Alumni Notes

Duke Law alumni took the helm at two law schools in July. William Brewbaker LLM ’93 was named dean of the University of Alabama School of Law, where he has served on the faculty for 30 years. Previously, he was the William Alfred Rose Professor of Law and taught courses in health care law, health care liability, property, and jurisprudence. Patricia Timmons-Goodson MJS ’14, former vice chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, was named dean of N.C. Central University School of Law in Durham. A member of the North Carolina judiciary for 28 years, she was the first African American woman to sit on the state’s Supreme Court. 

1966

Thomas William Porter III received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who, a publisher of biographical profiles. Thomas, a retired corporate and securities lawyer and founding partner of Porter Hedges, was honored for his legal career, personal philanthropy, and civic involvement.

1967

H. William Constangy has authored Noncompete Law (4th ed. 2022), a national legal treatise on employment noncompete and related restrictive covenants. A retired North Carolina Superior Court judge, William is currently an arbitrator in Charlotte.

Paul Stephan Nathanson was featured in Sages of Aging: A Guide for Changemakers by Ken Dychtwald. After leaving a major firm in the 1970s, Paul started Justice in Aging, a national program for the elderly of which he is now a governing board member.

Ned Donoghue ’69 has published Prisoners of Congress: Philadelphia’s Quakers in Exile, 1777–1778 (Penn State University Press, 2023), the story of the men who became among the nation’s first political prisoners. It is Ned’s first book and the culmination of nine years of research and writing on the topic.

1970

Dana Bradford II and John Weber were honored by the Florida Bar in June for having practiced law for 50 years in the state.

1971

John A. DeFrancisco was honored by the Florida Bar in June for having practiced law for 50 years in the state.

1972

Maryellen Madden joined Berger Montague in Philadelphia as of counsel in its intellectual property practice. An expert in complex litigation and commercial disputes, Maryellen moved from Montgomery McCracken.

Tom Triplett, lead nonprofit attorney for Minneapolis-based LegalCORPS, was named Volunteer of the Year for giving 280 hours of pro bono assistance in its program that provides business law services to entrepreneurs, inventors, small businesses, and nonprofits. Previously, Tom spent 35 years in legal and executive positions in Minnesota state government and served as CEO or interim CEO of five area nonprofits.

1973

Dan Blue, a former chair of the Duke University Board of Trustees and past president of the National Conference of State Legislatures, retained his seat in the North Carolina State Senate representing the 14th Senate district. He was first appointed to the district in 2009.

Terrance Schmidt was honored by the Florida Bar in June for having practiced law for 50 years in the state.

Leonard Simon received the American Antitrust Institute Award for his firm’s litigation in Moultrie v. National Women’s Soccer League that allowed a soccer prodigy to turn professional.

1980

Jack Hickey of Miami-based Hickey Law Firm was reappointed to the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice. By virtue of this appointment, he also serves on the Board of Directors of the Florida Justice Association through 2026.

1981

Michael Dreeben argued his 108th case before the U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 28 with Ciminelli v. United States, which challenged the Second Circuit’s “right to control” theory of fraud as a basis for liability under the federal wire fraud law.

John C. Yates received the Ann Cramer Lifetime Achievement Award from the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the publication’s top honor in its Leaders in Corporate Citizenship Awards. John was also named to Atlanta Magazine’s 500 Most Powerful List in the Law category. He is a partner at Morris, Manning & Martin, where he launched and continues to lead its technology practice.

1982

Paul Russell Hardin was named to Atlanta Magazine’s 500 Most Powerful List in the Nonprofit Organizations category. Russ is president of four foundations that primarily support organizations in metro Atlanta: the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation, Lettie Pate Evans Foundation, and Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation.

1983

Kate Hendricks, who began serving as Duke University’s deputy general counsel for labor and employment in 1987, has retired. After graduating from Duke Law School, Kate spent four years in private practice in Washington, D.C., before joining Duke’s team of lawyers.

Four alumni attended a December reception in Charlotte hosted by The Duke Endowment (from left): John R. Wester ’72, Russell M. Robinson II ’56 T ’54, Allyson Kay Duncan ’75, and Charles C. Lucas III ’90. Russell chaired The Duke Endowment’s Board of Trustees for 30 years; Charlie is its current chair and Allyson is a trustee. 

1985

Janet Ward Black was named to North Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s annual Power List for personal injury lawyers. Principal owner of Ward Black Law in Greensboro, one of the largest woman-owned law firms in the state, Janet is representing several North Carolina counties in opioid litigation and has represented numerous individuals hurt by products such as asbestos.

Lorrie Marcil joined Steptoe as a partner in its Washington office, moving from Sidley Austin. Lorrie has extensive experience representing energy firms in a broad range of administrative and judicial matters involving economic and regulatory issues. She represents pipeline companies and state commissions before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and advises clients on regulatory issues arising in energy-related transactions.

