“Award/Recognition” Class Notes
Peter Curry (Grad ’74)
Peter Curry (Grad ’74) was selected to the 2017 New York Metro Super Lawyers list in the category of real estate. Mr. Curry is a lawyer with the firm Farrell Fritz.
Thomas Ammons (Col ’66, Law ’69 CM)
Thomas M. Ammons, III (Col ’66, Law ’69 L/M) has been recognized for his contribution to animal welfare as a volunteer and as a district court judge by the Norfolk, Virginia, SPCA, who has named an award for him. The Thomas M. Ammons III Award for Animal Welfare will be given annually in the fall and will alternate each year between regional/state and state/national recipients to recognize individuals who made a difference in animal protection and welfare.
As a judge, Mr. Ammons made national headlines when he sentenced a man to jail for killing a kitten in 1989. At that time, it was unheard of and considered extremely harsh for the cruelty of killing an animal. Judge Ammons is a former board member of the Virginia Beach SPCA, regularly volunteered to help at the shelter, traveled out of state to rescue animals following Hurricane Katrina and became government certified in large animal rescue.
Randy Underwood (Law ’79)
Randy Underwood (Law ’79) was recognized in the 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in the financial services regulation law and real estate law fields. Mr. Underwood resides in Greensboro, North Carolina, and works at the law firm, Brooks Pierce.
Bob Saunders (Law ’87)
Bob Saunders (Law ’87) was recognized in the 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in the litigation and controversy law fields. Mr. Saunders works in North Carolina at the law firm, Brooks Pierce.
Jeff Oleynik (Law ’83 CM)
Jeff Oleynik (Law ’83 L/M) was recognized in the 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in the antitrust law and bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law fields. Mr. Oleynik resides in Greensboro, North Carolina, and works at the law firm, Brooks Pierce.
Bill McNairy (Darden ’67)
Bill McNairy (Darden ’67) was recognized in the 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in the tax law and trust and estates law fields. Mr. McNairy resides in Greensboro, North Carolina, and works at the law firm, Brooks Pierce.
Patrick Johnson (Col ’91, Law ’94 CM)
Patrick Johnson (Col ’91, Law ’94) was recognized in the 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in corporate law and mergers and acquisitions law. Mr. Johnson resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, and works at the law firm, Brooks Pierce.
George House (Law ’72)
George House (Law ’72) was recognized in the 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in the environmental law field. Mr. House resides in Greensboro, NC and works at the law firm, Brooks Pierce.
Mark Davidson (Law ’83)
Mark Davidson (Law ’83) was recognized in the 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in the corporate law, mergers and acquisitions law and securities/capital markets law fields. Mr. Davidson resides in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he works for the firm Brooks Pierce.
Melissa Weaver (Law ’85)
Melissa Weaver (Law ’85 L/M) was recognized in the 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for her work in the field of employee benefits law. Ms. Weaver lives in North Carolina and works at the leading law firm, Brooks Pierce.
Bill Cary (Col ’67, Darden ’76, Law ’76 CM)
Bill Cary (Col ’67, Darden ’76, Law ’76) was recognized in the 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© for his work in the employment law field. Mr. Cary resides in Greensboro, North Carolina, where works for the law firm Brooks Pierce.
