governance. Posted 5.1.13
Dov Moore announces the January 2013 opening of his solo practice in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Law Office of Dov Moore, a general civil, trial and appellate practice. Prior to opening his solo practice, Dov practiced civil litigation with Cole & Moore from 1991-2012. Posted 2.5.13
Marc E. D'Antonio was elected to a four year term as Judge of the Muscogee County Probate Court in Columbus, Georgia in November 2012, and took office January 1. Marc remains married to Catherine Dietrich D'Antonio (BS'88) with whom he has two children, Kate (age 16) and Jack (age 13). Posted 1.18.13
Stephen Fletcher Wood Jr. has been elected a shareholder in the Nashville office of Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz. Steve also serves as co-chair of the firm's emerging companies group and as the information security officer for Baker Donelson. Posted 5.8.12
A. Rick Atwood Jr. has been named Attorney of the Year in Securities Litigation by the California Lawyer. Rick is a partner at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd in San Diego where he has successfully represented shareholders in securities class actions, merger-related, class actions, and shareholder derivative suits in federal and state courts in numerous jurisdictions. Posted 4.17.12
Mitch Glazier, who has spent the last 11 years leading the government relations activities of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), has been appointed senior executive vice president. In his new role he will continue to lead the RIAA's activities on Capitol Hill and assume broader responsibilities. Mitch was previously the RIAA's executive vice president for Public Policy and Industry Relations, overseeing industry initiatives to strengthen copyright laws and addressing First Amendment issues. Posted 10.17.11
Rana B. DiOrio, appeared on The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television along with host Danielle Knox on June 14, 2011. As the publisher at Little Pickle Press, Rana shared with viewers the importance and challenges of discussing with children the meaningful topics of our day. Posted 7.15.11
Clisby Hall Barrow has been selected as a Fellow of the Tennessee Bar Association. The Foundation honors attorneys who have distinguished themselves in the profession by electing them to membership as “Fellows.” Their contributions are used to support selected, law-related public interest projects. Posted 3.10.11
Class of 1992
Leslie Payne of Houston's Heim, Payne & Chorush LLP has earned selection on the 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America listing based on his work in intellectual property and patent trials. Posted 11.1.23
Steve Tapper has joined Fine Educational Solutions LLP as an Educational Consultant. Posted 11.6.22
Les Payne of Houston's Heim Payne & Chorush LLP has earned a selection on the 2022 Texas Super Lawyers list by Thomson Reuters based on his expertise in intellectual property litigation. Posted 9.21.22
Les Payne has earned repeat recognition by Chambers USA as one of the top intellectual property lawyers in the nation. Posted 6.6.22
Ric Keller gave a TEDx Talk called “The Power of Self-Deprecating Humor” that mentions Vanderbilt Law School. You can watch his presentation here. Posted 5.23.22
Ric Keller wrote an article published by the Harvard Crimson regarding bipartisan civility. Read the full article here. Posted 2.12.21
Mike Birrer was included in Carrington Coleman attorneys 2020 Texas Super Lawyers legal guide. Texas Super Lawyers is published by Thomson Reuters and appears in Texas Monthly and Super Lawyers magazines. Selection is limited to no more than 5 percent of Texas attorneys and is based on a statewide survey of lawyers and extensive editorial review. Read more here. Posted 1.15.21
Steve Tapper has joined the Washington, DC-based law firm of Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch, P.C. as Of Counsel after a career in the federal government. His practice focuses on representing federal employees before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Merit Systems Protection Board, Office of Special Counsel, and various courts, and in response to proposed disciplinary actions. Posted 1.14.21
Dave Macaione (MBA '92) is now Chief Legal Officer with Cloudburst Entertainment, producers and distributors of film and television, headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ. Posted 2.20.20
Grant Harbrecht joined BB&T as Executive Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer in Charlotte, North Carolina. Posted 12.9.19
John Herman has started a firm with another Robbins Geller partner, Peter Jones. The two former Robbins Geller partners opened Herman Jones in Atlanta, GA. The new firm will continue handling large plaintiff’s matters, some in collaboration with Robbins Geller, but it will also represent clients on the defense side of business disputes and in compliance matters. Posted 7.18.19
Julian H. Wright Jr. was elected to the North Carolina Bar Association’s board of governors at the association’s annual meeting. Posted 7.2.19
Samuel (Sam) D. Payne has been named senior attorney with the ERISA long-term disability firm of Cody Allison & Associates in Nashville Tennessee. Posted 8.14.18
President Trump announced that he will renominate Eli Richardson to serve as a district court judge in the Middle District of Tennessee. Eli currently practices with Bass, Berry & Sims. Posted 1.15.18
Hall Blake Bryan III has joined the Board of Directors of Bryant Bank. He is a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in Huntsville, Alabama. Posted 12.15.17
Pamela Jean Swartzberg has been named to the board of directors of Immaculate Heart Media, parent company of the national Catholic talk radio network Relevant Radio. Posted 11.27.17
Zachary T. Fardon (BA '88) is now serving as managing partner and head of litigation at King & Spalding in the firm’s Chicago office. King & Spalding will open their permanent Chicago location in the West Loop in September. Posted 8.24.2017
Charles Compton has been promoted to member at Jackson Kelly in Evansville, Indiana. Charles joined Jackson Kelly in October 2015. Posted 4.21.17
Lawrence Epstein, UFC chief operating officer, was recently selected as a charter member and named vice chair of Las Vegas Stadium Board of Directors. Posted 2.21.17
Joseph M. Pinjuh received the Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Community Partnerships for Public Safety for his work in the northern district of Ohio combating the current heroin/fentanyl epidemic. Joseph is an assistant United States attorney. Posted 1.19.17
Ike Lawrence Epstein (BA’89), has been appointed to the board of directors to the National Foundation on Fitness Sports and Nutrition. Lawrence is senior vice president and chief operating officer of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Posted 8.23.16
Anne Clayton Martin, attorney at Bone McAllester Norton, was elected a fellow of the Tennessee Bar Association. Posted 5.18.16
William Hunter Holliday is vice president - general counsel for management consulting firm, North Highland in Atlanta. Previously, Hunter was a partner in Alston & Bird’s Atlanta office with their corporate transactions & securities group. Posted 5.3.16
Sandra Fanning Hinckley received the 2016 Top Corporate Counsel Award for labor & employment law, which recognizes in-house counsel who are leaders in their company, organization or industry, exhibit high ethical standards and possess exemplary professional skills. Sandra is senior director for global HR compliance & employment law counsel for Sykes Enterprises in Tampa, FL. Posted 4.5.16
Sarah Hicks Stewart will be elected without opposition to another six year term as a circuit judge in Alabama. She has been on the bench over ten years and served as the state wide chair for judicial education for the Circuit and District judges and serve on the Board of Directors for the Circuit Judges Association of Alabama. Sarah was the first and is still the only female circuit jury trial judge in Mobile County, AL. Posted 4.5.16
Craig Alan Fitzgerald was selected as a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. Craig is a shareholder in the Tulsa, Oklahoma office of GableGotwals, where his practice focuses on complex litigation, insurance property litigation and aviation. Posted 12.4.15
Ashley Simons Todd died September 23, 2015. She was 49. After graduating from Duke University and the earning her law degree from Vanderbilt, Ashley began a short but successful legal career with a national law firm in Chicago. She chose to resign to focus on her children and supporting her husband’s medical practice. She is survived by her husband, two sons, father and brother. Posted 12.4.15
Stacy Earl Thomas has joined the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson board of trustees. He is a shareholder in the Jackson, Mississippi office of the law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz, where he focuses his practice on the areas of federal and state taxation, tax disputes, and tax planning. Stacy is a former president and member of the board of the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants. He has served as chair of the taxation section of the Mississippi Bar Association and president of the Estate Planning Council of Mississippi. Posted 9.17.15
Julian H. Wright Jr. (M.Div.’92) was appointed to the North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Commission by North Carolina Chief Justice Mark D. Martin. He will serve as a practicing lawyer member until December 2016. Julian is a shareholder with Robinson Bradshaw in the firm’s Charlotte, North Carolina office. He practices in the areas of employment law, business litigation and securities disputes. Posted 8.28.15
Anne Clayton Martin was included on the 2015 “Best of the Bar” awards list by the Nashville Business Journal. Anne is a member with the Nashville, Tennessee office of Bone McAllester Norton where she concentrates her practice in the areas of commercial litigation and employment law, representing both employers and employees. Posted 5.15.15
Kathryn Elaine Barnett was included on the 2015 “Best of the Bar” awards list by the Nashville Business Journal. Kathryn is the managing partner of Morgan & Morgan's Nashville, Tennessee office and focuses her practice in the areas of product liability, personal injury, class action, and consumer protection. Posted 5.15.15
Anne Clayton Martin won one of Nashville Business Journal’s 2015 Women of Influence Awards. Anne is a member with Bone McAllester Norton where she focuses her practice in the areas of commercial litigation and employment law. Posted 2.25.15
David Gerald Bristol has been hired as general counsel and vice president of Pacific Northern Environmental Corporation, a specialty construction and environmental response company with international operations. He also retains a part-time private practice representing individuals and companies in the areas of real estate, corporate, financial institutions, construction, and other transactional areas of law. David most recently was a Shareholder of Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt, a Northwest regional law firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Posted 1.2.15
Robert Sarfatis was included on the American City Business Journal’s 2015 “Who’s Who in Energy list”. Robert is a partner in the Dallas office of Gardere where he focuses on corporate law. Posted 6.6.16
Scott Dresser has been appointed as Group General Counsel of VimpelCom Ltd, a leading global provider of telecommunications services. Dresser has also been appointed a member of the Group Executive Board and the Group Management Board. He was most recently Vice President of Global Strategic Initiatives at BirdLife International, a global conservation organization operating in 118 countries. Between 2006-2012 he was with Virgin Media in the UK, including as General Counsel where he led the Legal Department and acted as the principal liaison with the Company's Board of Directors, as well as being a member of the Executive Management Team. Posted 8.19.14
Shane Rock was named chief executive officer of Interfaith Works, a leading social service agency in Montgomery County, Maryland. Shane joins Interfaith Works with 20 years of experience working in for nonprofit, social service and advocacy organizations, most recently as director of operations for senior services for the Jewish Social Services Agency in Rockville. Posted 7.16.14
Zachary Thomas Fardon (BA'88), U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, was featured in a recent Chicago Sun Times article highlighting his impressive finish in the Boston Marathon. Posted 5.27.14
