NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW MAGAZINE

R. Jeffrey Pollock has been appointed to the board of directors of the Treehouse Foundation in Easthampton, Mass. Prior to retiring, he specialized in business and commercial litigation.

In November, Elizabeth Rodgers was honored by Briarcliff High School with its Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes graduates who have made their mark in ways that inspire current students. An alumna of Briarcliff’s class of 1965, Elizabeth returned to her alma mater to unveil her plaque in the Hall of Distinguished Alumni and speak with students. Elizabeth has spent nearly 40 years advocating for employees across all fields, ensuring equal pay, workplace fairness and protections against discrimination, harassment and retaliation.

Rick Glassman recently joined the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council as a legal disability policy analyst. Rick retired as director of advocacy at the Disability Law Center in Boston in 2025 and has continued to work on pro bono matters with disability rights organizations, mostly related to legal, legislative and policy issues.

Mark Rees has joined the board of directors of the Boothbay Sea and Science Center (BSSC) in Maine. A resident of Bethesda, Maryland, Mark has served as counsel to the US International Trade Commission and been active in the BSSC community during its summer sessions.

Casey Frank was named 2025 Denver Bar Association Volunteer of the Year for his work with veterans, who face higher rates of suicidality, disability and poverty than other Colorado residents as well as significant challenges in the justice system. Casey describes welcoming veterans at a free clinic: “Our response is as mighty as any army when we are happy to see them and ensure that they feel heard and know, regardless of the outcome, that a member of this honorable bar did their very best to help.” A lifelong Buddhist pacifist, Casey has supported those coping with the aftermath of military service ever since he marched in solidarity with the nonprofit Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Casey’s article “Working with Cognitive Experts,” based on his courtroom experience and 18 years as a faculty member at the University of Colorado Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship, was recently published by the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association’s Trial Talk magazine. It is available at caseyfrank.com.

In November, the office of Governor Maura Healey ’98 announced the appointment of William “Mo” Cowan to the board of MassVentures, the commonwealth’s strategic venture capital team. A leader in public service, law and business, Mo currently serves as chief legal and external affairs officer for Devoted Health, overseeing all legal and public affairs for the tech-enabled growth healthcare company

Dan Norris, executive vice president and chief strategy and legal officer at ProAmpac, has joined Lex Mundi’s 10-person client advisory council. The council helps Lex Mundi with its strategic plan and initiatives and supports its thought leadership.

David Blansky has joined the Plantation, Fla., office of Moritt Hock & Hamroff in the litigation and creditors’ rights, restructuring and bankruptcy practice groups as counsel.

Deidre Johnson has been elevated to partner at Ropes & Gray in Boston. Widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act, Deidre leads the firm’s premier premerger notification practice, advising clients on complex, cross-border mergers and acquisitions.

Carl Metzger, a partner with Goodwin and chair of the firm’s litigation department, has been elected a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a global honorary society reserved for 1 percent of licensed attorneys, judges and law faculty whose public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the highest principles of the legal profession.

In January, Lynisa Michalski was appointed acting deputy general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board. She previously served as deputy director in the Office of Appeals.

Angela Roberts has joined the London office of ClearBank as group general counsel, leading the tech bank’s legal and governance functions. Angela brings over 20 years of legal and regulatory expertise, having held senior roles at private equity–backed companies and led Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 firms. She previously served as head of EMEA legal at Allspring Global Investments in London.

Mohamed el Roubi has joined Moulis Legal in Canberra, Australia, as special counsel, leading the firm’s Middle East and Africa desk. Mohamed brings deep expertise developed in highly regulated, multi-jurisdictional environments across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia Pacific and the United States.

Hilary Franz has joined American Forests, the nation’s oldest nonprofit conservation organization, as president and CEO. Hilary has three decades of experience in natural resource conservation and management: serving in local and state government, leading a statewide nonprofit organization and practicing law in related fields. Most recently, she served as head of state wildfire and commissioner of public lands at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources

In January, Amanda Green-Hawkins was sworn in as a judge of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. She previously worked for United Steelworkers for 23 years, most recently as associate general counsel, and served two terms on the Allegheny County Council from 2008 to 2015, where she represented 100,000 Pittsburgh residents.

Joel Exline has joined the Syracuse office of Hancock Estabrook as an associate in the firm’s trusts and estates department.

Erin Fitch Nielson, a senior attorney at the divorce and family law firm Turco Legal, has joined the board of Friends of the Cameron Senior Center in Westford, Mass. The organization provides fellowship, financial support and enhanced services for local seniors. Erin brings more than 20 years of experience practicing in the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court, with a focus on guardianship and conservatorship matters for adults and minors.

Michelle De Oliveira has joined Ruberto, Israel & Weiner in Boston as a shareholder in the firm’s employment law group. Michelle previously served as a partner at Kenney & Sams, a boutique litigation law firm.

