John Austin writes: “I hope Dean Toepfer [’47] would not feel betrayed: He admitted me to our class after extracting assurances that I would not squander an HLS education by returning to the music at the center of my life. Abandon it I did, but after years of study, teaching, and composing, I returned to a law practice that allowed time to put dots on paper — many of them on the commuter train going to work. I am forever grateful for such a varied, dual life. Retirement has, of course, permitted a greater focus on composition. So far, so lucky in this strange moment of threats hovering over health and democracy. COVID’s delays have been a problem for my music (as yet to be shared: orchestral works, piano pieces, string duos for various instruments and a theater piece in collaboration with a MacArthur playwright — one of two Americans in the French National Theatre’s repertory, the other being Tennessee Williams — not to mention [my] opera ‘Heloise and Abelard,’ which Ed Jones brought to life in concert form at Harvard 11 years ago).” Austin adds that, powered by “a burst of autumnal energy,” he has also been working on another project: a manual that — in text, dozens of musical examples, and whole new pieces — details a way of hearing that has enabled his composition. He writes: “My hunch is that perhaps self-publishing may be the way to get this work into interested hands. I would welcome any tips on self-publishing and any suggestions about people who might be interested in the music and/or the manual. Music’s to be shared, after all.”

Elliot C. Rothenberg received the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts Outstanding Alumni Award. (He is pictured here at the awards ceremony with his younger daughter Rebecca Rothenberg.) The CLA website article on the award wrote of Rothenberg’s “groundbreaking legal career. … Among the most respected legal minds in the country, Rothenberg built a career based on the love of the law and the power of words. His reputation as an expert in the First Amendment rights of media organizations sprung from the landmark Cohen v. Cowles Media Company case, which went all the way to the Supreme Court. Rothenberg’s success in this case not only determined the future course of his legal career but resulted in a defining decision about First Amendment rights.” At the awards ceremony, CLA Dean John Coleman spoke of Rothenberg’s Cohen v. Cowles Media Company case files archive in the Historical & Special Collections department of the Harvard Law School Library. Rothenberg is still working in his favorite legal subject area: First Amendment law. 

Rosine Lorotte LL.M. writes: “Since 1966, some of the LL.M. ’65 graduates meet in a different country every year — mostly the European and South American graduates. In 2022 the meeting was held in Strasbourg (France), and the key event was the visit of the European Institutions (Council of Europe and European Court of Human Rights). In 2023 the meeting will be held in Switzerland with Jenö Staehelin LL.M. in command.”

Tony Rogers writes: “After writing ‘Fake Smiles’ (TidePool Press), a memoir about growing up in a political family during the Nixon era, I have written six amateur detective mysteries featuring a retired judge, Jim Randall. They are mostly set in Cambridge. The first is ‘Judge Randall And The Tenured Professor’ (there is a murder behind the Divinity School), and the latest is ‘Judge Randall At The Long Gone.’ They are available in e-book and paperback at local bookstores and on Amazon.” 

Richard Rothberg, a trusts and estates attorney, has joined New York firm Pierro, Connor & Strauss as senior counsel. A former chair of the trusts and estates law section of the New York State Bar Association, he is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. 

Alden Abbott writes that he is co-author of “Trade, Competition and Domestic Regulatory Policy” (Routledge): “This volume presents a property-rights-centered perspective on the harmonization of competition, trade, and regulatory law. It emphasizes consumer welfare enhancement as an organizing principle and calls for the phasing out of anticompetitive market distortions that largely fall outside the scope of contemporary trade and competition law.” 

Donald Rez, a shareholder at Sullivan Hill Rez & Engel, was recognized by San Diego Magazine as a 2023 Top Lawyer in San Diego in the field of antitrust and trade regulation. He was also selected as a 2023 Super Lawyer, for the 13th year, in the area of Business/Corporate Litigation. Rez focuses his practice in the areas of business and commercial litigation and antitrust and trade regulation.

Erika Fine released a new book of political-satire poems, “Light Verse on Heavy Topics: Pandemic, Politics, and Pandemonium.” The book is “the result of one woman’s quest to quell her anxiety and make sense of our chaotic world.” Her poems have been published in Cognoscenti, the website for WBUR, one of Boston’s NPR stations; Light, a journal of light verse; and The New York Times. Her prose has appeared in The Boston Globe.

Raymond Angelo Belliotti, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, has published his 26th book: “Italian Rebels: Mazzini, Gramsci, and Giuliano” (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press).