1986

Janine Brown was named to Atlanta Magazine’s 500 Most Powerful List in the Law category. Janine is the partner in charge of Alston & Bird’s Atlanta office, where her practice focuses on M&A, joint ventures, and strategic alliances.

Michael C. Castellon joined Rivkin Radler as a partner in its construction practice group in Manhattan. With more than 30 years negotiating and drafting construction-related agreements and resolving disputes by mediation, arbitration, and jury and bench trial, Mike has served as general counsel for large-scale projects including the $4.2 billion LaGuardia Central Terminal B Replacement Project. He also holds an MBA from the University of Georgia.

Brent Clinkscale was interviewed in Legal Industry Reviews on his career path and practice. Brent is an independent arbitrator, mediator, facilitator, and litigation consultant in Greenville, South Carolina. Previously he was a litigator and partner at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd and Womble Bond Dickinson. Brent also advises moot court teams at the Charleston School of Law and the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Ronald Thomas Coleman, Jr. joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in Atlanta as litigation partner. Ronald was previously the Litigation Practice Group leader at Parker Hudson and presently serves as chair of the Franchise Section of the ABA.

Mark Spitzer joined Holland & Knight’s financial services team in Los Angeles as a partner, moving from McGuireWoods. His commercial finance practice serves banks, finance companies, and alternative lenders in a range of finance transactions.

1987

Brian Rubin received the Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award at the 2023 Burton Awards for his article, “A Tale of Two Enforcement Actions Against Compliance Officers.” Brian is a securities enforcement, litigation, and regulatory counseling partner at Eversheds Sutherland in Washington.

1988

Joel Cohen moved to the litigation practice at White & Case from Gibson Dunn, where he was co-chair of its white-collar defense and investigations group. A former federal prosecutor, Joel was lead or co-lead counsel in 24 civil and criminal trials in federal and state courts, including the high-profile case of Jordan Belfort, detailed in the film “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

Lori Killinger was appointed to the Florida Commission on Community Service, also known as Volunteer Florida, by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Lori is an executive shareholder of Lewis, Longman & Walker in Tallahassee and Tampa and chair of legislative, lobbying, and governmental affairs.

Michael Scharf received the Association Internationale De Droit Penal 2022 Book of the Year Award for The Syrian Conflict’s Impact of International Law (Cambridge University Press, 2020), with Milena Sterio and Paul R. Williams. The book is Michael’s twentieth, and his fifth publication to win a book award. He is currently the co-dean of Case Western Reserve University School of Law, a position he has held since 2013.

Ken Yun is providing strategic direction as senior advisor to Forensic Risk Alliance, a leading forensic accounting, data analytics, and e-discovery consultancy, as it launches a new office in Seoul, its first Asia-Pacific location. In 1990, Ken founded Samjong Corporation, which became a member firm of KPMG in Korea. He is also founder and group chairman of Pavilion Investment Group and is widely recognized in Asia and the U.S. for his business achievements and philanthropy.

1989

Yibing Mao was appointed president of Marriott International, Inc., for Greater China. She is responsible for the strategic growth and overall operations of over 470 operating hotels and resorts under 24 brands across 130 cities. Yibing, who is from Beijing and now calls Hong Kong home, joined Marriott in 1996.

Matthew Sawchak was named a member of NC Lawyers Weekly’s Class of 2023 “Leaders in the Law.” Matt has been a business litigation attorney at Robinson Bradshaw in Raleigh since 2020. He served as solicitor general of North Carolina from 2017 to 2020. Since 2011, Matt also has served as a practitioner in residence at Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, where he focuses his scholarship on federalism in antitrust and trade regulation as well consumer protection and advises the Campbell Law Review.

1991

Douglas Nazarian joined the board of directors of The Legal Accountability Project. Douglas has served on the Appellate Court of Maryland since January 2013. Prior to that he served five years at the Maryland Public Service Commission and 15 years as a litigator at law firms in Washington and Baltimore. He is a senior adjunct professor at University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

1992

Alberto Eguiguren Correa was elected to the board of directors of Procaps Group, a leading developer of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical solutions, medicines, and hospital supplies. Alberto has more than 20 years’ experience advising global healthcare and pharmaceutical companies in value-creating transactions, international business, strategic planning, and mergers and acquisitions of public and private companies.

Sam Braverman joined Anderson Kill in New York as a shareholder and co-chair of the firm’s government enforcement, internal investigation, and white-collar defense group. Sam represents individuals and corporate clients in complex criminal and regulatory matters. He has conducted more than 100 trials as lead counsel and is a frequent lecturer for CLEs on trial practice around the country.

Thomas George William Telfer, a professor of law at Western University in London, Ontario, was interviewed by Canadian Lawyer Magazine about his work in mindfulness and the legal profession.

1993

Joe Alexander joined Latham & Watkins as an M&A and private equity partner in New York from DLA Piper, where he was most recently adviser to the chair and was previously its vice chair in charge of transactions. A private equity specialist, Joe represents financial and strategic investors, including private equity firms and public corporations, in mergers and acquisitions and related financing matters across numerous industries.

