The
D.C. Bar Nominations Committee has announced candidates for office on
the Board of Governors for the 2008–2009 term. The nominees are
running for the positions of president-elect, secretary, and treasurer;
five vacancies for three-year terms on the Bar’s Board of Governors;
and four seats in the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association.
Ballots and instructions for voting (by mail or online) were distributed to all active D.C. Bar members on April 30. Members have until June 6 to vote. Results of the election will be announced on the Bar’s Web site at www.dcbar.org/elections and at the Bar’s Annual Business Meeting and Awards Dinner on June 26, which takes place at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue NW.
Concurrently, the D.C. Bar Sections Office has announced nominees for vacancies on the steering committees of the Bar’s 21 sections. Election is determined by ballot among section members, who have until June 2 to vote. The Sections Office will announce election results the week of June 16.
William E. Davis
William
E. Davis has been a partner at Ross, Marsh & Foster, where he concentrates
in the areas of trust and estate planning and administration and fiduciary
litigation, since 2001. From 1975 until 2001, Davis was one of the founding
partners of Davis and Gooch, a general civil practice firm.
He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the College of William and Mary Marshall Wythe School of Law.
Davis has been active in the D.C. Bar for more than 15 years as a committee member, section member, and publication author. He is a past member of the Budget, Continuing Legal Education, Finance, and Screening Committees and past chair of the Dues Ceiling and Nominations Committees. From 1997 to 1998, Davis served as D.C. Bar treasurer. He currently serves on the Judicial Evaluation Committee.
In addition, Davis has been active in the Bar Association of the District of Columbia, serving as secretary, president-elect, and president.
“I think I have an understanding of the interests and concerns of attorneys from both small and large firms, as well as of government attorneys, and that gives me an insight into those issues which the Bar must address for the entire membership, not just for one particular practice specialty area or interest group.”
Davis says he also views himself as something of an outsider in Bar governance since he has not been involved in the Board of Governors decision-making process in recent years, and that he considers this to be a positive consideration.
“Our Board of Governors is a relatively small governing body and because of its size, debate and dissension can be very limited. I think that having someone approach Bar governance from a fresh perspective with fresh ideas for change is an advantage.”
Davis considers the Bar’s Sections and Continuing Legal Education Programs, as well as its self-discipline system and its commitment to pro bono legal services, to be its greatest strengths, but he says he would like to see greater involvement in Bar activities by all Bar members.
“We have people at both ends of the age spectrum of the Bar membership who are oftentimes left out … I would like to see the Bar reaching out more toward young lawyers as well as senior lawyers. We have a lot of talent in our legal community and in our bar that is not being utilized,” he says.
Another issue of importance to the Bar, Davis says, is its budget and mandatory dues structure.
“[The Bar] is a large organization. It has a very large budget and we have to remain sensitive to the fact that our bar is a mandatory bar and that our members must pay their dues in order to practice in the District of Columbia. Our bar has been fiscally responsible in the past, and it must continue to be in the future. I know issues will arise in the next five years that will require a great deal of scrutiny by the Bar leadership in establishing priorities when budgeting the income from our mandatory dues, and I am committed to seeking a greater voice by the Bar membership in establishing those priorities. ”
Kim Keenan
Kim
Keenan is the principal of The Keenan Firm, where she focuses her practice
on complex medical malpractice litigation, mediation, and litigation
consulting.
Keenan’s 20-plus-year legal career has included serving as a senior trial attorney at the Law Firm of Jack H. Olender & Associates, P.C. for more than 16 years. She also worked as an associate in the Special Litigation Section of Washington, Perito and DuBuc, which was the successor firm of Finley, Kumble, et al., a national law firm. She currently is a senior adjunct professor at The George Washington University Law School where she teaches trial advocacy to second- and third-year law students.
