1970s Class Notes
1970
Samuel Shepard Jones, Jr., is continuing his “second” career as a financial consultant with Smith Barney, Inc., in Washington, D.C. His daughter Basia is a first-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences.
1971
Thomas Bottini of St. Louis, MO, has been named Honorary Consul of Nicaragua.
Ron Coleman currently serves as chairman and chief executive officer of Med-Tel International Corp., a global telemedicine company located in McLean, VA, and London, England. Previously he founded and served as chairman and CEO of PTAT System, which built and owned the first privately owned transatlantic fiber-optic cable system. He also practiced law in Washington, D.C., and served as Republican counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Commerce Committee.
David Johnson retired from Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher LLP in Washington, D.C. on December 31 and moved to Hilton Head, SC, where he and his wife Marion are building a new home.
Virginia Business magazine has named Joseph “Rick” Richmond, Jr., the top lawyer in Virginia in real estate and construction law. He was featured in the December article, “Legal Elite.” Richmond is a senior partner at his family’s firm, Richmond & Fishburne LLP and lives outside of Charlottesville. He enjoys the personal nature of his job — “helping a young couple buy their first house or start a business and introducing them to the legal profession,” Richmond is quoted as saying. “If I can make the process friendlier … and instill confidence and respect for our profession, I have accomplished one of my goals.”
George Walker has become the third recipient of the prestigious North Carolina Bar Association’s John J. Dortch International Service Award. The award honors the Wake Forest University School of Law professor for his exemplary service and leadership in the advancement of international law and practice within North Carolina. Walker chaired the Association’s international law and practice section from 1995 to 1997.
1972
Douglas Rucker, Jr., was
recently appointed vice chairman of the board of directors
for the James River Development Corporation. This nonprofit
corporation helps provide long-term, fixed asset financing
to small businesses in six counties in Virginia and the City
of Richmond. Rucker is a shareholder with Sands, Anderson,
Marks & Miller PC and a member of the firm’s
three-lawyer management team. He focuses his practice on business,
real estate, and professional litigation, and represents financial
institutions in their real estate investments.
Bob Sugarman married Marilyn Seskin January 18 in Miami Beach, FL. The newlyweds traveled to Argentina, Chile, and Easter Island for their honeymoon. Seskin is an anesthesiologist and graduate of Einstein Medical School in New York City. Sugarman practices as senior partner with Sugarman & Susskind PA, a labor and employee benefits law firm in Miami.
1973
Nicholas Chimicles tried a six-week jury trial in the Los Angeles federal district court that concluded in November 2002 on behalf of a certified class of 18,000 investors in eight public real estate limited partnerships. After six days of deliberations, the 11-member jury returned a unanimous $185 million verdict against the corporate general partner and four of its officers and directors on claims of Section 14 proxy solicitation violations and breach of fiduciary duty. Chimicles & Tikellis LLP was the court appointed co-lead counsel and Chimicles was principal trial counsel in the case which resulted in the largest jury verdict in an action brought under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Following defendants’ post-trial motions, an $83 million settlement-in-principle was reached in late May. Chimicles wrote that the moral support of two week-long visits to Los Angeles by his wife, Kathleen, and their then 18-month old son, Nicholas, were crucial to the success of the case. The firm’s financial specialist, Kathleen Chimicles coordinated the work of the plaintiffs’ four experts. Also essential, Chimicles wrote, was the invaluable assistance of David Farrar, who provided office space in downtown Los Angeles for the plaintiffs’ ten-member trial team.
Mark Feldmann became president of his firm, Glenn, Feldmann, Darby, & Goodlatte, in Roanoke, VA, on February 1, 2003. He and his wife Whitney greatly enjoyed their 30th reunion weekend in May. “We fondly recall our days in Charlottesville and our friends from the Law School,” Feldmann wrote. Bob Trout was inducted as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers at the College’s annual meeting in Montreal, Canada, in November. He is a founding member of the litigation firm Trout & Richards PLLC in Washington, D.C.
1974 
James Henderson IV currently teaches real estate transactions and law office practice as an adjunct assistant professor of law at Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, VA. Henderson practices real estate and property law, civil rights, criminal law, litigation, government and employment law, and family law as a partner with Henderson & McCoury in Tazewell, VA. He also teaches on the adjunct faculty of the Legal Assistance Program at Bluefield State College. Among his numerous civic activities he has served as an officer of the Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited and the Tazewell Soil and Water Conservation District.
T. Arthur “Buddy” Scott,
Jr., was
elected chairman of the board of Wellmont Holston Valley Medical
Center in Kingsport, TN, beginning July 1. Holston Valley is
the largest of the Wellmont Health System hospitals. Scott continues
to serve as a director of Wellmont Health System, where he chairs
the audit committee. A partner with Hunter, Smith & Davis
LLP in Kingsport, Scott focuses his practice on corporate, banking,
and commercial transaction law, plus estate planning and taxation,
utilities, and real estate.
