To compile the Alumni News column, we scan the wires and other media to learn of your promotions, appointments, and awards. If you'd like to expand on events in your personal or professional life, send us a Class Note. (You can find Class Notes online or in the Transcript magazine.)
August 2007 A July 15 San Francisco Chronicle article featured the Habeus Project, a nonprofit organization founded by Olivia Wang'01. Wang, who currently works for the Los Angeles County Public Defender, started the Habeus Project in 2002 to free battered women incarcerated in California state prisons for killing their abusers … Richard Welsh '00 has joined Greenburg Traurig LLP as a shareholder in the firm's litigation practice in Los Angeles. He previously served as a partner in Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
Adam Sak '96 joined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto as a partner in the firm's outsourcing and IT procurement practice. Previously Sak was a founding member of the transaction architecture and negotiations management practice at EquaTerra, an outsourcing advisory group … In July, L. Jay Kuo '94 spoke at the 29th annual national convention of the Organization of Chinese Americans. Kuo, who gave up practicing law to become a full-time musical playwright, participated in a workshop on unconventional career choices. His musical, Homeland, debuted in December at San Francisco's Magic Theatre. Another show by Kuo, Insignificant Others, opened at the Zeum Theatre in San Francisco on July 14.
An article by Neil Popovic '87 about relief options for companies affected by recent nationalizations in South America and other places appeared in the June 25 issue of Oil & Gas Journal. Popovic is an attorney at Heller Ehrman focusing on international arbitration process, as well as a lecturer at Boalt.
Thomas Marcus '78 has been appointed interim CEO for display-technology firm PureDepth, where he also serves as chairman of the board. In addition, Marcus is executive director of Newforth Partners, an M&A investment bank based in San Mateo, Calif.
David Gould '65 has retired from McDermott Will & Emery and opened a new office where he will continue to specialize in insolvency related matters and mediation of all types of commercial disputes.
July 2007
Carole Vigne '07 won the 2007 Edward L. Dubroff Legal Writing Competition, sponsored by the American Immigration Law Foundation, for her report titled "No Relief: An Analysis of the Illegal Immigration Relief Act and Other Local Anti-Immigrant Ordinances." Vigne wrote the piece for Professor Kate Jastram's Global Migration Issues seminar.
Eric L. Dobmeier '94 was promoted to chief business officer with Seattle Genetics. He oversees the company's legal, corporate communications, strategic marketing, and project management groups. Previously he served as senior vice president of corporate development…Pamela Samuels-Young '90 was featured in Lawyers USA for writing "legal thrillers with a twist." Her novels, Every Reasonable Doubt and In Firm Pursuit, are currently in bookstores and she's working on a third title.
Susan T. Taylor '83 joined San Francisco's Sideman & Bancroft as a partner in the firm's real estate transaction practice group. Previously Taylor was managing counsel for Equity Office Properties and a partner at Preston Gates & Ellis.
Christine S. Schleuss '78 received the 2007 John Rader Award for Outstanding Contributions in Advocacy from Planned Parenthood of Alaska at the organization's annual awards luncheon in May … Bill Rich '75 was chosen as Honorary Life Member of the Washburn Law School Association for his dedication to the school, where he was named interim dean in August 2006 … Southwestern Law School has honored Robert E. Lutz '71 with the 2007-08 Justice Marshall F. McComb Professorship.
A. Lou Benassi '68 was selected as an Illinois 2007 Super Lawyer by Depaul University College of Law for his contributions to the field of family law. He and his wife, Patricia Benassi '69, were recently noted in Leading Lawyers Network Magazine as a "Leading Couple" among Illinois consumer lawyers … Harvey A. Rowen '67 has been named to the board of directors of the Contra Costa Jewish Community Care Center for a three-year term. Harvey is president of Starmont Asset Management in San Ramon, Calif.
June 2007
Michael Jay ’02 has joined the Intellectual Property and Technology Group at O’Melveny Meyers in Los Angeles … Gina Amato ’00 is joining Schonbrun DeSimone Seplow Harris & Hoffman, a civil rights firm in Venice Beach, as a litigation associate. She left her position as Boalt's associate director of admissions on June 22.
