January 2013
By Thai Phi Le

Honors and Appointments
Eric J. Schwartz, a partner at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP, has been selected as vice president/president-elect of The Copyright Society of the U.S.A.… Jonathan Hudis, a partner at Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, L.L.P., has been elected to serve on the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Section of Intellectual Property Law for a four–year term. He also was appointed as vice chair of the section’s CLE Board… Stephen Wermiel, a fellow in law and government at American University Washington College of Law, has begun serving a one–year term as chair of the ABA Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities… Martin E. Lybecker, a partner at Perkins Coie LLP, has become chair of the ABA Business Law Section for the 2012–2013 term… Theodore Voorhees, a partner at Covington & Burling LLP, has been named chair of the ABA Section of Antitrust Law for the 2012–2013 term. Associate Katherine Sauser will serve as chair assistant… Katherine E. Britton has been appointed to the ABA Law Practice Management Section’s Women Rainmakers Committee for the 2012–2013 term… Shawn M. Wright, a partner at Blank Rome LLP, has been elected chair of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights… Robert L. Baum, principal at the Law and Dispute Resolution Office of Robert L. Baum and of counsel at Bromberg Rosenthal LLP, has been elected vice chair of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights… Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP associate Philip Cardinale Jr. will represent the ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law as co–liaison to the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights… James W. Conrad Jr. of Conrad Law & Policy Counsel has become chair for the ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice… The Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia has been selected for the Affiliate of the Year Award by the Hispanic National Bar Association… Manuel R. Geraldo has been appointed to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Prince George’s County Planning Board… Erik H. Nyce has been appointed by Governor Martin O’Malley as judge of the District Court of Maryland for Prince George’s County… Sheila Hollis, chair of Duane Morris LLP, has been elected a 2012 fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers… Gregory R. Nugent of Nugent Christoff, PLLC has become a fellow of the D.C. chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers… Antonio “Tony” Arocho, founder of Arocho Law Office, has been named interim executive director of the Hispanic National Bar Association… Deborah G. Matthews was honored as the 2012 Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year by the Fairfax Bar Association at the Annual State of the Judiciary luncheon. Matthews was recognized for her extraordinary service to “Wills on Wheels,” a program in which lawyer volunteers assist low–income seniors and disabled adults in drafting planning documents such as wills, health care directives, and powers of attorney… Donald A. Workman, a partner at Baker & Hostetler LLP, has been elected president of the Florida Bar Out–of–State Division. He also was reappointed to the executive council of the Florida Bar Business Law Section and appointed as the Out–of–State Division liaison to the Business Law Section… Fernando Pinguelo, a member of Norris McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A., has been selected by The New York Enterprise Report as the winner of the Technology Industry Practice Lawyer Award, part of its 2012 Best Accountants and Attorneys for Privately Held Companies Awards… Claudette M. Christian, a partner at Hogan Lovells LLP, has been selected as one of the Stars of the Bar for 2012–2013 by the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia for her exemplary leadership in advocating for justice as well as for her professional accomplishments in furthering the advancement of women in the legal profession… Kerrie L. Campbell, a litigation partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, has been selected as fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America… Paul C. Jorgensen has been honored with the 2012 Mayor’s Arts Award, the highest honor conferred by the District of Columbia in recognition of artistic excellence and service among artists, arts organizations, and arts patrons in the city… Joseph M. Hanna, a partner at Goldberg Segalla LLP, has received the George B. Vashon Innovator Award from the Minority Corporate Counsel Association in the category of pipeline initiatives… For developing the patent–pending legal project management system BakerManage, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC has been recognized by the International Legal Technology Association with its 2012 Distinguished Peer Award in the category of Project of the Year… Randy E. Hayman has been appointed to serve as cochair of the Corporate Counsel Committee of the ABA Section of Litigation… Lisa A. Dunner, a managing partner at Dunner Law PLLC, has been elected as vice chair of the ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law.  