Julian H. Wright, Jr. (MDiv'92), an attorney with Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson, has received the North Carolina Bar Association's citizen lawyer award. The award was established in 2007 to recognize lawyers who provide exemplary public service to their communities. Julian is involved with local and state organizations that primarily focus on youth education and recreation initiatives. He currently serves as the chair of the board of directors of GenerationNation, formerly Kids Voting Mecklenburg County, an organization dedicated to building civic literacy and leadership opportunities for K-12 students across the community. He also chairs the oversight board for Camp Grier, a Presbyterian camping center in Old Fort, North Carolina. Posted 3.25.14
Hall Blake Bryant III has joined the Regions Huntsville advisory board. Hall is a partner in the Huntsville, Alabama, office of Bradley Arant Boult & Cummings, where he focuses his practice on mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, securities law, corporate finance and general corporate advice. Posted 2.14.14
Zachary Fardon (BA'88) was confirmed October 16 as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. His appointment gained the unanimous approval of the U.S. Senate and was announced in a statement from U.S. Senators Mark Kirk and Richard Durbin. He replaces Patrick Fitzgerald, who stepped down more than 15 months ago after serving in the position for 11 years. Zach is a partner at Latham & Watkins in Chicago, where he chairs the firm's litigation department. His practice has focused on internal investigations, government investigations, white-collar defense and complex business litigation. Before joining Latham, he served for nearly a decade as a federal prosecutor in Illinois and Tennessee. Posted 10.21.13
Anne Clayton Martin has been nominated by the Lawyer's Association for Women (LAW) for the 2013 ATHENA Leadership Award. Anne has been a mentor for professional women since she began practicing law in 1992. After serving in a number of leadership roles with LAW, including treasurer, membership chair and director and newsletter editor, Anne served as the president of the organization from 2000-2001. Anne has also served as president of the National Conferences of Women's Bar Associations, as a board member for the Nashville Bar Association, has co-chaired the large firm effort for the Legal Aid Society Campaign, has participated in the Tennessee Bar Association Leadership LAW program and has co-chaired that organization's Continuing Education Committee. Anne has also served on the executive committee of her law firm, Bone McAllester Norton. Posted 2.11.13
David Eric Gregerson was sworn in January 14 as the newest and youngest sitting judge in Clark County Superior Court and the first whose investiture was held outside the Clark County Courthouse. Two decades after becoming a lawyer, Gregerson was elected to the Superior Court. He successfully outpolled Judge John Wulle in an August primary, the first time a sitting Superior Court judge has been unseated in 37 years in Clark County. To read more about David's swearing-in ceremony, click here . Posted 2.5.13
Stacey L. Jarrellhas joined Reed Smith as a counsel in the firm's energy and natural resources practice group. Prior to joining Reed Smith, Stacey practiced with Thorp Reed & Armstrong. Posted 5.8.12
David Martin Macaione (MBA '92) has relocated to Charleston, South Carolina as the new President of Family Time Media. Dave was formerly President and COO at Rigel Entertainment, following his time spent as COO at Regent Entertainment. Posted 1.10.12
Derek K. Smith was appointed to the Tennessee Circuit Court for the 21st Judicial District by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. For the past 19 years, Smith served in the Office of the District Attorney General, 21st Judicial Circuit, beginning as an assistant district attorney before being promoted to deputy district attorney in 1999. Smith was vice president of the Williamson County Task Force against Domestic Violence, where he earned a Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also a member of the Boys and Girls club, and he was honorably discharged from the United States Navy Reserves in 1998. Posted 1.10.12
Stuart Brown joined Ice Miller in Indianapolis as of counsel and co-chair of its collegiate sports practice group. Stu was previously a principal at an Atlanta-based law firm where he represented college coaches and student-athletes regarding NCAA infractions and student-athlete eligibility issues. Posted 11.9.11
Reese J. Henderson Jr. joined the Jacksonville office of GrayRobinson as a shareholder. Reese brings an extensive background in construction litigation and other construction-related legal services and has been recognized as a board certified construction attorney by the Florida Bar. Posted 11.9.11
Scott Dresser was appointed general counsel and corporate secretary of Virgin Media in London in January 2011. Scott joined Virgin in 2006 and had been acting as the media company's deputy general counsel. He has over 20 years of experience in corporate strategy and development matters within the legal industry including 10 years practicing in New York with Morgan Lewis & Bockius and Lord Day & Lord. Scott is also a non-executive director and chairman of the compensation committee of UKTV, a joint venture between the BBC and Virgin Media. Posted 10.17.11
Joseph M. Pinjuh was recently appointed as the Lead Task Force Attorney for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Chief of the Narcotics Unit for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of Ohio. In this capacity, Joe is responsible for the district's drug enforcement program and supervises attorneys and support staff in Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown and Toledo. He has served with the Department of Justice since 1998. Posted 4.19.11
William Outhier has been elected member with the litigation law firm Riley Warnock & Jacobson. He practices in the areas of commercial litigation, health care and election law. Prior to joining the firm, William was managing director with Washington, D.C., government relations firm Carmen Group. He previously spent six years working in the U.S. Congress, most recently as Republican Chief Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. Posted 3.21.11
Michael Patrick Bigelow died April 2, 2009, of complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 45. Until he succumbed to his illness, Mike was Assistant General Counsel, Eli Lilly, Indianapolis, Indiana. He enjoyed coaching his children's sports teams and traveling with his family. Mike was also an Indianapolis Colts fan and he and his family were selected as the "Twelfth Man" by the Colts at the first game in Lucas Oil Stadium. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Dayton and, as a law student at Vanderbilt, served as an editor of the Vandebilt Law Review. He passed the Indiana Bar Exam while in his final year of law school. Mike was recently awarded the Chairman's Ovation Award by Eli Lilly for helping to develop the company's policy on Pharmaceutical Industry Information transparency. Mike is survived by his wife of 17 years, Kris Bigelow, his daughters Kate and Maggie, and his son Matthew.
Class of 1993
Jessalyn (Jessie) H. Zeigler was elected to the Board of Directors for the International Association of Defence Counsel. Posted 7.18.22
Rick Bartley has joined Nordlund Associates as Senior Associate. Posted 6.6.22
Darrin L. Williams was recently appointed to the board of trustees of Enterprise Community Partners (Enterprise), a national nonprofit that exists to make a good home possible for the millions of families without one.
Ivanetta Davis Samuels has joined the Amedisys Board of Directors. Read more here. Posted 2.11.21
David Bissinger Houston trial attorneys David Bissinger was named among top business litigators in state. Posted 1.15.21
David Bissinger Honored Among Best Lawyers in America. Posted 12.2.2020
James H. Tucker Jr. (MDV ’93) became the first African American Managing Partner in Manier & Herod’s 106 year history on June 1, 2020. Posted 9.29.20
Joel M. McCray has been elected as Chair of The Virginia Home Board of Trustees. Posted 4.3.20
Kristin Daniels Dukes has been named General Counsel at The University of South Alabama. As General Counsel, Dukes will oversee a legal team in the management of numerous and varied legal matters to provide advice and counsel to the University of South Alabama's board of trustees, president, administrators and departments, including USA Health, and University affiliates. Posted 12.19.19
Jennifer Patton Grosvenor was appointed to the Executive Women’s Leadership Council with the Greater Houston Partnership. This position is reserved for the most senior woman in an organization and there is an in depth application and interview process. Here is a link to more information about the organization here. Posted 11.6.19
David Bissinger has been selected for an 11th consecutive year to the Texas Super Lawyers list. Read more here. Posted 10.9.19
Seth Schimmel , Phelps Dunbar partner, was named a “Lawyer of the Year” in the Arbitration category for Tampa in the 2020 list of The Best Lawyers in America. Posted 9.10.19
David Quam has joined Dentons in Washington, D.C., where he will practice as counsel in the firm’s U.S. public policy practice.
Christine Lapps has been named deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Revenue. She previously worked in state and local taxation at Ernst & Young. She began her legal career as an assistant attorney general for the State of Tennessee and practiced as a hearing officer and senior tax counsel in the Tennessee Department of Revenue before joining Ernst & Young. Posted on 5.3.19
Nirlaine Smartt , is currently running for Circuit Judge for the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit in Florida. Nirlaine served both as a Judge and an Assistant State Attorney with distinction and is eminently qualified for the position. As a public servant, she does not have the unlimited funds to sustain a campaign against her opposition, whom having practiced in the private sector, is well funded. Therefore, she must rely on those who know her character and qualifications to support her campaign. Nirlaine has a reputation for being fair and honest and as a judge has been faithful to precedent set by the Courts of Florida as well as the U.S. Supreme Court. Any help with her campaign will be much appreciated as we the Treasure Coast is in need of qualified candidates to preside over cases in the 19th Circuit. Contributions to Nirlaine’s campaign may be made at https://nirlainesmarttcampaign2018.com. Posted 9.12.18
John Rose has received Tennessee Tech University’s Outstanding Philanthropy Award. John is the former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, as well as Department of Wildlife Resources. Posted 4.24.18
Randi Thomas has received Miami University’s 2018 Distinguished Service Award. Randi serves as Director, Institutional Relations at Miami University. Posted 4.24.18
Art Brunson is now vice president of legal and corporate affairs for PowerSouth in Andalusia, Alabama. Art joined PowerSouth in 1999 and previously served as director of legal affairs and compliance. Posted 11.14.17
Mark E. Pardo of Washington D.C. died May 23. He was 51. Mark obtained his undergraduate degree from Duke University before earning his J.D. from Vanderbilt. He served his entire legal career at Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt, first as an associate attorney and then as co-managing partber of the firm’s Washington, DC office. Mark was an accomplished International Trade attorney and practiced regularly before the U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, United States Court of International Trade, and United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, representing the interests of foreign clients in antidumping, countervailing duty and other trade-related actions. He is survived by his wife, Debbie and his son, Matthew. Posted 6.15.17
Gregory C. Hill has joined Hogan Lovells as partner in their Houston office. Previously, Greg was partner in Locke Lord’s Houston office where he chaired the firm’s corporate governance practice. Posted 2.21.17
Chief Judge Kevin Sharp will be leaving the bench effective April 15, 2017. After retiring from the federal judiciary Judge Sharp will set up a Nashville office for an unemployment and public interest law firm that has two offices on each coast. Posted 2.21.17
Michael Ira Oberlander received the first JProStl Partnership award that recognizes a board leader of JProStl who best exemplifies the lay–staff relationship through commitments to the Jewish community and St. Louis region, ethical leadership and acts of kindness. JProStl, an initiative of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, is a professional association that provides training, resources and networking opportunities for staff at 50 not-for-profit Jewish organizations throughout St. Louis. Michael is the senior vice president, GC and corporate secretary for Caleres, a global footwear company headquartered outside St. Louis. Posted 12.4.15
