Class Notes: Winter 2024

In the spring, Robert Mundheim, a longtime professor and leader in law and business, received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, where he has been a professor of corporate law and finance since 2011. Since 1999, he has also been of counsel to Shearman & Sterling, and past positions have included University Professor of Law and Finance and dean at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, general counsel for the U.S. Treasury Department, and special counsel for the Securities and Exchange Commission. In recognition of his commitment to education as not only professor and dean but also organizer of continuing legal education programs, in 2022 University of Arizona Law established the Robert H. Mundheim Professorship of Law and Business.

Jacques Malherbe LL.M. was recently honored by the Brussels Bar on the occasion of his 60th year of membership. He wrote that among those in attendance at the celebration were his son, François (LL.M. Duke 2009), and his brother, Philippe (LL.M. Berkeley 1978). Malherbe is of counsel with Simont Braun in Brussels. A professor emeritus at the University of Louvain, he continues to teach tax law as a visiting professor at other universities.

Eugene Fidell, a visiting lecturer and senior research scholar at Yale Law School, is a co-author of “Military Justice: Cases and Materials,” published in its fourth edition this year by Carolina Academic Press.

Donald Rez, a shareholder at Sullivan Hill Rez & Engel, was included in the 30th Edition of “The Best Lawyers in America” in the field of Commercial Litigation. He focuses his practice in the areas of business and commercial litigation.

Jeff Rosen was a resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics this fall semester. In July, he joined Cravath, Swaine & Moore’s investigations and regulatory enforcement group in Washington, D.C., as of counsel, and was appointed by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to the board of visitors of George Mason University. Since 2021, Rosen has been a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the C. Boyden Gray Center at GMU’s Antonin Scalia Law School and an appointed member of the Administrative Conference of the United States. He previously served as the acting attorney general and the deputy attorney general of the United States.

This year the New Jersey State Bar Foundation conferred its highest award, the Medal of Honor, on Lawrence S. Lustberg, co-chair of the Gibbons P.C. white collar and investigations group and longtime director of the Gibbons Fellowship. The NJSBF annually awards its Medal of Honor to professionals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the justice system or the betterment of the legal profession in New Jersey, and who have attained professional excellence in the law or service to the profession and the community. Lustberg has argued groundbreaking cases before federal and state courts up to the U.S. Supreme Court and has done extensive criminal defense, public interest, and pro bono work. He is the former president of both the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey and Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey.

Raj Bhala is the Brenneisen Distinguished Professor at the University of Kansas Law School. His new book, “Trade War: Causes, Conduct, and Consequences of Sino-American Confrontation,” has been published by Carolina Academic Press. Based on five years of research, it is the first full-length scholarly analysis of this conflict by a lawyer, he writes. The third edition of his textbook, “Understanding Islamic Law (Shari’a),” which features new chapters on Iran’s Constitution, the Taliban, and America’s longest war, has also been published by CAP. Bhala writes: “I was fortunate to complete my 115th marathon, the London Marathon (in April 2023), and thereafter enjoy afternoon tea with my wife, Dr. Kara Tan Bhala (an Overseas Research Scheme Scholar and an Amazon bestselling author, whom I met while a Marshall Scholar at Trinity College, Oxford), and our daughter, Shera (a Fulbright Scholar and Dartmouth Class of 2022). We look forward to reuniting with friends in Boston.”

Jennifer Josephson has joined Hogan Thompson Schuelke in Houston as of counsel. She works with trial teams on pretrial, trial, and appellate strategy for commercial disputes. Previously, she worked at Reynolds Frizzell.

Pamela Everhart received a 2023 New England Women’s Leadership Award from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester (Massachusetts). Everhart is senior vice president of regional public affairs and community relations at Fidelity Investments, where she oversees the firm’s state and local government relationships, public affairs, and community relations activities across the U.S. Passionate about increasing financial literacy for underserved communities, she has helped launch several related programs at Fidelity, including Invest in My Education, a $250 million initiative that provides access to education and ongoing support to underserved students so they might graduate with no college debt.