Walter Effross’ new book, “Keeping Your Own Counsel: Simple Strategies and Secrets for Success in Law School,” includes several instructive stories from his experiences as an HLS student. Its preface and first two chapters can be read through the “Look inside” feature on Amazon, he writes, and there’s a companion blog, http://www.keepingyourowncounsel.com, that has “links to my conversations with leading in-house and outside counsel about the definition and goals of, career opportunities in, and ways to remain current on, the increasingly relevant practice of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) law.” The links are also available directly at http://www.talking-esg.com. Effross is a professor at American University Washington College of Law.

David S. Schaffer reports that his firm has combined with, and has become, the Chicago office of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton. He says he is thrilled be a part of such a dynamic firm. His wife, Margaret, works for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, assisting women who are the victims of abuse and trafficking. The couple stays busy at home with three children, the eldest of whom will attend Trinity College in Connecticut in the fall, with the other two going to Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. “There is plenty of activity in the Schaffer household!” Schaffer writes. 

Craig C. Martin, chairman, Midwest, at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, and his colleague Amanda Amert, chair of the firm’s ERISA litigation group, have written the new “ERISA Benefits Litigation Answer Book” (Practising Law Institute). The book provides a comprehensive overview, in Q&A format, of the various causes of action the Employee Retirement Income Security Act provides to remedy violations of the statute, enforce the terms of a benefit plan, or provide other relief to plan participants or fiduciaries. In addition to covering aspects of litigation such as stock drops, ESOPs, cash balance plans, and prohibited transactions, the book has chapters discussing litigation of claims arising under federal common law, affirmative defenses to ERISA claims, and limitations on actions under ERISA.

Pamela Martinson retired as a partner with Sidley Austin in 2022 after 12 years in the firm’s Palo Alto office, where she represented technology companies and the institutions that finance them as a member of the global finance practice. She continues to serve on several boards and has taken a position as chief legal officer with Visionary Fiber Technologies in Lockhart, Texas, a company developing fiber reactor separation and mixing technology. 

Kevin O’Connor has joined Clyde & Co as a partner. His longtime professional home at Hermes, Netburn, O’Connor & Spearing recently merged with Clyde & Co, becoming its Boston office. O’Connor specializes in insurance coverage and surety law matters.

Greg Cook now serves as an associate justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.

Joe Stanganelli, a partner at Barclay Damon in Boston, has been named co-chair of its commercial litigation practice area. He is also a member of the firm’s intellectual property litigation practice area. 

In December 2022, Roger B. Handberg was confirmed by the United States Senate as the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida. Handberg has been a career federal prosecutor in Orlando for over 20 years. 

Edward Lee is author of the new book “Creators Take Control: How NFTs Revolutionize Art, Business, and Entertainment.” In it, he explains how NFTs operate and explores their impact, including on our understanding of ownership. 

Gina Kastel has recently become chair of Faegre Drinker, the first woman to hold that role. She has served in multiple leadership roles at the firm, including as a member of its board and executive team since 2015. Kastel also has co-chaired its compensation committee and served as its integration partner following the 2020 merger of Drinker Biddle & Reath and Faegre Baker Daniels. Previously, Kastel served as Faegre Baker Daniels’ vice chair and chief operating partner.

Amy J. Oliver was appointed by Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox to the Utah Court of Appeals in January. She was unanimously confirmed by the Utah State Senate in February. Oliver was serving as a district court judge in Salt Lake City at the time of her appointment. 

Rafael Cox Alomar, a visiting professor at HLS in winter 2022, is the author of “The Puerto Rico Constitution” (Oxford University Press). The book offers both up-to-date commentaries on and an extensive history of the Puerto Rico Constitution, from Spanish colonization to the modern era. 

Michael Bloch and Benjamin White ’13 recently launched their own law firm, Bloch & White, in New York, and focus on areas such as public interest, civil rights, criminal defense, and commercial litigation. Previously, Bloch practiced at Kaplan Hecker & Fink, where he represented individuals investigated by various state and federal regulatory agencies in addition to leading other plaintiff-side matters. In particular, he helped lead the litigation against the white supremacists who organized the deadly rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, which resulted in a favorable jury verdict for his clients.

David W. Foster has joined Kirkland & Ellis in Washington, D.C. As a member of the tax disputes practice, he advises corporations, partnerships, individuals, and estates with respect to civil and criminal tax controversies.

Ryan Pinckney has joined the Houston trial law firm Alavi Anaipakos as an associate.

Vibhuti “Vib” Jain’s newly published debut novel, “Our Best Intentions” (William Morrow/HarperCollins), follows a working-class, Indian American single father and daughter living in an affluent suburb of New York, who get caught up in a criminal investigation that causes rifts in their community and forces them to confront thorny questions about race, class, and belonging. The book has received praise in numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, “Good Morning America,” and NPR. Jain lives with her husband and daughter in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she works in international development. She began her career as a corporate lawyer in New York City.

