Class Notes: Spring 2026

TOM SCHAUMBERG, a Holocaust survivor, wrote that in December 2023 he was honored to be appointed to the negotiating committee of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, on which he has now served for two years. “The Claims Conference, in cooperation with the German government, has been able to distribute billions of dollars worldwide to support needy survivors of the Holocaust,” he wrote. “While the number of survivors has declined, the needs of those still receiving care to allow them to live in dignity have grown. The chair of the committee, STUART EIZENSTAT ’67, has had a prodigious influence on the outcome of these continuing, annual negotiations.

MICHAEL J. POLLACK, an entertainment lawyer who served as general counsel to major record labels for decades, wrote that he was inducted into the T.J. Martell Foundation Circle of Legends at the foundation’s 50th anniversary gala in New York City last September, which raised $2 million for cancer research, according to Billboard. Among the others who were honored at the event was CLIVE DAVIS ’56, a legendary music executive. The new award recognizes individuals who have championed the foundation’s mission to bring the music industry together to fund cancer research.

EUGENE VAN LOAN wrote that in October he attended his second “No Kings” rally in Peterborough, New Hampshire: “The rally, like its predecessor in June, was entirely peaceful and respectful. There were many ingenious signs, but my favorite read ‘Nobody paid me to be here.’ That epitomized the protesters, including myself.” The lifelong New Hampshire resident, now in his 80s, noted that before these rallies, he had never attended a protest rally of any kind, including during the Vietnam War. “I loved America before and I love it now. But the fact that I still love America doesn’t mean that I have to blindly go along with its current leaders or their policies. Donald Trump was elected to be a president of the United States, which means a leader who is delegated certain powers authorized by the Constitution, but who is also constrained from exercising other powers by that same Constitution. The Constitution does not give anyone a blank check. I am proud to have participated in my local ‘No Kings’ rallies. Democracy is still alive and well in America.”

LEW PAPER wrote that his book “Legacy of Lies,” a historical thriller that revolves around Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance, was published in 2025, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of that event. “It focuses on the forces involved — Bobby Kennedy’s vendetta against Hoffa when he was attorney general, President Richard Nixon’s bid for re-election in 1972, and, last but not least, the Mafia. It’s a fast-paced thriller which raises new questions about the reasons for Hoffa’s abduction.” Paper added, “The book was selected as a finalist for Best Thriller by the National Indie Excellence Awards.”

LAWRENCE S. EBNER, founding member of Capital Appellate Advocacy and executive vice president and general counsel at the Atlantic Legal Foundation, received the John Appleman Award from the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel last summer. The award honors the law section chair who has made the most outstanding contribution to the advancement of the FDCC’s educational goals through the work of their section. Ebner, chair of the federation’s appellate law section since 2023, has been actively involved in creating FDCC publications and presentations, and networking opportunities, on a variety of appellate law topics.

JONATHAN BOCKIAN’s debut novel, “What Was Forbidden,” was published in October by Künraht Press. Set in the Venice Ghetto in 1672, this work of historical fiction, he wrote, is inspired by the memorial in a synagogue in the ghetto to a man who was “slaughtered like a lamb.” The novel’s tag line, he added, is “When faith, freedom and obedience collide, one woman risks everything to remain true to herself and to the brother she loved.”

JAN TING wrote that he and his two classmates RAY MABUS and TONY CHAN attended their 50th law school reunion last fall. All three classmates are now retired: Chan from his own Honolulu law firm; Mabus after serving as governor of Mississippi, U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and most recently U.S. Navy secretary; and Ting from Temple University School of Law, where he is now professor emeritus.

ROBERT LONG, a shareholder at Littler Mendelson (Chicago/Columbus, Ohio), has been elected to the firm’s board of directors. He is the founder of Littler’s business restructuring practice group.

PETER LAWSON JONES wrote that his new film, “The Last Shop on Walnut,” has been released. The story centers on Marvin Statler (played by Jones), who hasn’t left his apartment above the lamp repair shop he owns for over 15 years and, suddenly forced to sell the shop, is confronted with ghosts of his past when a family member enters his life. Jones is an executive producer, co-producer, co-casting director, and co-legal counsel on the film. Read more about the film in this September 2025 Deadline story: bit.ly/PeterLawsonJones.

RAYMOND ANGELO BELLIOTTI has published his 27th book, “Individualism and Community: The Startling Roles of Authenticity and Honor in Living Meaningfully” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025).

JAMES B. MANN is now special counsel at Harris Beach Murtha, where he has joined the tax practice group, corporate practice  group, and cannabis industry team. He has worked extensively in the renewable energy, financial services, cannabis, and health care sectors, and he counsels clients on complex corporate, partnership, and international tax issues. He is based in the firm’s Rochester, New York, office.

