Class Notes
Class Notes are displayed in the order that they are received. You may also view notes by decade, or by class year – simply click on the decade or click on the + symbol to expand the decade and display by year. If a given class year does not appear, notes do not exist for that particular year.
Thomas Berghman '12
(4/23/24)
Thomas D. Berghman has been promoted to Equity Shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. in Dallas. Thomas is a member of the Firm’s Bankruptcy, Restructuring + Insolvency practice, where he represents virtually all constituencies in bankruptcy proceedings.
Susan Lester '12
(3/21/24)
Susan Lester recently joined Kimberly Clark as Assistant General Council, Baby & Child Care, North America. In this role, Susan will partner with the Baby and Childcare business to deliver on their strategic advertising and marketing initiatives. Additionally, in December 2023 she received a Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) Alumni Award for her efforts in pro bono and public interest law service in the communities.
Brandon Dixon '12
(2/19/24)
Brandon Dixon was recently elevated to Partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP.
Thomas D. Berghman '12
(9/19/23)
Munsch Hardt Shareholder Thomas D. Berghman has been featured in the 2024 edition of the Best Lawyers "Ones to Watch" directory in the Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law category. Thomas’ practice focuses on corporate restructuring and bankruptcy related litigation, including representing Chapter 11 debtors, Chapter 7 trustees, landlords, and other parties of interest in all aspects of bankruptcy, such as asset sales and all aspects of litigation.
Nan Sato '12
(8/21/23)
Nan Sato has been named co-Chair of the International Practice Group of Fisher Phillips LLP.
Peter Henderson '12
(4/20/23)
Peter Henderson was sworn in on April 1, 2023, as Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District of Illinois.
Justin Zimmerman '12
(3/22/23)
In January, Justin S. Zimmerman was selected to fill an associate judge vacancy in the Third Judicial Circuit. He is also a partner in the Madison County office of Lewis Brisbois Bisgard & Smith.
Jack Najarian '12
(2/24/23)
Jack Najarian was promoted to shareholder by Chamberlain Hrdlicka during the firm's annual shareholder meeting on Feb. 4, 2023. Najarian is a member of the Corporate, Securities & Finance Practice Group in Houston. He serves businesses ranging in size from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses and their owners and has a diverse deal background in business and real estate.
Bill Pipal '12
(8/22/22)
Bill Pipal’s first New York Times crossword puzzle was published on Thursday, July 28th. Bill has also had crossword puzzles published in various other outlets including the Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, and Wall Street Journal.
Zachary Johns '12
(11/22/21)
In October 2021, Zachary M. Johns was elected to the partnership of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in the Firm's Philadelphia office where he focuses on Antitrust disputes and counseling.
Hassen T. Al-Shawaf '12
(10/28/21)
Hassen T. Al-Shawaf was recently selected to serve on the Chicago Council on Global Affairs - Emerging Leaders Class of 2022. He is one of 20 high performing, mid-career professionals from across Chicago’s business, civic, and academic sectors to participate in this leadership development program and deepen their skills and experience analyzing global issues and policies.
Robert Porter '12
(8/26/21)
Governor Pritzker appointed Robert Porter as public administrator and public guardian of McClean County, IL.
Daniel Campbell '13 and Kate Bowen '12
(2/9/21)
Dan Campbell and Kate Bowen recently welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Leah Nicole Campbell.
Norma Manjarrez '12
(2/2/21)
Norma Manjarrez, an attorney in Ogletree Deakins’ Chicago office, has been elected shareholder at the firm. Norma advises employers in all aspects of the employment relationship and regularly counsels human resources professionals and in-house counsel on sick leave, unemployment, wage and hour issues, employment policies, employee handbooks, compliance with federal and state anti-discrimination statutes, and terminations. Norma is a Co-Chair of ODAdelante, the firm’s business resource group for Latinx attorneys.
Kwin Xie '12
(1/26/21)
Kwin Xie has been recently selected for detail to the Chief Communications Office at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). On detail, he performs the role of speechwriter for the Under Secretary of Commerce and the Director of the USPTO. Kwin concentrates in intellectual property law, and also serves as a primary patent examiner.
Brandon Jackson '12
(6/15/20)
The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL) named Brandon Jackson '12 Pro Bono Volunteer of the Month for June. Jackson is an attorney for Brown & Crouppen, a personal injury law firm based in St. Louis, MO. He also serves as Executive Member and Ombudsman of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusivity Committee.
Justin Bernbrock '12
(4/15/20)
Justin R. Bernbrock has joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP's Finance and Bankruptcy practice group as a partner in the Chicago office.
Sunny Desai '12
(9/20/19)
Sunny Desai was promoted to supervising attorney in Maryland Legal Aid’s Baltimore City Administrative Law Unit.
Samuel Kauffman '12
(9/11/19)
Samuel Kauffman was named the Jeffrey Ledbetter Young Democrat of the Year by the Democratic Party of Arkansas.
Kanok Jullamon '12
(7/23/19)
Consumer Bankruptcy in Thailand, a doctoral thesis by Dr. Kanok Jullamon, is now available at the Thammasat University Library collection in Thailand. After studying at the Illinois Program in Law, Behavior, and Social Science at the University of Illinois College of Law, Dr. Kanok has been associated with Thailand Court of Justice where he drafts and reviews court decisions and orders for justices in the areas of bankruptcy and business reorganization. Dr. Kanok earned a bachelor of laws degree from Chulalongkorn University and master of laws degrees from New York University and the University of Chicago, before receiving his doctorate from the University of Illinois. Dr. Kanok has written extensively on consumer, business, and international bankruptcy as well as foreign court and case management.
Zachary Johns '12
(6/22/19)
Zachary Johns was profiled in Law.com as a 2019 Lawyer on the Fast Track. Johns, an associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, practices antitrust law and litigation.
Sonia Gipson Rankin '02
(12/13/18)
The University of New Mexico School of Law has welcomed Assistant Professor of Law Sonia M. Gipson Rankin. Assistant Professor Gipson Rankin teaches in the fields of torts, constitutional law, family law, and race and the law. Gipson Rankin’s research is centered on the law and its impact on the Black American community, particularly in the areas of technology and family dynamics. At The University of New Mexico, Gipson Rankin has served as associate dean for Curriculum and Program Development in University College and as a senior lecturer in Africana Studies. In 2018, she was honored as a Woman of Influence, by Albuquerque Business First and is a former president of the New Mexico Black Lawyers Association. She has served on state-wide higher education committees and regularly presents on her research at universities, civil rights and public policy conferences.
Samuel Kauffman '12
(7/24/18)
Sam Kauffman has been appointed to a four-year term on the Pulaski County Planning Board in Arkansas.
Sam Kauffman '12
(1/31/2017)
Sam Kauffman was elected First Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of Pulaski County, Arkansas. His term on the Executive Committee runs from 2017 to 2019.
Dr. Kanok Jullamon JSD '12
(1/2/2017)
Dr. Kanok Jullamon has been appointed as the deputy secretary-general of the Institute of Legal Education for the Thai Bar Association. Dr. Jullamon also has been appointed a bankruptcy specialist by Ramkhamhaeng University for its doctoral programs. He continues to teach bankruptcy law, comparative law, and English for lawyers at universities in Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand.