Class Action - October 2026
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'90s
Patricia S. Ciccarelli ’93, partner with Schnitter Ciccarelli Mills PLLC in Buffalo, was elected to the UB Alumni Association board of directors. Ciccarelli also serves as past president of the UB Law Alumni Association.
Brian D. Gwitt ’98 has become a member of the School of Law’s Dean’s Advisory Council. Gwitt is partner and general counsel with Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP in Buffalo. He is a past recipient of the UB Law Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumnus Award for Business and a past president of the UB Law Alumni Association.
'00s
Timothy R. Hedges ’05 was elected to the UB Alumni Association board of directors. He is a senior trial attorney with The Barnes Firm in the Rochester, N.Y., office.
Jennifer P. Stergion ’07 was promoted to director, Trade Practices Bureau at the New York State Office of Cannabis Management in Buffalo. Prior to this role, Jennifer was on the defensive litigation and employment law teams for the agency.
Regina L. Readling ’08 has become a member of the School of Law’s Dean’s Advisory Council. She is a partner with partner Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz in New York City.
'10s
Shatorah Roberson ’12 was named vice president of Strategic Communications and Advocacy, a newly created leadership position with the John R. Oishei Foundation in Buffalo. She previously served as senior policy counsel, Digital Justice Initiatives and Racial Equity with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, D.C. Roberson is a past member of the board of directors of the UB Law Alumni Association.
David W. Chandler ’13 has been appointed chief counsel of the Grievance Committee for the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, serving the Second, Eleventh and Thirteenth Judicial Districts, and overseeing all investigations and prosecutions of attorney discipline for Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, N.Y. He previously served as principal attorney for the committee in Brooklyn.
Marjorie McAllister ’14 has been named executive director of the Buffalo Erie Niagara Land Improvement Corp. (BENLIC), a nonprofit that partners with the city, county and other municipalities to acquire vacant and abandoned properties and repurpose them for affordable housing and community revitalization. She previously served as assistant program manager for the HOME Program with New York State Homes and Community Renewal in Buffalo. Prior to that, she was a program manager with BENLIC.
Ross M. Sarraf ’14 has become a member of the School of Law’s Dean’s Advisory Council. He is managing director, co-head of GP Stakes with Hunter Point Capital LP in New York City.
William H. Hython ’19 has joined Harris Beach Murtha as senior counsel in the business litigation practice group in the Syracuse, N.Y., office. He was previously a partner with Goldberg Segalla LLP in Syracuse.
Recognitions
54th Annual Buffalo Black Achievers Awards 2026
- Deonna M. Jones ’19, Buffalo City School District
2026 Buffalo Business First Power 100 Business Leaders of Color
- Kimberlee McGrath Dunlop ’03, Seneca Gaming Corp., Niagara Falls, N.Y.
- Lenora B. Foote-Beavers ’97, Evergreen Health, Buffalo
- Joseph M. Hanna ’05, Goldberg Segalla LLP, Buffalo
- Deonna M. Jones ’19, Buffalo City School District
- Jennifer J. Parker ’84, Jackson Parker Communications LLC, Buffalo
- Crystal J. Rodriguez-Dabney ’06 (JD), ’07 (LLM), Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo
- Jacqueline Stover-Stitts ’82, The Golden Cup, Buffalo; Jacqueline Stover-Stitts, Attorney at Law, Buffalo
- Sarah M. Washington ’16, National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp., Williamsville, N.Y.
Bar Association of Erie County
- Lawyer of the Year: Alan J. Bozer ’84, Phillips Lytle LLP, Buffalo, New York City, Chautauqua, N.Y.
- Outstanding Jurist: Hon. Gerald J. Whalen ’83, New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department, Buffalo
- Hon. John T. Curtin Profiles in Courage Award: Anne E. Doebler '90, Anne E. Doebler, P.C., Buffalo
- Charles H. Dougherty Civility Award: Larry E. Waters, Jr. ’17, Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc., Buffalo
- Special Service Award: Alan S. Carrel ’67, Ret., School of Law
Chambers Global Market Leaders
- Marc A. Alpert ’86, Loews Corp., New York, N.Y.
DBusiness Magazine Detroit 500
- John W. Crowe ’96, Williams Williams Rattner and Plunkett P.C., Birmingham, Mich.
Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project
- Immigration Award: Jesutowo A. Adeniji ’20, County of Erie, Department of Labor Relations, Buffalo
Minority Bar Association of Western New York
- Outstanding Member Award: Jesutowo A. Adeniji ’20, County of Erie, Department of Labor Relations, Buffalo
- President’s Award: Donell L. Gibson, Jr. ’18, Lippes Mathias LLP, Buffalo
- Judicial Excellence Award: Hon. Craig D. Hannah ’95, New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, 4th Department, Buffalo
- President’s Award: Tasha E. Moore, Esq. ’98, Buffalo
- Honorable Samuel L. Green Lifetime Achievement Award: Hon. Stephanie A. Saunders ’00, New York State Court of Claims, Buffalo
Monroe County Bar Association and Bar Association of Erie County
- Criminal Justice Act Award: Hon. Parker R. MacKay ’12, Kenmore Justice Court, Kenmore, N.Y.; Law Office of Parker R. MacKay, Kenmore, N.Y.
- Criminal Justice Act Award: Robert C. Singer ’06, Singer Legal PLLC, Williamsville, N.Y.
- Special Service Award: Aaron J. Aisen ’11, Bar Association of Erie County Volunteer Lawyers Project, Buffalo; Aisen Law, PLLC, Buffalo
National Law Journal Managing Partner of the Year
- Kristin Graham Koehler ’94, Sidley Austin LLP, Washington, D.C.
National Legal Aid and Defender Association New Leader in Advocacy Award
- Katherine S. Blum ’19, Empire Justice Center, Rochester, N.Y.
Rochester Business Journal & Daily Record Attorneys of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Peter H. Abdella ’87, Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, Rochester, N.Y.
- Lifetime Achievement Award: John W. Dreste ’84, Ernstrom & Dreste LLP, Rochester, N.Y.
- Civil Legal Services: Katherine E. Courtney ’06, Empire Justice Center, Rochester, N.Y.
- Leaders in Law Award: Perry M. Duckles ’02, Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, Rochester, N.Y.
- Leaders in Law Award: Amy K. Kendall ’98, Knauf Shaw LLP, Rochester, N.Y.
- Leaders in Law Award: Jodi A. Reynolds ’06, Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, Rochester, N.Y.
- Leaders in Law Award: Mindy L. Zoghlin ’84, Underberg & Kessler LLP, Rochester, N.Y.
- Up & Coming Lawyers: Nichole M. Austin ’21, Faraci Lange LLP, Rochester, N.Y.
- Up & Coming Lawyers: Chloe J. Macdonald ’16, Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, Buffalo
- Up & Coming Lawyers: Matthew J. McClellan ’19, Phillips Lytle LLP, Rochester, N.Y.
UB Alumni Achievement Award
- Hon. Barbara Howe ’80, Ret., Erie County Surrogate Court, Bufalo
Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York Western New York Chapter
- Crystal Award: Anna S. M. McCarthy ’15, Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, Buffalo
In Memoriam
The School of Law extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the following alumni:
- Hon. Michael L. D’Amico ’70, Buffalo
- James W. Gresens ’73, Buffalo
- Craig D. Peterson ’76, Pittsford, N.Y.
- Hon. Judith J. Gische ’80, New York, N.Y.