Kelly Capen Douglas was named general counsel of Santa Clara University, where she is a member of the university president’s cabinet and manages SCU’s legal, contracting, policy, risk management, and compliance functions. Since 2019, Kelly has served as president and CEO of Voices for Children, one of the largest Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs in the nation. Kelly served as general counsel at the University of San Diego from 2005 to 2019.

Alex Gonzalez, partner at Holland & Knight in Miami, was recognized by the Daily Business Review for his work as lead attorney on NCL (Bahamas) Ltd. v. ABB OY, et al. His client, NCL, was awarded $158.75 million, the largest verdict in Florida in 2022.

Paul Van den Bulck was named the first independent chairman of the Belgian Football Association, where he has served as an independent member of the board of directors for two years. Paul is a partner at AKD Benelux Lawyers in Brussels, where he counsels clients on information technology law, data protection, intellectual property law, and media and entertainment law. Prior to that he was a partner at McGuireWoods in Brussels and Paris.

Jim Wagner is CEO and co-founder of The Contract Network, a new company that aims to accelerate contract negotiations by providing all parties to an agreement with a neutral platform to collaboratively manage their contract compliance. Jim co-founded DiscoverReady and Apogee Legal, an enterprise contract analytics platform that was acquired by Seal Software. Since 2021 he has been founder and managing principal of Lean Law Labs.

Derrick Williamson spent a semester at Penn State Dickinson School of Law as adjunct faculty teaching upper-level Administrative Law. Derrick is a partner at Spilman Thomas & Battle, where he is member in charge of its Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, office and co-chair of its utility law group.

Paul Genender ’94 T ’91 helped secure the exoneration in June of a Dallas man who spent more than 25 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Paul and attorneys from the Innocence Project represented Tyrone Day, who was convicted of sexual assault in 1990 and released in 2015, after DNA evidence exonerated him. Paul called the case “a humbling experience, and one that stands out in my 29 years of practice.” In September, he joined Paul Hastings as a partner in the complex litigation and arbitration practice, chair of the Texas commercial litigation practice, and co-chair of the Houston office. 

1994

Christy L. Brown was named president of Alverno College in Milwaukee. Originally from Milwaukee, Christy began her appointment in July. Prior to that she had served as the chief executive officer for Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast since 2012.

Satana Deberry is serving a second four-year term as Durham County District Attorney after winning the primary and running unopposed in the general election. Satana practiced criminal defense before taking office in 2019 on a reform platform.

Sterling Spainhour was named executive vice president, chief legal officer, and chief compliance officer for Southern Company. Sterling had been senior vice president, general counsel, and chief compliance officer for Georgia Power, one of Southern Company’s three electric utilities, and served on its management council. Previously he served as senior vice president and general counsel of SCS and was a partner at Jones Day focusing on M&A.

Ronnie Vergnolle and Chris Richardson ’07 co-founded a Greenville, South Carolina, company that focuses on helping foreign nationals ace their citizenship visa interviews. Argo Visa is made up of former U.S. visa officers who have so far aided thousands of immigrants from all over the world in passing their interviews.

1995

Frank Rudolph Cooper was interviewed for a University of Nevada, Las Vegas publication on his research into the link between masculinity and police-civilian conflicts, the psychological impact of exposure to videos of violent and deadly police encounters, and what policing reforms have proven effective. Frank is the William S. Boyd Professor of Law at UNLV’s Boyd School of Law and director of its Program on Race, Gender & Policing.

Kelly Sather was chosen as the 2023 Drue Heinz Literature Prize winner for her debut work of fiction, Small in Real Life (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2023). The collection includes nine stories of characters grappling with choices and the search for belonging in Southern California.

Jules Shepard, a former prosecuting attorney, is the founder and CEO of gf Jules, a manufacturer of premium gluten-free flours and baking mixes sold direct to consumers through her website gfjules.com and through affiliates.

Joel Taubenblatt was named chief of the wireless telecommunications bureau of the FCC’s new Space Bureau. Joel was acting chief for several years. Prior to that he served as deputy bureau chief, chief of the competition and infrastructure policy division, and chief of the broadband division at the FCC. He joined the agency in 1996 as an attorney in the Common Carrier Bureau and is a recipient of the FCC’s Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Career Service.

1996

John Carter received a PhD in theology from Boston College and has begun a two-year appointment as visiting assistant professor of law at Wake Forest University School of Law and in the Program for Leadership and Character, and visiting assistant professor of religion, law, and public life at Wake Forest’s School of Divinity.

1997

Jeffery Hart re-joined Robinson Bradshaw as a shareholder at the firm. Jeffery first joined Robinson Bradshaw in 1997 and opened the firm’s Research Triangle Park office in 2008.

Odetta MacLeish-White was named to Atlanta Magazine’s 500 Most Powerful List in the Civic Leaders category. Odetta is the director of Georgia initiatives for the Center for Community Progress. Previously she was managing director for the TransFormation Alliance, a partnership of nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses.

