Law

Alumni News & Events

Alumni News

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  • Cohen & Grigsby, P.C. recently announced that Douglas J. Ellis ('96)has joined the firm as a Director in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group, effective immediately. He will be working in the Pittsburgh, PA office.
  • Elizabeth Simms Gutmann ('84) was recently appointed by Governor John Kasich as a new trustee to the Edison State Community College Board of Trustees.
  • Ernst & Young LLP (EY) announced key appointments to Tax leadership positions, including Marna Ricker ('94) as EY Americas Vice Chair – Tax Services.
  • GBQ announced that Mallory Ashbrook ('12) has earned the Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) designation, an exclusive group made up of roughly 5,600 professionals.
  • Lena X. Gionnette ('14) has joined Varnum’s Employee Benefits Practice Team. She is based in the firm’s Novi office.
  • Attorney Steven P. Goodin ('99), partner with Cincinnati’s Graydon law firm, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the USO of Central and Southern Ohio.
  • Lori Krafte ('98) has been recognized on a list of America’s leading lawyers by the publication Chambers USA. She was also recognized as a leading trademark attorney by the organization World Trademark Review 1000.
  • Congratulations to Susan Baldwin ('79), who has retired from the practice of law.
  • Margarita Moskin ('14) just launched a new product called MOX. MOX is a wireless container capable of heating up its content from cold to 100 or 160 degrees Fahrenheit. If you'd like to learn more about this product, and the story behind it's creation, visit: https://www.somimox.com.
  • GBQ is pleased to announce that Mallory Ashbrook ('12) has earned the Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) designation, an exclusive group made up of roughly 5,600 professionals.
  • Governor John Kasich recently appointed a new trustee to the Edison State Community College Board of Trustees. Elizabeth Simms Gutmann ('84) was sworn in during the June 6, 2018 board meeting at the Piqua campus.
  • Cohen & Grigsby, P.C. is pleased to announce that Douglas J. Ellis ('96) has joined the firm as a Director in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group, effective immediately. He will be working int he Pittsburgh, PA office.
  • Mitchell B. Goldberg ('68) was honored by the Ohio State Bar Association for 50 years of service to the legal profession. He has spent his career as a litigator and arbitrator, serving as Chairman of the Litigation department at Strauss & Troy and as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, the Center for Resolution of Disputes, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and the National Arbitration Forum.
  • Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sharon L. Kennedy ('91), who has been a member of the state’s highest court since 2012, was the featured speaker at the fourth graduation ceremony of the You-Turn Recovery Docket on Friday, June 1 at the Wilmington Church of Christ.
  • Taylor English Duma LLP is pleased to announce the addition of Philip A. Theodore ('78) as a partner in the firm’s Corporate and Business practice groups. Theodore brings more than 40 years of experience assisting public companies in navigating the intricacies of federal securities laws and the requirements of sound corporate governance. 
  • Cox Enterprises today named Sharon Zealey ('84) as vice president, compliance. Zealey will be responsible for leading compliance strategy, data privacy and alignment on key issues across Cox Enterprises' major operating subsidiaries: Cox Communications, Cox Automotive and Cox Media Group. Her role includes managing Cox's ethics hotline and coordinating sensitive compliance investigations.
  • Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced her nomination of Magistrate Judge Faye Chess ('88) as her appointee to the current vacant judicial position on the Seattle Municipal Court. 
  • Barnes & Thornburg LLP has added William 'Billy' Martin ('76), a renowned civil and criminal trial lawyer who handles high-profile' litigation and white collar investigations, as a partner in its Washington, D.C., office. He is a member of the firm's Litigation Department and the White Collar and Investigations Practice Group.
  • Chris Szydlowski ('91) has joined the UC College of Law as the new Director of Externships.
  • Cincinnati DUI lawyer, Jeremiah Denslow ('02), recently expanded his presence in the city of Cincinnati with three new office locations located in the suburbs of West Chester, Hyde Park and Blue Ash. 
  • Fifth Third (Nasdaq: FITB), Cincinnati’s largest locally based bank and the nation’s 13th biggest, has brought in Susan Zaunbrecher ('90) as executive vice president and senior legal adviser.
