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1990
John Bateman joined Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein as counsel in Charlotte, N.C. Bateman focuses his practice on life sciences, with an emphasis on representing generic drugmakers in disputes involving the Hatch- Waxman Act.
James Mclaughlin’s book, “Bearskin,” won a 2019 Edgar [Allan Poe] Award honoring the best first novel by an American author. The book was published by HarperCollins’ Ecco imprint in 2018.
Stan Perry became an adjunct faculty member at Baylor Law School’s Executive LL.M. in Litigation Management Program.
1991
Mayer Brown Partner and Director of Diversity & Inclusion Jeremiah DeBerry was named to The National Law Journal’s inaugural list of “Equality Trailblazers,” which recognizes individuals in the legal industry who have advanced the cause of equality. DeBerry oversees all aspects of Mayer Brown’s efforts to recruit, hire, develop, and promote diverse and women lawyers.
NLJ also highlighted DeBerry’s role as a member of the firm’s partner promotion committee, in which he has helped increase diversity at the partner level from 5% to 13% in just over three years. In June, he was named to Lawyers of Color’s inaugural list of Nation’s Best in the Eastern regional category.
Todd Graves and his daughter, Katie, have more than family ties to talk about. The two are on track to share two alma maters. Each attended the University of Missouri for undergraduate studies, and with Katie’s matriculation at the Law School, both will share that as well. Todd started his career as a Missouri assistant attorney general before being elected prosecuting attorney for Platte County and eventually serving as U.S. prosecuting attorney for the Western District of Missouri.
He later founded Graves Garrett and his legal career helped inspire Katie to pursue her law degree after initially going to Missouri for journalism.
Mark Hamer was appointed global chair of the antitrust and competition practice at Baker McKenzie, where he is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office. Hamer lives in McLean, Va., with his wife and two daughters.
Vernon E. Inge Jr. was listed among the 2019 Virginia Business Legal Elite in the bankruptcy/ creditors’ rights area. Inge practices with Whiteford, Taylor & Preston in Richmond.
After 20 years in-house as a patent and intellectual property attorney at Intel Corp., McCoy Smith “retired” to found his own firm — Lex Pan Law in Portland, Ore. The firm specializes in technology and intellectual property law, with a subspecialty in free and open-source licensing. In a more-than- 35-year career in technology and law, Smith has worked in virtually every facet involving the intersection of the two fields: engineer, patent examiner, patent and trademark prosecutor, patent litigator, patent reexamination and opposition proceeding advocate, patent and technology license drafter and negotiator, IP adviser, teacher, author and lecturer. In addition to practicing both in-house and in private practice, Smith has taught portions of the U.S. patent bar exam for a long-standing patent bar exam preparation course, and currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Open Law, Technology & Society, an international journal dedicated to issues around free and open licensing and sharing of technology, data and knowledge. Smith is licensed to practice in Oregon, California and New York, and with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He spends his free time traveling with his wife, Althea, and speaking to various legal and technology conferences worldwide and commuting between their primary residence in Portland and a vacation home in British Columbia, Canada, as well as keeping up with his 9-year-old son, Perry.
1992
Scott Kerman is executive director of Blanchet House of Hospitality, a nonprofit in Portland, Ore., that provides meals three times a day, six days a week to housing-and food-insecure people in Portland’s Old Town community. Blanchet House also features a long-term residential program for men in recovery at its downtown location and at a farm in Yamhill County. Kerman spent most of his career working in schools, first in Teach For America, where he was the first law school graduate in the country to participate in the program, he reports, then as a middle school, high school and college teacher, and finally, in school leadership and administration.
Michael Wu, chief legal officer and corporate secretary of Madewell, received the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association 2019 Diversity Leadership Award, which honors an in-house member who has demonstrated leadership and a commitment toward diversity in the legal profession.
1993
Guy Flynn and his wife, Nupur Parekh Flynn, were honored with a Sadie Award by the Children’s Guild Alliance for their leadership in innovation and philanthropy. The Children’s Guild is a nonprofit organization serving children, families and child-serving organizations.