She is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and the University of Virginia School of Law, and she has served on the Alumni Council of the law school. Upon graduation from law school, she served as a law clerk to Judge John Garrett Penn of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
Keenan is completing a three-year term on the D.C. Bar Board of Governors. She chairs the Bar’s ad hoc Landlord-Tenant Implementation Committee, which was honored with the Frederick B. Abramson Award for superior service to the profession in 2004. Keenan also serves on the Bar’s Dues Ceiling and Executive Committees. Keenan chaired the 2007 Development Committee and has served on the Budget, Continuing Legal Education, Nominations, Personnel, and Screening Committees.
Keenan’s voluntary bar association activities include serving as the president of the National Bar Association (the first woman from the District of Columbia to be elected to this position) and president of the Washington Bar Association. In addition to these organizations, she is a member of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia (BADC) where she has served as its treasurer and currently serves on the BADC Foundation. She also is a member of the American Bar Association, GWAC, Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, and Women’s Bar Association, which selected her Woman Lawyer of the Year in 2007. She is a District of Columbia life fellow of the American Bar Foundation and serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia.
Keenan believes her 20-plus years of litigation experience enhances her ability to serve as president-elect.
“Long-term success in litigation requires more than mere advocacy. You must be able to focus on distant goals; work productively with a team, including opposing counsel; negotiate fairly; and be able to mediate problems as they arise. Additionally, you must be able to communicate effectively with clients, colleagues, and the court. I believe these are qualities that would serve any leader well.”
She also believes her longstanding involvement in D.C. and voluntary bar activities provides her with a broad base from which to provide leadership and will be invaluable when dealing with important and multifaceted issues.
Keenan also says she would like to focus her efforts “on service to the community by encouraging a broader group of our members to participate in some way in [the Bar’s] Pro Bono Program. One of the reasons the Bar is so successful in its pro bono work is that it has a history of partnering with community organizations, voluntary bars, and the courts.
Second, I would encourage all of our members to make time to participate in at least one aspect of the Bar’s many opportunities for professional development and growth. Whether you focus on serving the community or improving the professional experience of any given lawyer, together, we can do more than any of us can do alone.”
D.C. Bar Nominations Committee Announces Board Candidates
The
D.C. Bar Nominations Committee also has announced the slate of candidates
vying for other positions on the Bar’s Board of Governors, including
officer of secretary and treasurer.
Ballots and instructions for voting were distributed to all active D.C. Bar members on April 30. Members may return their ballots either by mail using the special envelope provided or electronically by following instructions on the ballot. In either case, the first ballot received, electronic or paper, will be the only ballot counted. All ballots must be received by June 6. Results will be announced at the D.C Bar Annual Business Meeting and Awards Dinner on June 26 and posted on the Bar’s Web site at www.dcbar.org/elections.
Nominated for one-year terms are, as secretary, Javier G. Salinas of Ernst & Young LLP and Edward G. Varrone of the Law Office of Edward G. Varrone; and, as treasurer, Jenny Kim of Miller & Chevalier Chartered and Lena Robins of Foley & Lardner LLP.
Seeking one of the five vacancies for three-year terms on the Bar’s Board of Governors are Amy L. Bess of Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal LLP; David J. Cynamon of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw & Pittman LLP; David Florin of Crowell & Moring LLP; Ankur J. Goel of McDermott Will & Emery LLP; Mark Hanna of Davis, Cowell & Bowe, LLP; incumbent secretary Rebecca M. McNeill of Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P.; incumbent Laura A. Possessky of Gura & Possessky, P.L.L.C.; Michael S. Sundermeyer of Williams & Connolly LLP; James Vigil Jr. of the U.S. Department of State; and Benjamin F. Wilson of Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.
Also open are four seats in the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates, which are sought by William P. Atkins of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw & Pittman LLP; John C. Cruden of the U.S. Department of Justice; Karen M. Lockwood of Howrey LLP; Donald M. Remy of Latham & Watkins LLP; Paul M. Smith of Jenner & Block LLP; incumbent Lucy L. Thomson of the Computer Sciences Corporation; and incumbent Marna S. Tucker of Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP.
Sections Office Announces Steering Committee Nominees
The following
nominees are running for vacancies on the steering committees of the
Bar’s 21 sections. Ballots, which will be mailed to members of
the sections by May 2, must be received in the envelope provided with
those ballots by June 2. The Sections Office will announce election
results the week of June 16.