  • U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Rose ('74) was honored for 45 years of service on Wednesday, May 9, 2018. Judge Rose began his legal career in Xenia after earning his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1974. He served as Greene County Common Pleads Judge until 2002, when he was sworn in as a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
  • Samuel Lillard ('88) has been elected partner at the Columbus office of Fisher Phillips, a national labor and employment law firm. Lillard’s practice focuses mainly on general employment litigation, arbitration and mediation.
  • Pamela Miller ('09) received the National Association of Social Workers Award for Regional Director of the Year.
  • Jack Harrison ('93) recently received tenure and was promoted to Professor of Law by Action of the Northern Kentucky University Board of Regents. In addition, Harrison's article “To Sit or Stand:Transgender Persons, Gendered Restrooms, and the Law" will be published shortly in the University of Hawaii Law Review.
  • The Cincinnati law firm of Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL (KMK Law®) has announced that long time partner, Alan S. Fershtman ('94), assumed the role of Managing Partner.
  • Aftab Pureval ('08) is running for US Congress seat in Ohio’s 1st Congressional district.
  • Congratulations to Beth Weinewuth ('04) who is a recipient of the Ohio State Bar Foundation Community Service Award for Attorneys 40 and Under.
  • On Monday, March 5, 2018, the President of the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) recognized area attorneys for 50 years of service to the profession. Congratulations to the following UC Law Alumni on their service: J. William 'Bill Dunning '68, Louis John Finkelmeier ('68), Richard Lameier ('67), Sidney Lieberman ('68), Lee Parrish ('68), Gerald Pater ('68), W. Andrew Patton ('68).
  • Mark F. Muething ('84) has been named President of its Annuity Group at Great American Insurance Group. In addition to this new role, Mr. Muething will continue to serve as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for Great American's Annuity Group.
  • Nathaniel Garrett ('13) has rejoined Helmer, Martins, Rice and Popham Co. after completing four years of active military service in the U.S. Air Force J.A.G. Corps. As a Judge Advocate, Captain Garrett served as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. He was appointed as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado and deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Freedom's Sentinel. In private practice, Mr. Garrett will represent clients in False Claims Act and other complex litigation.
  • Intellectual property attorney Alexander S. Czanik ('14) has joined Frost Brown Todd as an associate in the firm's Cincinnati office. Czanik assists clients in the preparation and prosecution of U.S., international and foreign patent applications, including both utility and design patents.
  • Ohio State Mansfield inducted Christopher Brown ('11) into the inaugural Alumni Hall of Fame.
  • Congratulations to Tracy Cook ('90) for being named a YWCA Cincinnati Career Woman of Achievement. Cook is the Executive Director of ProKids.
  • Tinnelly Law Group, PC, one of the top California HOA law firms, is proud to announce the addition of attorney Sarah A. Kyriakedes ('13) to the firm.
  • Samantha Fields Sycks ('05) has joined the firm of VanAntwerp Attorneys, LLP.
  • Aaraon Bernay (’10) and Barry Visconte (’07) have been appointed Members at law firm Frost Brown Todd.
  • Mike Neltner ('94) recently received the Outstanding Advocacy and Committee Chair of the Year Awards from the Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys (OACTA) at their annual Awards Banquet in November, recognizing attorneys who have distinguished themselves for exceptional trial verdicts or appellate wins and for exceptional contributions to the organization as Chair of a substantive law committee.
  • Andrew J. Cleves ('12) has been elected Vice Chair of the Bridge Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland. Andrew has been involved with the organization since 2016, most recently serving as Fundraising Co-Chair. The Bridge Board is a group of young professionals committed to supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland and helping Cleveland’s youth become productive, responsible, and caring citizens.
  • JAMS announced the addition of David G. Heiman ('70) to its panel. Mr. Heiman will be based in the JAMS Detroit Resolution Center and will be available to hear cases throughout the country. He will serve as a mediator and arbitrator in a variety of disputes including accounting, antitrust, bankruptcy, business/commercial and government/public agency.
  • Antonia Mitroussia ('90) is now partner at the Cincinnati office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister. Mitroussia’s practice focuses on counseling domestic and multinational employers on foreign recruitment strategies and immigration compliance, including how to best manage their foreign labor force, transfer employees from abroad and hire new foreign professionals in the U.S. She also represents clients on employment-based and family-based immigration law transactions through multiple federal adjudicative stages that include U.S. embassies and consulates (U.S. Department of State) and the U.S. Departments of Labor and Homeland Security.
  • McGlinchey Stafford is pleased to announce James W. Sandy ('08) has been named a Member of the firm. Sandy joined McGlinchey Stafford’s Cleveland, Ohio office in 2015. Sandy focuses his practice on consumer financial services, business litigation, and commercial litigation.
  • Graydon is pleased to announce the election of Amanda J. Penick ('09) to the Firm’s partnership, effective January 1, 2018. Amanda is a member of the Firm’s Real Estate and Media & Marketing Groups.
  • James G. Niekamp ('13) has joined Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP as an Associate attorney. Niekamp is a member of the Firm’s Business Services Group, focusing his practice on helping craft distilleries, breweries, & wineries as they navigate the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau permit process.
  • Katie Blackburn ('89) is being honored at the 2018 UC Economics Center Annual Awards Event, taking place on Thursday, April 5 at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati.
  • Patrick Hayes ('08) is the new UC Law Alumni Board President. For additional information regarding upcoming events the board will be hosting, please visit the College of Law Alumni website.
  • William P. Morelli ('78) joins Ingram Industries Inc. Board of Directors. Mr. Morelli formerly was the Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary for Ingram Industries. He retired in 2014 after 23 years with the company, which included executive roles at Ingram Barge in addition to Ingram Industries. Since 2014, Mr. Morelli has been providing legal related consulting and coaching services through Morelli Law PLLC, and recently began serving as an Independent Senior Advisor to the legal recruiting firm of BarkerGilmore LLC as part of its advisory services.
  • Natia Mezvrishvili (LLM '17) was appointed Georgia's Deputy Interior Minister. Since December 2013, Mezvrishvili has been head of the Department for Supervision of Prosecutorial Activities and Strategic Development of the General Prosecutor's Office. Mezvrishvili is also an assistant professor at the Eastern European University and lectures at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.
  • Laila Maher ('95) was named Dean of Student and Alumni Affairs at Columbia University School of the Arts. The School of the Arts is Columbia's MFA granting school, with programs in Film, Film and Media Studies, Theatre, Visual Arts, Writing, and Sound Arts.
  • In December 2017, Loveland, OH City Council held elections. The Council unanimously voted 5-0 to elect Kathy Bailey ('92) as mayor.
  • Tim Ardizzone ('07) of Wood Herron & Evans has been elected as a board member for Cincy IP. His term will run until 2020. UC College of Law Professor, Timothy Armstrong, has also been elected as a board member.
  • Corey Duersch ('06) is now the Associate Principal Counsel of Walt Disney World as of November 2017.
  • HyQuest Consulting Solutions, LLC has announced that Jameece D. Pinckney ('02) has assumed the role of president and chief executive officer (CEO). Pinckney, who established the company, recently joined the business on a full-time basis. She formulates and leads the execution of its strategy. HyQuest delivers leading mission support and advisory services, including acquisition and contract management services, to government and commercial customers. Ms. Pinckney has served as a senior-level executive in the government and commercial contracting industries for nearly 15 years. To learn more about HyQuest Consulting Solutions, LLC, visit www.hyquestconsulting.com.
  • Cincinnati Law’s Professor Betsy Lenhart ('04) has been appointed to the Ohio Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure. The Supreme Court of Ohio voted in favor of her appointment on October 6, 2017. As a part of this Commission, Lenhart will play an active role in enacting comprehensive changes to Ohio’s discovery rules. View the story here: https://www.law.uc.edu/news/faculty/lenhart-ohio-commission
  • Phillip Theodore ('78) married Ellie Landau, August 6, 2017.
  • Medizone International, Inc. has announced the appointment of Philip A. Theodore ('78) as its Executive Vice President — Operations and Administration, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Before joining Medizone, Mr. Theodore served in similar roles with four other public companies, serving most recently as Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Aeterna Zentaris Inc.
  • Melissa Schuett ('14) recently joined Faruki Ireland Cox Rhinehart & Dusing as their newest attorney.
  • Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP has announced that nationally recognized construction attorney Andrew J. Natale ('78) has joined the firm’s Construction Team effective November 1, 2017. Natale has achieved the highest ranking – Band 1 – in Construction Law in Ohio by Chambers USA® and has been named the 2017 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in Construction in Cleveland. Natale has served as the Chair of Frantz Ward LLP’s Construction Practice Group and was a Founding Partner of that firm.
  • Priya Walia ('16) is now a Staff Attorney at Legal Voice, a women's rights nonprofit that pursues justice for all women and girls in the Northwest, through litigation, legislative advocacy, and legal rights education.
  • Heather Miller ('13) is now serving as an Associate General Counsel for Carilion Clinic, based in Roanoke, Virginia.
  • Pamela J. Miller ('09) recently founded the Children's Justice Project, which fights economic injustice by providing direct assistance for children in poverty. One of the programs includes an action research project with University of Cincinnati to improve access to healthy food for poor children with mental health disorders. The website is childrensjusticeproject.org.
  • Pamela Newport ('05) is an attorney at Kircher, Suetholz & Associates, practicing union-side labor and employment law. She is located in the Cincinnati office, and they have an office in Louisville, KY
  • Debbie Poplin ('90), U.S. District clerk of the court and former Knoxville city law director, has been appointed U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
  • Annal Vyas ('07) received one of the Greater Akron Chamber’s “30 for the Future” awards. This award is presented annually to young professionals between the ages of 25 and 39, and recognizes the recipients for positively impacting their industries and the greater Akron region. Since starting at Akron Law, he’s taught at the Small Entrepreneur and Economic Development (SEED) Clinic and the Trademark Clinic and served as a former visiting professor of clinical law. In January, Vyas became co-director of The University of Akron’s Experiential Learning Center for Entrepreneurship and Civic Engagement, which provides hands-on, community-based experiences for students. Vyas also founded and serves as president of PechaKucha Akron, which holds quarterly storytelling events where entrepreneurs, artists, scholars and others present and engage with the greater Akron community.
  • Jonathan Forman ('94) has been named as the Vice President of Team ReliaQuest, a leading national provider of IT security solutions. His focus on the holistic development of people will help ReliaQuest maintain the strong culture that enables the company to push the limits of security technology.
  • David P. Pierce (’93) has been named Best Lawyers® 2018 Litigation–Labor and Employment “Lawyer of the Year” in Dayton. Pierce is an attorney at Coolidge Wall Co., L.P.A.
  • Edward Taber ('96) has been named to the list of The Best Lawyers in America® for 2018.
  • University of Cincinnati College of Law Alumnus, and Ohio Innocence Project Board Member, Kathy Brinkman (’75), was honored on August 23rd, 2017 by ProSeniors for being a Senior Who Rocks! The honorees are people who are at least 70 years old, and they are still active, working or volunteering and adding value and vibrancy to our community. They are, in other words, inspirational. Cincinnati Law is honored to have such amazing, inspirational alumni like Kathy Brinkman. Congratulations, Kathy!
  • The Planned Parenthood 2017 Diamond Award Gala is honoring this year's Diamond Award Recipient, Kathy Brinkman ('75). The gala is on Saturday, October 21 at the Hilton Netherland Plaza. For more information about the event, please visit the website.
  • Collins Einhorn Farrell PC is pleased to announce that attorney Jeffrey R. Hicks ('10) has joined the firm’s Professional Liability practice group. Hicks will focus his practice on professional liability defense.
  • Rob Wall ('07) is the new staff attorney and the Executive Director of the Hamilton County Municipal Court Help Center. The Hamilton County Municipal Court Help Center will open on September 25, 2017. The Help Center is a way to assist self-represented parties in Municipal Court. (Look for a story about this collaboration in the next issue of Updates.)
  • Catherine Sakla ('12) is a new associate with Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl LLC. She will be based in Wheeling, WV, but will also spend time in the firm's Pittsburgh office.
  • Oliver S. Howard ('79) was named to the 2018 Best Lawyers in America list, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Howard practices with the law firm GableGotwals.
  • Faye Chess ('88) became a Magistrate Judge and Judge Pro Tempore in Seattle Municipal Court in March 2017.

 

 

 

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