2010 UB Law Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Awards

Segment Synopsis: On the dais: Ilene Fleischmann, Rich DiGiacomo, Jeannette Ogden, Judge Tim Fronczak, Frank Clark, Laurie Bloom, Judge Erin Peradotto, Dean Makau Mutua, Harvey Kaminski, Judge Lenora B. Foote-Beavers, and Brian Melber. The Law School Alumni currently has approximately 1200 members around the country and overseas as well. Speaking recently to incoming law students, I stressed the importance of our profession and the collegiality within it. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Law School and the professors who taught us.

Keywords: Alumni; Alumni Association; Continuing Role; Contributions; Relationship with UB Law

Subjects: UB LAW MISCELLANEOUS

Segment Synopsis: Dean Mutua characterizes Rob's Alumni Association Presidency as "fantastic and wonderful". This event is the one time in each year we are gathered in one room together. We gather to honor and celebrate our most illustrious alumni. These awards signify the pinnacle for UB Law. Most of our indexes for academic excellence are on the upswing. A review of several key indexes for academic excellence follows: [1] Our faculty is a cornerstone of a the Law School. He characterizes the nine recent hires as a "remarkable renaissance" in the faculty. [2] We are recruiting a highly qualified and diverse class of students. Our LSAT and GPA scores for One-L Classes over the past two years are the highest they've ever been. [3] O'Brian Hall renovations will commence this coming summer and will begin to become "teched up" and handicap accessible. [4] We continue to reach out to the alumni for support. My goal to make UB Law one of the finest in the country remains bullish and strong.

Keywords: Academic vs. Career Success; Alumni; Alumni Association; Intellectual Tradition; Relationship with UB Law; UB Law School general; UB Recruitment

Subjects: UB LAW AS STUDENT; UB LAW FACULTY; UB LAW MISCELLANEOUS

Segment Synopsis: Event Co-Chair, Brian Melber acknowledges Dinner Patrons Cellino & Barnes, Conners & Villardo, Damon & Morey, Harris Beach, Hiscock & Barclay, Hodgson Russ, Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel, Kavinoky Cook, Law Office of Frances M. Letro, Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman, Lipsitz Green Shemay Cambria, Nixon Peabody, Phillips Lytle, Rupp Baase Pfalzgraf Cunningham & Cuppola, Wilder & Linneball. Event Underwriters: (Platinum Level) CTG; (Gold Level) M & T Bank, Settlement Professionals, Inc., and Thomson Reuters; (Silver Level) Jack W. Hunt & Associates and National Fuel; (Bronze Level) Bar Association of Erie County; (Donor Level) Batavia Legal Printing, D4 LLC, Icon Office Solutions, Law Office of Lindy Korn, Minority Bar Association of WNY, Nesper Ferber & DiGiacomo, Nussbaumer & Clarke, Inc., R L Sonnenberger Land Surveyors, Stephen J. Baum, PC, Ticor Title Insurance, UB Alumni Association, and the WNY Chapter of the Women's Bar Association of the State of NY; (Media Sponsors) Daily Record and the Buffalo Law Journal. Rob thanks the Event Committee: Brian Melber, Lisa Allen, Tom Cunningham, Rich DiGiacomo, Tom Fredrick, Jim Grable, and Brian Gwitt. He also thanks Alumni Association Executive Director Ilene Fleischmann and her staff, Lisa Mueller, Pat Warrington, Amy Atkinson, Amy Hypnarowski, and Cynthia Watts. Rob announces the new Alumni Association Directors: Alan Bozer, Sally Broad, John Brine, Joe Del Vecchio, Mary Fleming, Bill Gerston, and Jeff Reina. He announces the new GOLD Group Directors: Joshua Tubbs, Kevin Espinoza, Jennifer Farrel, Jeff _________, Ryan Parisi, and Laura Wagner. Anniversaries this year Class of 1950 (60 years) and Class of 1960 (50 years)

Keywords: Alumni; Alumni Association; Law Firms

Subjects: UB LAW MISCELLANEOUS

Segment Synopsis: Rob remembers recently deceased Law Professor and UB President William Greiner and introduces the Tribute Video.

Keywords: Greiner, WIlliam; Law Faculty; UB Academic Advisors; UB Law School general

Subjects: UB LAW FACULTY; UB LAW MISCELLANEOUS

Segment Synopsis: Laurie urges attendees to join the Law Alumni Association, outlining the benefits. Laurie recaps the Law Alumni Awards purpose and refers to the event program for remarks by award recipients. Judiciary Award recipient: Hon. Erin Perradotto. She has been "out in front" of every aspect of her legal career and has never lost her approachability, her friendliness, or her amazing sense of humor. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate from UB and continued at Buffalo Law School, obtaining her JD in 1984. She entered private practice becoming a well-respected a litigator, working for Dempsey & Dempsey, and O'Shea Reynolds. In 1997, she was elected President of the Erie County Bar Association at the age of 37 and became the NYS Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Buffalo Regional Office. In 2003 she was elected to the [NY] Supreme Court and a few years later was appointed Appellate Court Judge by Gov. Pataki. A frequent speaker at CLE programs, she has served on numerous boards and committees, including as Director of the UB Law Alumni Association. In her spare time she plays golf and is one fourth of the singing group, the A Cappellants. For her conscientious, diligent, and melodic performance in the judiciary, we present this award to Judge Perradotto. . . . singing Rock & Roll parodies. For her conscientious, diligent, and melodic performance in the judiciary, we present this award to Judge Perradotto.