Menah Pratt-Clarke (PHD’97), associate chancellor for strategic affairs and the associate provost for diversity at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been named vice provost for inclusion and diversity and vice president for strategic affairs at Virginia Tech. She will start her new position February 1, 2016. Posted 12.4.15
Nirlaine Tallandier Smartt has been appointed as a judge for St. Lucie County, Florida by Governor Rick Scott. She is the first black judge at the county or circuit level in the 19th Circuit, which encompasses Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties. Posted 8.28.15
Benjamin E. Bratman is this year’s winner of the Eric W. Springer Professionalism Award, given annually to an attorney or judge of “sterling character” and “unquestioned integrity” who upholds the “highest standards of the legal profession,” according to the W. Edward Sell Inn of Court in Pittsburgh. Ben is an associate professor of legal writing at University of Pittsburgh Law School in Pittsburgh. Posted 6.25.15
John George Morris (BA'90), currently the interim athletic director at Colorado State University, is leaving to become the athletic director at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. John worked as an attorney in private practice in Orlando, Florida, before getting involved in intercollegiate athletics as a compliance assistant at Vanderbilt for the 1997-98 academic years. Posted 3.24.15
Christen Civiletto Morris, adjunct law school professor at SUNY Buffalo Law School and the University at Buffalo and practicing attorney, has authored Green City Savior – a suspense novel set in Niagara Falls. The novel debuts on February 20, and is a result of Christen’s research into the environmental history of her hometown, Niagara Falls. Christen’s research also spurred the recent filing of a series of toxic injury lawsuits stemming from the historic Love Canal disaster. Posted 2.18.15
Michael Thomas Doyle is now head of the recently opened Immigration Advocacy & Support Center in New London, Connecticut. Michael will maintain his own private practice. Posted 1.2.15
Michael Sawyer Smith has been elected the managing partner of Baker & McKenzie's Chicago, Illinois, office. Michael concentrates his practice on finance, real estate and infrastructure matters, as well as leading the firm's North American real estate group and serving on the global real estate steering committee. Michael has been with Baker & McKenzie since 2005. Posted 9.26.14
Catherine Hogewood has recently been promoted to General Counsel of Books-A-Million. In her new role, Hogewood will provide guidance to Books-A-Million and will assume this post in managing the company's legal matters. Catherine has been a member of Books-A-Million's legal staff since 2007, most recently serving as associate counsel. She joined the company following a successful tenure as associate counsel for the Lloyd, Gray, Whitehead and Monroe Law Firm in Birmingham, Alabama. Hogewood and her husband, Mark Hogewood (JD '93), have called Birmingham home for more than 20 years, have three children, and a black lab. Posted 8.12.2014
Ken Trotter has joined the Arlington Regional office of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage where he concentrates on helping clients buy and sell residential real estate in the Washington, DC metro area, including the communities of McLean, Arlington, and Falls Church. Prior to joining Coldwell Banker as a Realtor®, Ken was a litigation attorney from 1999 to August of 2013 with Dickstein Shapiro in Washington, DC. Ken will continue to maintain his law licenses in DC, Florida, and Alabama and continues to reside in Falls Church, Virginia. Posted 12.5.13
Warren Taylor Readnour has been appointed general counsel at the University of Central Arkansas. Warren was previously employed at the Office of the Arkansas Attorney General for 17 years, the last six of which he has served as senior assistant attorney general for the civil department. He will assume his new position at UCA on October 28. Posted 10.10.13
Fred Wood, formerly a co-owner and founder of Cornerstone Business Advisors of Little Rock, has joined DD&F Consulting Group, also of Little Rock, as a principal and general counsel. Fred began his legal career with Wright Lindsey & Jennings and has also worked for Alltel and co-founded Boomerang Carwash. Posted 10.10.13
Darrin Lavell Williams will be the featured alumnus at an event hosted by the Vanderbilt Law School Black Law Students Association (BLSA) on October 28, "A Conversation with Representative Darrin Williams." Darrin, a principal at the law firm of Carney Williams Bates Pulliam and Bowman and a current member of the Arkansas General Assembly, was named CEO of Southern Bancorp, a family of a community development bank (the fifth largest in the United States) and a nonprofit affiliate that work in concert to revitalize underserved communities in the mid-South earlier this year.
Troy A. Fuhrman (BA'90), a shareholder at Hill Ward Henderson in Tampa, Florida, has been elected to the board of Business Counsel Inc., a network of law firms. Troy focuses on products liability litigation. Posted 4.8.13
Lisa Lynn Collins was honored by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), as a 2012 Angel in Adoption at an awards ceremony on September 11th and at a gala event in Washington, D.C., on September 12. Lisa was congratulated by U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) at the ceremony. The Angels in Adoption program is CCAI's signature public awareness campaign and provides an opportunity for all members of the U.S. Congress to honor the good work of their constituents who have enriched the lives of children and orphans in the United States and abroad. Lisa was the 2011-2012 Vice-President of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. AAAA is a not-for-profit fellowship of more than three hundred attorneys, judges and law professors throughout the United States and Canada committed to improving the lives of children. Lisa is a solo practitioner devoting 100% of her practice to adoption law and law regarding assisted reproductive technology.Posted 10.09.12
Steven Howard Trent has been named managing shareholder for the Tri-Cities office of Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz. While serving as office managing shareholder, Steven will maintain his practice in labor and employment law. Posted 4.16.12
John Hayworth has been named Managing Partner of Walker Tipps & Malone, where he has practiced since the firm's inception in 2000. Posted 5.5.11
Kevin Sharp, whose nomination to be a federal judge was announced by President Obama in November 2010, breezed through his confirmation hearing March 2 before the Senate Judiciary Committee. He was featured in an article in The Tennessean. Kevin was confirmed on May 3. Posted 5.5.11
Lawrence D. Rosenthal is currently a Professor and the Associate Dean for Academics at Northern Kentucky University's Salmon P. Chase College of Law. He and his wife, Lorraine, live in the Cincinnati area. Lorraine's first novel, Other Words for Love, will be published by Random House/Delacorte on January 11, 2011. Posted 1.5.11
John Williams Rose and Chelsea Brooke Doss were married on Jan. 8, 2011 at First Baptist Church in Cookeville, Tennessee. John lives on and operates a working family farm in Smith and DeKalb counties of Tennessee that has been in operation since 1790. In addition to farming, John is a principal of Smith Fork Ventures, Inc., an investment firm with interests in the media and information technology learning markets. He is president of Boson Software, an information technology training software company based in Nashville, with offices in Tampa, Florida. In 2010, John helped to form the Tennessee State Fair Association, an organization dedicated to preserving the 104-year-old tradition of the Tennessee State Fair. He currently serves as chairman of the board. Posted 1.3.11
Class of 1994
Judge Rupert A. Byrdsong (JD '94) was elected to serve as Vice-President of the California Judges Association. He was also appointed to co-chair a new CJA Task Force on the Elimination of Bias and Inequality in Our Justice System, the largest judicial officer organization in the country. Posted 10.9.20.
Judge Sheila Calloway (BA ’91), juvenile court judge in Nashville, TN and an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University law School was interviewed by Attorney at Law Magazine writer Susan Cushing about her career and her outlook on the legal industry. Read the full article here. Posted 9.23.20
Rupert A. Byrdsong has been selected as the WRBLSA Judge of the Year Award. His award will be presented at the 52nd Annual WRBLSA Awards Gala on Saturday, January 2020, at Southwestern Law School. Posted 12.18.19
Julia Ambrose was recognized in the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. She was selected by her peers for inclusion in Appellate Practice and Commercial Litigation. Posted 11.12.19
U.S. Navy Commander Kimberly J. Kelly, currently serving in the Judge Advocate General's Corps, was sworn in as a Military Judge on May 5, 2019, and is stationed at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton outside of Seattle, Washington. She has previously been stationed at various bases located within the U.S. and abroad, serving alternately in the capacity of prosecutor, defense counsel, and victim's advocate. Posted 8.6.19
Darian B. Taylor is currently serving as court counsel for the 12th Judicial Circuit Court in Manatee County, Florida, and is a regular contributor to Thomson Reuters' American Law Reports. Previously, she served as an Assistant Attorney General in New York and Tennessee, and as a staff attorney for the Superior Court for Maricopa County, Arizona. Posted 8.6.19
Luke Messer has joined Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting, where he will co-lead the firm’s bipartisan federal advocacy team. Luke served three terms in Congress representing Indiana’s Sixth District. Posted 5.3.19
Lee Edward Dryer died February 1st. He was 55. He is survived by his wife, Juany Dryer and son, Zachary Wilkerson. Lee was a former Assistant District Attorney in Williamson County. He was an Attorney at Law and a Judge for the city of Fairview. He enjoyed volunteering and being active in his community. Posted 2.12.19
Rupert A. Byrdsong has been named Proven Achiever by 102.3 Radio Free KJLH. Read more: https://www.kjlhradio.com/proven-achiever-rupert-a-byrdsong/ Posted 2.11.19
The Honorable Luke Messer, former U.S. Congressman from Indiana, is joining Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting in Washington, D.C. as a principal in their federal advocacy group. Luke will advise companies on federal regulatory and policy issues. Posted 1.16.19
Rupert A. Byrdsong, Superior Court Judge in Los Angeles, was named a Disruptor by the Ebony Power 100,. This is awarded to individuals who are considered a leader in their field, and have made a positive impact on the African-American community. Read more: https://www.ebony.com/power100-2018/disruptors/rupert-a-byrdsong Posted 11.20.18
Claria Horn Boom, an attorney at Frost Brown Todd in Louisville, has been confirmed as district judge on the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky. Claria was nominated to the post by President Trump last year, and her appointment was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 11. Posted 4.24.18
David Buck is now partner at Sidley Austin in Houston, Texas. Posted 11.14.17
Melody Hurdle Eagan has been named Managing Partner of Lightfoot Franklin & White in Birmingham Alabama, effective January 1, 2018. Melody will be the first woman to lead the firm. Posted 10.17.17
Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway (BA’91) will receive the Nelson C. Andrews Distinguished Award at the Nashville Public Education Foundation’s 13th annual Public Schools Hall of Fame luncheon. Posted 9.20.17
Dana Shaffer has been named as deputy bureau chief and chief of staff of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission. Dana most recently served as the Federal Communications Commission’s deputy managing director. Posted 9.20.17
Claria Horn Boom, if confirmed, will serve as a district judge on the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky. Claria is currently a partner in the Lexington office of Frost Brown Todd. Posted 6.15.17
Michael Moschel joined Littler Mendelson as a shareholder in Nashville. Previously, Michael was a member at Bass Berry & Sims. Posted 1.20.17
Brian D. Rogers , partner with Fried Rogers Goldberg in Atlanta, Georgia, was installed as president-elect of the 48,000 member State Bar of Georgia. He will be sworn in as the 55th president of the State Bar in June 2017. Posted 8.23.16