Section members who have not received their ballots by May 20 should call the Sections Office at 202-626-3463 to obtain a duplicate.
Administrative Law and Agency Practice (three vacancies): Brian W. Baker, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Nicholas H. Cobbs, District of Columbia Office of Administrative Hearings; Michael D. Eisenberg, Law Office of Michael D. J. Eisenberg; Katherine C. Gehringer, Thompson Coburn LLP; David M. Gossett, Mayer Brown LLP; Andrew S. Neal, U.S. House of Representatives; Nicholas A. Oldham, U.S. Department of Justice; Morton J. Posner, U.S. Department of Justice; Colin K. Sandy, National Exchange Carrier Association.
Antitrust and Consumer Law (three vacancies): Andrea M. Agathoklis, Federal Trade Commission; Marian R. Bruno, Federal Trade Commission; Michael D. McNeely, Law Offices of Michael D. McNeely; Stephen P. Murphy, Reed Smith; Don A. Resnikoff, Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia; Luke W. Reynolds, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Andreas Stargard, Howrey LLP.
Arts, Entertainment, Media and Sports Law (three vacancies): Alonzo Barber III, Black Entertainment Television; Elizabeth D. Blumenfeld, Library of Congress; James G. Gatto; Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; Courtney Jackson-Boozer, Scheuermann & Menist; Adam D. Mandell, Millen, White, Zelano & Branigan; Andrew T. Mirsky, Mirsky and Company; Rand E. Sacks, WMG; Colin K. Sandy, National Exchange Carrier Association; J. Matthew Williams, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP.
Computer and Telecommunications Law (three vacancies): Lynn R. Charytan, WilmerHale LLP; Elizabeth K. McIntyre, Federal Communications Commission; Brian W. Murray, Latham & Watkins LLP; Colin K. Sandy, National Exchange Carrier Association; Holly L. Saurer, Federal Communications Commission; Heather M. Zachary, WilmerHale LLP.
Corporation, Finance and Securities Law (three vacancies): Bradley J. Bondi, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; Brian M. Castro, NASD; Donna R. Ely, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Elizabeth P. Gray, Foley & Lardner LLP; Louis D. Greenstein, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP; Luke W. Reynolds, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Sidney R. Smith III, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates LLP; Elaine H. Wolff, Jenner & Block LLP.
Courts, Lawyers and the Administration of Justice (three vacancies): Dorene M. Haney, D.C. Law Students in Court; Tamar M. Meekins, Howard University Law School; David Rosenthal, Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia; David P. Tedhams, Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia; Steven M. Wellner, Office of Administrative Hearings for the District of Columbia; Melvin R. Wright, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Criminal Law and Individual Rights (three vacancies): Patricia A. Cresta-Savage, Law Office of Pat Cresta Savage; Daniel S. Friedman, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; Clifford T. Keenan, District of Columbia Pretrial Services Agency; Seth A. Rosenthal, Venable LLP; Sanford M. Saunders Jr., Greenberg Traurig LLP; Denise A. Simmonds, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District of Columbia Affairs (three vacancies): Thomas P. Cassidy Jr., Williams Mullen; Nicholas A. Majett, District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs; Tonya A. Sapp, Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia; Nicola Y. Whiteman, Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington; Mary C. Williams, Williams & Cunningham.
Environment, Energy and Natural Resources (three vacancies): Charles E. Di Leva, The World Bank, Legal Department; Kelly A. Johnson, Holland & Hart LLP; Kimberly Katzenbarger, District of Columbia Department of the Environment; Peter H. Oppenheimer, NOAA Office of General Counsel; William Bruce Pasfield, Alston & Bird LLP; Michele L. Walter, Patton Boggs LLP.
Estates, Trusts and Probate Law (three vacancies): Rachel D. Burke, Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP; Irene C. Estrada, PNC Wealth Management; James Larry Frazier, Law Offices of James Larry Frazier; Tanya A. Harvey, Bryan Cave LLP; Ellen M. Klem, American Bar Association; Anne Meister, District of Columbia Register of Wills; Archie L. Palmore, Attorney-at-Law; Paul D. Pearlstein, Attorney-at-Law; Gilda M. Zimmet, Krauthamer & Stahl Chartered.
