Alumni | CLASS NOTES

ClassNotes

Jeffrey D. Forchelli was named a 2022 Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America in the area of land use and zoning law for the fifth consecutive year. Forchelli is a member of the Brooklyn Law School Board of Trustees and chair and co-managing partner of Forchelli Deegan & Terrana.

Marc Berman was appointed to the advisory board of Options Solutions. He is currently a senior advisor at OCA Ventures.

Daniel Moskowitz’s novel Bronx Stagger was recognized by the 2021 Independent Press Award program in the “Cross-Genre” category.

Dorothea Regal was named a 2021 Distinguished Leader by the New York Law Journal. She is a partner at Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney.

Jay Cantor founded Gil & Cantor. He focuses his practice in real estate law.

Richard Goldstein joined Summit Health Law Partners as a litigation partner. He previously managed his own private practice.

Roger Slade was elected president of the Dade County Bar Association. He is a shareholder at Haber Law.

Hemalee J. Patel became the general counsel for the Board of Elections in the City of New York. She was previously a special referee for the Supreme Court of Richmond County.

Jeffrey Berkowitz joined Pharma Two B as chair of the board. Berkowitz is the CEO of Real Endpoints.

Martin Friedlander joined American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys as a fellow. He is currently the principal attorney at his own practice.

Garret Lepaw returned to the Corcoran Group as a senior managing director. He was previously an executive sales manager at Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

Scott Bersin joined Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. He was previously the principal at Seaford High School.

Todd Zarin joined Stearns Weaver Miller as a shareholder in its corporate practice group. He previously managed his own firm, Todd Zarin Consulting.

Eva Anthony was appointed managing director and wealth & fiduciary advisor of Evercore Wealth Management and Evercore Trust Company. She was previously a senior fiduciary specialist at BNY Mellon Wealth Management.

Allen Huang joined JetBlue Airways as associate general counsel. He was previously deputy general counsel at Virgin America.

Michael Anthony Baston was elected to the board of directors of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the primary advocacy organization for the nation’s community colleges. He is currently president of Rockland Community College in Suffern, N.Y.

Jennifer Cattier joined SK Capital Partners as general counsel and chief compliance officer. She was previously general counsel at Almanac Realty Investors.

William Grandison Ford was appointed an associate justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department. He was elected to the New York State Supreme Court in 2016.

Virginia Trunkes joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani as a partner in its construction practice group. She was previously of counsel at Robinson+Cole.

Jonathan Schulman received the New York City Big Apple Award for Teacher Excellence. He is a fourth grade teacher at P.S. 110 The Monitor School in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

James Fox was elected vice chair of Vinson & Elkins’ senior leadership team. He is co-managing partner of the firm’s New York office.

Jean Soo Park joined the City Bar Justice Center as director of the Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project. She was previously a hearing officer at the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings.

Nicole George-Middleton was appointed executive director of the American Society of Composers Foundation. She will continue as senior vice president of membership.

Baaba Halm joined Enterprise Community Partners as its vice president and New York market leader. Halm was previously executive deputy commissioner and chief diversity officer at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development.

John Minardo joined Ironwood Pharmaceuticals as its vice president and chief legal officer. He was previously the vice president at Seqirus.

Lisa Varlack founded the real estate brokerage firm Boulevard Real Properties. She was previously the principal broker at Brooklyn Quarters.

Vicki Andreadis joined Bank Hapoalim International as general counsel. She was previously director and senior counsel for RBC Capital Markets.

Alexandra Chandler was included in Out in National Security and New America’s 2021 LGBTQIA+ Experts in U.S. National Security and Foreign Policy list. Chandler is a policy advocate and impact manager for elections and voting rights at Project Democracy.

Seth Merl joined Reed Smith as a partner in its global corporate practice group. He was previously special counsel at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel.

Manar Waheed joined Facebook as associate general counsel on its civil rights team. She was previously senior legislative and advocacy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union.

Andrew Brettler was selected as one of the Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyers Top 100 Attorneys in Hollywood. He is a partner at Lavely & Singer.

Hylan Fenster was promoted to associate general counsel at Adobe.

Jill Spielberg joined Abrams Fensterman as a partner and leader of its matrimonial and family law practice group. She was previously a partner at Harold, Salant, Strassfield & Spielberg.

Keith Billotti, co-head of Seward & Kissel’s capital markets practice group, was given the Deal of the Year award by Marine Money. Seward & Kissel was also recognized for the Equity Follow-on Deal of the Year, which was also spearheaded by Billotti.

Daniel Wiig was elected chair of the commercial and federal litigation section of the New York State Bar Association. He is the host of Amicus Curiae, a New York–focused legal podcast sponsored by the New York County Lawyers’ Association.

Jared Ho joined Facebook as associate general counsel for privacy. He was previously at the Federal Trade Commission.

Jordana L. Renert joined Lowenstein Sandler as a partner in its bankruptcy and restructuring practice group. She was previously a partner at Arent Fox.

Josh Shpayher joined USA Vein Clinics as associate general counsel. He was previously general counsel at Simple Laboratories.

Shujah Awan joined Roxe as general counsel and as its chief compliance officer. Awan was previously general counsel and chief compliance officer of CapVenture Partners.

Michael Calcagni was appointed co-vice chair of the Surrogate’s Court Estates & Trusts Committee of the Nassau County Bar Association. He is of counsel at Moritt Hock & Hamroff.

Elliot J. Coz joined Cozen O’Connor as counsel. He focuses his practice in the areas of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, employment law, residential and commercial real estate, and corporate governance.

Alexander Kerzhner joined Forchelli Deegan Terrana as a partner in its corporate and mergers & acquisitions practice group. He was previously an associate at Fox Rothschild.

Risa Chalfin joined Norris McLaughlin as a member in its litigation practice group. She was previously of counsel at Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer.

Tom Curtin was promoted to special counsel at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. He focuses his practice in financial restructuring and bankruptcy.

Mathew Thomas was promoted to chief of staff at TriNet USA in its legal and compliance division. He was previously senior corporate counsel within TriNet’s commercial contracts division.

Jaclyn Ruch joined Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder in its corporate practice group.

Cassidy Merriam joined DISH Network as general counsel. Merriam was previously an intellectual property attorney at EmergeCounsel.

Charles Barker was appointed a member of New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission by Governor Phil Murphy. He was previously associate general counsel for Alma Realty Corp.

John Runne was promoted to counsel at David Polk & Wardwell in its capital markets practice group.

Mario G. Bai joined Ellis Law Group as an attorney in its estate planning and corporate practice groups. He previously was a founding member and partner of the Law Offices of Contaldi and Bai.

Daniel S. Chertok joined Archer & Greiner as an associate in its real estate practice group. He was previously an associate at Troutman Pepper.

Ned L. Schultheis joined Kirkland & Ellis as an associate in its private equity and mergers and acquisitions transaction practice group. He was previously an associate at Ropes & Gray.

Ryan Foley joined Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman as a litigation associate. He was previously an assistant district attorney in the appeals bureau of the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.

Rachel Mohabir joined the Queens District Attorney’s Office as an assistant district attorney.

Khaled Mekki joined the TacoCat Company as chief business development officer and community manager.