1998

Lafayette L. Crump, commissioner of city development for Milwaukee, was interviewed about his career and the city’s future in Shepherd Express magazine. Lafayette, who grew up in Milwaukee, was appointed to the position in July 2020. Prior to that, he was chief operating officer of Prism Technical Management & Marketing Services, a multidisciplinary consulting firm, and a longtime lawyer in private practice.

George B. Donnini was elected president of the Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Michigan chapter, and to the board of directors of Butzel in Detroit, where he is a litigation department chair and co-chair of the firm’s white-collar criminal defense practice. George was named a “Notable Veteran” by Crain’s Detroit Business in 2020 and is a founding member of the Detroit chapter of the Veterans Bar Association.

Bobby Sharma launched Bluestone Capital I, a $300 million growth equity fund focused on the global sports, media, and entertainment industry, through Bluestone Equity Partners, of which he is founder and managing partner. He was also elected to a two-year term as director at large for the United States Tennis Association. Bobby has served as global head of basketball and strategic initiatives at IMG, general counsel of the NBA Development League (now G-League), and vice chairman and CEO of Soccerex.

Jill Steinberg was sworn in as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. She was nominated by President Joe Biden in 2022. Previously Jill was a partner at Ballard Spahr in Philadelphia.

Jesus Villa was named one of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Latino Leaders by Madison365. Jesus is currently the Equal Rights Division administrator at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

1999

Norwood Blanchard III was named to Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite list. Norwood is a partner at Crossley McIntosh Collier Hanley & Edes in Wilmington, where he practices civil litigation, employment law, and municipal law.

Anthony Cieri joined Dentons as a partner in the firm’s corporate group in Lexington, Kentucky. With 20 years of experience with mergers and acquisitions and corporate law in private practice and in-house roles, Anthony most recently served as assistant general counsel and chief mergers and acquisitions counsel for a global manufacturer in the automotive industry.

Zephyr Teachout won the Washington Monthly 2023 Kukula Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Book Reviewing for her longform review in the New York Review of Books of four recent books exploring intertwined themes of employee’s rights, surveillance of workers, artificial intelligence, and COVID. Zephyr is a professor at Fordham University School of Law.

2000

Blair Hedges joined Carlton Fields’ real property litigation practice as a shareholder in its Orlando office. Blair has more than 20 years’ experience litigating complex commercial and real estate matters, securities class actions, shareholder derivation lawsuits, and actions brought by the SEC. Previously Blair was vice president, senior litigation counsel, at Fidelity National Financial.

Rachel See joined Seyfarth Shaw as senior counsel and vice chair for emerging technology, people analytics practice group in its labor and employment department. Rachel spent the past six years at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, where she led enforcement, policy, and digital transformation initiatives. Prior to that, Rachel was branch chief of the e-litigation branch at the National Labor Relations Board (see feature).

Amy E. Pope ’01 began a five-year term in October as director general of the International Organization for Migration, becoming the first woman elected to lead the United Nations agency. Prior to joining the IOM in 2021 as deputy director for management and reform, Amy served as senior advisor for migration to President Biden and was a partner at Schillings in London. During the Obama administration she was a member of the National Security Council, guiding strategy on migration, global health emergencies, transnational crime, terrorism, and other challenges. Amy has also served as counsel for the Department of Justice and the U.S. Senate. 

2001

Rodney Bullard, who served as the head of the Chick-fil-A Foundation for 12 years, left the organization to start The Same House, a public benefit corporation focused on furthering economic mobility and bridging social division. Rodney founded and led Global Corporate Social Responsibility at Chick-fil-A.

Alex C. Dale was named to Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite list. Alex practices business law at Ward and Smith in Wilmington, where he chairs the firm’s appellate practice.

2002

Corey Ciocchetti delivered the keynote speech at Entrepreneurship Day at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. Corey is a professor of business ethics and legal studies in the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver, where he has won numerous awards for teaching and speaking. Corey is also a motivational speaker and author of Inspire Integrity: Chase an Authentic Life (Morgan James, 2018).

Jill Fraley was named to a new role focusing on pedagogy at Washington & Lee Law. Jill, a professor at the law school, will design faculty workshops to help the law school advance science-based teaching practices with an emphasis on furthering student learning and inclusivity.

Michael McGrath joined Dechert as partner in the financial services group in its Boston office. An asset management and investment funds lawyer with deep experience in the U.S. financial services regulatory environment, Michael was formerly at K&L Gates, where he was a partner and co-practice area leader of the asset management and investment funds practice.

Daniel Rosenthal was appointed president and CEO of Global Critical Logistics. Daniel most recently was chief revenue and operating officer of Root, Inc. In 2009, he co-founded Milestone Aviation Group, the world’s largest helicopter financier, which was acquired by GE Capital for $1.8 billion in 2015, after which he oversaw four subsidiaries of GE Capital Aviation Services. Daniel also served in leadership roles at NetJets.

