Alumni Notes 2020

• David Berdan, LW'95, has been appointed General Counsel with the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office in Washington, D.C. Berdan will serve as the principal legal advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. He will also supervise the Office of General Counsel and its three component offices: the Office of the Solicitor, the Office of General Law, and the Office of Enrollment and Discipline.
• Ruby Kazi, LW'03, has joined the San Francisco office of Benesch as Of Counsel.
• James Hall, LW'01, has been named the new general counsel for the Ports of Indiana.
• Ashley Frazier, LW'19, GR'19, has joined Adventist Risk Management in Washington, D.C., as claims counsel.
• Samuel Berbano, LW'13, has started a new job as customer success manager at FiscalNote in Washington, D.C.
• Tyler Adams, LW‘20, has joined Roxanne Conlin & Associates PC in Des Moines as an associate attorney.
• Jennifer B. Chavez-Rivera, LW‘20, has joined Whitfield & Eddy Law in Des Moines as an associate attorney.
• Timothy Casey, LW'90, has joined Beus Gilbert McGroder PLLC, a Phoenix law firm with a national practice concentrating in high-stakes business litigation, real estate, and catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death.
• Joseph Casey, LW'18, has joined Beus Gilbert McGroder PLLC, Phoenix, AZ, as an associate attorney.
• Miranda Soto, LW'02, has joined Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney's Miami office as a shareholder.
• Dionna Lewis, LW'11, was named Young Lawyer of the Year by the Bar Association of the District of Columbia. Lewis is the founder and managing attorney of the District Legal Group, PLLC, in Washington, DC., where she assists clients in all areas of civil rights law, labor and employment law, contract litigation, and small businesses risk mitigation.
• Katie Anderegg, LW'17, has joined Davis Brown Law Firm as an associate attorney in the Litigation Department.
• Joel Aschbrenner, LW'20, has joined Davis Brown Law Firm as an associate attorney in the Business Division.
• Kailey Gray, LW'20, has joined Abbott Osborn Jacobs, PLLC, in West Des Moines, as an associate attorney.
• Dan Breitbarth, LW'20, is an assistant county attorney with the Boone County Attorney's Office, Boone, Iowa.
• Spencer Willems, LW'19, has joined the Davis Brown Law Firm as an associate in the Litigation Division.
• Stacy Salazar, GR'16, LW'16, has accepted a position as attorney advisor with the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission in the Ft. Worth, TX office.
• Leland Slawson, LW'20, has joined the Heidman Law Firm in Sioux City, Iowa, as an associate attorney.
• Jordan Nickerson, LW'18, has been selected to serve on the UnityPoint Health Des Moines Young Advisory Council for 2021.
• Lt. Col. Kristina Stanger, LW'05, was awarded the American Bankruptcy Institute's 2020 Service to Veterans Award for her efforts as part of a team that worked to change the bankruptcy code to give veterans and service members equal treatment.
• Brandon Hanson, LW'20, has joined the Bradshaw Law Firm as an associate attorney.
• Brittany Sievers, LW'19, has joined the Bradshaw Law Firm as an associate attorney.
• Nate Canova, LW'13, GR'13, has been named a partner of Dorsey & Whitney LLP. Nate is located in the Minneapolis office and practices in the area of public finance.
• Kirk Schuler, AS'03, LW'06, has been named a partner of Dorsey & Whitney LLP. Kirk is located in the Des Moines office and practices in the area of commercial litigation.
• Amber Haberl, LW'20, has joined Galligan Law in Des Moines as an associate attorney.
• Ben Lynch, LW'16, has opened Ben Lynch Law in Clive, Iowa.
• Austin Lenz, LW'20, has accepted a position as associate attorney with Lane & Waterman, LLP, in Davenport.
• Delaney Beier, BN'17, LW'20, GR'20, is an associate with the Fidelity, Surety & Coverage team of Clark Hill PLC in Dallas, Tex.