Christopher D’Angelo (Col ’75, Law ’78)
Christopher D’Angelo (Col ’75, Law ’78 L/M) was a speaker at the 2017 spring technical meeting of the International Alliance of Asbestos & Pollution Reinsurers (IntAP) in Munich in June 2017. IntAP is made up of the major players in the reinsurance world facing pollution and asbestos issues, primarily in the U.S. and Europe. His presentation and seminar included providing the U.S. experience, exposures and prognosis, giving insights to assist the companies in writing risks and handling claims. Mr. D’Angelo, who was a contributing author to the Defense Counsel Training Manual, published in 2016 by the International Association of Defense Counsel, was also the moderator and a speaker on “Data Privacy – No More Safe Harbour: Cross-Border Discovery and Compliance with Data Protection Laws” at the International Corporate Counsel College (ICCC) in October 2016. Mr. D’Angelo is on the faculty of the ICCC, of which he is a founder and a former director. The ICCC, which is held in Europe each fall, draws participants from around the world. Finally, Mr. D’Angelo was elected to a second term on the board of directors of Citizens Diplomacy International of Philadelphia, a public/private partnership with the U.S. Department of State and the City of Philadelphia. CDI’s mission is to promote mutual understanding among nations and prevent wars by bringing people face to face and creating a dialogue between Americans and guests from abroad. Mr. D’Angelo is chairman of the international practice and co-chairman of the products liability, mass claims and risk management section at Montgomery, McCracken, Walker and Rhoads in Philadelphia and New York.
John Hudgins (Col ’72 CM)
John “Skip” Hudgins (Col ’72 L/M) was listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2018 for his work in personal injury litigation for defendants and medical malpractice law for defendants.
Lee Roberts (Col ’83 CM)
Lee Roberts (Col ’83 L/M) was named a 2018 “Lawyer of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in America for his work in construction litigation in Las Vegas.
Shawn Arent (Col ’95 CM)
Shawn Arent (Col ’95 L/M) is the director of the Rutgers Center for Health & Human Performance. He recently received the 2017 Outstanding Sport Scientist of the Year Award from the National Strength & Conditioning Association and was elected president of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Anthony Russell (Col ’96, Law ’99 CM)
Anthony M. “Tony” Russell (Col ’96, Law ’99 L/M) was named a “Lawyer of the Year” in medical malpractice law by The Best Lawyers in America for Roanoke, Virginia. Mr. Russell is a lawyer with Gentry Locke in Roanoke.
Howard Gordon (Col ’69, Law ’72 CM)
Howard Gordon (Col ’69, Law ’72 L/M) was one of 30 people named to the 2017 class of “Leaders in the Law” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. His practice focuses on commercial and multi-family real estate, commercial leases, ground leases, land use planning and permits. He has also been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America and Virginia Super Lawyers. He practices with Williams Mullen.
Dawes Cooke (Col ’76 CM)
M. Dawes Cooke Jr. (Col 76 L/M) has been recognized as the Charleston, South Carolina, 2018 Mediation “Lawyer of the Year” by the 2018 Best Lawyers in America list. This is the seventh “Lawyer of the Year” title for Mr. Cooke, who works for Barnwell Whaley.
Jill Tietjen (Engr ’76 CM)
Jill Tietjen (Engr 76 L/M) was recognized as a 20th anniversary Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of Colorado. Ms. Tietjen was honored for her advocacy for women and girls. She is the president and CEO of Technically Speaking, Inc.
John Hewson (Col ’65 CM)
John M. Hewson III (Col ’65 L/M) a partner at business law firm HunterMaclean was recently selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2018 under the category of Corporate Law. He was also recognized by Best Lawyers as “Lawyer of the Year” for corporate law within his region. Best Lawyers, which is published annually in almost 70 countries, recognizes attorneys for significant achievements in their area of practice.
Frank Macgill (Com ’91)
Frank S. Macgill (Com ’91), a partner at business law firm HunterMaclean, was recently selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2018 under the category of tax law and trust and estates. Mr. Macgill was also recognized by Best Lawyers as “Lawyer of the Year” for his region, also under trusts and estates. He was also recognized by the 2018 Georgia Super Lawyers for his work in corporate law.
Christine Bachas (Col ’95)
Christine Bachas (Col ’95) has been named vice president of the UVA Entertainment Club of Los Angeles (UVAELA.) She is also the co-chair of UVAELA’s Outreach Initiative, a program to connect students and alumni with UVA alumni working in entertainment. Ms. Bachas is an Emmy-nominated producer and currently works at Saatchi & Saatchi, an advertising agency. She lives with her husband and son in Los Angeles.