David Searle joined Sunnova as executive vice president, general counsel, after holding leadership roles at Tesla including acting head of legal and corporate secretary and deputy general counsel and senior director, compliance. Prior to that David served as vice president, chief ethics and compliance officer – international at Walmart and as chief compliance officer and associate general counsel of Bristow Group.

Shannon Wells Stevenson was appointed solicitor general of Colorado. A seasoned trial and appellate attorney, Shannon was previously a partner at Davis Graham & Stubbs. She has briefed and argued more than 70 cases on a variety of issues before state and federal appellate courts throughout the Rocky Mountain west.

2003

Suzy Alford joined ECI Group as chief administrative officer, where she will oversee human resources, risk management, and general legal counsel functions. Suzy was most recently vice president and global employment counsel at Equifax. Prior to that she was an associate at Eversheds Sutherland and Jackson Lewis.

Sara Lester was named chief human resources officer at Dartmouth College. Since 2018, Sara managed human resources at Educational Testing Service. Prior to leading ETS’s human resources department, Sara served in its general counsel’s office, beginning in 2010.

Karla McKanders was appointed director of the Thurgood Marshall Institute, a multidisciplinary research and advocacy center within the Legal Defense Fund. Karla moves from Vanderbilt University Law School, where she was a clinical professor of law, associate director of the clinical program, and founding director of the Immigration Practice Clinic, and received the 2023 Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award from the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Larissa Meli was featured in Vanguard Law magazine to discuss her time at Duke Law as a Fulbright Scholar and her legal career that has spanned two countries.

Linda Yi Park was named to the board of directors of Clyra Medical Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of BioLargo, Inc. Linda’s extensive corporate board and executive experience includes her current roles at Edwards Lifesciences as corporate secretary, senior vice president, and associate general counsel and board member of the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, and prior work with Western Digital Corporation. She is a thought leader on environmental, social, and corporate governance issues.

2004

Chris Beatty, a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, relocated to the firm’s Sydney office, with a secondary office in Hong Kong. Chris’ practice focuses on cross-border corporate finance transactions and restructurings, advising sponsors, corporations, funds, lenders, and broker-dealers on original credit and workout transactions globally.

Carol Van der Vorst joined the leveraged finance team of Freshfields in London as a partner. She will advise the firm’s financial sponsor clients on complex cross-border debt financing transactions. Carol previously served as a partner at Ropes & Gray and as a managing director in the debt underwriting group at Goldman Sachs.

2005

Thomas Lenné was appointed partner at Loyens & Loeff. Based in Brussels, Thomas’ practice focuses on cross-border and domestic M&A and private equity transactions across sectors including energy, technology, healthcare, and mining and natural resources.

Mike Levin won election to a third term representing California’s 49th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes parts of North San Diego County and South Orange County, where he was raised. Mike, a Democrat, serves on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, the House Committee on Natural Resources, and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, where he chairs its Economic Opportunity subcommittee.

Kimberly Perdue joined Norton Rose Fulbright as a partner in its Dallas office. A corporate finance lawyer, Kimberly previously was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis representing private equity funds, financial institutions, institutional investors, and public and private issuers in financing transactions.

2006

Justin Coen joined Venable as a partner in its Washington-based FDA regulatory group, where his practice focuses on guiding companies through the complexities of drug, biologic, and device development. Justin moves from the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, where he was the primary legal advisor on regulated medical products to the Joint Program Executive Order for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense.

Adam Karl Doerr, an attorney at Robinson Bradshaw in Charlotte, was awarded the Outstanding Individual Attorney Pro Bono Award by the Mecklenburg County Bar. The annual award honors an attorney who has contributed extraordinary service to the provision of pro bono services to people in need, children, or nonprofit organizations.

Philip Romohr was elected partner at Smith Anderson. Philip works with the firm’s banking and finance team, with a focus on venture finance. Prior to joining Smith Anderson, Philip was vice president, associate general counsel of Pacific Western Bank, and prior to that, he practiced at an international law firm in Boston.

Megan Walsh launched the Gun Violence Prevention Clinic at the University of Minnesota School of Law, where she is a visiting assistant professor. The clinic is believed to be the nation’s first in-house law school clinic with a focus on promoting gun violence prevention through strategic litigation.

2007

Tiaunia Henry was elected partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Tiaunia is a trial attorney in the firm’s Los Angeles office who focuses primarily on high-stakes complex business litigation, including antitrust, breach of contract, and transnational cases.

Emily P. Mallen joined Akin Gump’s Washington office as a partner in its energy practice. Emily moves from Sidley Austin, where she advised natural gas, oil, and products pipeline clients in U.S. federal regulatory and transactional matters, including matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Alejandro A. Sánchez Mújica was appointed partner at Holland & Knight. A member of the firm’s business section in Monterrey, Mexico, he focuses on representing national and international companies in domestic and cross-border transactions.

Chris Richardson and Ronnie Vergnolle ’94 co-founded a Greenville, South Carolina, company that focuses on helping foreign nationals ace their citizenship visa interviews. Argo Visa is made up of former U.S. visa officers who have so far aided thousands of immigrants from all over the world in passing their interviews.

