Class Action - August '14

Thomas R. Beecher Jr. ’59, received the Root/Stimson Award from the New York State Bar Association. Beecher is founder and chair emeritus of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus in Buffalo. He is a past recipient of the SUNY Buffalo Law Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumnus Award and the Edwin F. Jaeckle Award. Beecher lives in Buffalo.

Joseph A. Stoeckl ’70 of East Aurora, N.Y., has become special counsel with Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel in the Buffalo office. He handles cases involving not-for-profit, education, religious corporations, commercial real estate, wills and probate, corporate and health care law. Stoeckl previously practiced with Kennedy Stoeckl & Martin in Buffalo.

Vincent O. Hanley ’82 has been appointed to the board of directors of the Food Bank of Western New York, in Buffalo. Hanley is a partner with Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel in the Buffalo office. He practices in the real estate, economic and land development, business, and corporate and financial services practice groups. Hanley lives in Williamsville, N.Y.

Denise E. O’Donnell ’82 has been nominated to serve as a federal judge in the U.S. District Court, Western District of New York, in Buffalo. She is currently director of the Federal Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, in Washington, D.C. She previously served as commissioner of New York State’s Division of Criminal Justice Services and as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. O’Donnell is a past president of the Law Alumni Association and recipient of the Distinguished Alumna Award for public service. She is also an emerita memeber of the Dean's Advisory Council.

Patrick J. Higgins ’84 has become a partner with Couch White in the Albany, N.Y., office. He is a member of the firm’s commercial litigation, construction and environmental practice groups. Higgins was previously a partner with Powers & Santola in Albany, where he resides.

Patrick E. Martin ’86 has become special counsel with Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel in the Buffalo office. Martin counsels clients regarding education, not-for-profit, municipal, corporate, litigation and commercial real estate matters. He previously practiced with Kennedy Stoeckl & Martin in Buffalo, where he resides.

Martha M. Anderson ’87 has become a managing partner with Nixon Peabody in the Buffalo office. She focuses her practice in leverage finance, project finance, mergers and acquisitions, and sports. Anderson lives in Clarence Center, N.Y.  

Sophie Feal ’88 was elected to the board of directors of the Erie County Bar Association in Buffalo. Feal is supervising immigration attorney with the Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyers Project in Buffalo, where she resides.

Karen L. Nicolson ’89 has been appointed to the William B. Hoyt Memorial Children and Family Trust Advisory Board. She is the chief executive officer of Legal Services for the Elderly, Disabled or Disadvantaged of Western New York, in Buffalo. Nicolson lives in Amherst, N.Y.

Gregory Jakubowicz O.F.M. ’90 has become chaplain at Hilbert College in Hamburg, N.Y. He previously served as chaplain at Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. Jakubowicz is a Buffalo resident.

Hon. Jeffrey P. Markello ’90 received the 2014 Hon. Michael F. Dillon Attorneys for Children Award from the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department, in Rochester, N.Y. He is a partner with Sakowski & Markello in Elma, N.Y., and a town justice in East Aurora, N.Y., where he resides. 

Michael J. Roach ’92 has been elected to the board of directors of the Bar Association of Erie County. Roach is a partner with Connors & Vilardo in Buffalo, focusing on representing physicians in medical malpractice lawsuits. He lives in Buffalo.

Michelle M. Parker ’93 has been appointed chair of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Mass Disaster Response. Parker is first assistant county attorney with the Erie County Department of Law in Buffalo. She lives in Derby, N.Y.

David E. Gutowski ’94 has become a partner with Zdarsky Sawicki & Agostinelli in Buffalo. He practices civil, corporate and federal litigation. Gutowski lives in Derby, N.Y.

Kevin E. Raphael ’94 was named vice chairman of the education committee of the American Health Lawyers Association Fraud and Abuse Practice Group. Raphael is a partner with Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti in Philadelphia and co-chair of the firm's health care litigation practice group. He is a Philadelphia resident.

Gregory T. Miller ’97 was elected treasurer of the Bar Association of Erie County. He is a partner with Roach Brown McCarthy & Gruber in Buffalo, practicing medical malpractice defense. Miller lives in Orchard Park, N.Y.