Keywords: Alumni; Alumni Association; Bar Association; Career / Gender; Choosing UB Law School; Community Service; Judiciary; Law School / Gender; Legal Community; NYS Court of Appeals; UB Law School general

Subjects: PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE; UB LAW AS STUDENT; UB LAW MISCELLANEOUS; UB LAW: GENDER

Segment Synopsis: Private Practice Award recipient: Roger Jones, a highly accomplished lawyer and an exceptionally fine person. His commitment to his clients is exemplary which is why he cannot be with us today. His climb up the ladder of success was unusual although it is a classic American success story. Roger grew up in a blue-collar family in South Buffalo. He married his high school sweetheart and they worked hard so he could receive an education, obtaining three degrees over a period of 11 years, culminating in a PhD in Legal and Constitutional History in 1979. But there were no jobs for history professors at that time. He took the LSAT, scoring a perfect score, and was accepted to UB Law School. He worked long hours while in Law School, finishing his legal education in two-and-a-half years, first in his class. Offered a Fellowship at Harvard, he declined, beginning his career at Phillips Lytle. Sought by headhunters around the country, he settled on a position at the Chicago law firm of Mayer Brown where he developed their Tax Litigation Dept. into one of the best in the nation. After 18 years he moved to Latham & Watkins, where he came to represent major companies such as Nestle, The Limited, Hyatt, Comcast, Bausch & Lomb, and Kroger Supermarket, in cases frequently in excess of a half-billion dollars, setting new precedents in the highest courts in the land, and shaping tax law and policy. Chambers USA publication, wrote, "Roger's 'significant success' in tax cases places him among the elite lawyers, nationally, in presenting tax arguments." Despite his success, he remains down to earth, well rounded, maintaining his values, his warmth, and his sense of humor. He's a co-founder, with his wife Karen, of a large therapeutic equestrian organization whose clients consist of youngsters with autism, Down's Syndrome, cerebral palsy, etc., and is actively involved in Mercy Home for Boys, and Link Limited. In addition to his successful practice is also an academic as a tax professional, and a supportive member of the Dean's Advisory Council. He and Karen funded the Roger & Karen Jones Faculty Scholars, held by John H. Shlegel, Robert Steinfeld, and Rebecca French. Roger has been honored by legal organizations across the country and throughout the world.

Keywords: Community Service; Contributions; Family; Law Firms; Legal Education; Practice; Tax Law; Undergraduate Education

Subjects: LAW; PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Segment Synopsis: Community Service Award recipient: Judge E. Jeannette Ogden. She has a no-nonsense style but yet compassionate handling of every case. She let me know that striving for excellence is really the only option in life. She started out as a trial attorney at Cigna Insurance, moving then to the District Attorney's office, and later joining the NYS Attorney's office, followed by the NYS Attorney General's office, then her appointed, election, and re-election to the City Court Bench. She currently serves on the Boards of the United Way, the Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics, Erie Community College, Girl Scouts of America, Legal Services for the Elderly & Disabled, Sheehan Memorial Hospital, etc. [50:10 BREAK] Judge Ogden's dedication to the City of Buffalo: in 1978 she was a statewide lobbyist for funding of Buff State's EOC program and currently she actively mentors high school students. Her first job after graduation Buff State was with the City of Buffalo Division of Youth and her second job was working for Gov. Hugh Carey at the NYS Ofc. of Urban Affairs as a Constituent Complaint Rep. She allowed at-risk youth to live with her for up to a year until they were able to get their lives on track and were able to live on their own. She has done pro bono work for churches, community organizations, and not-for-profits agencies [named, beginning at 51:30]. She works with senior citizens and youth in her childhood community at the Perry Projects, has served for over 20 years on the Nurse's Guild of her church, is one of the founding members of the Minority Bar Association Foundation, and has served as President of the Women Lawyers of WNY, the Minority Bar Assn of WNY, and the UB Law Alumni Board of Directors. She was recently appointed Vice-Chair of the Gender & Fairness Committee for the 8th Judicial District. She has received an A-Star Fellowship for the Ofc. of Court Administration Judicial Institute and is the recipient of over 30 awards and numerous certificates and citations. She is the mother of five children, two of whom are step children, and eleven grand children. She is most deserving of the Community Service Award as she has enhanced the image and reputation of the legal profession within our community. She has shown us that our focus should always be to assist others, utilizing our legal minds to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals who are less fortunate and disadvantaged in our society. She credits her faith and family support for her success.