2008

Natalie Adams joined Foley & Lardner as a partner in the firm’s Tampa office, moving from Bradley Arant Boult Cummings. Natalie served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Florida for nearly 10 years, during which she received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award and the Investigation of the Year Award from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Douglass Calidas joined the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs as a fellow. Douglass’ fellowship is part of the Belfer Center’s Technology and Public Purpose project. Prior to his fellowship, Calidas served as chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Emily Duncan was named senior vice president, federal affairs, for American Electric Power in Washington, moving from her most recent post as vice president, government relations for National Grid. Emily has extensive legislative and regulatory experience working on energy policy issues. She has also worked at the Solar Energy Industries Association, the national trade association for the solar industry, where she was director of government affairs and counsel.

Amanda Neeley re-joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Washington office in its public policy and Congressional investigations practice groups. Amanda previously worked on Capitol Hill as director of governmental affairs for the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and general counsel to Sen. Rob Portman as well as in several other offices.

Squire Servance, the founder and managing partner of Syridex Bio, was presented with the Distinguished Achievement in Industry Award by Rutgers University’s School of Engineering, from which he graduated in 2004. Squire is a Rutgers University board trustee. He also holds an MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. Prior to founding Syridex Bio in 2022, Squire served as senior vice president, general counsel, corporate secretary, and chief compliance officer at Repligen.

2009

Matt Calabria won re-election to his fourth term on the Wake County Board of Commissioners, to which he was first elected in 2014. Matt is an attorney with Wallace & Nordan in Raleigh.

James Healy was elected as a 2023 member of the Connecticut Bar Foundation’s James W. Cooper Fellows Program based on outstanding service to the profession and larger community. James is a partner at Cowdery, Murphy, Dannehy & Healy in Hartford and a member of the Metropolitan District Commission and West Hartford Democratic Town Committee.

Betty X. Yang was elected partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Betty practices complex civil litigation, with a focus on bet-the-company trials, in the firm’s Dallas office. She was recently named one of Texas Lawyer’s Attorneys on the Rise in the 2022 Texas Legal Awards.

2010

Henry Yin joined Loeb & Loeb as corporate partner and chair of Asia M&A and technology transactions. Based in the firm’s Hong Kong and Beijing offices, Henry has significant experience in global cross-border transactions, complex public and private mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital investments, and other corporate matters. Previously Henry was a partner and head of the corporate practice in Beijing at Cooley.

2011

Benjamin Baucom joined Haynes and Boone as a Charlotte-based partner in the firm’s finance practice, moving from Moore & Van Allen. Benjamin represents banks and other financial institutions in senior syndicated and bilateral lending transactions.

Andrea Dinamarco joined Squire Patton Boggs as a partner in its Atlanta global financial services practice, moving from Reed Smith. Previously she was corporate counsel at Tesla and lead counsel for international treasury operations at GM Financial. Andrea previously practiced law in São Paulo, Brazil.

Lauren Fine, a nationally recognized advocate for youth justice reform, joined the faculty of Duke Law School as an assistant clinical professor of law and supervising attorney of the Criminal Defense Clinic (see p. 26).

Rebecca Goldberg was promoted to senior counsel at Berchem Moses. She is a labor and employment attorney representing management in the firm’s Milford, Connecticut, office.

Kenneth Walsh joined Yankwitt as counsel. A litigator with more than a decade of experience, Ken has practiced law in New York and Illinois, focusing on complex civil litigation with an emphasis on employment and labor disputes. Previously Ken served as a federal law clerk for two judges in the Eastern District of New York.

Jasmine Wynton, a partner in Thompson Coburn’s Dallas office, was named one of Texas Lawyer’s Attorneys on the Rise in the 2022 Texas Legal Awards. She focuses her practice on business and employment litigation and white-collar criminal defense.

2012

Noor Al-Fawzan was elected partner at Latham & Watkins. Noor is a member of the firm’s mergers and acquisitions practice and corporate department in Riyadh. She advises companies and government entities on M&A, joint ventures, and other corporate transactions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and internationally.

Catherine Martinez joined Crowell & Moring as counsel in its Doha, Qatar, office. She joins Crowell from the Commercial Bank of Qatar, where she was a senior transactional lawyer within the bank’s in-house corporate legal team. Catherine has extensive experience in the capital markets, banking, finance, and corporate sectors and has advised international corporations with operations in the Middle East, Turkey, and Europe.

Joshua Roling was named a “Rising Star” by Milwaukee Business News. Joshua is a partner at Foley & Lardner in Milwaukee and a member of the firm’s real estate practice group. He represents developers, investors, owners, and tenants in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions.

Justin Yedor was promoted to partner at BakerHostetler. Based in Los Angeles, Justin is a member of the firm’s Digital Assets and Data Management Practice Group, providing advice and strategies for compliance with privacy requirements facing businesses in the retail, consumer services, entertainment, communications, financial, and manufacturing sectors.