Family Law (three vacancies): Sarah C. Connell, Women Empowered Against Violence, Inc.; Dana V. Kaplan-Rubin, Office of the Attorney General; John C. Maginnis, Attorney-at-Law; Cynthia Nordone, Attorney-at-Law; Mariela Olivares, Ayuda Inc. Avrom D. Sickel, Family Court Self-Help Center; Jane K. Stoever, American University Washington College of Law, Domestic Violence Clinic; Sarah J. Zimmerman, Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP.
Government Contracts and Litigation (two vacancies): Nancy K. Hapeman, District of Columbia Office of Contracting and Procurement; Annejanette K. Heckman, EDS Corporation; Martin F. Hockey Jr., U.S. Department of Justice; Jonathan L. Kang, U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Health Law (two vacancies): Alisa L. Chestler, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz; Kirk L. Dobbins, King & Spalding LLP; William H. Gantt III, Latham & Watkins LLP; Laura F. Laemmle-Weidenfeld, Patton Boggs LLP; Melinda G. Murray, Attorney-at-Law; Hemi D. Tewarson, U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Intellectual Property Law (two vacancies): Barbara I. Berschler, Law Office of Barbara I. Berschler; Terrence F. Canela, The American Institute of Architects; Joseph G. Contrera, Jacobson Holman PLLC; Kathleen Cooney-Porter, Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.; Jamie D. Underwood, Adduci, Mastriani & Schaumberg LLP; Martin M. Zoltick, Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck, P.C.
International Law (two vacancies): Jonathan G. Cedarbaum, WilmerHale LLP; Enrique Gomez-Pinzon, Holland & Knight LLP; Brenda A. Jacobs, Sidley Austin LLP; Mary Ann McGrail, Attorney-at-Law.
Labor and Employment Law (three vacancies and one two-year partial term): Howard N. Berliner, Berliner Law Firm PLLC; Terrence F. Canela, The American Institute of Architects; Deirdre E. Hamilton, Association of Flight Attendants AFL-CIO; Kevin M. Kraham, Ford & Harrison LLP; S. Micah Salb, Lippman Semsker & Salb LLC.
Law Practice Management (three vacancies): Jessica E. Adler, The Law Office of Jessica E. Adler; Jeffrey L. Berger, The Berger Law Firm PC; John G. Buchanan III, Covington & Burling LLP; Heather C. Bupp-Habuda, Attorney-at-Law; Barbara A. James, Georgetown University, Center for Continuing and Professional Education-Paralegal Studies Program; Rochelle E. Richardson, Law Office of Rochelle E. Richardson, PLLC; Evan P. Schultz, Mayer Brown LLP.
Litigation (three vacancies): David D. Fauvre, Arnold & Porter LLP; Courtney Jackson-Boozer, Scheuermann & Menist; David T. Ralston Jr., Foley & Lardner LLP; Bizunesh K. Scott, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP; Mary L. Smith, Attorney-at-Law; Jamie D. Underwood, Adduci, Mastriani & Schaumberg LLP.
Real Estate, Housing and Land Use (two vacancies): David H. Cox, Jackson & Campbell, P.C.; Mark G. Griffin, Griffin & Murphy LLP; Meridith H. Moldenhauer, Griffin & Murphy LLP; David A. Rosen, Buonassissi, Henning & Lash, P.C.
Taxation (three vacancies): Lauren W. Bright, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Marc J. Gerson, Miller & Chevalier Chartered; Aaron P. Nocjar, Steptoe & Johnson LLP; Joshua D. Odintz, U.S. Senate, Committee on Finance; Andrea M. Whiteway, McDermott Will & Emery LLP; Lisa M. Zarlenga, Steptoe & Johnson LLP.
Tort Law (one vacancy): Wade J. Callender, Wharton Levin Ehrmantraut & Klein, P.A.; Thomas C. Mugavero, Whiteford Taylor & Preston.