In the fall, the UC Davis Law Review held a symposium titled “Celebrating Dean KEVIN R. JOHNSON: Honoring a Legacy of Transformative Scholarship and Leadership.” The longest-serving dean of the University of California, Davis School of Law, Johnson served for 16 years, through 2024. The symposium celebrated his contributions
to and impact on the intersection of immigration law and race, leadership in legal education, diversity of the legal academy, and the advancement of justice through civil procedure. CHRISTOPHER CAMERON, CHRISTIANA OCHOA ’98, and RAQUEL ALDANA ’97 participated in the event.

After almost four decades as a practicing disability civil rights attorney, LINDA D. KILB retired last fall from the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, where she was director of the organization’s California Legal Services Trust Fund Support Center Program. Since her retirement, Kilb has been working on developing the American Timelines Project, a wide-ranging interdisciplinary history initiative to make U.S. legislative and executive primary sources more accessible. She welcomes connection and collaboration at Kilb.American.Timelines@gmail.com.

ALLEN K. ROBERTSON was the 2025 recipient of the National Association of Bond Lawyers’ Frederick O. Kiel Distinguished Service Award, honored for his service to the organization spanning decades. Robertson is a public finance attorney at Robinson Bradshaw in Charlotte, North Carolina, which he led as managing partner from 2015 until last year. For more than 30 years, he has advised nonprofit health care providers and educational institutions on tax-exempt and taxable financings and strategic transactions.

AMEEK ASHOK PONDA, a partner at Sullivan & Worcester in Boston, wrote: “In March 2026 I began my term as president of the American College of Tax Counsel, which follows my service on the ACTC Board of Regents and roles as vice president and secretary-treasurer. This spring semester, I’ve resumed my role as lecturer on law with Harvard Law School. I also continue to enjoy my role as adjunct professor with the Boston University School of Law Graduate Tax Program, where I’ve been teaching for over 25 years. And in publication news, last year my essay ‘Back to the Future for Taxation’ appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of Daedalus, the online journal of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, in which I speculated on the future of taxation from the year 2075.”

CATHY HAMPTON is now a partner at Greenspoon Marder in both the corporate and the entertainment and sports practice groups in the Atlanta office. Her practice focuses on brand partnerships and strategic counsel for athletes, creatives, and corporations navigating complex legal and business landscapes. As former city attorney for the city of Atlanta, Hampton offers private- and public-sector experience to her clients. She led an award-winning law department responsible for operations ranging from the city’s water utility to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

JASON LEVINE wrote that after a “rewarding and enjoyable” move into commercial litigation finance, he has returned to private practice. He’s a partner in the antitrust and competition and litigation practice areas at Foley & Lardner in Washington, D.C.

JENNY ANDREWS, a public defender in California since 1996, wrote in October: “I have formed the national nonprofit BeSustained to support the well-being of public defenders. BeSustained is currently conducting a national study of public defense well-being. I also work in California and nationwide as a trainer of zealous, client-centered, and resilient public defenders.

STEPHEN COX is now managing partner of Robinson Bradshaw in Charlotte, North Carolina (taking the helm from ALLEN ROBERTSON ’88 last year). Cox joined the firm in 1997, became a shareholder in 2003, and began serving on the firm’s board of directors in 2011. He represents business clients in the litigation and arbitration of complex commercial matters, focusing on construction, employment, and corporate governance disputes, and he regularly serves as an arbitrator and mediator.

After becoming the fourth dean at Qatar University College of Law in 2022, TALAL ABDULLA AL-EMADI LL.M. was appointed a judge in Qatar International Court last year. Al-Emadi is a founding faculty member of Qatar University College of Law and an expert in energy law. Ten years after graduating, he returned to HLS as a visiting scholar and did research at the Harvard Law School Project on Disability.

ROGER BEARDEN became a partner at Bond, Schoeneck & King earlier this year and works in the health care practice in the firm’s Albany, New York, office. His practice includes administrative and regulatory advocacy as well as litigation challenging agency actions that exceed statutory authority. In addition, he advises health and human services providers across developmental disability, mental health, substance abuse, and other services. Before joining Bond, Bearden held senior leadership roles in New York state government, including special counsel to the governor and executive deputy commissioner and general counsel for the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.

In January, MICHELLE LERNER wrote: “After a 20-year career in public interest law (legal services, environmental, and animal law), I had to retire in 2017 due to disabling chronic illness. While practicing, I got an M.F.A. in poetry from the New School and periodically published poetry. Once I could no longer practice law, I started focusing more on my writing. My debut novel, ‘Ring’ (Bancroft Press), came out last January [2025] and was long-listed for the 2026 Aspen Words Literary Prize for influential fiction addressing vital contemporary issues. This is a major U.S. literary award, previously won by strong>MOHSIN HAMID ’97. I also have a memoir coming out in October titled ‘A Series of Opinionated Animals,’ which is framed by my attendance at HLS. It includes the story behind my founding the student animal law group and lobbying for HLS’s first animal law class.”

