Alumni Updates

Updates from Jan. 1 to April 22, 2013

Patrick Blood, '12, joined Atlas Entertainment in legal and business affairs. (March 2013)

Dan Cucchi, '12, has joined the office of California State Senator Ellen Corbett '85, as her principal consultant. (March 2013)

Tony Danielson, '12, has joined the Law Office of Ian Gordon Farmers Insurance Exchange in Santa Rosa as an insurance defense associate. (February 2013)

Dennis Garcia, '12, has joined the Hernandez Strategy Group as a Legislative Advocate. (March 2013)

Deborah Kollars, '12, has joined Remy Moose Manley, LLP, as an associate. (April 2013)

Olena Likhachova, '12, has joined Spector Weir LLP in Sacramento as an associate where her practice will focus on trust and estate litigation. (January 2013)

Aerin Murphy, '12, has joined Flesher McKague LLP as an associate. Murphy will litigate in asbestos, employment, railroad and general litigation matters. (January 2013)

Micaela Neal, '12, has joined McCormick Barstow LLP as an associate in Fresno where she concentrates her practice on insurance coverage matters. (January 2013)

Steve Hansen, '11, was featured in lengthy profile in the Sacramento News & Review. A lobbyist for Genentech, he is a new member of the Sacramento City Council. (January 2013)

Beatriz Berumen, '10, has joined the law firm of Palmer Kazanjian Wohl Hodson as an associate attorney. Berumen primarily represents clients in employment and business litigation matters and also offers general preventive advice to assist her clients in avoiding litigation. (March 2013)

Nicole Legrottaglie, '10, has joined the joined the Sacramento office of Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP as an associate attorney. (March 2013)

Brianna Lierman Hintze, '10, was hired as an associate at Nossaman LLP, where she will provide legal, regulatory and strategic counsel to health care clients. (March 2013)

Lindsey Heaton, '09, has joined Hunt & Jeppson LLP as an associate attorney. (April 2013)

Amber Maltbie, '09, was featured in the Sacramento Business Journal in an article about lobbyists adopting to new political disclosure laws. She is a political law associate with Nossaman LLP in Sacramento. (February 2013)

Serena Longo, '07, was added as director of the Offices Service Group at Bishop Street Commercial (BSC) in Hawaii. (March 2013)

Kerry L. Krueger, '06, has been named partner at the firm Kroloff, Belcher, Smart, Perry & Christopherson. (April 2013)

Katherine Pettibone, '06, Legislative Director for The Civil Justice Association of California, competed for a second year in the EFG Bank Sailing Arabia yacht race, where she trained Omani women in competitive sailing. Pettibone, '06, appeared on The Jeff Probst show April 22, 2013, in the segment "Fearless Females." (April 2013)

Joshua Baker, '05, has been promoted to partner at the Sacramento energy law firm of Day Carter & Murphy. His practice focuses on oil and gas, energy and real estate transactional matters. (January 2013)

Glenda Corcoran, '05, was appointed as a lawyer member to the State Board of Trustees, the governing board of the State Bar of California. The Senate Rules Committee selected the former legislative staffer to serve a three-year term beginning this fall. (February 2013)

Venus Johnson, '05, Deputy district attorney in Alameda County, was appointed by State Attorney General Kamala Harris to the California Commission on Access to Justice, a group charged with finding ways to help low and moderate income residents access the state's civil court system. Johnson will serve on the state commission for a three-year term. (April 2013)

Kimberly Lewellen, '05, has joined Sideman & Bancroft as an associate in San Francisco where she will be a member of the firm's family law group. She was previously with Downey Brand. (January 2013)

William Diedrich, '04, has made partner at Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in the firm's Riverside office. He represents school districts and other public agencies in labor and employment law. (January 2013)

Darrin Lim, '04, has been promoted to partner, effective July 1, at Nielsen Merksamer in Sacramento. He specializes in national compliance issues, advising clients on campaign, lobbying and ethics laws. (January 2013)

Erica Rosasco, '02, has joined Flesher McKague LLP as a partner. Rosasco will represent businesses and insurance companies in employment, casualty and general litigation matters. (January 2013)

Alejandro Angulo, '01, was honored with a Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Maker Award for his community activism and volunteerism by the City of Long Beach. A partner at Rutan & Tucker LLP in Costa Mesa, he was co-counsel for a company that won a $4 million bench decision in an Orange Superior Court case last fall involving fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. (January 2013)

Nathan O'Malley, '00, has joined the Los Angeles office of Gibbs, Giden, Locher, Turner & Senet LLP as senior counsel for the construction and commercial litigation firm. He will continue to work with Conway & Partners NV in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on a number of matters. (January 2013)

Summer M. Smith, '00, has joined Ropers Majeski Kohn & Bentley PC (RMKB) as a partner in the firm's Redwood City office. Previously with Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney, she will practice the firm's business and commercial litigation and professional liability areas. (January 2013)