MaryEllen Pickrell has been named practice leader at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis in Nashville. MaryEllen represents hospitals and health systems in the acquisition of health care facilities and organizations. Posted 7.27.16
Dale A. Tipps has been appointed by Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips to a seat on the state’s recently created administrative Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims. Dale was previously a partner with the law firm of Levine Orr & Geracioti, based in Nashville, Tennessee, where he practiced civil litigation. Posted 9.17.15
Judge Rupert Angelo Byrdsong was featured in a recent article in the Daily Journal for his work as a Superior Court Judge in Los Angeles County. Highlighted were Rupert’s key personal qualities that have enabled him to excel in the position. Posted 7.8.15
Brian D. Rogers was featured for his legal work over his 20+ year career. Buck practices with Fried Rogers Goldberg in Atlanta, a firm that specializes in handling truck accidents that result in serious personal injury or wrongful death. See the article here. Posted 5.15.15
Robert Arthur Guy Jr. has been named a shareholder in Polsinelli’s new Nashville, Tennessee office. Bobby previously worked as a bankruptcy attorney with Frost Brown Todd in the firm’s Nashville office. Posted 4.26.15
Warren Anthony Jasper has been named administrator of the Brigadier General Wendell H. Gilbert Tennessee State Veterans Home, which is currently under construction in Clarksville and expected to open in the spring of 2015. Jasper served seven years in the U.S. Air Force, including assignments at the Pentagon and as a branch chief with the Secretary of Defense studying electronic warfare with the Joint Test Force. Most recently, he served as an assistant attorney general and senior counsel at the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. He and his wife Pamela have two children, Christian and Olivia. Posted 1.2.15
Ann Elizabeth Bethune Harris was elected Cobb Superior Court Judge in Cobb County, Georgia. She spent the past 20 years as a prosecutor in the Cobb D.A.’s office. Posted 12.19.14
David Lee Hudson has been named director of academic affairs and legal writing at Nashville School of Law by Dean William C. Koch (JD ’72). David previously served as a senior law clerk for Chief Justice Sharon G. Lee of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Before that, he was a researcher and scholar at the First Amendment Center for many years. He is the author or coauthor of more than 40 books and a frequent contributor to the ABA Journal. In addition to his position at NSL, he teaches on the adjunct law faculties of Vanderbilt and Belmont University. Posted 12.19.14
Sheila Calloway (BA'91) has been elected Nashville Davidson Juvenile Court Judge. Posted 8.19.14
Tamara Wenda Ashford was nominated in September 2013 by President Barack Obama to a 15-year term on the U.S. Tax Court in Washington, D.C. She is currently the deputy assistant attorney general for appellate and review in the Department of Justice's Tax Division. The Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved her nomination, and she is awaiting Senate confirmation. Posted 7.16.14
Rupert A. Byrdsong was appointed a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on June 18. Rupert has been an attorney at Ivie McNeill & Wyatt since 1995 and became a partner with the firm in 2001. Rupert fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on August 12, 2013. Posted 6.19.14
Luke Messer was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the Ball State University board of trustees, ahead of his planned May commencement speech. Luke currently serves as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Indiana's 6th Congressional District. He has served as executive director of the Indiana Republican Party and a member of the Indiana House. Luke is an accomplished education reformer, authoring nationally recognized high school dropout reform legislation in the Indiana Statehouse and serving in the private sector as president and chief executive officer of Hoosiers for Economic Growth Network and School Choice Indiana. In 2012, Luke was elected to Congress, where he was then chosen as president of the congressional freshman class and serves on the House committees on budget, foreign affairs, and education and the workforce. Posted 3.25.14
Regina Lynn Daniels-Thomas has been selected to serve as an inaugural fellow by the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association. During the year-long fellowship, fellows will learn to frame legal services in a healthcare context, build strong healthcare alliances, and use population health data. The fellowship will culminate in a project with a local healthcare entity. Regina currently works as the deputy chief counsel for the Legal Aid and Defender Association, based in Detroit, Michigan. Posted 3.25.14
Timothy A. Spangler has joined Sidley Austin as a partner and member of the firm's global investment funds, advisers, and derivatives practice. Prior to joining Sidley, Timothy was a partner at Kaye Scholer. Posted 12.13.13
Bryan Edward Pieper (BA'91) has joined the labor and employment law and commercial litigation practice ofBone McAllester Norton. Prior to joining Bone McAllester Norton, Bryan was an owner of the law firm DHPM, formerly Drescher & Sharp. Posted 11.7.13
David Lee Hudson Jr.'s book on the history of student speech – Let the Students Speak: A History of the Fight for Free Expression in American Schools was selected by CHOICE as one of their outstanding academic books of the year for 2012. In addition, a story of David's, Fired Math Teacher's Retaliation Claim Nixed, was cited by Judge Richard Posner in Judge Posner's public-employee, free-speech opinion in Gschwind v. Heiden last September 2012. Posted 2.5.13
James Michael Wodarski has joined Mintz Levin as a member in the firm's Boston office. James focuses his practice on patent and trademark litigation, representing high tech and life sciences companies, and has significant experience practicing before the U.S International Trade Commission in Section 337 investigations. Posted 8.1.12
Neel Chatterjee, co-chair of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe's intellectual property business unit in Menlo Park, received the North American South Asian Bar Association's Cornerstone Award at its recent convention in Philadelphia. Posted 7.19.12
Melody Hurdle Eagan a partner at Lightfoot Franklin & White in Birmingham, Alabama, has been selected as president of the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association for 2012-13. The Association has a membership of over 1,000 attorneys who are dedicated to the defense of civil actions and the promotion of fairness and integrity in the civil justice system. Melody previously served as a director and officer for the association, as chairperson for the Trial Academy sponsored by the Association, and as a director for the young lawyers section of the Association. Posted 7.9.12
Amy Marie Clunan (BS'91) was recently promoted to Director, Managing Corporate Attorney at AutoZone, Inc. located in Memphis.
Michael R. Pauz, Class of 1994,has rejoined the special matters and government investigations practice of King & Spalding as a partner in Washington, D.C. Michael, a senior federal prosecutor with substantial experience investigating and litigating complex fraud, regulatory and financial offences, was previously deputy chief of the Southern Division in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland. Posted 7.15.11
Paula (Fernandez) Lutes and William Lutes are proud to announce the birth of a baby boy, William Austin Lutes. Will was born on January 8, 2011 at Holy Cross Hospital, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Posted 4.26.11
Robert "Bobby" Guy is a member at Frost Brown Todd. He practices in the areas of business bankruptcy, workouts and distressed acquisitions. His recent book, Distress To Success (Frenetic Market Press) was released in April 2011. He lives in Nashville with his wife (Sydney) and two children (Glory Rose, 12, and Nicholas, 10). Posted 4.6.11
Class of 1995
Superior Court Judge Dawne G. Westbrook was unanimously confirmed by the legislature’s Judiciary Committee, checking boxes that advocates and lawmakers deemed important, including a background in public interest or criminal defense law, significant workaday experience in Connecticut’s courts, and racial diversity. Posted 11.17.23
Steven R. Kaufman has been selected for promotion to the rank of Colonel (O-6) in the United States Air Force. He has been in the JAG Corps since graduating from VLS, with four years of full-time active duty followed by 23 years as a reservist. When not in military status, Steve is an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Charlotte, North Carolina. Posted 2.13.23
Lucy Dalglish has been named Administrator of the Year by the Association for Education in JOurnalism and Mass Communications and the Scripps Howard Foundation. Posted 11.21.22
Kim Seymour has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer at Etsy. You can read the full press release here. Posted 4.18.22
Kenneth Pollack is now serving as Executive Vice President at AGNC Investment Corp. as of February. Posted 3.21.22
Jennifer Smith Murnahan Kaczor died at her home in Grand Rapids, Michigan on October 13th where she spent her final days surrounded by her loving husband and family. She was a fast friend, and devoted daughter, sister, and aunt. She loved fine wine and was a voracious reader. She is survived by her husband, Dave Kaczor. Posted 10.19.21
April Abele Isaacson co founded a podcast, Sidebars by Kilpatrick Townsend. This limited podcast series showcases today's leading women in the patent bar. Each of the episodes is a candid conversation between groundbreaking women legal practitioners about their career paths, the obstacles they overcame in reaching success, and the steps we as a profession must still take to close the gender gap in intellectual property law and the patent bar. Posted 4.30.21
April Abele Isaacson joins Kilpatrick Townsend in San Francisco. The team has broad experience across the biopharma patent service areas and close interconnections running back many years. Posted 1.14.21
Kenneth R. Cunningham (BA ’91) is now serving as Managing Principal at Grant Thornton. Posted 4.7.20
April Abele Isaacson joins DLA Piper as of counsel in San Francisco. Isaacson focuses on representing pharmaceutical companies in biologic and drug patent litigation, including Hatch-Waxman litigation. Over her career, Isaacson has tackled a wide range of intellectual property issues in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical and medical device industries, working from in-house and outside counsel positions. Posted 4.3.20
Tom Lee has been elected Vice Chair of the Tennessee Sports Wagering Advisory Council, responsible for advising on best regulatory practices in Tennessee’s new sports gaming industry. Tom was appointed to the inaugural membership of the Council by the Speaker of the Tennessee House. Tom continues as the Member-in-Charge of the Nashville office of Frost Brown Todd LLC. Posted 4.2.20
Richard Littlehale began a new role as assistant director at the Technology and Innovation Division at TBI. Posted 11.21.19
Alan W. Tamarelli Jr. has been promoted to partner at Latham & Watkins in New York, where he practices in the firm’s healthcare and life sciences group. Posted 5.3.19
Kim Seymour has been named Weight Watcher’s Chief People Officer, to lead the Company’s People function globally for approximately 18,000 employees. In this role, Seymour reports directly to the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Mindy Grossman, and is a member of the Executive Committee. Posted 4.9.19
Tom Lee is the new member-in-charge of the Louisville-based office of Frost Brown Todd. Posted 10.30.18
John Quattrocchi has joined Baker McKenzie’s Corporate & Securities Practice as a Partner in Dallas, bringing more than two decades of experience advising companies on a wide range of complex mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions. Posted 10.23.18
IP Litigator, Hugh J. Marbury , has joined Cozen O’ Connor in the firm’s Intellectual Property Department as member. He practices in the Washington, D.C. office. Previously, Hugh was partner at DLA Piper. Posted 11.14.17
Lauren Degnan has been named a recipient of the 2017 “Women Worth Watching in STEM” award by Profiles in Diversity Journal. Lauren is a principal in the Washington, D.C. office of Fish & Richardson. Posted 4.21.17
Mark Anderson has been named managing director and general counsel of Lazard Asset Management in New York City. Mark joined the firm in 2014 as its chief compliance officer. Posted 4.19.17
John Quattrocchi has been named to the Dallas Business Journal’s 2017 “Dealmakers list”. John is a partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in Dallas.