Nadia Shahram ’97 prepared a “Declaration of Equalities for Muslim Women.” The declaration includes a list of grievances and opinions to address and change laws that discriminate against and oppress women in Islamic countries. The declaration was made public on July 19 in Seneca Falls, N.Y. Shahram is director and matrimonial mediator for Matrimonial Mediation Services of Buffalo and an adjunct faculty member at SUNY Buffalo Law School. She lives in Williamsville, N.Y.

Bridget Niland ’98 has been appointed athletic director of Daemen College in Amherst, N.Y. She previously served as associate professor of business administration and faculty athletic representative at Daemen. Niland resides in Amherst.

Heath J. Szymczak ’98 is a contributing author of the book Business Torts: A Practical Guide to Litigation, published by First Chair Press for the American Bar Association. Szymczak is a partner with the Buffalo firm Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel, handling cases involving business-related torts, complex commercial litigation and civil litigation. He is a resident of Java Center, N.Y.

Elizabeth A. Brewer ’01 is practicing with the Law Offices of William Mattar in Williamsville, N.Y. She counsels clients regarding personal injury, wrongful death and insurance claims.  Brewer lives in Clarence, N.Y.

Asker A. Saeed ’01 was elected secretary of the Connecticut Bar Association in New Britain, Conn. Saeed is director of diversity with Day Pitney in Hartford. He is responsible for leading the firm's diversity initiative in its offices throughout New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Boston and Washington, D.C. Saeed is a resident of Glastonbury, Conn.

Tara R. Johnson ’02 has accepted a position as corporate director of Enterprise IT Business Operations with Excellus BlueCross BlueShield in Rochester, N.Y. She previously served as legal counsel. Johnson lives in Webster, N.Y.

Cheryl A. Aloi ’03 was elected to the board of directors of the Erie County Bar Association in Buffalo. She is a Buffalo solo practitioner, focusing her practice on matrimonial and family law. Aloi lives in Williamsville, N.Y.

Jennifer L. Mandina ’03 has been appointed associate manager, contracts, at UB’s Office of Science, Technology and Economic Outreach. She previously served as a technology licensing associate with American Type Culture Collection in Manassas, Va.

Lisa Sharp ’04 of Richmond, Va., has been elected treasurer of the American Inns of Court. She is an associate practicing with McGuireWoods in the Richmond office.

Jennifer A. Beckage ’07 was elected to the board of directors of the Erie County Bar Association in Buffalo. Beckage is an associate with Phillips Lytle in the Buffalo office, concentrating her practice in complex business disputes and commercial litigation. She lives in Lancaster, N.Y.

Christopher N. Ollinick ’08 has become associated with Cannon Heyman & Weiss in Buffalo. Ollinick practices affordable housing and community development law, low-income housing tax credit, new markets tax credit, historic tax credit and not-for-profit/tax exempt organization law. He lives in Buffalo.

Neil E. Reddien ’09 of Buffalo has started the Niagara Falls, N.Y., firm Restaino Reddien with Antonio L. Restaino ’09. Reddien practices estate planning and administration and residential real estate.

Antonio L. Restaino ’09 and Neil E. Reddien ’09 have started their own firm, Restaino Reddien in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Restaino handles cases involving personal injury, real estate and traffic violations. He resides in Niagara Falls.

Jeffrey T. Bochiechio ’11 has become special counsel with Bouvier Partnership in Buffalo in the litigation practice group. He was also named in the 2014 Super Lawyers Upstate New York Rising Stars list. Bochiechio, a Buffalo solo practitioner, will continue his practice. He is a Buffalo resident.

Lawrence K. Bice ’12 is practicing as an associate with Phillips Lytle in the Rochester, N.Y., office. He handles cases involving telecommunications law. Bice is a Rochester resident.

Jillian C. Joyce ’12 has joined Hiscock & Barclay as an associate in the Syracuse, N.Y., office. Joyce practices in the firm’s trusts and estates practice group. She lives in Syracuse.

Latoya Joyner ’12 is a candidate for the New York State Assembly, 77th District, Bronx, N.Y., where she resides. Joyner is a court attorney with the Bronx Civil Court.

Jessica R. Fields ’13 has become comptroller of Legal Services for the Elderly, Disabled or Disadvantaged of Western New York, in Buffalo. Fields resides in Amherst, N.Y.

Nicholas A. Romano ’13 has been appointed town prosecutor in Cheektowaga, N.Y., where he resides. He is also an associate with Connors & Vilardo in Buffalo, practicing civil litigation, personal injury, medical malpractice, professional discipline and criminal defense.