• Adrienna Sanchez, LW'15, recently joined Planned Parenthood North Central States in Des Moines as associate general counsel and compliance director.
• Kollan Kolthoff, LW'20, has joined the Des Moines County Attorney's Office as assistant county attorney.
• Kayli Paul, LW'20, joined Peddicord Wharton as an associate attorney.
• Michael Christians, LW'13, has joined myCUMortgage as vice president of mortgage risk management.
• Bria Carr, LW'20, has accepted a position as assistant district attorney with King's County District Attorneys Office in Brooklyn, New York.
• Caitlin (Andersen) Klingenberg, LW'16, has joined Vermeer Corporation in Pella, Iowa, as intellectual property counsel.
• James Langeness, LW'80, has been selected as a Great Plaines Super Lawyer and one of the Best Lawyers in America for 2020. James is a shareholder at Duncan Green, PC, in Des Moines.
• Michael McLeran, LW'17, has joined the law firm of Childers Hanlon & Hudson, PLC in Phoenix, Ariz.
• Lt. Col. Kristina Stanger, LW'05, assumed command of the Iowa Army National Guard medical battalion in a ceremony in late August. Stanger is a shareholder with Nyemaster Goode, where she is a bankruptcy and creditors’ rights attorney. As commander of the 109th Medical Battalion, she leads more than 300 soldiers, including combat medics, doctors, nurses, mental health specialists and other support personnel.
• Kyler Massner, LW'20, has accepted a position as associate with Cray Law Firm in Burlington, Iowa.
• Thomas J. Bush, LW'20, has joined Lane & Waterman, LLP, as an associate attorney. 
• Madeline Meyer, LW'20, has accepted a position as associate attorney with Kennedy & Ruhsam Law Offices, PA, in Eagan, Minn.
• Jacey Bogler, LW'14, has joined IP Pathways in Urbandale, Iowa, as corporate counsel.
• Victoria Millet, LW'18, has accepted a position as Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action Associate with the University of Minnesota.
• Melissa Anderson-Seeber, LW'91, was appointed district court judge in Iowa Judicial Election District 1B.
• R. Scott Johnson, LW'99, has joined Fredrikson & Byron's Des Moines office as a shareholder. Scott represents clients in state and federal court proceedings on a variety of intellectual property matters.
• Luke North, LW'20, has joined Balance Autism, Altoona, Iowa, as adult autism associate.
• Srikant Mikkilineni, LW'13, is Senior Legal Counsel - Privacy and Data Protection at Vontier.
• Logan Murray, LW'17, GR'17, has joined Skinner & Paschke, PLLC, Waukee, Iowa, as an attorney and lobbyist.
• John Flynn, LW'08, was appointed a district court judge in Iowa Judicial Election District 2B.
• The Hon. Romonda Belcher, LW'95, was named one of the Business Record's 2020 Women of Influence.
• Cory Harris, LW'00, has been named CEO-Elect of Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa.
• Kelsey Hawley, LW'19, has joined Minnich, Comito & Neu, PC in Carroll, Iowa as an associate attorney.
• Miranda Lundeen Soto, LW'02, was elected Vice Chair of the Eleventh Circuit Judicial Nomination Commission. She will serve a one-year term. Soto is a partner with the Miami office of Shutts & Bowen.
• Torey Cuellar, LW'14, is the new president of the ISBA's Young Lawyer's Division.
• Tara Hall, LW'05, Chair of Davis Brown's Litigation Division, was recently selected to become a Fellow in the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers.
• Ashley Frazier, LW'19, GR'19, has accepted a position as staff attorney with Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
  
• Hope Wood, LW'12, received the ISBA Rolland E. Grefe Pro Bono Publico Award at the ISBA annual meeting in June.
• Michael Briggs, LW'91, has accepted a position as general counsel and senior vice president for human resources with Mortgage Bankers Association in Washington, D.C.
• Nick Cooper, LW'04, has been named president of the Polk County Bar Association.