Jamie Dreher (Col ’96)
Jamie Dreher (Col ’96), a partner at Downey Brand, was recognized as a 2017 Top Lawyer by Sacramento Magazine. The list of Top Lawyers was compiled from votes from licensed attorneys throughout the region recommending colleagues in more than 50 legal disciplines. He was also named Best of the Bar 2017 and included in Best Lawyers in America 2018.
Jay Waldron (Grad ’68, Law ’74 CM)
Jay Waldron (Grad ’68, Law ’74 L/M) is being inducted into the 2017 U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame. He began his rugby career while in graduate school at the University of Virginia, where he served as president and captain of the team. He played for the Portland RFC before playing for the Portland Old Boars and the Owls until 1998.
Mr. Waldron has been recognized for his professional accomplishments as an attorney for Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt. In addition, he has been a triathlete and a university boxing champion. He has taken adventure motorcycle and rafting trips on six continents. Mr. Waldron received his master’s degree from UVA in 1968 and a law degree in 1974. He has been married to his wife, Karen, for 48 years. They have a son, Shane, who coaches for the Los Angeles Rams.
Cheryl Brown Davis (Educ ’90)
Cheryl Brown Davis (Educ ’90 L/M) was crowned Ms. Virginia Senior America in June, 2017. She will compete in the Ms. Senior America pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey in October, 2017.
Monica Dell’Osso (Grad ’89)
Monica Dell’Osso (Grad ’89) has been selected as a 2017 Super Lawyer by Northern California Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters rating service and publication. She has also been selected to the 2018 edition of Best Lawyers in America. Ms. Dell’Osso is a partner with Oakland, California-based law firm Wendel Rosen Black & Dean LLP, focusing her practice on sophisticated estate and gift tax planning, estate and trust administration and contested matters in estates and trusts.
Robert Light (Col ’76 CM)
Cham Light (Col ’76 L/M) has been re-appointed to the Board of the Library of Virginia by Governor McAullfie. He is the third different VA Governor who has appointed Cham to the Board. Cham just finished his second five year term on the Board having served two terms as Chair, from 2015–2017.
John Johnson (Col ’79 CM)
John “Johnny” Johnson (Col ’79 L/M) has been named a National Law Journal Energy & Environmental Trailblazer for 2017. Each year, the publication recognizes lawyers who have had a career-long impact in energy and environmental law. After extensive vetting and interviewing, the National Law Journal selected a handful of attorneys out of hundreds of nominations. Mr. Johnson is profiled alongside the other honorees in the June 6 issue.
Mr. Johnson was one of the first lawyers in the Southeast to focus on environmental litigation. For decades, his book, The Pesticide Litigation Manual, has been a go-to reference for defense and plaintiffs’ lawyers across the country handling environmental cases. It is still in print today as Defending Pesticides in Litigation.
Mr. Johnson is a founding partner of Lightfoot, Franklin & White, LLC in Birmingham, Alabama.
When the firm was founded, Mr. Johnson handled all of Monsanto’s pesticide cases in the Southeast — setting precedents that shaped future litigation around the country. He was also the lead lawyer for the state of Alabama in its groundbreaking and headline-grabbing water rights dispute with Georgia,State of Alabama v. United States Army Corps of Engineers. His efforts led to an historic agreement between Alabama, Georgia and Florida to study and manage their shared water resources.
Kerry Notestine (Grad ’85, Law ’83 CM)
Kerry E. Notestine (Law ’83, Grad ’85 L/M) was one of five attorneys from Littler, an employment and labor law practice where Mr. Notestine is a shareholder and co-chair of the business restructuring practice group, to be elected as fellows of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Election as a fellow is the highest recognition by one’s colleagues of sustained outstanding performance in the profession, demonstrating integrity, dedication and excellence. Mr. Notestine has also written a book on trials of employment law cases, Employment Law Trials: A Practical Guide. He lives in Houston.