David Gerregano (BA ’92) has been announced as commissioner of the Department of Revenue by Governor Bill Haslam. 1.19.17
Thomas Hayden Lee, a member at Frost Brown Todd in Nashville, has been named managing principal of CivicPoint, the firm’s government relations office. Posted 8.23.16
Ken Pollack is senior vice president, general counsel, chief compliance officer and secretary of American Capital Agency in Bethesda, Maryland. Previously, Ken served as deputy general counsel and senior vice president at American Capital Ltd. Posted 7.25.16
Judith S. Price (MBA'96) has joined boutique law firm Riggs Davie as member. Posted 4.21.16
Justin Gregory Tanner was quoted in a Washington Post article, “Black millenials consider a post-Obama world”. Justin is a member of the board for IMPACT, a nonprofit devoted to helping young professionals of color working in politics and policy, who works in the Obama administration. Posted 1.29.16
Aubrey B. Harwell III (BA’92) will serve as the 2016 chair of the Campaign for Equal Justice, an annual initiative that raises funds for the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. Trey is a member in the Nashville based firm Neal & Harwell where he practices primarily in civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense. Posted 12.4.15
Craig Stephen Mordock has joined the Orange County, California office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton. He is a partner in the firm’s corporate practice group. Posted 9.17.15
Luther Wright Jr. will serve as vice chairman – attorney for 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee. Luther is of counsel with Ogletree Deakins in the firm's Nashville, Tennessee office where he practices with the labor & employment team. He was also included on the 2015 "Best of the Bar" awards by the Nashville Business Journal. Posted 5.15.15
Cheryl Williams has formed the Williams Immigration & Naturalization Law in Nashville. She was previously a partner at the Rose Immigration Law Firm in Nashville. Posted 5.17.15
Jeffrey Michael Sullivan, a partner at Hunton & Williams, has been appointed to serve as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of STAG Industrial by the company's board of directors, effective January 1, 2015. Jeff's practice has focused on securities law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance matters and general corporate law. Posted 9.26.14
Melanie Lynn Black Dubis , a partner with Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein, was recently named "Tar Heel of the Week" by the Raleigh News and Observer. The article highlights Melanie's legal career and her dedication to a landmark North Carolina case involving access to education for the state's low-income students. Posted 11.7.13
Cheryl Behringer Williams has joined Siskind Susser as a member. Previously with Rose Immigration Law Firm, Cheryl is a 17-year veteran of immigration practice. She specializes in employment- and family-based immigration, naturalization and employment verification matters, as well humanitarian cases in area of U.S. immigration law. Posted 10.21.13
Aubrey B. (Trey) Harwell III (BA'92), member at Neal & Harwell, has been appointed and confirmed to the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority board. Appointed by Mayor Karl Dean and confirmed on May 21 by the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County, Trey serves as the board's legal representative. His principal areas of practice are civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense. Trey is a member of his firm's crisis management team and has also conducted numerous independent investigations on behalf of individual and corporate clients throughout the United States. Posted 8.22.13
Kimaria LaShawn Seymour has been promoted to Senior Vice President, HR Business Partner for Global Corporate Services, at American Express. Kim is currently VP, HR Business Partner for USCS & OPEN. Her past experience and successful track record in previous HR Business Partner and COE roles both at AXP and GE, make her ideal for this leadership position. In this new role, Kim's transition to her new role will begin on August 19. Kim's career in human resources spans 15 years, across multiple companies, disciplines and positions. Joining American Express in 2008, Kim quickly established credibility amongst her peers, business leaders, employees and networks as an authentic leader, who not only has an eye for talent but applies a talent lens across everything we do, understands the core business strategy and knows that transparent conversations are critical to success. Posted 8.19.13
Chris Bangerter, age 47, of Brentwood, Tennessee, died May 3, 2013 after a long courageous battle with cancer. Chris graduated from the U.S. Army Military Academy and was a 1LT U.S. Army helicopter pilot in the UH-60 Blackhawk. He is a Veteran of Desert Storm where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and other honors. Following his military career, Chris graduated from Vanderbilt Law School and has been the chief compliance officer at LifePoint Hospitals for the past nine years. Chris is survived by his wife Becky; three children; his parents; two sisters; and many nieces and nephews. Posted 6.12.13
Melanie Lynn Black Dubis , partner at Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein, was re-elected as chair of the Carolina Ballet board of directors. In this role, Melanie will continue to work to ensure the Ballet remains a premiere arts organization with top talent from around the world. Melanie has served on the Ballet's board of directors since 2005 and as chair since 2011. In addition to her work with the Ballet, she has served as pro bono general counsel for Alliance of AIDS Services, Carolina since 2001, and is a member of the advisory board of Connected Women of North Carolina. In 2012, Melanie was reappointed to the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce's Education Committee for the second consecutive year. Working with various local educational groups, including the Wake County Public School System, the education committee focuses on the sharing of ideas between local business professionals in an effort to improve the overall school system. Dubis, who is involved in educational improvement as an attorney, provides legal counsel on the Hoke County Board of Education v. State case. Currently in appeals court, Dubis represents low-wealth school districts on a case in what has been described as one of "the most important North Carolina Supreme Court rulings in living memory." Additionally, in 2011 Melanie was named by Triangle Business Journal as a recipient of the 2011 Women in Business Award, which honors area women who are dynamic and outstanding leaders with established track records of significant accomplishments in business and/or community service. Posted 6.10.13
Susan Steelman (BA'92) has joined the Nashville, Tennessee office of Miller & Martin from Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters Health System in Norfolk, Virginia. There, she served as director of loss prevention and regulatory matters. Before that, she was associate general counsel at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, assistant general counsel at Ardent Health Services and associate GC at Community Health Systems. Posted 2.11.13
Gordon Peery has joined Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG), a preeminent, 750-lawyer full-service firm, as Global Derivatives Advisor. Gordon brings to BLG a 17-year career to complement BLG's powerhouse Derivatives Group. Gordon will continue to practice law in California where he resides, and will continue to provide legal counsel for his U.S. clients. In addition, as part of BLG's Derivatives Group, Gordon will work with BLG lawyers to provide support for BLG's derivatives clients in Canada and around the world. With a broad range of global experience exclusively devoted to derivatives and futures, Gordon provides trusted advice to a wide range of clients, from funds of all varieties to energy and real estate companies to pensions and other clients. Policymakers, including representatives of governments and sovereign wealth funds have benefited from his counsel. His book, The Post-Reform Guide to Derivatives and Futures (Wiley, 2012), was a 2012 International Book Awards winner. Posted 1.4.13
Lucy Dalglish McNair has been appointed the next dean of the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism. She will succeed Dean Kevin Klose on August 1. For the past 12 years, Lucy has led the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a voluntary association of reporters and editors seeking to protect First Amendment interests of the news media. She is president of the National Freedom of Information Coalition and supervisor for the Sunshine in Government Initiative, which she cofounded. Earlier this year, Lucy won the National Press Foundation's W.M Kiplinger Award for distinguished contributions to journalism. Posted 5.17.12
Kendall Jones has launched Flat Fee Law Now. The service offers predictable, low flat rates for a wide variety of commonly-requested legal services. Kendall is actively licensed in California, Florida, and Georgia. Posted 4.17.12
Robert Stark was lead editor and co-author of a chapter of Contested Valuation in Corporate Bankruptcy, a 400-page treatise published in 2011 by LexisNexis as part of its "Collier on Bankruptcy" monograph series. Robert is a partner at Brown Rudnick in New York who focuses on bankruptcy and corporate restructuring. Posted 4.3.12
David Gerregano (AS'92) has been promoted from Assistant Commissioner to Deputy Commissioner over legal services, tax policy, and administrative hearings with the Tennessee Department of Revenue. David has been with the Department for fourteen years, first serving as tax counsel and then senior tax counsel. He has also served as an administrative hearing officer and a departmental liaison to the General Assembly. Posted 7.15.11
Thomas H. Lee , a longtime Tennessee government relations practitioner and public strategist has joined Frost Brown Todd as a partner in its Nashville office.Tom has three decades of experience as a government relations counsel, lobbyist, attorney, journalist and strategist. He launched his own firm, BlairBlvd, in the summer of 2009 after a prominent career at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, where he specialized in government relations and civil litigation. Posted 1.28.11
Kenneth Robert Cunningham (BA'91, JD'95), has been named the new Grant Thornton Chief Legal Officer effective February 1, 2011. Ken succeeds Peggy Zagel as Chief Legal Officer, who will be retiring from the firm July 31, 2011. Since joining the firm in 2004 as Senior Counsel in the Risk, Regulatory and Legal Affairs group, Ken has led the regulatory defense practice, defended the firm and its personnel in class action securities litigation and accounting malpractice litigation, and provided training and counsel to all service lines on risk and regulatory issues. Prior to his tenure at Grant Thornton, he served as a Senior Counsel with the SEC's Division of Enforcement in Washington, DC, where he investigated matters involving complex financial fraud. Posted 1.18.11
Charles Andrew Head will be a partner at the law firm of Fried Bonder in Atlanta, Georgia. Posted 1.3.11
Class of 1996
Monique C. Winkler is now the Securities and Exchange Commission's Acting Regional Director. Posted 6.6.22
Joseph Peterson has been named the Managing Partner for Kippatrick Townsend's Silicon Valley office. Read the full press release here. Posted 4.18.22
Robins H. Ledyard passed away January 21st, 2022. He served his country as a United States Marine. He was a member of the American Bar Association, the Federation of Regulatory Counsel, Belle Meade Country Club, and St. Henry Catholic Church. Rob was an avid reader and a determined bridge player. Read his full obituary here. Posted 1.31.22
Briand T. Rafferty joined BakerHosteler as partner in the Atlanta office. Posted 1.31.22
Amy Marie Pepke was appointed President of Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. Posted 1.31.22