In 2022, Yarik Kryvoi LL.M., a senior fellow at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, launched the Arbitration Lab with HLS classmate Anna Petrig LL.M.  The lab annually organizes the Basel Winter Arbitration School, the London Summer Arbitration School, and online courses devoted to arbitration and peaceful dispute resolution. This year, the winter school took place in February at the Law Faculty of the University of Basel in Switzerland and featured an interactive six-day program introducing participants to different types of public, private, and hybrid arbitration and related practice development and career opportunities. Kryvoi, Petrig, and Anne Peters LL.M. ’95 presented at the winter school. Kryvoi and Petrig are pictured above with a participant in the winter school from Ukraine earlier this year.

Emily Miskel has been appointed a justice of the 5th District Court of Appeals in Dallas. She was previously judge of the 470th District Court in Collin County. She is also chair of the Civil Justice Committee of the Texas Judicial Council, a member of the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee, and a director of the National Center for State Courts.

Alejandro “Alex” Moreno, a partner in the business trial practice group at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, became managing partner of the firm’s downtown San Diego office in April. He is the first Hispanic attorney to assume the role. In addition to practicing general business and commercial litigation in state and federal courts, Moreno also handles appeals in the California Court of Appeal and the 9th Circuit. He represents clients in the banking and finance, cannabis, technology and telecommunications, and health care industries, among others. 

Edsel F. Tupaz LL.M., a partner at Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra in Metro Manila, Philippines, writes that he has been appointed head of the firm’s data privacy, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence initiatives practice group. He holds this appointment concurrently with his position as head of the firm’s special projects department. Tupaz’s practice areas include data privacy and cybersecurity, tech and fintech frameworks, blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, special projects, government procurement, banking and financial services, and regulatory affairs. A dual-qualified lawyer under the Philippine and New York bars, he is legal adviser to Fortune 500 and Nasdaq-100 companies and many technology companies in Southeast Asia. Previously, he was a senior public official at the Department of Public Works and Highways of the Philippine government, where he led right-of-way acquisition for priority projects under the Php 8-9 trillion (US$ 160-200 billion) Build Build Build program. He is currently a member of the board of directors of the Harvard Law School Association of the Philippines.

Johnathon Schronce has been promoted to partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth in Richmond, Virginia. He focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions litigation, securities class actions, derivative suits, and corporate governance. 

Taylor Hathaway-Zepeda, a new partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Los Angeles, focuses on areas including public and private company mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures. 

Charline O. Yim has become partner in the international arbitration practice group at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in New York. 

Jessica Lewis has become a partner in the San Francisco office of WilmerHale.

Since earlier this year, Andrew English has been a litigation partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher in Washington, D.C. 

New Blank Rome partner Shawna J. (English) Henry represents clients in all aspects of corporate litigation in the firm’s Pittsburgh office. Her practice spans the manufacturing, energy, and financial services industries, and her pro bono practice focuses on civil rights litigation. 

New WilmerHale partner Jonathan Lim works in the firm’s London office.

Jordan Wall has been elected partner in the New York office of Willkie Farr & Gallagher. 

Benjamin White and Michael Bloch ’05 focus on public interest, civil rights, commercial litigation, criminal defense, and other areas at their recently launched firm, Bloch & White. Formerly with Kaplan Hecker & Fink, White represented clients in high-profile public interest litigation and complex commercial disputes, and prior to that he litigated securities matters at Sullivan & Cromwell.

As a member of the antitrust practice at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll in New York, new partner Christopher Bateman rosecutes antitrust class actions, including in the financial and health care markets. 

Alison Deich became a partner at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll in Washington, D.C., in January. She is a member of the firm’s antitrust practice. 

Skye Tian Gao, a trial lawyer and complex commercial litigator, has been promoted to partner at Glenn Agre Bergman & Fuentes. She represents plaintiffs and defendants alike in high-stakes business disputes, with a focus on antitrust, market manipulation, corporate governance, and fraud. She also helps clients navigate government investigations and enforcement actions. Gao is a member of Law360’s 2023 New York Editorial Advisory Board and the New York City Bar Association’s Federal Courts Committee. 

Alexa Shasteen writes: “We are proud to announce our new firm, Borealis Benefits Law, Inc. We exclusively represent individuals in Alaska, Washington, and Oregon whose employer-provided disability benefits have been denied, bringing our experience with the federal courts and
ERISA benefits law to the side of working folks. Visit us at www.erisaborealis.com.”

Jennie Shulkin has launched a venture-backed digital health company as its co-founder and CEO. The chronic pain company, Override Health, uses the latest in pain neuroscience and virtual teams of multidisciplinary specialists to help chronic pain patients regain function and quality of life.