Marvin Heinze (Arch ’79 CM)
Marvin Heinze (Arch ’79 L/M) has been selected as the Pacific Fleet Federal Leader, Supervisor and Manager of the Year. Mr. Heinze is the Deputy Director, Operations and Plans for the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center, Mine Warfare Task Force in San Diego. He focuses on facilitating interagency cooperation to defend ports, harbors and waterways of the United States. The Honolulu-Pacific Federal Executive Board sponsored the May 6, 2017 award ceremony in Honolulu to recognize top performers in multiple categories. Mileka Lincoln of Hawaii News Now congratulated the recipients.
Paul Roberts (Grad ’67)
Paul Craig Roberts (Grad ’67) has been awarded the top honor of Marquis Who’s Who in the World, the Lifetime Achievement Award, along with former Secretary of State Colin Powell, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Scott Kellermann (Col ’67 CM)
Scott Kellermann (Col ’67 L/M) recently retired from the Western Sierra clinic in Grass Valley, California, a clinic that he founded in 1986. He received the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine’s Distinguished Alumni award in April of 2017. He was awarded a 2017-2018 Fulbright Scholarship to teach at the Uganda Nursing School, which he founded. He has recently taken a part-time position as an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco. He resonates with the quote “the trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off.”
Christopher Payne (Col ’81 CM)
Christopher K. Payne (Col ’81 L/M) has been elected Chair of the Worldwide Fistula Fund (WFF) Board of Directors. An expert in female urology, Dr. Payne joined the WFF in 2012 and has provided valuable leadership as the organization expands into new regions of the developing world. Dr. Payne travels to WFF programs in Ethiopia and Niger and provides expert instruction and surgeries each year
In collaboration with Dr. Itengre Ouedraogo, WFF FIGO certified fistula surgeon in Niger, Dr. Payne recently published two papers related to programs at Danja Fistula Center–a six month follow-up study of over 300 fistula patients and a report of 10 cases in which fistulas were caused by Female Genital Mutilation.
Dr. Payne will help further the mission of WFF to protect and restore the health and dignity of the world’s most vulnerable women by preventing and treating childbirth injuries. Founded in 1995, Worldwide Fistula Fund strategically partners with local organizations and institutions to enable Africans to solve their own problems in meeting their women’s health care needs. We support girls and women to recover and build new lives after devastating childbirth injuries.
Although childbirth injuries like obstetric fistula are both preventable and treatable, an estimated one million girls and women currently suffer from this injury in the developing world. Caused by prolonged, obstructed labor, obstetric fistula leaves a woman incontinent. Watch Irene’s story. In addition to treatment, WFF provides social reintegration services and promotes prevention through doctor & community health advocacy training to improve the overall safety of childbirth. WFF also treats women with pelvic organ prolapse, another devastating childbirth injury.
Dr. Payne is also currently an elected Trustee of the International Continence Society and a member of the ICS Developing World Committee. Originally from West Virginia, Dr. Payne graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Virginia. He earned his MD at Vanderbilt University and completed his urology residency at The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Following his fellowship in Female Urology, Urodynamics, and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery at the University of California Los Angeles, Dr. Payne joined Stanford University in 1993 to launch their program in Female Urology and NeuroUrology. He left Stanford in 2014 as Emeritus Professor having published over 100 articles and book chapters during his tenure there.
Dr. Payne co-founded Vista Urology and Pelvic Pain Partners in San Jose, CA where he continues to focus his work in female urology.
J. Rudy Austin (Col ’64, Law ’67 CM)
J. Rudy Austin (Col ’64, Law ’67 L/M), partner at Gentry Locke Attorneys in Roanoke, Virginia, celebrated 50 years at the firm. Mr. Austin, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, The American Bar Foundation and the Virginia Law Foundation, focuses his practice in the areas of insurance defense, insurance coverage, workers’ compensation, construction and legal ethics. He is a recipient of the 2007 Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys’ Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation, its highest honor.