John Wymer III was recently inducted as a fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.
1975
For the third year Virginia Business magazine has named C. Michael DeCamps one of Virginia's “Legal Elite.” Chair of the employment practice group at Sands, Anderson, Marks & Miller PC in Richmond, DeCamps was recognized for his expertise in labor and employment law.
Andrew Hook recently co-authored an article, “Representing the Elderly or Disabled Client” with Thomas D. Begley, Jr., published by RIA and the Elder Law Column in Estate Planning Magazine. Hook has also been re-elected to the board of directors of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.
Clyde Jacob III joined Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrère & Denègre LLP in New Orleans as a partner in the labor and employment section in 2003. Jacob recently had a union boycott case in Norway that was reported by the Wall Street Journal. The case involved the AFL -CIO, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the United Council for International Business, the State Department, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, and a Congressional sub-committee hearing.
Alvin Lorman has joined Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP in Washington, D.C. as a partner. He continues to practice food and drug law and healthcare law.
Don Martin was recently elected president of the Phoenix Art Museum's board of trustees. He continues to serve as an active member of Greater Phoenix Leadership, an organization of corporate leaders who collaborate with the public sector and non-profit organizations to “sustain a safe, healthy and prosperous community.” He serves as the litigation section national chair for Quarles & Brady LLP.
The Texas Wesleyan School of Law has named Mark Zimmermann Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Law. A principal with Turner, Dealey, Zimmermann, Clark and Collie in Dallas, TX, Zimmermann specializes in intellectual property and complex litigation. He has taught trial advocacy at Texas Wesleyan in Fort Worth, TX, since 1992.
1976
Thomas Bell, Jr., recently
was elected president of the Virginia Association of Defense
Attorneys (VADA). VADA is a statewide voluntary bar association
comprised of over 800 attorneys whose practice is primarily
focused on the defense of civil litigation. Bell served on
the VADA board of directors from 1993 to 1996. He currently
practices with Timberlake, Smith, Thomas & Moses in Staunton.
In July Peter Broadbent, Jr., was
elected chairman of the Library Board of Virginia and took
office as president of the Virginia Genealogical Society. The
Library of Virginia, a state agency, preserves Virginia's records
and promotes education in history. Broadbent practices intellectual
property, communication, and business law as a partner with Christian & Barton
LLP in Richmond.
Daniel Hoffheimer has been elected a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Membership is an honor awarded to lawyers who have proven their commitment to “the study, improvement, and facilitation of the administration of justice and the rule of law,” and is limited to one-third of one percent of all American lawyers. A former president both of the Cincinnati Bar Association and the Federal Bar Association, Cincinnati Chapter, Hoffheimer is a partner with Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Cincinnati, OH, where his practice focuses on wealth management, succession and estate planning, trust and probate law, nonprofit and charitable organizations, and family businesses.
Derek Smith opened an independent law practice with Thomas Nolan '82 and one other Richmond lawyer on January 1. The firm, Virginia Estate Plans PC, specializes in estate planning and estate and trust administration.
John Vering III recently finished a term as chairman of the labor and employment law commission of the Kansas City Metro Bar Association. He continues to serve as co-editor of Missouri Employment Law Letter and the Missouri and Federal Employment Law Manual. Chambers USA 2003–04 selected him as one of Missouri's top ten leading business lawyers in employment.
1977
President George Bush has nominated Virginia Hopkins to fill an appeals court vacancy in Alabama's Northern District.
Gary Feulner lives in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he has served as chairman of the Dubai Natural History Group since 1995. A natural scientist by academic background, he has spent the last 15 years exploring the mountains, deserts, and mangrove swamps of UAE. He has published articles on various aspects of the flora, fauna, and geology of the Emirates, and has reported a number of plants and animals new to the UAE, among them wild olive trees, bats, freshwater snails, and fish. “Although a relatively small country, the environment of the United Arab Emirates is extremely diverse,” said Feulner at a recent world natural history meeting in the U.S. He explained how impenetrable mountains and steep valleys (wadis), wide-ranging deserts, an extensive coastline, and fertile surrounding seas provide habitats for a rich assemblage of wildlife. The UAE is currently working to restore the natural balance in its country and ensure resources are used sustainably, Feulner said.