Eric Schroeder succeeds Patrick Watson as office managing partner in Atlanta for Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. Schroeder specializes in unfair competition, intellectual property, licensing, First Amendment and content issues, advising clients how to protect their brand, reputation and sales in the marketplace. He works with clients ranging from startups to Fortune 100 corporations on false advertising, trademark, copyright, defamation, right of publicity, privacy, software licensing and commercial litigation matters. Read more here. Posted 4.1.20
Reggie O’Shields has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Director of Enterprise Solutions at Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta. Read more here. Posted 3.25.20
Amy M. Pepke has been appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to serve a three-year term on the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. Pepke will represent the Western District of Tennessee. Read more here. Posted 1.7.20
Monique Winkler has been named Associate Regional Director in the SEC's Division of Enforcement. Read more here. Posted 10.9.19
Julie Bell Lindsay has been named executive director of the Center for Audit Quality. Julie was previously managing director and deputy head for global regulatory affairs at Citigroup. Posted 5.8.19
Matt Minner was recently recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2019 "Lawyer of the Year" for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs in the Lexington area. Read more: https://www.hwnn.com/blog/2018/august/matt-minner-named-2019-best-lawyers-lawyer-of-th/ Posted 8.24.18
Rahul Ranadive has been elected shareholder of Carlton Fields in the firm’s Miami office. Rahul is a member of the firm’s business transactions; estates; trusts and probate; executive services; international, real estate and commercial finance; taxation; and technology practice and industry groups. Posted 3.1.18
Heather Ziemba has joined Helen Tarokic Law as senior associate. Helen Tarokic Law specializes in immigration and nationalization law. Posted 9.20.17
Paul Monnin is now partner at Alston & Brid in Atlanta. Paul has joined the firm’s securities litigation and enforcement capabilities practice. Previously, Paul was partner at Paul Hastings in Atlanta. Posted 8.17.17
Arlan Lewis was identified by Who’s Who Legal as being among the world’s leading construction lawyers. He is a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in Birmingham.Posted 1.20.17
Kurt Grasinger of New York married Donald Lutt on November 20 at the Manhattan Penthouse. Kurt is the senior legal operations manager for Marsh & McLennan Companies in Washington D.C. Donald is a senior director for CBRE, a commercial real estate firm. Posted 1.19.17
Scott Burnett Smith (MTS ’97), partner at Bradley in Huntsville, has been recognized with the DRI Tom Segalla Excellence in Education Award. This award recognizes those for excellence in continuing legal education. Posted 11.28.16
Rahul P. Ranadive has joined Carlton Fields as counsel in their Miami office. He will practice in the firm’s International and Business Transactions practice groups. Posted 9.15.16
Moses K. Song is now serving as chief investment officer at ARA Asset Management, which is based in Singapore. Prior to joining the Group, Moses was a principal and chief operating officer at Lubert-Adler Asia Advisors Pte., the Asia investment platform of US-based real estate private equity firm Lubert-Adler Partners. Posted 5.18.16
Keith Powell has opened a sole law practice, Powell Counsel, in Columbia, South Carolina. Posted 5.12.16
J. Scott Culpepper joined Atlanta based MailChimp as the company’s general counsel. Before joining MailChimp, Scott was a partner at Robins Kaplan, and previously, a partner at Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer & Risley. Posted 12.4.15
Joel Todd Galanter was included on the 2015 “Best of the Bar” awards list by the Nashville Business Journal. Joel is chief legal officer and general counsel of Aegis Sciences Corp., the Nashville-based forensic toxicology and healthcare sciences company. Posted 5.15.15
Albert Jui Li is moving from Zimmer Holdings Inc. to Ottobock to become its general counsel at the company's new Austin, Texas, corporate headquarters, effective January 5. Albert assumes the lead legal and compliance executive position on the executive management team to support the U.S. and Canada operations of this global, leading prosthetics, orthotics and mobility solutions company. Posted 12.19.14
Jennifer A. Shah , an attorney with Phillips Lytle, was the recipient of the Volunteer Lawyers Project’s 2014 Litigation Award. Jennifer accepted the award at the seventh annual “Champions for Justice Bash” held on November 14th, the annual event celebrating the work done by ECBA Volunteer Lawyers Project and Legal Services for the Elderly, Disabled or Disadvantaged of Western New York. Posted 11.19.14
Kate Bohon McKinney has resumed her litigation practice as of January 2014 at Martin Pringle Oliver Wallace & Bauer in Kansas City. She focuses on civil and commercial litigation, insurance defense, advertising, marketing and promotions law, and business and entrepreneurial law. Posted 11.6.14
Joseph Sciarrotta Jr. has been appointed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer to the Maricopa County Superior Court. Joe was recommended to the governor through a unanimous decision by the nonpartisan Maricopa County Commission on Trial Court Appointments and is expected to take the bench early next year. He has served as general counsel to the governor since 2011, where he advises on a variety of issues. Posted 9.26.14
Matthew Robert Burnstein (BA '93) has been promoted to chairman of the Nashville-based firm, Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, effective Aug. 1. Burnstein has spent his entire legal career at Waller. He joined the firm in 1997 after graduating Order of the Coif and serving as a clerk to Chief U.S. District Judge Charles R. Simpson III in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Posted 7.16.14
Paul Bennett Seusy has been elected to serve on the board of directors for the South Florida State College Foundation, a 501(c)(3) corporation with an eleven million dollar endowment, on April 27. The Foundation's primary purpose is to provide scholarships to students, and grants to educators, at South Florida State College. Paul was voted "DeSoto County's Best Attorney" in 2012 by readers of the Charlotte Sun-Herald's Arcadian. In addition, he was elected to serve as president of the Rotary Club of Arcadia beginning July 1. The Rotary Club of Arcadia is a 501(c)(3) organization devoted to many humanitarian causes, including the elimination of polio, spreading literacy and providing clean water to all of humanity. The Rotary Club of Arcadia was established in 1948, and has been continuously active in its community since. The Rotary Club of Arcadia is a charter club of Rotary International. Paul currently practices law in Arcadia, DeSoto County, Florida. Posted 5.21.13
Kara Elizabeth Shea, Nashville-based attorney, has been named the labor and employment practice group leader at Butler Snow O'Mara Stevens & Cannada. Shea focuses her work on employment training and counseling, employment litigation and labor and employment compliance counseling, among others. Posted 2.13.13
Mary Ann Poirier is now general counsel at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. Prior to joining the University, Mary Ann was of counsel at Dinsmore & Shohl. Posted 11.15.12
Albert Jui Li has recently been promoted to Assistant General Counsel, Americas from senior counsel, Biologics & Latin America at Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (ZMH). In this role, Al will manage legal affairs for the commercial sales and distribution teams throughout Canada, the U.S. and South America for ZMH's Reconstructive Division, as well as other key corporate and legal areas. Posted 10.8.12
Kevin A. Pollack (MBA'96) has been appointed to the board of directors and audit committee of MagneGas, the developer of a technology that converts liquid waste into a hydrogen-based metal working fuel and natural gas alternative. Kevin is a managing director at Paragon Capital, a private investment firm focused primarily on investing in US listed companies. He also serves as president of Short Hills Capital. Earlier this year, Kevin was also appointed to Lightlake Therapeutics's board of directors. Lightlake is a London-based, early stage biopharmaceutical company developing modern addiction treatments based on its expertise using opioid antagonists. Posted 7.9.12
Harrison Joseph Frahn IV has been elected to serve a two-year term on the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center board of directors. Buzz, a partner in Simpson Thacher & Bartlett's Palo Alto office, focuses on intellectual property and antitrust. He began practicing law in the firm's New York office and was one of the founding members of the Palo Alto office. Posted 4.17.12
Jill Kempenaar joined BBN Raytheon as contracts manager in the Rosslyn, Virginia office. BBN (formerly Bolt Baranek and Newman) developed packet-switching technology for the ARPANET, which eventually became the internet. Prior to joining BBN, Jill spent two years with the USDA Office of General Counsel, ten years as an associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, and two years at DLT Solutions, a leading value added reseller. Posted 11.9.11
Reggie O'Shields has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Director of Legal Services at Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta. Reggie has served as the bank's Deputy General Counsel since 2007. He joined FHLBank Atlanta in 2003 as a Senior Attorney and has served in various leadership positions in the Legal Services Department. Posted 3.29.11
Richard Porotsky, Jr. , a partner at Dinsmore & Shohl was drawn to the law by a desire to do public service as well as to do challenging work. He was recently featured in a Cincinnati Bar article discussing his ability balance work, family and service. Read the article here. Posted 2.2.11
Keith Powell and his wife, Kelly, are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter Isabel Nina on January 20, 2011, in Columbia, SC. Keith practices at Childs & Halligan, a Columbia, South Carolina law firm specializing in school law, special education, employment and labor law, wage and hour matters, and insurance defense. Posted 1.28.11
Jennifer Harwell , of Columbia, Tennessee died November 4, 2010. She was 46. Jennifer was a 1982 graduate of The Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, and was valedictorian of her class. She was a summa cum laude graduate of Vanderbilt University and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She was also a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School and had a particular interest in healthcare law. Jennifer loved learning, the beach, walking in the snow and had a love for all animals, especially her dog, Bonnie Blue. She is survived by her mother, a brother and two sisters.
Stephanie Feldman Aleong, an assistant professor of law at Nova Southeastern University and a former statewide prosecutor, died October 23, 2008 of melanoma. Stephanie, of Plantation, FL, was 36. Between 2000 and 2002, Stephanie led a health care fraud team at the office of the statewide prosecutor in Fort Lauderdale. She worked on a task force that investigated abuses by hundreds of small pharmaceutical firms. The task force uncovered wholesalers making more than $100 million buying counterfeit, stolen, re-labeled and expired medicines and selling them into the nation's drug supply. South Florida brokers were linked to fake cholesterol pills and vials of fake cancer and HIV drugs in 24 states. The task force was the subject of a 2005 non-fiction book, "Dangerous Doses: How Counterfeiters Are Contaminating America's Drug Supply," by Katherine Eban. Before she joined the statewide prosecutor, Stephanie was a Miami-Dade County prosecutor for four years, handling major criminal cases. Mothers Against Drunk Driving recognized her work. Stephanie, who grew up in Michigan, also received her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University.
Brad Monks passed away on February 17, 2007, after a long battle with carcinoid cancer. "Brad had a unique ability to reach out and engage people and touch them with his wit, compassion and insight," writes classmate John Belcher. His memorial service will be held at St. Bartholomew's Church (located at Park Avenue at 51st Street in Manhattan) on Friday, March 9, at 3 p.m., with a reception for friends and family immediately following.
