Class Notes

Harry Daniels, of counsel at Barclay Damon in Boston, was named to the 2023 Best Lawyers in America list. With more than five decades of legal and management experience, Harry concentrates his practice on complex business litigation matters.

Miriam Horwitz has been nominated to serve as a member of the city of Milwaukee’s Fire and Police Commission. She spent 20 years with the City Attorney’s Office before retiring in 2020 and entering private practice. In 2019, she was the first recipient of the Diversity and Inclusion Trail- blazer Award from the State Bar of Wisconsin.

Susan Benz, a partner at Barclay Damon in Buffalo, N.Y., was named to the 2023 Best Lawyers in America list in recognition of her achievements in healthcare law. Susan represents providers in regulatory compliance, managed care and corporate matters. Her many clients include provider networks, independent practice associations, behavioral healthcare collaboratives and care-coordination organizations.

James Levin, adjunct professor of law and associate director of the Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution at the University of Missouri School of Law (Mizzou Law), led three civil mediation training programs in 2022. James was a founding member of the National Association for Community Mediation. He serves on the Missouri Supreme Court Commission on ADR Services in Domestic Relations Cases and is chair of Mizzou Law’s Campus Mediation Service Advisory Committee. He also co-directs Mizzou Law’s summer study abroad program in Cape Town, South Africa.

Manny Daskal has been elected president of the California DUI Lawyers Association, one of the oldest impaired driving defense bar associations in the United States. With a practice based in Humboldt County, Manny’s expertise in DUI includes training in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Standardized Field Sobriety Tests as both a student and instructor, as well as completion of the Drug Recognition Expert course. He has lectured and published on marijuana, particularly as related to DUI, and consults regularly with attorneys across the country.

Carol Merchasin has joined McAllister Olivarius as of counsel, heading up cases involving sexual misconduct in religious, faith-based and spiritual communities. Carol brings a depth of legal experience to her new role: As an investigator, she has worked to uncover sexual misconduct within the Shambhala International lineage of Buddhism and the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres. She has worked with survivors of abuse and misconduct across a number of global spiritual and religious movements and has extensive experience as both a litigator and an investigator. She was previously a partner in the Philadelphia office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.

Alan Friel is now chair of the global data privacy, cybersecurity and digital assets practice at Squire Patton Boggs (SPB) in Los Angeles; he previously served as co-chair and deputy chair. Prior to joining SPB in 2021, Alan was a partner at BakerHostetler, where he led the firm’s US consumer privacy practice, co-chaired the retail, restaurant and e-commerce industry initiative and served as the California digital assets and data management leader. In 2022, BTI Consulting Group named Alan a Client Service All-Star, recognizing lawyers who stand above all others in delivering the absolute best in client service.

Jaclyn Kugell, a partner with Morgan, Brown & Joy in the firm’s Boston office, was selected for inclusion in the 2023 Best Lawyers in America list in recognition of her achievements in employment and labor law. Best Lawyers also named her Boston’s “Lawyer of the Year” in the area of labor law–management.

Joseph McConnell, a partner with Morgan, Brown & Joy in Boston, was selected for inclusion in the 2023 Best Lawyers in America list in recognition of his achievements in employment law. Joe is an experienced litigator and negotiator in defending management on employment and labor law matters.

US Navy JAG Captain Ann Minami retired from the Navy in December after 28 years of service and is now a Veterans Law Judge with the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Senator William “Mo” Cowan (ret.) has been elected chairman of the board of directors for MassChallenge (MC), a non- profit organization dedicated to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship through collaboration and development. Mo, who has been involved with MC since its launch in 2009, is chief legal and external affairs officer at Devoted Health, a tech-enabled all-in-one healthcare company founded to dramatically improve overall health and well-being for seniors.

ln November, Andrea DiFabio joined Xenon Pharmaceuticals as chief legal officer and corporate secretary. Based in Boston, Andrea provides strategic leadership and oversight of the planning and execution of the neuro- logy-focused biopharmaceutical company’s legal function on a global basis. Prior to joining Xenon, she was the chief legal and administrative officer and corporate secre- tary at Repertoire Immune Medicines.

Amy Rosenberger, a partner with the Pennsylvania labor, employment and workers’ compensation law firm Willig, Williams & Davidson, was named the 2023 Best Lawyers in America “Lawyer of the Year” in Philadelphia in the field of labor law. Amy has represented labor unions and employees for more than 25 years.

David Connelly, a partner with Morgan, Brown & Joy in Boston, was named to the 2023 Best Lawyers in America list in rec- ognition of his achievements in employment law. David represents private and public sector employers in labor and employment matters and collective bargaining.