2013

Andrew Edelen was promoted to partner at Davis Gilbert, where he advises companies in complex transactions such as mergers and acquisitions, equity financings, joint ventures, and strategic alliances.

Adam Faiella was promoted to member of the firm at Newark, New Jersey-based Sills Cummis & Gross, where his real estate practice focuses on zoning and land use, including the preparation of site plan and variance applications, with experience in the development, redevelopment, and construction of commercial and residential real estate and complex litigation matters.

Amy Feagles was elected partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Amy is in the antitrust and competition practice at the firm’s Washington offices and has experience in internal investigations, regulatory, and criminal investigations by U.S. and international agencies, and complex commercial litigation.

Andrew Foglia was appointed deputy director of policy and international affairs for the U.S. Copyright Office. Andrew joined the Copyright Office in November 2020.

Kevin Humphries joined Benesch as a partner in its corporate and securities practice group in Chicago and Columbus, Ohio. Kevin advises publicly and privately held companies on a broad range of matters, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, minority investments, and other strategic transactions and general corporate matters. He was previously a partner at Kirkland & Ellis.

Meaghan Krupa, a partner in the corporate and business group at Hinckley Allen and co-chair of the firm’s Women’s Forum, was interviewed on the value of mentorship in the development of her legal career and how her clerkship experience and other mentor relationships have shaped the way she supports more junior attorneys.

Seth Reich was recognized on the 2023 Texas Rising Stars list of the state’s top young lawyers based on his work in intellectual property law.

Serena Rwejuna was named Energy, Natural Resources, and Mining Lawyer of the Year at the 2023 Women in Business Law Awards ceremony. She was also named to the National Bar Association’s 2023 40 Under 40 Best Advocates list. Serena is a partner at White & Case in Washington.

2014

Dennis Adjei was appointed Inn of Court Judicial Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. The institute focuses on the promotion, facilitation, and dissemination of results of advanced legal studies and research for the benefit of persons and institutions situated in the United Kingdom and beyond.

Abraham “Abe” Benavides was promoted to partner at McCall Parkhurst & Horton. Based in Dallas, Abe has served as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, and underwriters’ counsel in debt financings involving nonprofit senior living providers, nonprofit and governmental hospitals, tollway authorities, cities, universities, and airports. He joined McCall as an associate in 2017.

Eva Guzman delivered the commencement address at Texas Law’s 2023 Sunflower Ceremony. A former justice on the Texas Supreme Court, Eva is currently partner at the Houston law firm of Wright, Close & Barger. She began her judicial career in 1999 when then-Gov. George W. Bush appointed her to the 309th Judicial Court of Harris County.

Ruben Neal Henriquez ’14 and Tara Brigit McGrath ’14 have welcomed a baby boy, Kieran Neal Henriquez, born January 3.

Alex Marc Kaufman was promoted to special counsel of Fried Frank in Washington. Alex’s practice focuses on the structuring and offering of private investment funds. He also represents institutional clients on a variety of other securities law and corporate transactional matters.

Jonathan Rash was elected partner of Fried Frank in Washington. Jonathan’s practice is focused on customized private fund structures, innovative cross-border fund offerings, and special strategic projects.

Donna Stroud won reelection to the North Carolina Court of Appeals. She became chief judge in 2021, was elected to the court in 2006, and re-elected without opposition in 2014.

Aurelien Zuber joined Paris-based Medici Law in its international arbitration practice. Aurelien is a former counsel at the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce. His practice includes commercial and investment disputes with a particular focus on matters involving states and African parties.

2015

Josh Fliegel began a new role as trial attorney with the Land Acquisition Section of the U.S. Department of Justice. Josh moved into government service from BakerHostetler’s Chicago office, where he practiced complex commercial litigation and was named to the firm’s “Ones to Watch” list.

Stephanie Peral co-founded the Miami office of Sidley Austin with Larry Silverman ’90. Stephanie, a senior managing associate, represents clients in a variety of areas within commercial litigation, including securities litigation, consumer class actions, and product liability and also serves clients in internal investigations and enforcement actions.

2016

Jacob Adrian was elected partner at Nelson Mullins. Jacob is based in Atlanta and practices in the areas of corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity and venture capital.

J. Michelle Childs was elected to the Council of the American Law Institute. Michelle, who was also one of six judges from across the country to be honored by the National Judicial College as Pioneers of Diversity on the Bench, was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2022.

Debra Lehrmann was re-elected to the Texas Supreme Court. Debra is the longest-serving female Supreme Court justice in Texas history and was elected twice to the state’s highest court since her 2010 gubernatorial appointment.

Nicole Ligon joined the tenure-track faculty at Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in Raleigh, where she was a visiting professor in fall 2022. Nicole was previously a clinical professor and supervising attorney of the First Amendment Clinic at Duke Law. Prior to that, she practiced with Cahill Gordon & Reindel in New York.

2017

Joseph Mackin Berklund was promoted to partner at Morris, Manning, and Martin. Joseph is a leader in technology trade associations with strong client bases across Georgia and Florida.