Flynn practices law at DLA Piper, where he serves as chairman of the firm’s Maryland real estate practice and is partner-in-charge of the firm’s Baltimore office. He serves as a trustee and board president-elect of The Walters Art Museum, a trustee and executive committee member of the Baltimore Community Foundation, a trustee of the Living Classrooms Foundation, a director of Maryland Legal Aid, a governor of The Center Club and a member of the Baltimore City Ethics Board. Global, national, regional and industry publications have recognized him as a top lawyer.
1994
Andrew S. Brownstein joined GreeneHurlocker in Richmond, Va., as a partner. Brownstein founded Global Realty Services Group and previously served as general counsel there for a decade, while also serving as the company’s chief financial officer (2009-16) and president of its affiliated title company (2013-17).
Patrick Johnson was selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America 2020 for corporate law and mergers and acquisitions law. Johnson practices with Brooks Pierce in Raleigh, N.C.
T. Maria Lam was promoted to vice president at Intel Corp. in early 2019. She leads the company’s international legal teams and travels regularly to Asia and Europe.
1995
Penguin/Portfolio just published Romi Neustadt's new book “You Can Have It All, Just Not at the Same Damn Time,” in which she shares her strategies for success, so that other women can have it all too. Neustadt suggests we stop “should’ing” by switching out to-do lists for an empowering weekly plan that she says she has coached more than 100,000 women to use. Neustadt lives in San Diego with her husband, John, and their children, Nate and Bebe.
1996
Alumnae Named to 2020 Class of ‘Influential Women in Law’
Professor Crystal Shin ’10 was named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s 2020 class of Influential Women of Law, along with state Judge Deborah Blevins ’83, Marissa Henderson ’99 of Ventker Henderson and Jamie Baskerville Martin ’96 of Williams Mullen.
This awards program honors women for their work on behalf of the justice system and their clients, their commitment to their communities and their service to the profession.
Shin joined the Law School in 2017 as the first director of the Program in Law and Public Service, which offers a select group of students intensive training that prepares them for a career in public service.
Blevins, of Roanoke, has served as deputy commissioner at Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission since 2004. She was previously a partner in Gilmer, Sadler, Ingram, Sutherland & Hutton in Pulaski.
Henderson, a partner at Ventker Henderson in Norfolk, focuses her practice on a variety of matters, including vessel collisions, marine terminal liability defense, contract disputes, maritime personal injury and wrongful death defense, and insurance coverage litigation. She is an experienced trial attorney at both the trial court and appellate level.
Martin is a partner and chair of Williams Mullen’s health care section in Richmond, and is a member of the firm’s Women’s Initiative Steering Committee. She served on the board of governors for the Virginia Bar Association and is immediate past chair of the VBA’s Health Law Section Council. She is a member of the Virginia State Bar’s Study Committee on the Future of Law and chairs the VBA’s Wellness Task Force.
—Mike Fox
Catherine Colyer is the chief compliance officer of WaterEquity, a social impact investment fund manager that deploys capital worldwide to meet the massive demand for safe water and sanitation among people living in poverty. Based in Kansas City, Kan., WaterEquity promotes access to safe water and sanitation, economic opportunity and gender equality through its investments. Colyer is responsible for U.S. and international regulatory compliance and fund management, and oversees legal counsel worldwide.
Mark Knueve was included on the 2020 Best Lawyers in America List for employment law (on behalf of management), and labor and employment litigation. Knueve practices with Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease in Columbus, Ohio.
Greg Maurer has traveled to India a dozen times and gives talks there to promote intellectual property awareness among law students and industry groups. He freely licenses his presentations under Creative Commons.
Eric Perkins was inducted into the Richmond Tennis Hall of Fame on Nov. 16. Perkins, who has been involved with tennis for more than 40 years as a player, coach, official, volunteer and advocate, was part of the ninth class inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining previous inductees such as Arthur Ashe, Lou Einwick, Rodney Harmon, Penelope Anderson and Lindsay Wortham.
Anthony F. Vittoria was appointed as an associate judge with the Circuit Court for Baltimore City by Maryland Gov. Lawrence Hogan. Prior to this appointment, Vittoria served as an administrative law judge with the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings since December 2018. He previously practiced in Baltimore as an associate with Goodell, DeVries, Leech and Gray and as a partner with Ober|Kaler.