“We are proud of Rudy’s contributions to Gentry Locke, his generous role as mentor and partner, and of the honorable way that he has practiced law for 50 years,” said Monica Taylor Monday, managing partner of the firm. “Rudy exemplifies what is best in Virginia lawyers. He is wise, is courteous to everyone with whom he deals, maintains the highest standards of professionalism and ethics, and is fiercely committed to his clients. With more than 50 years in practice, Rudy is also a virtual encyclopedia of legal knowledge, and has devoted thousands of hours to mentoring young lawyers at Gentry Locke.”
Kevin Holt (Col ’93, Law ’97 CM)
Kevin Holt (Col ’93, Law ’97 L/M), partner at Gentry Locke Attorneys in Roanoke, Virginia, has assumed the role of president of the Roanoke Bar Association. Mr. Holt focuses his practice on commercial, employment and intellectual property litigation. He represents companies and individuals in business and contract disputes, including complex financial and real estate matters. He was named to Best Lawyers in America in commercial litigation in 2016.
Russell Cain (Engr ’81 CM)
Russell Paul Cain (Engr ’81 L/M) became the twenty-seventh person to be named an Applied Physics Laboratory Master Inventor at Johns Hopkins University on May 10, 2017. He received the award in recognition for his 10 issued U.S. patents while employed at the lab, where he is principal professional staff. His patents focus on sensor integration and application in a variety of fields. Learn more about his work and the award in this video.
Stephen Pudner (Col ’03 CM)
Stephen K. Pudner (Col ’03 L/M) has been named a shareholder in Baker Donelson’s Birmingham, Alabama office. Mr. Pudner is a real estate and construction attorney with a dual transactional and litigation focus that uniquely prepares him to proactively help his clients avoid risks and reach creative solutions to their real estate and construction needs. He has experience advising clients in the acquisition, sale, and leasing of commercial and multi-family real estate developments, and representing owner-developers and contractors in negotiating and drafting complex construction contracts and navigating contractor licensing laws. He is also experienced in protecting and enforcing the rights of owners, lenders, and contractors in state and federal lawsuits resulting from construction projects and real property disputes. A cum laude graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law, Mr. Pudner received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia. He is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and has been listed as a “Rising Star” by Mid-South Super Lawyers since 2014.
Lee Roberts (Col ’83 CM)
Lee Roberts (Col ’83 L/M), a Partner with Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial, a national litigation boutique firm, was selected to the 2017 Super Lawyers List for his work in Construction Litigation.
Craig Iffland (Col ’07)
Craig Iffland (Col ’07) has been named a 2017 Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellow by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. The award recognizes doctoral candidates in the humanities and the social sciences addressing ethical and religious values. Mr. Iffland is a doctoral candidate in the department of theology at the University of Notre Dame.
Melissa Baralt (Col ’03 CM), Natalie Brio (Col ’05 CM)
Melissa Baralt (Col ’03 L/M), Natalie Brito (Col ’05 L/M) are members of the winning team in the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Bridging the Word Gap Challenge. Along with Ashley Darcy Mahoney of George Washington University, they developed Háblame Bebé, a mobile app designed to reduce the word gap for Hispanic children that promotes Spanish-English bilingualism. The word gap is the difference between the number of words children from low-income families learn compared to children from high-income families. The goal of the challenge was the development of a tool to help parents and caregivers talk and engage more with young children and help close the word gap.
James Strawbridge (Law ’87)
James “Jim” Strawbridge (Law ’87) was inducted into Virginia Tech’s Academy of Engineering Excellence, a group of alumni who are recognized for achieving exceptional career success. Mr. Strawbridge works as an independent consultant and serves as an advisor to a number of technology companies. He began his career practicing law with the firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he became a partner, and has held executive positions in several companies, including the biotechnology company Stemcentrx.