Thomas Ebersole, '99, was co-counsel for the plaintiff city of Chowchilla, which reached a $300,000 settlement in Sacramento Superior Court in a CEQA dispute with the California High Speed Rail Authority. (January 2013)

Debbie Garcia, '99, has joined Bryant, Lovlien and Jarvis as the firm's administrator. Garcia was formerly the product litigation manager for Jeld-Wen Inc. (April 2013)

Jennifer Scott, '99, was added as of counsel at Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard. Her practice areas include litigation, eminent domain, public agency, and business, intellectual property and environmental law. (March 2013)

Kresta Nora Daly, '98, a partner at Barth Tozer & Daly LLP and one of the few female private defense attorneys in Sacramento, was invited to join the Advisory Task Force of the American Bar Association Commission on Immigration. (January 2013)

Mike Weed, '98, was admitted to partnership at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. He focuses his practice on general litigation and substantial experience in commercial disputes, trade secrets and many other areas of the law. (February 2013)

Staci Campbell Simonton, '97, was named to family law section of the Best Lawyers in America. Also recently cited in Northern California Super Lawyers magazine, she is a principal in the Law Office of Staci C. Simonton in San Francisco. (January 2013)

Ingrid Evans, '95, has been certified as a life member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. A principal in The Evans Law Firm in San Francisco, she litigates cases involving elder financial and physical abuse, financial fraud, securities, consumer fraud and whistleblower claims. (January 2013)

Port Parker, '95, has joined Radoslovich Krogh in Sacramento as a partner. A veteran malpractice and business litigator, he was the first equity partner of the legendary malpractice attorney Ed Freidberg in the firm of Freidberg & Parker LC. (February 2013)

Cristina Shea, '95, has been elected to partnership at Reed Smith in San Francisco. She is a member of the firm's insurance recovery group. (February 2013)

Spencer Skeen, '95, was profiled in the San Diego Business Journal. A partner at Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC, he devotes his practice exclusively to the representation of companies and management in a wide range of labor and employment disputes. (February 2013)

Eugene Ashley ,'94, has been appointed to the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce board of directors, where he will serve on executive committee as legal counsel. A shareholder with Hopkins & Carley in San Jose, he focuses his practice on complex intellectual property, commercial disputes, construction and insurance-related issues. (February 2013)

Mary Dignan, '94, a deaf/blind artist, showcased her work in the SMUD Art Gallery during March 2013 in an installation called "Sensory Perception: an exhibition of mosaics." The exhibition showcases dozens of ceramic tile and mixed media art mosaics. (March 2013)

Adam B. Eggers, '94, has been hired as Senior Program Administrator at Forestdale, in Forest Hills, NY. In this role, he will oversee implementation and evaluation of privately-funded initiatives including Solution Based Casework, personal financial counseling and career development services for youth in foster care. (March 2013)

Cara O'Neill, '94, has opened the Law Offices of Cara O'Neill in Roseville. She was previously with the Ulan Legal Group. (January 2013)

Sandra Rowe, '94, has been named Chief Legal Counsel for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Rowe most recently served as DHS Deputy Chief Legal Counsel for the last seven years providing advice to the Secretary's Office and Division Administrators on legal issues and litigation. (March 2013)

Michael Middleton, '92, has joined Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo as a partner in the employment law and construction law practices in San Francisco. He was previously with Middleton, Young and Minney. (January 2013)

Allison Bates, '91, has been named a referee in the Jackson County Friend of the Court program, an adjunct of Michigan's 4th Judicial Circuit Court. After spending much of her career with the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's office and the Jackson County Prosecutor's office, she has done criminal defense work with Brandt & Decker for the last two years. (January 2013)

Jennifer Cutler, '91, became a life member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Cutler is a partner with Poswall, White & Cutler. (February 2013)

Stan Van Vleck, '91, was honored as the Metro Chamber Volunteer of the Year for 2012 at the Sacramento Metro Chamber's 118th Annual Dinner & Business Awards ceremony. A founder of DiMare, Van Vleck & Brown and partner at Downey Brand who helps run his family's commercial cattle and ranch operation, he worked more than 300 volunteer hours on key issues for the chamber as vice chair of its public policy and economic development committee. (February 2013)

Barbara Brenner, '89, has partnered with several other high-profile attorneys to form Churchwell White LLP in Sacramento. Previously, the environmental law expert was a partner at two major law firms. (January 2013)

Robert Eglet, '88, won an award of $500 million advocating for his three plaintiffs in a civil negligence lawsuit about a Las Vegas Hepatitis C outbreak. This is reported to be the largest award in Nevada history. (April 2013)

Brian Maas, '88, has been selected as the new president for the California New Car Dealers Association. Brian has directed CNCDA's political activities and served as the Association's chief legislative advocate for over 11 years. (March 2013)

Colonel Michael Wells, '88, has been appointed undersecretary at the California Department of Veterans Affairs. Wells has served in multiple positions at the California Military Department since 1991. (March 2013)