On the Move
Andrew Fois has been named deputy attorney general for the public safety division of the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia… Joseph J. LoBue has been elevated to partner at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP. Michael A. Yuffee has joined the firm as partner, focusing his practice on regulatory, enforcement defense, and transactional matters relating to the wholesale energy markets… David B. Calabrese has been named general counsel for the Air–Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute… Labor lawyer Aparna B. Joshi has rejoined O’Melveny & Myers LLP as partner in the firm’s labor and employment practice group… David M. Bullock has joined the Nashville–based firm Tune, Entrekin & White, P.C., focusing his practice on environmental law… Divorce attorney Regina A. DeMeo is hosting the television show “Making It Last” for Montgomery Municipal Cable… TEC Law Group managing attorney Talib I. Karim is hosting the new radio program “Family & the Law” on WPFW, 89.3 FM… David P. Bloch has been named director of the Division of Mortgage, Investments and Risk Analysis under the Office of the Inspector General of the Federal Housing Finance Agency… Christina Guerola Sarchio has joined Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP as partner in the firm’s commercial litigation practice… Michael Caballero, former international tax counsel at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, has joined Covington & Burling LLP as partner in the firm’s tax practice… Carey W. Fleming has been named senior nuclear regulatory counsel at GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas, LLC in Wilmington, North Carolina… Sonali P. Gunawardhana has joined Wiley Rein LLP as of counsel in the firm’s food and drug law practice… Mark V. Vlasic, an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center and senior fellow at Georgetown’s Institute for Law, Science and Global Security, has joined the Madison Law & Strategy Group PLLC as principal… Loeb & Loeb LLP has added four lawyers to its trusts and estates department: Mary Ann Mancini joined as partner, Susan G. Blumenthal and Tanya A. Harvey have come on board as senior counsel, and Caitlin L. Murphy has joined as associate. Nathan J. Muyskens has joined as partner in the firm’s white collar criminal defense, corporate compliance, and investigations practice… Kecia Reynolds has joined Goodwin Procter LLP’s litigation department as a member of the firm’s intellectual property litigation practice. William M. Jay has joined as partner in the firm’s appellate litigation practice… Securities law specialist Laura S. Pruitt has joined Alston & Bird LLP as partner in the firm’s financial services and products group. Kamal Jafarnia has been appointed counsel in the firm’s Financial Services & Products Group and as member of the firm’s real estate investment trust team… Stuart B. Nibley has joined K&L Gates LLP as partner in the firm’s government contracts and procurement policy practice… Andy Campbell, Samantha Gallagher, and Justin Salon have joined the real estate capital markets practice at Bass, Berry & Sims PLC. James R. Carpenter joined as associate in the firm’s intellectual property and technology practice. Anne P. McNamara joined as associate in the firm’s compliance and government investigations practice… Scott Kimpel has joined Hunton & Williams LLP as partner… Robert H. Shulman has joined Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP as partner in the firm’s insurance recovery practice group… Joseph J. Bradley has been elected member of the financial institutions team at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP… Scott E. Stewart has joined Husch Blackwell LLP as partner in the firm’s environmental and natural resources group… Susan Warshaw Ebner has joined Asmar, Schor and McKenna, PLLC as government contract counseling and litigation attorney… Joshua H. Soven has joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as partner, focusing his practice on government antitrust investigations, antitrust litigation, and counseling on a wide range of competition issues… Orlando J. Cabrera has joined Squire Sanders to lead the firm’s housing, tax credits, and community development industry group… Geoff Willard has joined the Reston, Virginia, office of Cooley LLP as partner in the firm’s business department... Eric Edwards has joined Crowell & Moring LLP as partner in the firm’s public policy group… Jason O. Zeigler has been promoted to counsel at Hunton & Williams LLP… Private equity attorney Frank A. Bacelli has joined Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP as of counsel.

Company Changes
James Hoffmann has opened The Law Offices of James R. Hoffmann, Jr., a general civil practice serving Maryland and Washington, D.C. The firm, located in Annapolis, Maryland, emphasizes business litigation, insurance coverage and defense, and family law… Matthew B. Kaplan has formed The Kaplan Law Firm, which focuses on civil litigation and criminal and civil appeals… Martha Ann Knutson has opened her own private practice focused on health law, representing hospitals, providers, and related organizations. The firm is located at 16885 West Bernardo Drive, suite 100, in San Diego, California... Jonathan E. Halperin has opened the Halperin Law Center, LLC outside of Richmond, Virginia. The firm handles a wide variety of serious personal injury and wrongful death cases, including product liability, premises liability, and vehicular accident cases in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia… Mitchell I. Alkon has established Alkon Law LLC, focusing on commercial and residential real estate, title and escrow, business and commercial transactions, and fiduciary law, as well as dispute resolution and litigation. Its office is located at 6110 Executive Boulevard, suite 300, in Rockville, Maryland.
 
Author! Author!
Alan Nemeth has written v. (versus): Case Law, Concepts, & American Society, published by Cognella Academic Publishing… Ira P. Robbins, the Barnard T. Welsh Scholar and professor of law and justice at American University Washington College of Law, has written “Hiding Behind the Cloak of Invisibility: The Supreme Court and Per Curiam Opinions,” which appeared in the June 2012 issue of the Tulane Law Review… Thomas H. Stanton, who teaches at Johns Hopkins University, has written Why Some Firms Thrive While Others Fail: Governance and Management Lessons From the Crisis, published by Oxford University Press… Julie L. Kessler of the Law Office of Julie L. Kessler has written Fifty-Fifty: The Clarity of Hindsight, published by Strategic Book Group, LLC.

D.C. Bar members in good standing are welcome to submit announcements for this column. When making a submission, please include name, position, organization, and address. Please e–mail submissions to D.C. Bar staff writer Thai Phi Le at tle@dcbar.org.