Class of 1997
Jennie Menzie has been promoted to CEO and President of Cumberland Trust. Read the full press release here. Posted 5.5.23
Joe Gette has been appointed by PPG as VIce President, Deputy General Counsel and Secretary. Posted 6.6.22
Rick Pensinger is now a Partner at K&L Gates. He is a member of the Real Estate practice group. He is a member of the Real Estate practice group. You can read more here. Posted 3.21.22
Amy McDougal was honored to be named as a 2020 Cannabis Law Trailblazer by the National Law Journal. Amy is serving her second term as a Director of the International Cannabis Bar Association and also chairs its Ethics Committee. She and her committee have been working with the American Bar Association and state bars to amend the rules of professional conduct, paving the way for attorneys to advise and assist cannabis industry clients. Earlier in 2020, Amy and her company CLEAResources were named as a Finalist for Compliance Week's Excellence in Compliance Awards in the category of Best Compliance and Ethics Consultant. In addition to her cannabis industry work, Amy is a founding Director of the International Association of Independent Corporate Monitors. She serves as a monitor for several organizations under deferred prosecution agreements and other government agency administrative compliance agreements. In her free time, Amy advocates regularly for various veteran-related causes, including for the Women Veterans Business Coalition. Posted 9.22.20
Timothy W. Hoover has been installed as the President of the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers for 2020. Posted 4.3.20
Greg Wehrer was appointed managing partner of the Squire Patton Boggs Houston office. Greg is a trial lawyer with 20 years of experience representing US and international corporations in complex commercial disputes. His practice focuses on representing international companies in contract disputes with customers or suppliers and in warranty or indemnification claims. Mr. Wehrer also has experience representing those clients in fraud/breach of fiduciary duty claims, construction matters and insurance coverage disputes. He is frequently asked to provide training to his clients' employees on litigation avoidance and corporate best practices. Posted 1.15.19
Amy McDougal has been designated Chair of the Ethics Committee of the National Cannabis Bar Association. She continues to grow CLEAResources, a legal consulting business that provides legal risk assessment and other compliance and ethics program support to corporations across all industries, including the nascent cannabis industry. Amy frequently presents on legal ethics at National Cannabis Bar Association, National Cannabis Industry Association, Women Grow, and marijuana business conferences nationwide. Last March, Amy launched the International Association of Independent Corporate Monitors, as a founding Director. IAICM is the first trade association centered on promoting the practice and transparency of corporate monitorships. Recently, Amy joined Ward & Berry, a boutique client-centered firm in Washington DC, as Of Counsel. Posted 3.27.18
Joel Tragesser has been awarded the Professionalism Award from the Indianapolis Bar Association. The professionalism award spotlights lawyers and judicial officers whose career exemplify the high calling and higher achievement of lawyers in modern society. Joel is a partner at Quarles & Brady and is a member of the firm’s intellectual property practice group. Posted 3.27.18
Jeffrey L. Levy has been honored with the Justice Joseph W. Henry Memorial Award for Outstanding Legal Writing by the Tennessee Bar Association. He was honored for his point/counterpoint articles, “Confusion/Clarity: Family Law Attorneys on How to Balance Best Interests of Children and Doctor-Patient Privilege”, published in May 2016. Jeff has been a family practitioner in Nashville but recently relocated to South Carolina and is in the process of retiring. Posted 8.1.17
Jennifer Karrels Menzie has been promoted to executive vice president, director of strategic planning and assistant general counsel for Cumberland Trust. Posted 8.1.17
Alisa W. Ellenburg of Atlanta, died December 9 after battling ovarian cancer for 6 years. In 1985 she graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism and political science before earning her law degree from Vanderbilt. She was the managing attorney in the Atlanta office of Vernis & Bowling. She enjoyed hiking, traveling, biking and running. She successfully summited Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa, and completed several marathons, half-marathons and sprint distance triathlons. She is survived by her husband, Howard and her daughter Ava Brooke. Posted 1.19.17
Robert W. Briley was elected to Shuttleworth Williams' board of directors. He has been an attorney with Shuttleworth Williams since 2009. Posted 7.28.16
Scott Smith (D’97), partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in Huntsville, Alabama, has been elected as fellow in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. Posted 7.27.16
Leah Dundon’s , “Time to Do More about Youth Suicide” was published in the Tennessean. She is an attorney in Nashville whose practice focuses on environmental law and is currently working on a Ph.D. in environmental engineering, management and policy at Vanderbilt. Posted 5.17.16
Jennifer Roscoe Smith joined Maynard Cooper & Gale’s commercial lending practice group as counsel. Posted 4.8.16
James Albert Crumlin Jr. received the Justice A.A. Birch Outstanding Service Award, which recognizes an attorney or judge who has contributed an outstanding commitment of time, resources and talent to the community, the legal profession and/or the Napier-Looby Bar. James is a member in the Nashville office of Bone McCallester Norton where he focuses on labor and employment law. Posted 4.5.16
Timothy W. Hoover is now a partner with Hodgson Russ in Buffalo, NY with the firm’s business crimes, regulatory offenses & corporate investigations and false claims & whistleblower representation practice teams. Posted 2.25.16
Vanessa Simmons Scott was appointed chief diversity officer for Sutherland Asbill & Brennan where she is a tax partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Posted 2.25.16
Travis Randall McDonough was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee Dec. 7. He replaces Judge Curtis Collier, who took senior status in 2014. Travis practiced law in Chattanooga at Miller & Martin from 1997 to 2013. He became a partner in the firm in 2005 and was named head of its litigation practice in 2012. In 2013, he joined the administration of then newly elected Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke as chief of staff and counselor. Posted 12.17.15
Renee M. H. Yuen (BA’94) has been promoted to assistant chief counsel of The Walt Disney Company, where she will lead the legal support for Disney Stores. Prior to her promotion, Renee spent 11 years with the Walt Disney World Resort legal department in Orlando, Florida. Renee and her family relocated to Burbank, California in June. Posted 7.8.15
Travis Randall McDonough has been nominated to fill a vacant seat on the federal bench. Travis practiced at Miller & Martin and headed its litigation department before taking his current role as chief of staff and counselor for Chattanooga’s Mayor Berke. Posted 2.18.15
Amy McDougal Hutchens recently launched her own practice in corporate compliance and ethics. CLEAResources provides proactive support in compliance, legal, ethics and risk in the commercial and government sectors and serves as a corporate monitor. Amy was also recently appointed by the Virginia Speaker of the House to the Virginia Conflicts of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council, recently formed by the General Assembly after the indictment (now conviction) of former Governor McDonnell. Posted 11.19.14
Gordon D. Woolbert II has joined Day Ketterer as a Member in its Litigation and Business Law Practice Groups. Gordon regularly represents area businesses before many federal and state trial courts, employment commissions, and arbitrators. In addition to having had a successful law practice spanning more than 16 years with Black McCuskey, L.P.A., Woolbert has also been an active member of the community. He currently serves as a Board Secretary of the Paul and Carol David YMCA in Jackson Township, coaches local sports teams in which his children are involved, serves as a den leader and committee member for his sons' Boy Scout troop, and is an active congregant in his church, John Knox Presbyterian Church in Jackson Township. Posted 8.12.2014
Wilton Anthony Hom has joined Howard & Howard Attorneys in the firm's Royal Oak, Michigan, office. Wilton concentrates his practice in all areas of immigration law, commercial transactions, international law, and tax law. Posted 11.25.13
Timothy M. Spear , partner and active member of the energy industry practice group at Gardere Wynne Sewell, has earned selection to the 2012 "Who's Who in Energy" listing. Compiled by the editors of the Houston Business Journal and its sister publications in Dallas, Denver, St. Louis, San Antonio, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the annual list includes 100 key professionals from each respective city.Tim, a corporate partner, represents domestic and international clients in acquisitions, divestitures and the financing of oil & gas properties and power facilities, including renewables, midstream properties, chemical plants and refineries. He also handles related workouts, restructuring and distressed debt transactions. Posted 1.4.13
Renee M. H. Yuen and her family joyously announce the birth of Owen Wai-Lun Juden on September 24, 2012. The family resides in Orlando, FL where Renee is Principal Counsel at Walt Disney World Resort. Posted 1.4.13
Matthew Curley has rejoined Bass Berry & Sims as a partner in the firm's compliance and government investigations group. Matt served as an assistant U.S. attorney and chief of the U.S. Attorney's office Civil Division for approximately one year during 2011-12. Matt also serves on Vanderbilt Law School's adjunct faculty, teaching Healthcare Fraud and Abuse. Posted 11.15.12
Joel Edward Tragesser married Kirsten Pedersen Graham on September 14, at Morse Park in Noblesville, Indiana. Kristen works at Riley Hospital for Children at IU North, and Joel is a member at Frost Brown Todd, practicing law in the areas of intellectual property and business settlements, arbitration and litigation.. The couple will reside in Westfield, Indiana, with their four children. Posted 10.8.12
Travis Randall McDonough has been named the new head of Miller & Martin's litigation department. Travis has served with the firm for 15 years and as vice chairman of the department for five years. Travis focuses his practice in the areas of corporate disputes, white-collar criminal defense, class actions, intellectual property rights and complex litigation. Posted 8.31.12
Jennifer Karrels Menzie has joined Cumberland Trust as a vice president and trust officer. Jennie began her career at the Nashville law firm Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. She worked as a senior tax consultant at Arthur Andersen and then served as assistant general counsel of WebMD Envoy. Most recently, she held the position of vice president at Thompson & Associates, working in the area of charitable estate planning. Posted 8.1.12
Tamsen Douglass Love (MA'93), of Atlanta, Georgia, died June 5. She is survived by her husband, John Lariccia, and children, John Douglass Lariccia, Phoebe Katharine Lariccia, Thomas Albert Lariccia and Katherine Marsch Lariccia. Posted 6.11.12
Dustin Carfield has been named director of resort markets for CalCon Mutual, a nationwide mortgage banker. Dustin joins CalCon from NextStar Funding, a mortage lending company he co-founded in 2002. Before co-founding NextStar, Duston practiced international transactional law. Posted 5.9.12
Michael Duff has joined Sidley Austin as a partner in the Los Angeles office. Michael practices in the area of federal taxation, with an emphasis on matters relating to renewable energy, partnership taxation and infrastructure/project finance. Posted 4.3.12
Reece Alford has been named general counsel and secretary at Acosta Sales & Marketing, a leading full-service sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods industry. Reece joins Acosta from The St. Joe Company, a publicly held real estate development company, where he served most recently as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. Posted 2.20.12
Darin Michael Klemchuk has been elected Managing Partner of Klemchuk Kubasta, an intellectual property law firm he co-founded in Dallas, Texas. Darin focuses his practice on all aspects of intellectual property with emphasis on patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret litigation. Posted 1.10.12
Wade Turner was named executive vice president and general counsel of Academy Sports Outdoors. Turner's in-house career began in 2005 at Home Depot, where he was senior corporate counsel in charge of litigation. In 2009, he joined Academy Sports Outdoors as general counsel. Posted 1.10.12
Renee Yuen has been appointed by the Florida Secretary of Business and Professional Regulation to a three-year term on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations, Division of Hotels and Restaurants, Hotels and Restaurants Advisory Council.Renee is an in-house counsel for the Walt Disney World Resort. Posted 10.17.11
Daniel W. Van Horn took office as president of the Tennessee Bar Association at the association's annual convention in Chattanooga. He is the youngest member of the TBA to hold that office. Danny practices law at the Memphis firm of Butler Snow O'Mara Stevens & Cannada, where he focuses on commercial litigation, including business torts, unfair competition, insurance disputes and product liability. He also leads the firm's commercial litigation group. Posted 10.17.11
Timothy W. Hoover was elected to partner in the Buffalo, NY office of Phillips Lytle. Timothy, who joined Phillips Lytle in June 2008, focuses his practice on white collar criminal defense matters, government and internal investigations, civil and commercial litigation in state and federal courts, and appeals. Posted 3.10.11
Vanessa A. (Simmons) Scott of Southerland Asbill & Brennan in Washington, D.C. is a recipient of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation's 2011 Nolan Fellowships which was awarded during a luncheon at the section's Midyear Meeting in Boca Raton, Florida, on January 22. Nolan Fellows are young tax lawyers who are actively involved in the section and have demonstrated leadership qualities. Posted 1.28.11
Mark Alan Helm died at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah, December 17, 2008. Before earning his law degree at Vanderbilt, Mark earned his undergraduate degree at Bates College and attended Oxford University. He worked as a public defender in New York City, Washington D.C., Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. Mark was an active member of the Trial Lawyers College and served in various capacities as part of the organization. He also served as a consultant to the Albert Ellis Institute. He was a true and compassionate advocate for those who struggled. Those who knew him appreciated his sense of humor and his sense of style. He is survived by his mother, Sandra Berlin Helm, his brother, Robert Helm, and his sister, Leslie Stone, and five nieces and nephews.