Lars Noah, a professor of law at the University of Florida in Gainesville, has published “Law and the Public’s Health: Cases, Controversies, and Covid-19” with Carolina Academic Press.

Leonard Feldman writes, “I was recently appointed as a judge on the Washington Court of Appeals, currently teach Torts (and previously Federal Courts) at Seattle University School of Law, and am a co-editor of ‘Tort and Accident Law: Cases and Materials’ along with HLS Professor Lewis (Sarge) Sargentich [’70].”

Christopher M. McNeill joined Blank Rome as a partner in the firm’s corporate, M&A, and securities group based in Dallas.

Matthew Brett has become general counsel at 2Life Communities, a not-for-profit senior housing organization. In addition to providing strategic legal counsel to support the organization’s “aging in community” model for senior housing and resident services, he assists with real estate development and corporate governance matters. Previously, Brett focused on affordable housing at Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen, where he was the firm’s first risk management partner and served on the management committee. He and his wife and two daughters live in Chicago.

Jennifer Cabrera has become a partner at Vicente law firm. She advises clients on the full range of matters impacting new cannabis businesses in New York and New Jersey, from state and local licensing to fundraising to compliance. She manages the firm’s New Jersey office and promotes and works with small and locally owned businesses across the region. A member of the board of the National Hispanic Cannabis Council, she has been recognized as a top cannabis attorney by Best Lawyers and Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers.

Charles R. Platt has been appointed practice chair of the private client group at Hemenway & Barnes after nearly 10 years as partner. He works with individuals and families on their personal planning needs, including estate and charitable planning as well as probate and trust administration.

Michael Lloyd has been appointed president of IMC Construction, a Philadelphia-based commercial construction and development company. Previously the firm’s general counsel, executive vice president, and chief operating officer, Lloyd will now lead its strategic direction and oversee all daily activities.

Hogan Thompson, an energy-focused litigation boutique in Houston, has changed its name to Hogan Thompson Schuelke in recognition of partner James Schuelke’s contributions. Schuelke has spearheaded complex litigation and arbitrations for the firm’s energy clients and also has substantial experience in construction, property, and petrochemical disputes.

Paul M. Cathcart Jr. has been promoted to counsel at Boston law firm Hemenway & Barnes. He assists individuals and families with tax and estate planning. Focused on developing tax-efficient wealth transfer strategies, Cathcart advises clients on issues relating to complex assets such as businesses, real estate, art, and investments. He also frequently consults with families on estate planning, probate, and gift and estate taxes.

Sarah Gersten, executive director of the Last Prisoner Project, wrote that in October she accepted a Champion of Justice Award from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers on behalf of her organization, a nonprofit working to redress the harms of cannabis criminalization.

Marco Imperiale LL.M., the former head of innovation at Milan law firm LCA Studio Legale, has launched a “human-centric” consultancy. Called Better Ipsum, it will be focused on legal design, legal innovation, and legal well-being.

Carl Werner has become a partner at Vicente LLP. He advises clients on corporate and transactional matters and provides licensing and regulatory counsel within emerging states in the Mountain and Central U.S. regions.

Cody Rutowski has joined Hogan Thompson Schuelke in Houston as an associate. He has represented clients from the pleadings stage through presenting oral argument before a court of last resort, and he has appeared before the Supreme Court of Texas. Prior to joining the firm, he was an assistant solicitor general in the Office of the Solicitor General of Texas.

Lucien Wang has been hired at Fish & Richardson in San Diego as an associate. His practice focuses on pharmaceutical and technology-related litigation in federal district courts. He is a certified English-Chinese translator, which assists him in cases involving Chinese companies.

James Yang is also a new associate in the San Diego office of Fish & Richardson. With a background in biochemistry, he is experienced in high-stakes patent litigation relating to medical devices and pharmaceuticals as well as technologies in the electronics and software industries.

Echo Qian has joined the bankruptcy and restructuring group at Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell in Delaware.