• Kelse Banks, LW'19, has accepted a position as assistant state's attorney for Lake County State's Attorney's Office in Waukegan, Illinois.
• Krystal Mikkilineni, LW'13, has joined Bradshaw Fowler Proctor & Fairgrave PC as an associate attorney.
• Emily Eisenlauer, AS'16, LW'18, has accepted a position as Assistant Bank Examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
• Martha A. Sibbel, LW'06, has been named Assistant County Attorney in Crawford County, Iowa.
• Samuel Charnetski, LW'13, has joined Pearson Bollman Law in West Des Moines, Iowa. Sam practices in the areas of estate planning, probate, and litigation.
• James L. Drury II, LW'97, has joined the Goosmann Law Firm in Sioux City, Iowa. James practices in the areas of business, litigation, and employment law.
• Maggie White, AS'06, LW'13, has been named to the board  for Please Pass The Love, a nonprofit that empowers school communities to embrace and sustain mental health and wellness supports for their students.
• Antavious Ashe, LW'18, is legislative assistant to Rep. Terry Garrison, North Carolina House District 32.
• Jeffrey Karch, GR'93, LW'93, has been promoted to Deputy Chief Counsel and Director, Global Regulatory Compliance & Data Governance at John Deere Financial.
• Bryan Dearinger, LW'05, associate general counsel and adjunct law professor at the University of Oregon, was recently selected to serve a three-year term as a Ninth Circuit lawyer representative for the District of Oregon. Lawyer representatives are chosen by federal judges in each of the Ninth Circuit’s 15 districts. In this role, Bryan will work closely with federal judges and the federal bar to improve the administration of justice in the Circuit. He will also help plan the District of Oregon Conference and represent the District of Oregon at the annual Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. 
• The following Drake Law alumni have been named shareholders with Nyemaster Goode, PC: Leslie Behaunek (LW'12), Spencer Cady (BN '09, LW '13), Colleen MacRae (LW'12), Dustin Miller (LW'08), Rebecca Miller (LW'09), and Ryan Stefani (LW'14).
• Robert Ziems, LW'95, President, Global Chief Legal Officer, Director and Corporate Secretary of Aruze Gaming America was selected by Global Gaming Business for their list of 25 People to Watch in 2020.
• John Fatino, LW'91, was elected to the District 5C Judicial Nominating Commission. John is a shareholder at Whitfield & Eddy Law.
• Kimberly Stamatelos, LA'78, LW'81, has launched an online divorce platform, UnHitchUs.com. Now clients who agree on most terms can complete their whole divorce online, for a flat fee.
• Erin Dallinger-Lain, AS'06, LW'08, and Miriam Van Heukelem, LW'09, were named to the Business Record's 2020 Forty Under 40 list of honorees.
• Jonathan Steele, LW'18, has accepted a position with the DeKalb County Solicitor General’s Office in Decatur, Georgia.
• Brandon Geib, LW'15, has joined Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield as Government Relations Counsel.
• Mike Traxinger, LW'12, is President of the American Agricultural Law Association.
• Nichole Hayden, LW'04, has been elected to partnership at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP. Nichole is a registered patent attorney and practices in the intellectual property group in Nelson Mullins Charlotte, NC office.
• Jennifer Harrington, LW'18, has been promoted to partner at Buchanan, Bibler, Gabor & Meis, LLP.
• Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, LW'14, was named to the Des Moines Register's list of 15 People to Watch in 2020.
• Ashley F. Charnetski, LW'13, Molly M. Brown, LW'13, GR'13, and Gary D. Goudelock Jr., LW'05, have been named as member attorneys at Whitfield & Eddy Law.
• Bianca E. Bentzin, LW’94, completed a master’s degree in counseling and started “Being Well with Bianca” providing corporate trainings on psychological wellness and leadership and psychotherapy to individuals and couples.
• Maria Brownell, LW'09, and Conner Wasson, LW'14, been elected partner at the Ahlers & Cooney law firm.