Robert Lesnick has been sworn in as chief judge of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission in Washington, D.C. Lesnick previously served as a U.S. administrative law judge for the U.S. Department of Labor and for the Social Security Administration, where he was chief judge of the Pittsburgh Hearing Office. Lesnick began his private practice in tax law with Smith, Gill, Fisher and Butts in Kansas City, MO. He began his Federal service in 1979 with the Department of Labor, Office of the Solicitor, where he represented the department on various issues, including mine safety and health matters. From 1990 to 1994 he was counsel with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, serving on the special trial team in the Office of Thrift Supervision. Lesnick lives in Northern Virginia with his wife of 27 years, Kathy. They have two sons, Bobby, a 2001 Engineering School graduate, and Alexander, a first-year Jefferson Scholar.
A partner with Fox Rothschild LLP in Pittsburgh,
PA, John
Meck recently was appointed to the firm’s finance
committee. He specializes in trust and estate planning and
administration, probate, trust and tax litigation, and beneficiary
representation. An American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
fellow, Meck serves on the Pennsylvania Joint State Government
Commission’s advisory committee on decedent’s estates
law, and is named in The Best Lawyers in America.
W. Caffey Norman III married Olena Leuchenko in fall 2002. They welcomed a 9-lb. baby girl, Natalie Alexandra, to their lives on June 10. The family lives in Washington, D.C., but Norman enjoys frequent trips to the Persian Gulf, where his firm, Patton Boggs LLP, represents several governments.
Charles Rappold II recently was promoted to chief operating officer for the Bank of New York Securities Group. He writes, “This new job will give me a new forum in which to sing the praises of UVA Law.”
Douglas Spaulding was inducted as an American College of Trial Lawyers fellow at the College’s annual meeting in Montreal, Canada, in November. He is a partner with Reed Smith LLP in Washington, D.C.
1978
Christopher Scott D’Angelo organized
and moderated the seminar, If You Think the Patriot Act
Doesn't Apply to You, You're Wrong! Find Out Why, presented
at the International Association of Defense Counsel’s 2003
annual meeting. The program discussed the scope and provisions
of the U.S. Patriot Act, issues of privacy and individual rights
raised by the Act, and insights for counseling business clients
regarding obligations under the Act. D’Angelo presented
a paper for the seminar, “The USA PATRIOT Act: Fact or
Fiction – An Overview of Concerns.” He chairs the
litigation department’s products liability and toxic torts
section for Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads LLP in
Philadelphia, PA.
In November Texas Monthly magazine named Michael Haggerty a 2003 “Texas Super Lawyer.” Only five percent of Texas lawyers earned this distinction, out of more than 20,000 peer selected nominees. Ryan practices as a partner with Jackson Walker LLP in Dallas.
In
December Bruce Mertens (left) and Daniel
Siegel were both named members of Virginia's “Legal
Elite” for the third year in a row by Virginia Business magazine.
Principals with Sands, Anderson, Marks & Miller PC in
Richmond, Mertens chairs the local government practice and
Seigel chairs the estate and tax planning practice, though
the magazine actually recognized Siegel for his expertise in
business law.
1979
In November, civil rights lawyer J. Richard Cohen became the new president and chief executive officer of the Southern Poverty Law Center. The nonprofit organization combats hate, intolerance, and discrimination through litigation and education. Cohen came to the center in 1986 as its legal director. With his guidance the center won a series of landmark lawsuits against some of the nation’s major hate groups. He also successfully litigated a variety of important civil rights actions including defending the rights of prisoners to be treated humanely, working for equal educational opportunities for all children, and bringing down the Confederate battle flag from the top of the Alabama State Capitol. In 1997 The American Lawyer selected Cohen as one of 45 public sector lawyers whose vision and commitment are changing lives. In 1999 he was a finalist for the national Trial Lawyer of the Year Award for his work on Macedonia Baptist Church vs. Christian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, a lawsuit that ended with a record $37.8 million judgment against a Klan group for its role in the burning of a South Carolina church.
Lewis Hassett serves as secretary for the board of trustees of Orchestra Atlanta, which offers concerts in classical chamber music, jazz, and world music at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center in Atlanta, GA. A partner in the litigation group of Morris, Manning, & Martin LLP in Atlanta, Hassett chairs the firm's insurance/reinsurance dispute resolution group. His practice focuses on complex civil litigation, including insurance and reinsurance matters, business torts, and insurer insolvencies.
Hugh Hill III has returned to the faculty of Johns Hopkins University after a three-year stint in federal service with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Management, where he led both the new technology coverage group and Medicare’s fraud fighters. Hill, a medical doctor, teaches emergency medicine at the Bayview Medical Center.
Dave Markell joined the Florida State University College of Law faculty in fall 2002 as Steven M. Goldstein Professor of Law. He recently coauthored Reinventing Environmental Enforcement and the State/Federal Relationship (2003) and coedited Greening NAFTA: The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (Stanford University Press 2003) and Environmental Protection Law and Policy.