Sean McClelland joined the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Nevada. He was formerly an associate at McGuireWoods in the firm’s antitrust, trade, and commercial litigation department in Washington. Sean is based in Reno and a member of the office’s appellate unit; his role also will include district court work.

Bobbie Burrows ’19 and Matt Drucker ’18 were married June 10 in Duke Chapel. Bobbie and Matt met as Duke Law students during a pickup basketball game and began dating a few weeks later. The Thursday before their wedding, they reconvened their friends and fellow alumni for another pickup game at Duke, this time between “Team Bride” and “Team Groom.”

2018

Ryan Clements joined the Alberta Securities Commission as director, advanced research and knowledge management, a newly formed division. For the past four years Ryan was assistant professor and chair, business law and regulation, at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law. He will continue as a sessional instructor in securities law and fintech law and policy.

Carless Joseph Boatwright was appointed to serve as judge on Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal. Previously, Joe served as the managing assistant state attorney in the Seventh Judicial Circuit and an associate attorney in private practice.

Madelyn Tarr joined the Los Angeles office of Silicon Legal Strategy as a managing associate. Madelyn represents emerging companies on entity formation, corporate governance and other day-to-day matters, debt and equity financings, and M&A and other strategic transactions. She also advises venture capital investors on their investments into technology companies. Prior to joining SLS, she was an associate at Latham & Watkins.

2020

Richard Dietz won his race for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court. Rich served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals since he was appointed to fill an unexpired term in 2014. His current term ends in 2024.

Naseebullah Esmaty started a new position as staff attorney at the International Rescue Committee. Naseebullah has served as an arbitrator and mediator at the Afghanistan Center for Commercial Dispute Resolution for the past nine years and also was a senior associate lawyer at Shajjan & Associates in Kabul. He earned his law degree at Goa University.

2021

Christian Bale was named one of four Temple Bar Scholars for 2023. Christian clerked for Judge Colm Connolly ’91 of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware and is currently clerking for Judge Kent Jordan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He is also a PhD candidate at the University of Oxford. After his clerkship with Judge Jordan, he will join the D.C. office of litigation boutique MoloLamken.

Adrienne Jackson was named a “Future Rainmaker” by legal recruiter Lateral Link. Adrienne is an associate in the private equity practice of Weil’s corporate department, based in Silicon Valley.

Zachary Kaplan is serving as the first Walter E. Dellinger III Memorial Fellow in the Attorney General’s General Counsel’s Office of the North Carolina Department of Justice. In May 2022 the department’s fellowship program was named to honor Douglas B. Maggs Professor Emeritus Walter Dellinger, who died in February 2022. Zack most recently clerked for Justice Robin E. Hudson on the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Nicole Phillips was named a “Future Rainmaker” by legal recruiter Lateral Link. Nicole is a real estate associate in Jones Day’s Atlanta office, where she advises clients on complex commercial real estate transactions.

2022

Mary Chandler Beam served as a law clerk for the Supreme Court of Georgia’s 2022-2023 term for Justice Carla Wong McMillian. At Duke Law, Mary Chandler was president of the Government and Public Service Society and co-editor-in-chief of Law and Contemporary Problems. She also completed an externship with North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge Darren Jackson during her third year.

Vicente Fernández, a visiting attorney at Shearman & Sterling in New York, contributed to the Latin Lawyer’s Guide on Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG). He was part of a team of attorneys from the firm who authored chapter 1, “Status and Pitfalls of ESG Standard,” which examines governmental, consumer, and investor demands for standardizing ESG reporting in Latin America.

Harrison J. Kratochvil joined Omaha-based Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, where he focuses his practice on commercial and governmental litigation. Harrison was a Dean’s Scholar at Duke Law.

Connor Leydecker, a litigation associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Washington, won the Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award for his note, “A Different Curse: Improving the Antitrust Debate About ‘Bigness,’” which was published in the NYU Journal of Law and Business. Connor was one of 25 winners nationwide.

2023

Pamela Goodwine was interviewed about her trailblazing legal career on Spectrum News. Beginning as a court reporter, Pam became the first Black woman from Lexington or Fayette County on the Kentucky Court of Appeals.

Brett Ries won the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition for his article “Don’t Be A Drag: How Drag Bans Can Violate the First Amendment.” Ries also was a finalist in the American Constitution Society’s Constance Baker Motley National Student Writing Competition for his note, “Looking Backward To Move Forward: Ending the ‘History and Tradition’ of Gun Violence Against the LGBTQ+ Community.”

Just six weeks after earning her LLM at Duke Law, Sanya Sharma ’23 was one of 189 young people from 31 countries to receive the Diana Award, a humanitarian honor established in memory of Princess Diana. The award recognizes Sanya’s work as the founder of Scarlet Udaan, which raises awareness of female genital mutilation and empowers young people to take action to end the practice globally. “Princess Diana continues to inspire so many of us to engage in social action and community building, I am so humbled to be receiving this award in her legacy,” she wrote on LinkedIn.