Yvonne Hennessey, a partner in the Albany, N.Y., office of Barclay Damon, was recognized by Best Lawyers in America for her work in environmental litigation. Yvonne serves as chair of Barclay Damon’s environmental and lobbying and election law compliance practice areas as well as co-team leader of the firm’s oil and gas, linear infra- structure and energy markets teams.

Chaumtoli Huq, a member of the CUNY Law faculty and founder/editor of Law@theMargins, received a Fulbright Scholarship
to research new migration to Spain, with a focus on Bangladeshi immigrants. She and her family are based in Málaga.

Dan Jackson, executive director of Northeastern Law’s NuLawLab, has been appointed chair of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Delivery of Legal Services.

Danielle Mason Anderson, senior principal at Miller Canfield in Kalamazoo, Mich., has been elected chair of the firm’s managing directors. Danielle focuses her practice on commercial litigation and creditors’ rights resolution with a concentration on loan enforcement, insolvency, bankruptcy and receiverships.

Last May, Dan Janis achieved his goal of com- pleting a marathon in each US state when he crossed the finish line of the Eugene, Ore., marathon. A shareholder at Davis Malm in Boston, Dan has put in more than 25,000 miles to train for and run in 61 marathons. For the past 15 years, he has averaged about four marathons a year. He was also named to the 2022 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list in the business/corporate field.

In May, Jacqueline Nuñez, a Boston-based real estate developer, purchased an allegedly haunted, centuries-old farmhouse in Burrillville, R.I. The home was the inspiration behind the hit horror film “The Conjuring;” Jacqueline hosts regular investigations and tours with paranormal professionals guiding each experience.

Debra (Feldman) Getts recently celebrated her 10th anniversary with Tobin & Reyes in Boca Raton, Fla., as a corporate attorney. As a side gig, she rents out two cabins in the Blue Ridge Mountains for vacations, special occasions and retreats.

James August Cappoli has joined the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board as deputy general counsel, continuing a commitment to the public interest and investor protection. James previously served as assistant general counsel at the US Securities and Exchange Commission and is currently an adjunct professor for advanced securities regulation at Howard University School of Law.

Rebecca Knudson, a partner in the Wilmington, N.C., office of Cranfill Sumner, was selected for inclusion in the 2023 Best Lawyers in America. She focuses her civil litigation practice on representing builders, developers and homeowner associ- ation boards.

Sarah Rothman has been named executive director of the New Hampshire Public Defender, a private, non- profit corporation that provides state-wide representation to indigent people accused of crimes. Sarah joined the organization as a staff attorney upon graduating from Northeastern and most recently served as managing attorney of its Manchester office.

Lori Paci has been pro- moted to manager in the state and local tax practice of Baker Newman Noyes (BNN) in Woburn. Prior to joining BNN in 2021, she spent a decade working in state and city government and volunteered as a business coach for microbusinesses.

Sean O’Connor, a partner at Morgan, Brown & Joy in Boston, was selected for inclusion in the 2023 Best Lawyers in America list in recognition of his achievements in labor and employment litigation. Sean represents both public and private sector employers in numerous industries on the full range of labor and employment matters.

Jennifer Rushlow has been appointed dean for Vermont Law & Graduate School’s new environmental public policy school. She also con- tinues as faculty director of the school’s Environmental Law Center.

Holly McClanan has been appointed superintendent of schools for the Southeastern Regional School District in Massachusetts. Holly joined the district in 2013 as director of human resources and most recently served as assistant superintendent of human resources, grants and compliance.

In August, Sarah Schendel, associate professor of aca- demic support at Suffolk Law, won the Deborah Rhode Prize for Early Career Scholars from the International Association of Legal Ethics for her paper, “Due Dates in the Real World: Extensions, Equity, and the Hidden Curriculum,” which was published in the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics.

Samuel Segal, owner and principal of the Law Offices of Samuel A. Segal, is serving a one-year term as secretary of the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA). A personal injury attorney with over a decade of litigation experience representing injured parties, Samuel is the former chair of both the MBA Young Lawyers Division and Lawyer Referral Service Committee. He was named to the 2022 Massachusetts Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list.

Rodney Bedow has joined the Boston office of Brown Rudnick as a partner in the firm’s tax group, where he focuses his practice on tax planning and transactions involving corporations, partnerships and multi- national entities. Rodney was previously a partner at Burns & Levinson. Before that, he spent several years working at large multina- tional organizations in the aerospace and defense and software sectors.