Keywords: Community Involvement; Community Service; Discrimination / Prejudice; Ethnicity / Diversity; Judiciary; Pro Bono

Subjects: CAREER: LEGAL; PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Segment Synopsis: Public Service Award recipient: Hon. Frank Clark. Born Nov. 6, 1942 in Brooklyn, moving to Buffalo in 1950. His parents both worked in sales, and his sister, Mary Lou, is an attorney in the Erie County Surrogate Court. His wife of 37 years is a retired Buffalo School teacher. He received his Bachelor's degree from Niagara University in 1964 and his Law degree from UB in 1967 when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, seeing combat in Vietnam, and was honorably discharged in 1971 with the rank of Captain. From 1971 to 1979, Frank Clark was an Assistant Erie County District Attorney under Ed Cosgrove, and First Assistant to Joe McCarthy. He was the lead prosecutor for the Richard Long case, and in 1979 he joined the law firm of Moot Sprague, trying cases in both State and Federal Courts, returning to public service as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 1983, where he formulated and implemented the Organized Crime Drug Task Force for the Western District of NY. In 1988 he became U.S. District Attorney Kevin Dillon's First Assistant and in 1996 he was elected Erie County District Attorney, re-elected in 2000 and 2004 with the endorsement of all five local political parties, serving until the end of 2008. In the D.A.'s office Frank mentored young lawyers. He was active and recognized by many organizations: the District Attorney's Association of NYS, NY Prosecutor's Training Institute, the FBI Academy, NYS Probation Taskforce, 8th Judicial Advisory Committee on Minorities, the Greater Niagara Frontier Council of Boy Scouts, Canisius H.S, Buff State, Niagara University. At the top of Frank's civic duty achievements is the Dean's Advisory Council of UB Law, a role he cherishes.

Keywords: Career / Military Service; Community Involvement; Community Service; Elections; Legal Education

Subjects: CAREER: LEGAL; CAREER: MILITARY; EDUCATION

Segment Synopsis: Outstanding Commitment to Business Award recipient: Harvey L. Kaminski, Class of '77. Rich reports on the aging of O'Brian Hall. Harvey and his wife Helene made a significant gift to the Law School for renovation of the first-floor classroom. After law school Harvey joined the law firm of Cohen Swados, then moved to NYC and practiced bankruptcy-related law. He now heads Prestige Capital Corp. in New Jersey, a finance company dealing with asset-based lending, factoring, and accounts-receivable purchasing. Using his business and legal background, Harvey's company is able to document the business deals. Harvey's generosity, time, and advice have benefited UB Law School, serving on the Dean's Advisory Council, taught the highly successful NYC program in International Finance & Law, and regularly helps UB Law students in their job searching. Rich quotes a 2008 speech by Dean Mutua on what the Law School needs from alums. Harvey Kaminski fit Dean Mutua's description.

Keywords: Alumni; Alumni Association; Community Service; Continuing Role; Financial Support; Relationship with UB Law

Subjects: CAREER: LEGAL

Segment Synopsis: Recipient of the Award for Service to the University & the Community by a non-Alumnus: Judge Thomas P. "Tim" Franczyk. He has shown strong leadership, highly respected in the community, and demonstrated devoted service by giving time and assistance to the Law School community. As an Assistant District Attorney in Erie County, he distinguished himself as a skilled trial attorney and as a leader, serving as a felony trial prosecutor and as Chief of the Special Investigations Bureau. Prosecuting in the trial of The People v. Edward Beauford Cutner against the formidable John Condon, he earned Condon's lasting respect and life-long friendship. A judge for more than thirteen years, first in City Court, then in Erie County Court, Judge Franczyk will be recognized later this year by the Bar Association of Erie County with its Outstanding Jurist Award. We honor him tonight for his special contribution to UB Law through his education of law students in trial advocacy. His service to the Law School traces its roots to his training under Travis Lewin, becoming a regional champion of a national trial competition. In 1994 he coached UB Law students for that same competition. Now, 16 years later, under the coaching skills of Judge Franczyk and renowned trial lawyer Bob Murphy, UB Law students compete in eight separate trial competitions annually. Judge Franczyk coaches over thirty law students each year. In 2004, Judge Franczyk was singularly responsible for founding the Buffalo-Niagara Invitational Mock Trial Competition, which in six years has become the largest, and best, trial competition in the nation, inviting 32 Law School teams from around the country. Prof. Charles Ewing selected Judge Franczyk to Co-Chair UB Law's Trial Advocacy Program. In the words of Judge Franczyk, "The aspiration of that program is that all of our students receive the best possible training to become effective and ethical trial lawyers." Under his leadership the program focuses not only on effectiveness but equally emphasizes ethics and civility. Rob Boreanez thanks the Greiner family, the serving staff, and the award recipients.

Keywords: Community Involvement; Community Service; Judiciary

Subjects: CAREER: LEGAL