Dawn Van Tassel ’99 has been elected partner at Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand in Minneapolis. She’s a trial lawyer in the Business Litigation Group, serving clients in the areas of complex commercial litigation, business torts, and employment disputes … Linda Shih ’97 was promoted to vice president of legal affairs at software company Wind River Systems in Alameda. She manages the 11-person legal department and oversees all legal aspects and issues of the company … Michael Umansky ’93 joined Duane Morris as a partner in the firm’s San Diego office. He’s a member of the Corporate Practice Group and focuses his practice on serving the technology and life sciences industries … Lance Bridges ’90 has joined Entropic Communications, a developer of LAN and WAN networking of multimedia, as vice president of corporate development and general counsel. He moves in house from Cooley Godward Kronish in San Diego ... Allan Marks ’90 and his colleagues at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy in Los Angeles received the International Financial Law Review’s Project Finance Deal of the Year award for 2006, which honors innovative legal work. (Joe Tisuthiwongse ’00 was also a member of the team that worked on the award-winning transaction for Milbank.)
Jayne Donegan ’89 recently joined Textron Inc. as associate general counsel working on securities matters and mergers and acquisitions … Randall Lee ’89, director of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s regional office in Los Angeles, is leaving the SEC at the end of June to rejoin the private sector … Jay Wintrob ’82, president and CEO of AIG Retirement Services and executive vice president of Retirement Services of American International Group, has been elected to the Caltech Board of Trustees … Reed Schifferman ’80 has opened his own office after almost 20 years of defense litigation and six years at a leading plaintiff’s firm. He practices plaintiff’s personal injury, especially medical negligence and products liability.
Timothy Tosta ’74 has joined Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps as the head of a new group of five attorneys focusing on real estate and land-use issues. He brings his expertise in land use and environmental law to the firm’s growing San Francisco real estate practice … Dale Minami ’71 was the keynote speaker for California State Fullerton’s fifth annual Asian and Pacific Islander Graduate Recognition Ceremony on May 11.
Bob Rhodes ’68 retired last year as executive vice president of the St. Joe Co. and has since joined the Jacksonville, Fla. office of Foley & Lardner. He also chairs the board of advisors at the Florida Coastal Law School and Jacksonville’s Economic Development Commission … Mike Nolte ’66 has been appointed managing director of Enterprise Land Fund, a joint venture of IHP Capital Partners and Laro Properties … Soldiers of Conscience, a film produced by Stan Friedman ’65, was screened at Atlanta’s Landmark Midtown Art Cinema in April. The film is about several soldiers who applied for conscientious objector status while serving in Iraq … A new book by Michael Tigar ’66, Thinking About Terrorism, is due out this summer. The book explores state-sponsored terrorism and looks at how government through history has responded to terrorism, with an analysis of our own government's response to the attacks of 9/11, particularly in regard to civil liberties … Jess Jackson ’55 is the proud co-owner of Curlin, the chestnut race horse who won the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on May 19.
(6/5/07)
May 2007 Gil Labrucherie '96 was appointed general counsel and secretary of Nektar Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company based in San Carlos, Calif. Labrucherie was promoted from his former position as vice president of Corporate Legal … Marc Katz '94 recently moved from Jenkins & Gilchrist to Bracewell & Hiliani to become a partner in the firm's Dallas office. He is a member of the Labor and Employment Practice and focuses on the management side of labor and employment litigation and counseling … Heather Meeker '94 of the East Palo Alto firm Greenberg Traurig was recognized as a Women of Distinction award finalist, by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal...
On April 25, the San Francisco Chapter of the American Jewish Committee honored Jeffrey Bleich '89 with the Judge Learned Hand Award, presented annually to an outstanding leader in the legal profession. The Honorable William A. Fletcher, Boalt professor emeritus and current judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, was guest speaker at the dinner … On April 1, Jami Floyd '89 posted a blog entry about the career of Jonathan Shapiro '90 on the Court TV News website ... Michael Anglin '85 has joined the Global Finance Department of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft as special counsel in the firm's New York office. He practices real estate finance, acquisitions, dispositions, and leasing … In April, Jeff Sosnaud '83 took the helm of the Coro Center for Civic Leadership in Northern California as the executive director for the non-profit educational institute. Sosnaud is himself a 1976 graduate of the Coro Center, which trains young veterans in leadership skills—after a two-decade career of distinction in the federal, local and state governments; nonprofit associations; and private practice, Sosnaud has come full circle … Kelvin Filer '80 accepted the Distinguished Social Sciences Alumni Award from his undergraduate alma mater, UC Santa Cruz. While on campus, Filer met with students, fielded questions from aspiring attorneys during a legal studies class, and had lunch with undergrads ...
Dorothy Robinson '75 was elected to the TIAA-CREF board of trustees, a financial services organization. Vice president and general counsel of Yale University, Robinson has also served on the boards of a variety of other educational, research, charitable, and community organizations …
Justice Judith McConnell '69 of the California 4th District Court of Appeal was named vice chair of the Commission on Judicial Performance, which looks into allegations of judicial misconduct.
