On The Record - Columbus School of Law

ALUMNI NewsWhat’s New with your Fellow Alumni1950Hon. William J. Nealon was the subjectof a television biography, “Judge WilliamJ. Nealon: At the Heart of it All,” producedby public station WVIA-TV andbroadcast on Nov. 17, 2008. The filmwas also screened on the same night atthe Scranton Cultural Center and is thefifth installment of the WVIA originalseries on “Great Pennsylvanians.”Nealon grew up in Scranton, Pa., and hasspent most of his life there. In 1962,President Kennedy appointed him to theUnited States District Court for theMiddle District of Pennsylvania. Nealonserved as the court's chief justice formore than 12 years and is still a seniorjudge on the federal district court morethan 45 years later.1954Hon. Edward B. Finch is the authorof Three Brothers of the GreatestGeneration, an account of the threeFinch brothers and their time in theUnited States Navy during WorldWar II. The bookcontains details ofthe many majorsea battles theirrespective shipswere involved inand also describesthe challengesfaced after the warby veterans whoattended night lawschool while raisingfamilies andworking full time. Finch retired in1987 as chief judge at the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency.He and his wife, Jo, have been marriedfor 62 years and reside inChesapeake Beach, Md.1968Michael J. Madigan has joined thewhite-collar criminal defense and corporateinvestigations practice of Orrick,Herrington & Sutcliffe as a partner. Heis based in Washington D.C. Madiganwas formerly a partner with Akin GumpStrauss Hauer & Feld. His decision tochange firms was profiled in Legal Timesand the Washington Post.1969John P. Donohue was quoted inReuters.com on Oct. 28 for an articletitled “Industry bailouts risk unfair tradechallenge.” Donohue, a member of theColumbus School of Law’s Board ofVisitors, is an international trade lawyerin the Philadelphia office of Thorp Reedand Armstrong.1973Catherine M. Bishop and colleagues inthe Oakland, Calif.-based NationalHousing Law Project were awarded a$500,000 grant as one of eight winnersof this year’s MacArthur FoundationAward for nonprofit organizations. Theorganization advocates housing justicefor America’s vulnerable.1976Stephen J. Verdier was interviewedfor the online industry newsletter BankInfo Security about “Post-ElectionInsights: What Does it all Mean to theBanking Industry?” Verdier is with theIndependent Community Bankers ofAmerica and his Q-and-A appeared inthe Nov. 5, 2008, edition.John P. McLaughlin was elected to theboard of directors of the Redwood City,Calif.-based PDL BioPharma, a biotechnologycompany focused on the discoveryand development of novel antibodiesin oncology and immunologic diseases.McLaughlin previously served as thechief executive officer and a director ofAnesiva, Inc. from 2000 to 2008.1977Daryl A. “Sandy” Chamblee has beenappointed chief diversity partner ofWashington, D.C.-based Steptoe &Johnson LLP, it was announced in June.The first “up-from-the-ranks” Steptoepartner of African-American heritageand one of its senior diverse partners,Chamblee will lead the implementationof Steptoe’s diversity action plan in thefirm’s eight offices worldwide. She willalso maintain her litigation practice andcontinue to chair the firm’s diversitycommittee and hiring committee.1978Richard A. Pacia is the president of theRhode Island Bar Association. Hisappointment was confirmed at the bar’sannual meeting in Providence in June2008. Pacia is principal of the Pawtucketlaw firm of Richard A. Pacia LawAssociates. He received the bar association’sPro Bono Publico award in 1994and its continuing service award in 2003.John B. Williams, a partner in theWashington office of international lawfirm Jones Day, was appointed chair ofthe American College of Trial Lawyers’District of Columbia State Committeein October 2008. The American Collegeof Trial Lawyers is dedicated to maintainingand improving the standards oftrial practice, the administration of justiceand the ethics of the profession,work that is conducted principallythrough its state and other committees.Williams formerly served as vice chair ofthe organization.Debra D. Yogodzinski has joined theWashington, D.C., office of Arent FoxLLP as a partner. She was among fourreal estate attorneys who left NixonPeabody LLP to join the new firm, amove that was reported in the WashingtonPost on Oct. 20, 2008. Yogodzinski focuseson representing clients in connectionwith the development, acquisition, ownership,leasing, financing and sale ofcommercial properties, including officebuildings, hospitality, retail and mixeduseproperties, as well as multifamilyapartment complexes and condominiumdevelopments. She was recognized byChambers USA in 2008 as one ofAmerica’s Leading Lawyers for Businessfor real estate work.46CUALAWYER /Fall–Winter 2008