Category: Class Notes

Ava George Stewart ’03, of Chicago, Illinois, was appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to a second term as a member of the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, where she has been elected Vice-Chair of the Commission.

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer recently announced the election of John Lagrou to the firm’s partnership in the US. Lagrou is based in New York and advises on primarily middle-market transactions for private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies.

Nicholas P. Kelly has been promoted to partner at the Wallace Miller law firm based in Chicago. He has spent the past few years at Wallace Miller building a personal injury practice and the Wallace Miller team is excited to see him step into this leadership role.

On December 1, Kilpatrick announced the addition of Lauren Ferrante, Counsel, to the firm’s State and Local Tax Team. She represents clients at all stages of state and local controversy disputes at the audit, administrative, and judicial levels.

On November 26, 2025, Laura Kotelman was sworn in as a Commissioner of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners by the Office of the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Ronald Franklin Coplan, 88, of Valparaiso, Indiana, formerly of Morrison, Illinois, passed away Tuesday, November 18, 2025.

George C. Lackey, Lackey & Stevenson PC, Centralia, Illinois, has retired at the age of 89.

Mark Wanda has been named Senior Vice President, Legal & Chief Compliance Officer at Verastem, Inc.

Matt Gold joined MoloLamken LLP as Counsel. Matt joins from the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, where he most recently served on the Google (ad tech) antitrust trial teams. MoloLamken LLP’s founding partner, Steven Molo ‘82 is a University of Illinois College of Law alumnus.

Robert Kiepura has joined Raytheon as Director and Senior Counsel with the company’s Naval Power Strategic Business Unit. He was previously with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division.