Category: Class Notes

The Honorable Edward R. Duncan, Jr. passed away on September 8, 2026. In 1987, he was appointed Associate Judge in the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit in DuPage County; later appointed Circuit Judge, Duncan served DuPage County and the State of Illinois for over 20 years. 

F. Christopher Chrisbens passed away on July 31 at the age of 63. Throughout his distinguished career, he practiced with several respected law firms in Colorado, earning a reputation as a skilled attorney specializing in labor and employment law. A full obituary is available online.

Dave Merwin is in his seventh year as a court appointed attorney representing parents in neglect and abuse cases in Muskegon, Michigan.

Jim Kaucher ’83 was named the 2027 Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” for Personal Injury Defense in Tucson, Arizona. Jim is a partner in Gust Rosenfeld, PLC, which has offices in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, and Wickenburg, Arizona. Jim is the Chair of the firm’s Health Care Law group which, for the second year in a row, has been ranked as the #1 health care law firm in Arizona by Ranking Arizona. He is the managing partner of the firm’s Tucson office, and Vice Chairman of the firm’s Executive Committee.

Juan R. Thomas, of Counsel at Clifford Law Offices, has been recognized in Crain’s Notable Leaders in Accounting, Consulting & Law 2026. A respected litigator and former founder of The Thomas Law Group, Juan has spent decades advocating for clients and advancing the legal profession. His successful defense of a Naperville, IL student in a widely watched school-ticketing case helped spur legislative reform in Illinois. This year Juan became President of the National Conference of Bar Presidents and President of the Illinois Bar Foundation. Juan is believed to be among the first lawyers to serve as President of two major legal organizations during the same bar year.

Robert McIntire ’72 has returned to the Danville firm of Acton & Snyder LLP as “Of Counsel.”

Melissa Gold was installed to the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) National Young Leadership Cabinet in August 2026 for a five-year term. Cabinet is the premier professional leadership development program of the JFNA, with more than 4,800 members and alumni.

Kyoungsic Min ’17 has recently been appointed Country Leader for Korea by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), a global professional association for privacy, data protection, and AI governance. He has also joined IAPP’s Asia Advisory Board. Among his other recent achievements, Min received the Korean Bar Association’s Outstanding Lawyer Award in recognition of his contributions to international human rights, privacy, and AI governance. His article examining South Korea’s AI Framework Act through a business and human rights lens was published in the Business and Human Rights Journal by Cambridge University Press. Min serves as Privacy Counsel and Asia Regional Lead at VeraSafe, a Washington, D.C.-based global firm that advises organizations on privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance.

Amundsen Davis LLC is excited to announce that Daniel Nathan joined the firm’s Entertainment, Sports & Media Service Group as partner in Chicago.

Stephanie Mills joined Capital One as Director and Assistant General Counsel.