Class of 1999
Michael J. Bradford has been named co-chair of Maritime Litigation Practice Group. Posted 8.31.22
Michael J. Bradford has been selected to the 2022 Florida Super Lawyers & Florida Rising Stars Lists. Posted 6.28.22
Kito Huggins has ben appointed Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP. Posted 6.6.22
John-Paul Motley is now serving as Partner at Cooley LLP. Posted 3.21.22
Martha Boyd has been named vice chair of Baker Donelson's Labor & Employment Group. Posted 2.14.22
Lisa Reifer has been promoted to Head of Finance and Treasury at JetBlue. Posted 1.31.22
Charles B. Reasor, Jr, age 75, of Nashville, Tennessee quickly and peacefully passed away on October 5th in Nashville after a battle with congestive heart failure. Mr. Reasor loved spending time with his family and friends, telling jokes and funny stories, teaching and mentoring, following the University of Kentucky basketball, enjoying the companionship of his Bichons Frises, and listening to the Bible teaching of J. Vernon McGee. He is remembered as a proud father, a devoted grandfather, a wise and loyal friend, a tenacious advocate, and a generous employer. Posted 11.16.21
Kito Huggins has joined the Finsbury as a Managing Director in New York City. Kito will help drive the firm’s growing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) communications practice. He brings two decades of experience in the legal, financial services and consulting industries, where he has helped companies build effective DEI strategies and training programs. A former practicing attorney, he will also use his experience in communications, marketing and the law to counsel clients in areas including employee communications, crisis and litigation support and reputation management. Read more here. Posted 2.12.21
Scott Kerew became a founding partner of Sinton Scott Minock & Kerew in October 2020. The new firm, with offices in Atlanta and Denver, specializes in complex healthcare fraud cases. Posted 2.11.21
Morgan Gire, Sacramento County prosecutor, was appointed Tuesday, April 7, 2020, to be the new Placer County District Attorney. Read more here. Posted 9.23.20
Alexander Okuliar has been appointed deputy assistant attorney general of the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division. Alex will oversee civil merger and conduct investigations and litigation. Posted 4.2.20
Trent Hugh Cotney (BS '96) has been appointed as General Counsel for the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). Posted. 2.18.20
Cristina Eubanks O’Brien and Philip Edwin Pietrowski Jr. were married October 12, 2019 at Shaker Village Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Read more here. Posted 1.7.20
Ryan Thomas is now the chair of the firm’s Private Equity Team and co-chair of the Healthcare Private Equity Team at Bass Berry & Sims. Read more here. Posted 11.7.19
Michael J. Bradford was recently recognized in Florida Trend magazine’s 2019 Legal Elite list, in the category of Civil Trial law. Read more: https://southflorida.citybizlist.com/article/563960/marshall-dennehey-tampa-shareholder-michael-j-bradford-selected-to-2019-florida-trend-legal-elite Posted 8.1.19
Kevin Martin has been named Chief Legal and Compliance Officer of FreightWaves. Posted 5.20.19
Christopher R. Maddux (BA’96) has been named chair-elect of Butler Snow at the firm’s Jackson office. He currently serves as chair of Butler Snow’s business department and served on the firm’s executive committee from 2016 to 2018. He has also served two terms on the firm’s equity committee. Posted 5.8.19
Michael J. Bradford has joined Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin as a shareholder in the firm’s Tampa office. Michael is a board certified civil trial lawyer. He focuses his practice on insurance coverage, property and casualty, construction negligence, commercial litigation, and admiralty and maritime claims. Posted 3.2.18
James M. Zimmerman (BA ’96) has been named to the executive committee at Taft Stettinius & Hollister. James is a partner at the firm in Cincinnati, representing businesses, investors and entrepreneurs on a range of matters, including mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings, securities offerings and strategic partnering transactions. Posted 2.16.18
David Meadows has joined Troutman Sanders as a business litigation partner in the firm’s Atlanta office. Previously he practiced with King & Spalding. Posted 2.16.18
Brian R. Michael has joined King & Spalding as partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Previously, he was deputy general counsel at 21st Century Fox and chief compliance officer of the company’s Fox Networks group. Posted 8.24.17
Timothy Greggis a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in Birmingham, Alabama. Previously,Tim was an associate at Maynard Cooper & Gale in Birmingham, Alabama. Posted 7.28.16
David Applebaum is a partner at Akin Gump in its global energy and transaction practice in Washington D.C. Previously, David served as director of the division of investigations in the office of enforcement at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Posted 7.28.16
James Gabriel Banks (BS’95, MDiv’02) is running for Fulton County Superior Court Judge in Georgia. Gabe clerked for the Honorable William J. Haynes Jr. (’73) with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee and worked as an Assistant United States Attorney. He now serves as the Deputy District Attorney and Director of the Gangs and Drugs Unit with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, where he also oversees the Asset Forfeiture division. Posted 5.17.16
Terrance Madden of T. Madden & Associates in Atlanta has established a scholarship program for college students in the Fulton, Clayton and Richmond counties. Terrance’s T. Madden & Associates Scholarship program uses local churches to screen applicants and judge their essays. Terrance has awarded more than $5,000 to Augusta area students since January 2016. Posted 5.17.16
Trenton Hugh Cotney’s(BS'96) construction law group, Trent Cotney, with offices in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville Florida, won the 2016 Outstanding Company Award from the Florida Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Contractors Association (FRACCA). Posted 3.28.16
John A. Ehinger, Jr. has started a new solo law practice in Dallas-Fort Worth focusing on investment adviser law and compliance. Posted 1.06.16
Cole Douglas Bond was elected partner in the Cincinnati office of Keating Muething & Klekamp. Cole’s practice is concentrated in the area of labor and employment law. Posted 12.4.15
James McCord Zimmerman is the partner-in-charge of the Cincinnati office for Taft Stettinius & Hollister. James is youngest ever leader for the firm’s downtown office. He serves as co-chair of Taft’s private equity and venture capital practice. Posted 8.28.15
Alexander Paul Okuliar is joining the Washington D.C. office of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe as a partner in the firm's antitrust & competition practice. For the past three years, Alex has served as attorney advisor to FTC Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen, playing a leading role in many of the agency's most closely watched matters. Before joining the FTC, from 2010 to 2012, he was a trial attorney in the Networks and Technology Enforcement Section of the DOJ's Antitrust Division. Posted 6.25.15
Martha L. Boyd (BA'90) was included on the 2015 “Best of the Bar” awards list by the Nashville Business Journal. Marha is a shareholder with the Nashville, Tennessee office of Baker Donelson where she advises companies that are competing for and executing contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies. Posted 5.15.15
Angie Godwin McEwen has been elected chair of the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce. Angie is an attorney at Butler Snow in the firm’s Birmingham office where she focuses her practice on real estate law, business and commercial transactions, financial services, and commercial lending from the firm’s finance and real estate group. Posted 2.18.15
Trenton Hugh Cotney (BS'96) has opened a new law office in Jacksonville, Florida, in addition to his current office in Tampa. Trent focuses on construction law and currently serves as general counsel for the Florida Roofing Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors Association. Additionally, he has been named general counsel for the Florida Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Contractors Association, a statewide association dedicated to serving the refrigeration and HVAC industries. Posted 1.26.15
Sarah Davis has joined the District Attorney’s Office in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, as an assistant district attorney. Sarah was previously an assistant district attorney in Nashville. She is a past recipient of the Tennessee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence’s Judge Wheatcraft Award of leadership in improving access to justice for victims of domestic violence. An article highlighting the news can be found here . Posted 12.2.14
Trenton Hugh Cotney (BS'96) of Trent Cotney, was named to Florida Trend Magazine's Legal Elite in construction law in 2013. This is the seventh consecutive year that Trent has been named to this list. Additionally, Trent was honored in July by Acquisition International Magazine, which named his firm,"Construction Law Firm of the Year- Florida, 2013." Trent's firm focuses on construction litigation and arbitration. Posted 11.14.13
Jongghun Lee has been appointed managing director of Barclays Natural Resource Investments (BNRI) in Qatar. Jongghun, who also serves on the BNRI Investment Committee, is responsible for identifying global investment opportunities for BNRI across various industries ranging from steel and metals to utility, oil and gas. He is also responsible for driving the Asia Pacific strategy in general with a specific focus on developing opportunities for BNRI to work with Korean strategic investors. Posted 3.14.13
Martha L. Boyd (BA’90) has joined the Nashville office of Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz as a shareholder in the business litigation and government contracts groups. Martha counsels clients on a full range of legal, business and employment issues important to government contractors. She was previously with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings. Posted 11.30.12
Brian R. Michael has joined News Corporation as vice president and deputy general counsel. Brian was formerly a federal prosecutor in New York and Los Angeles, and more recently practiced at WilmerHale. He will be based in Los Angeles and oversee global compliance for the Fox Networks Group, which includes Fox Broadcasting, Fox Sports Media Group, Fox International Channels, FX and National Geographic Channels. Posted 11.14.12
Bryan Berman has been named president of Robert C. Bates (RBC), the Tulsa, Oklahoma, office of INSURICA Insurance Management Network. Bryan is also owner and chairman of Tulsa-based The JRJ Agency, an affiliate of INSURICA. RCB is one of Tulsa’s largest independent insurance agencies and has been part of INSURICA since 1999. Under Bryan’s leadership, RBC and The JRJ Agency will become one organization on September 1. Posted 7.19.12
Cristina Eubanks O'Brien recently joined Kindred Healthcare, Inc. as Vice President and Real Estate Counsel. She and her husband, Bobby, reside in Louisville, Kentucky, with their two children, Robert, 5 and Kate, 2. Cristina practiced commercial real estate law in the Atlanta office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP for over eight years prior to joining Kindred. Posted 1.11.12
Timothy W. Gregg has been named chair of the securities regulation practice area at Maynard Cooper & Gale in Birmingham, Alabama. Tim has more than 10 years of experience representing companies in public and private securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financings and corporate governance. Posted 10.17.11
Chris Sloan has joined Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz in the firm's Nashville office as a shareholder in the firm's nationally recognized business technology practice. He was previously with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings. Chris focuses on the representation of entrepreneurs, start-ups and other emerging businesses in corporate matters, and also in handling complex software and other information technology transactions for small and large companies. Posted 3.10.11
Jennifer Bozeman passed away January 24, 2008 after an extended battle with cancer. Prior to her illness she worked with Metro Legal Department of Law in Nashville.