1997
Fox Names Malone ’97 Vice President of Legal
Fox Corp. hired Stephen J. Malone ’97 in September as vice president of legal, employment and corporate affairs.
Based in New York, Malone provides employment law advice and counsel to a variety of businesses in the Fox portfolio, which includes media assets in news, sports and original entertainment programming, as well as TV stations. He also assists with mergers and acquisitions, executive compensation and corporate governance. The organization was spun off from 21st Century Fox Inc. during its acquisition by Disney.
Previously at NBCUniversal, Malone rose through the ranks as employment law counsel, senior counsel and then vice president in 2009. He advised the organization on equal employment opportunity, avoiding harassment and retaliation claims, leaves of absence, and labor and employment issues in acquisitions and divestitures. Malone also led companywide initiatives on wage/hour compliance and proper engagement of independent contractors.
He began his career at Winston & Strawn, specializing in labor and employment law, and Proskauer Rose.
—Mike Fox
1998
Kathryn Barcroft was promoted to partner with Solomon Law Firm and is chair of the private-sector employment division, representing employees and counseling companies in legal matters, primarily in the New York and Washington, D.C., markets. Barcroft focuses on workplace rights in the #MeToo era of employment litigation, as well as all aspects of employment litigation, including claims of discrimination and retaliation, wrongful termination, harassment, whistle-blower protection and more.
Michael Fordham LL.M. has been appointed as a high court judge in the United Kingdom and serves on the Queen’s Bench Division.
Steven Yovits was named chair of the patent practice group with Kelley Drye & Warren in Chicago. Yovits focuses on litigation and counseling, having litigated high-stakes patent cases across the country involving medical devices, consumer products, media and entertainment, computer hardware and software, internet applications, electronics, telephony and wireless technology, and business methods. IAM Patent 1000 selected Yovits for inclusion in The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners, noting that his is “a name for the contact books.” He also has been recognized by Managing Intellectual Property magazine as a Global IP Star consecutively from 2015 through 2020.
NFL Names Smith ’98 Chief People Officer
The National Football League named Dasha Smith ’98 executive vice president and chief people officer in November.
Smith is responsible for all human resource activities, including talent and diversity strategies, workplace culture, compensation and recognition programs, leadership development and succession planning. She reports to Maryann Turcke, the league’s chief operating officer.
“We welcome Dasha to the NFL family,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Her sharp insight, work style and unique experience make her the right person to drive our efforts to grow, engage and inspire our workforce. I am excited about the impact Dasha will have in key areas across our organization, especially diversity and inclusion which is a top priority for our league.”
Smith joined the NFL from Sony Music Entertainment, where she was executive vice president and global chief human resources officer. While at Sony Music, she oversaw global human resources across more than 60 countries.
“It’s a privilege to join the NFL, a world-class organization I have long admired,” Smith said in a statement. “This is a time of groundbreaking evolution, which I am excited to help drive. I look forward to partnering with the executive team to develop a modern and progressive HR strategy that positively impacts the organization.”
Smith serves as co-chair of the Law School’s $400 million Honor the Future capital campaign. She welcomed the UVA Law Class of 2019 as orientation speaker.
Before joining Sony Music, Smith was managing director, office of the chairman and global chief human resources officer for GCM Grosvenor, a global alternative investment firm. Prior to that, she served as Time Inc.’s global head of employee relations, and chief labor and employment counsel.
—Mike Fox
1999
Cortland Kelly Grynwald joined the global retained executive search firm Pearson Partners International as vice president. Grynwald worked as a practicing attorney for more than six years, beginning with Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, in Orlando, Fla., where she gained diverse experience in land use, commercial real estate leasing, commercial and real estate litigation, bankruptcy, creditors’ rights and commercial loan workout matters. She later joined Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal in Dallas, focusing on bankruptcy and commercial litigation. At Pearson Partners, also in Dallas, Grynwald specializes in law firm leadership, general counsels, risk and compliance.
Matthew S. Petersen, former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, joined Holtzman Vogel Josefiak Torchinsky as a partner in Washington, D.C.
Petersen — who was appointed to the FEC by President George W. Bush with unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate—resigned from the FEC in 2019, after serving on the commission for 11 years. Petersen is an expert in election law and a “champion of free speech,” his firm noted.