Thomas Pettigrew (Col ’52)
In May at the annual Harvard Commencement festivities, Thomas F. Pettigrew (Col ’52) received the Centennial Medal of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The award is given in recognition of a “significant contribution to society as a result of [his] graduate education at Harvard.” Pettigrew received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Harvard in 1956, and taught at Harvard from 1957-1980. The Graduate School Dean Meng described Pettigrew as having “…devoted his life to confronting …racism, discrimination, and prejudice and laid the groundwork for ideas that are now fundamental to the way we think about prejudice in the United States and around the world.”
Mike Lynn (Col ’72 CM)
Mike Lynn (Col ’72) of commercial boutique Texas litigation firm Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst has been named to “Best Lawyers in America” for six consecutive years. Mr. Lynn has also been recognized as a “Litigation Star” for five consecutive years and one of the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America” from 2015-2017 by Benchmark Litigation. Mr. Lynn has been named one of the “Top 500 Lawyers in the US” by Lawdragon in 2015 and consistently ranked in Chambers and Partners.
Mr. Lynn recently obtained a $146 million jury verdict for Mesa Petroleum (an entity controlled by T. Boone Pickens), making it the third consecutive year the firm has obtained one of the largest jury verdicts in the United States. In 2014, Mr. Lynn lead a team that recovered a jury verdict of over 900 million dollars. Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst was recently named as one of the Top 10 Litigation Boutiques in America by Benchmark Litigation, as one of the 2017 Best Law Firms by Best Lawyers, and one of the Top 10 Commercial Litigation Firms by Chambers and Partners.
Vincent Ning (Col ’15 CM), Michael Paris (Engr ’15 CM)
Vincent C. Ning (Col ’15 L/M) and Michael L. Paris (Engr ’15 L/M) have been accepted into the start-up incubator Y Combinator. They are the founders of Scaphold.io, an app development platform based on Facebook’s GraphQL technology.
Paul Verkuil (Law ’67)
Paul Verkuil (Law ’67) received an honorary degree from the College of William & Mary at the college’s 2017 commencement ceremony. Mr. Verkuil has practiced law in New York City and served in a number of administrative and faculty roles at the College of William & Mary, Tulane University Law School and the Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School at Yeshiva University. He also served a five-year term as chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States, an independent advisory group that makes recommendations to Congress and federal agencies about the regulatory process.
Norman Askins (Arch ’68 CM)
Norman D. Askins (Arch ’68 L/M) has received the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art’s 2017 Board of Directors Award, one of the institute’s Arthur Ross Awards for Excellence in the Classical Tradition. Mr. Askins established his architecture practice in Atlanta in 1977. He has specialized in historic preservation, period residences, vacation cottages and plantations, as well as additions to existing homes. In 2014, he published a book about his work, Inspired by Tradition: The Architecture of Norman Davenport Askins (The Monacelli Press).
Megan Durkee (Col ’10, Law ’15)
Megan Durkee (Col ’10, Law ’15) has been awarded the University of Virginia School of Law’s Powell Fellowship in Legal Services. The fellowship will support her work with the Legal Aid Justice Center’s JustChildren program in Richmond, Virginia.
Stephen O’Brien (Engr ’98 CM)
Stephen Sean O’Brien (Engr ’98 L/M) received the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s 2016 Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance of the Year Award. He received the award for leading the DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge, a machine-only cyber hacking tournament. He was responsible for the logistical, physical and operational aspects of the event. Mr. O’Brien is the vice president and director of operations of Strategic Engineering Systems, a defense consulting firm in Arlington, Virginia.
David Brienza (Engr ’91)
David Michael Brienza (Engr ’91) won the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel’s 2017 Kosiak Award. The award honors contributions to the prevention or management of of pressure injuries through research, education or patient care.
Teresa Bazemore (Col ’81 CM)
Teresa Bryce Bazemore (Col ’81 L/M) received the 2017 Paradigm Award from The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. The award is the most prestigious award given to one professional woman each year in the Greater Philadelphia area.
Top