Susan Hamlin, '86, has published the eBook A Guide for Family and Friends of Someone Living in Domestic Violence From a Survivor's Perspective. (March 2013)

Morrison England, '83, was honored at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Peace and Justice Awards Dinner in Stockton. A judge of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, he was lauded for outstanding contributions to the advancement of social justice and equality in the University of the Pacific and San Joaquin communities. (January 2013)

Robert Jones, '82, has been named a shareholder at Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart in San Francisco. He is the chair of the firm's California wage-and-hour practice group and co-chair of the national wage-and-hour practice group. (January 2013)

Casey Campbell, '81, has been appointed as a Family District Court Master in Nevada. She is a principal in the Law Office of Casey Campbell PC in Reno. (January 2013)

Sal Gugino, '81, has joined Kolesar & Leatham in Las Vegas as a partner. A past president of the Clark County Bar Association and long-time principal in the Gugino Law Firm Chtd., he is a specialist in complex civil litigation and insurance defense. (January 2013)

Lorne Malkiewich, '81, has joined the public relations, lobbying firm of R&R Partners as director of public policy. Last year, she stepped down as director of the Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau after 18 years of service. (January 2013)

Patricia Tweedy, '81, was the subject of a feature story in the Los Angeles Daily Journal. A veteran defense attorney known for representing hospitals in medical malpractice cases, she became a full-time mediator in 2010 and has earned praise from both sides of the civil litigation bar. (January 2013)

Lynn Dean, '80, recently established The Law Office of Dean & Watters, with Colleen Watters, which specializes in estate planning and elder law. (March 2013)

Richard Glasson, '78, was named the Judge of the Year by the Nevada Judges of Limited Jurisdiction. A Tahoe Township justice of the peace since 2000, he received the award for his commitment to improving the judiciary in Nevada and his assistance to fellow NJLJ members. (February 2013)

Rick Meyer, '78, retired as the El Dorado County Public Defender after working nearly three decades in the office. The lead defense attorney in numerous high-profile cases over the years, he plans to work part-time as a defense attorney in Alpine County. (February 2013)

Mary Muse, '78, was profiled in the Placerville Mountain Democrat. The El Dorado Hills attorney has practiced law for 35 years, including service as an El Dorado Superior Court commissioner. She also has served on the Buckeye Union and El Dorado Union High School boards of trustees. (January 2013)

Lawrence Schwartz, '78, has been appointed to the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust. The former judge won election to Dade County Court in 1991 and later served on the state Circuit Court for 16 years until his retirement from the bench at the end of last year. (February 2013)

David Boyd, '76, has joined Porter Scott in Sacramento in an "of counsel" capacity where his practice focuses on defense of a variety of professionals. (January 2013)

Dennis Seley, '74, has joined Reynolds Maddux LLP in Auburn in an "of counsel" capacity, and his practice now focuses on business law, product liability and real estate. (January 2013)

In Memoriam

Jean McEvoy, '83, passed away at age 69 on April 14, 2013. She started her own successful solo practice in 1998, and practiced law in the areas of estates, trusts, and conservatorships. She was recognized by attorney-rating firm Martindale-Hubbell as one of the top lawyers in her field.

Merrill Cutler McCarthy, '85, passed away at age 52 on March 8, 2013, after a yearlong illness. She and her husband, Stephen P. McCarthy '85, were married in 1987 and are grateful to have celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. She will be remembered for her quick wit and love of the law.

Roy "Bucky" Levin, '62, died after a short illness at the age of 81 in Sacramento on Dec. 10, 2012. A former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, he operated the Law Offices of Roy R. Levin in downtown Sacramento and Elk Grove for nearly half a century. His death came just one month shy of his 50th year anniversary as an active member of the State Bar.

Tiffanie Kalmbach, '93, died at the age of age of 45 in Piedmont on Dec. 10, 2012. She worked for several major firms in the Bay Area, including Ropers Majeski and Crosby Heafey. Diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1997, she left the practice of law and worked for Michael Maguire & Associates while remaining active in her community.

Brian Andelin, '75, died of chronic lymphocytic leukemia at the age of 64 on Dec. 3, 2012, in Pierce City, Missouri. He was admitted to the State Bar of California following law school, but for most of his legal career he practiced law in Mesa, Arizona. He also lived in Texas, Missouri and Oregon.

John Hawkins, '75, died of heart failure at the age of 77 in Reno on Nov. 28, 2012. A major benefactor and loyal alumnus of Pacific McGeorge, he practiced law for more than 35 years in northern Nevada. He also served as a Nevada Supreme Court settlement judge.

Jeffrey Kohan, '81, died at the age of 56 on Nov. 22, 2012, in Northbrook, Illinois. He practiced law in the greater Chicago area for 25 years, many of them with the prominent bankruptcy firm of Zalutsky & Pinski Ltd.