Robert Kaitz, an attorney at Davis Malm in Boston, was selected for inclusion in the 2023 Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list as well as the 2022 Massachusetts Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list. Robert’s litigation practice focuses on employment and business matters, representing clients in employment discrimination, wage and hour claims and close corporation disputes.

Rachel Haskell, a partner at the Law Office of Christopher Q. Davis in New York, was named to the 2022 New York Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list. A labor and employment attorney, Rachel represents clients in all employment-related matters.

Glynis Ritchie has joined the Pittsburgh, Penn., office of Dentons Cohen & Grigsby as a shareholder in the global firm’s trusts, estates and wealth preservation practice. She also assists clients with their long-term philan- thropic and charitable goals through the creation of nonprofit organizations. Glynis previously practiced with Day Pitney.

Andrea (Evans) Zoia, a partner with Morgan, Brown & Joy in Boston, was selected for inclu- sion in the 2023 Best Lawyers in America list in recognition of her achievements in labor and employment litigation.

Jennifer Ioli Connelly, a partner with Sherin and Lodgen, was named to the 2022 Massachusetts Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list. She practices in the field of commercial real estate.

Valerie Jackson, an asso- ciate with Jackson Lewis, was selected for inclusion in the 2022 Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list. Valerie’s practice focuses on employment and labor law, with a particular emphasis on labor relations, employment law counseling and litigation.

Catherine Scott, a litigator and employment lawyer at Morgan, Brown & Joy in Boston, was selected for inclusion in the 2022 Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list. Catherine helps companies navigate workplace allegations such as employment discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge, Family and Medical Leave Act, breach of contract, and wage and hour class actions, among others.

Cory Lamz has joined the global legal team at Autodesk as corporate counsel, where he serves as the legal business partner in support of global revenue operations, business models and pricing. Previously, Cory was the general counsel at Buoy Health, a Boston-based health-tech company. Earlier this year, the Association of Corporate Counsel named Cory as one of its “Top 10 30-Somethings,” an award that recognizes 10 in-house counsel worldwide for their innovation, approach to challenges, well-rounded perspectives, contributions to the in-house community, as well as pro bono and volunteer work.

Alvin B. Carter III, an associate in Brown Rudnick’s corporate practice group, was recently recognized as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” African American lawyers in Massachusetts by The National Black Lawyers. Alvin also serves as co-chair of the Boston Bar Association’s New Lawyers Forum leadership team.

Jen Rasay was recently pro- moted to staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights in Washington, DC. Before joining the center
as a legal fellow in 2020, Jen was an Equal Justice Works Fellow at the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, where she worked on disability rights, economic justice and access to healthcare.

Catherine Raissipour was promoted in July to legal counsel in the Burlington, Mass., office of Sophos. She previ- ously served as associate legal counsel at the global cybersecurity company, where she has held various positions since 2018.

As a pro bono fellow at Hunton Andrews Kurth in Houston, Texas, Henry Sturm works with Houston Volunteer Lawyers, the pro bono arm of the Houston Bar Association, on civil legal aid cases and also assists the orga- nization with its virtual clinics.

Aidan Cullinane has joined Pierce Atwood in Portland, Maine, as an associate in the firm’s business practice group. While in law school, Aidan spent a summer co-op at Pierce Atwood and provided legal research for attorneys in a wide range of practices.

Madeleine Laffitte is now an associate at Robinson+Cole in Boston, focusing on real estate. As a co-op student at the firm, she gained valuable practical exposure working across a number of its practice groups.

Ellen Masalsky has joined Murray Plumb & Murray as an associate. She focuses her practice on litigation, criminal law and family law, areas that she developed an interest in after advocating for clients as a student attorney with Northeastern Law’s Domestic Violence Clinic.

Isabelle Oviedo has joined Hinckley Allen’s Boston office as a first-year asso- ciate and a participant in the Hinckley Allen Assignment Pool program, a new first-year professional development program that seeks to facilitate integration across the firm and develop well-rounded associates with a wide range of foundational skills.

Chris Petronio has joined the private clients and fiduciary services group in the Boston office of Verrill, where he spent a co-op in his final year of law school. Prior to joining the firm, he also completed a co-op with the trusts and estates department at Rackemann, Sawyer & Brewster, which combined with Verrill earlier this year.

Abby Plummer is now an associate in the business law group of Verrill’s Portland, Maine, office, where she spent her summer co-op in 2021. Prior to law school, Abby worked with the Boston Public Schools Office of Equity focusing on the district’s diversity, inclusion and Title IX policies.

Robert Papandrea has joined Boston labor and employment law firm Morgan, Brown & Joy as an associate. His work includes guiding business owners and management, human resources professionals and in-house counsel.