Gillian Feiner was confirmed in November as an associate justice of the Superior Court of Massachusetts, following her nomination by Governor Maura Healey ’98. Gillian served as senior counsel at the States United Democracy Center from 2023 until her confirmation and previously spent 15 years as an assistant attorney general in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, including as chief of the false claims division and senior enforcement counsel for the Health Care and Fair Competition Bureau.

Stuart Kaufman, managing attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York’s Saratoga office, has joined the board of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the city’s unique architectural, cultural and landscaped heritage.

Rebecca Knudson, a partner in the Wilmington, North Carolina, office of Cranfill Sumner, was selected for inclusion on the 2026 Business North Carolina Legal Elite list and the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list. She focuses her civil litigation practice on representing builders, developers and homeowners’ association boards.

Northeastern Global News recently profiled Cynthia Tow McPherson, director of the private sector in Northeastern Law’s Center for Co-op and Career Development. A former Division I tennis standout and brief pro, Cynthia has channeled her athletic drive into competitive pickleball.

In September, Jane Flanagan was reconfirmed by Governor JB Pritzker as a member of the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board, where she serves alongside employer, union, community and government partners to foster high-quality, in-demand training and job opportunities for Illinoisans. Jane has served as director of the Illinois Department of Labor, the state’s primary labor standards agency, since 2022. In this role, she leads efforts to protect and advance workers’ rights, including enforcing minimum wage law, safeguarding children from dangerous work, ensuring fair pay and promoting safety in public sector workplaces.

Investors Heritage Life Insurance Company has promoted Anna Reynolds to senior vice president and general counsel. Anna, who joined Investors Heritage in 2017, previously served as associate general counsel and assistant vice president.

Rebecca Waltuch is now a partner with the Boston office of Holland & Knight. A seasoned healthcare transactions attorney, she previously served as a partner with McDermott Will & Emery.

Reza Breakstone has been appointed by the governor of Rhode Island to serve on the board of the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, the agency responsible for managing the state’s waste and recycling systems. Reza is the founder of RB Unlimited, working with businesses to build operational infrastructure, design scalable models and develop strategic growth plans.

Nicole Bluefort, managing partner at the Law Offices of Nicole M. Bluefort, has been named to Color magazine’s 2025 Most Influential Women Powerlist, which recognizes leaders transforming business, culture and community. Nicole is a trial attorney whose general practice law firm has offices in Boston and Lynn, Mass., and Manchester, N.H. Her practice focuses on family law, criminal defense, probate and general litigation.

Mike Serra was recently elected to the board of finance of Stonington, Conn. A partner at Troutman Pepper Locke, Mike represents private equity funds, emerging companies and corporate clients.

Amanda Blaske has been elevated to shareholder in Greenberg Traurig’s Boston office, where she represents borrowers, lenders and other parties in finance and corporate transactions as well as restructuring matters.

Gina Plata-Nino has been named the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) director at the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). Building on her success as the organization’s interim SNAP director, Gina is wielding her expertise to raise awareness about the importance of SNAP in helping tens of millions of families put food on the table while also stimulating local economies.

Joshua Nadreau, regional managing partner of Fisher Phillips’ Boston office and vice chair of the firm’s labor relations group, received the 2025 New/Young Lawyer Award from the American Bar Association’s Section of Labor and Employment Law at the section’s annual conference in Denver in November.

CEO of Imaginostics Valerie Gharagouzloo LLM ’14 has had an exciting run of recognition for her company, which is building a new data layer for MRI with a mission to shift healthcare from curative to preventative and advance vascular health for life. Imaginostics was recently nominated for the MedTech World North America Clinical Excellence & Evidence Award and was recognized as a Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge 2024 finalist in Digital Health and Medical Devices and a Prix Galien USA Best Startup 2025 nominee.

Elizabeth Gardon has joined Rubin Rudman in Boston as an associate in the firm’s litigation group, where she handles commercial disputes involving real estate, employment and contract issues. Elizabeth was previously with Todd & Weld’s commercial litigation group.

Seth Reiner has joined BU Law’s legal writing and advocacy program as a visiting professor. He previously worked as an associate at Foley Hoag in Boston, where he represented clients in employment and healthcare matters and disputes involving state attorneys general. Seth also worked as an adjunct professor at Suffolk University, teaching legal research and writing to undergraduate students.

Jaime Watson has been promoted to senior policy counsel at Reproductive Equity Now, where she supports the passage of new laws to protect and expand reproductive healthcare access across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut, as well leading the organization’s Abortion Legal Hotline.

Heather Ducharme has joined Krokidas & Bluestein as an associate representing a variety of clients, including nonprofit entities, human services providers, for-profit entities and individuals. Heather previously served as a law clerk for the Hon. Robert Toone of the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

Miriam DuVall has joined Pierce Atwood as an associate in the firm’s business practice group, focusing on technology transactions and data privacy. As a student, Miriam was a research assistant for Northeastern University’s Institute for Experiential AI and NuLawLab’s Smart Human Rights Cities project.

Hanley Higgins has joined the Radnor, Pa., office of McNees Wallace & Nurick, assisting clients across industries with business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, and advising on matters such as entity formation, governance and contracts.