ALEC WALEN is the author of “Punishment, Penalty, and Incapacitation: A Dignity-Respecting Model of Targeted Restrictions of Liberty for Liberal States.” The book addresses questions about liberty, security, and state power and offers practical reforms for states seeking to respond to security threats. Walen is a Distinguished Professor at Rutgers Law School and co-director of the Rutgers Institute for Law and Philosophy.

KEVIN COLAN joined Lowenstein Sandler in 2025 as a partner in its tax practice, based in the firm’s New York office. He previously was a partner at Clifford Chance US in New York. He works with clients to devise tax strategies for mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures of public and private companies, as well as advising on structuring investment management and their funds and investments. Colan is a former FBI special agent.

CHRISTOPHER MCNEILL, a partner at Blank Rome, now serves as co-chair of the firm’s Dallas office.

ROD GANSKE is now a partner at Atlanta law firm Krevolin Horst. A member of the firm’s litigation practice group, he helps clients resolve complex civil litigation matters with a focus on antitrust and procurement matters including bid protests. Prior to joining KH, he was a litigation partner at Alston & Bird.

UCLA School of Law Professor ANNA SPAIN BRADLEY, an expert in international law, international dispute resolution, and human rights, has been appointed to the MacArthur Foundation Chair in International Justice and Human Rights at the law school.

JENNIFER A. YASHAR joined Gibson Dunn’s New York office in the fall as a partner in the real estate practice group. Her real estate commercial leasing practice focuses on headquarters and other complex leases on behalf of preeminent landlords and
tenants.

ADAM FEE joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges in the fall as a partner in the complex commercial litigation practice in Los Angeles. A former national security prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, he advises Fortune 100 companies and high-profile individuals facing serious legal challenges.

In the fall, the Texas Supreme Court appointed ZINA BASH, chief legal officer of Base Power Co., to a three-year term on the Texas Access to Justice Foundation board of directors. The foundation provides grant funding for civil legal aid in Texas. At Base Power, Bash was the founding attorney, charged with establishing the legal department of the energy technology company. She previously was senior counsel to the Texas attorney general and worked in the White House and for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, in addition to clerking on the U.S. Supreme Court and the D.C. Circuit.

MATT BOCH of Kutak Rock in Little Rock was named the Lawrence L. Lasser Tax Judge of the Year for 2025 for his service as chief commissioner of the Arkansas Tax Appeals Commission. The award, presented jointly by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the National Conference of State Tax Judges, recognizes special service to the public in dispute resolution tax matters.

SHAILESH “SHAI” SAHAY joined Bracewell’s environment, lands, and resources department last year as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office. Sahay advises companies on major energy transition matters and engages in environmental compliance counseling, enforcement defense, and regulatory advocacy on all major federal environmental statutes. He was previously with Baker Botts and began his career as a staff scientist at an environmental consulting firm specializing in human health risk assessment.

SHAHIEDAH SHABAZZ has joined Quarles & Brady’s Chicago office as of counsel, advising developers and commercial landowners on local entitlement and zoning matters. She also provides regulatory and corporate counsel to state-licensed commercial cannabis companies.

GRACE SPULAK’s story collection, “Magdalena Is Brighter Than You Think,” was released in the spring and won the 2025 Autumn House Press Rising Writer Prize. She writes, “This book draws on my work as a former Skadden Fellow and public interest attorney over the past 15 years and my experiences living and working in rural New Mexico.”

Former federal prosecutor JEREMIAH LEVINE and Brian Procel, a veteran trial lawyer, have launched Procel Levine in Los Angeles, a litigation boutique with a nationwide practice representing both plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes business disputes. As a federal prosecutor, Levine helped indict one of the largest white supremacist cases in the history of the Justice Department and prosecuted complex RICO matters and white-collar crime.

CORINNE SNOW has become a partner in the environmental and natural resources division at Vinson & Elkins in Washington, D.C. Her practice includes litigation challenging or defending federal regulations, regulatory compliance, internal investigations, and defense against government investigations and enforcement actions. Snow previously served as counsel and chief of staff in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

DANIEL BALMORI has been promoted to partner at Hogan Lovells, where he focuses his practice on complex commercial disputes in the health care and entertainment industries. In addition to his litigation practice, he devotes hundreds of pro bono hours each year to advising nonprofit public-private partnerships, helping transform underutilized public spaces into vibrant parks and inclusive community destinations.

ANDREA CLAY co-wrote “The Learning Hive: Leading Collective Innovation to Transform Education Systems,” published by Teachers College Press in 2025. Clay is a director of legal strategy and policy at Columbia Law School’s Center for Public Research and Leadership.

CHRIS CRAWFORD became partner at Fenwick & West in January. A corporate attorney based in the firm’s Santa Monica, California, office, Crawford counsels technology companies and their founders through all stages of the startup life cycle, with a focus on complex and evolving blockchain-related legal matters.

MAX STRAUS is now a partner at Susman Godfrey in New York. He joined the firm as an associate after clerking on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, first for Judge RICHARD POSNER ’62 and then for Chief Judge Diane Wood.