LAW AND MBA STUDENTS WORK WITH TOP NYC FINANCIAL FIRMS
New program with SUNY's Levin Institute provides insider access to international finance

	Front row (left to right): Larry Rosenthal, Dominika Tanianis, Amanda Weir , Jesse George, Tracey Stephen and Fan Zhang Back row (left to right): Shawn Graham, Michael Rodriguez, Ryan Mead, E.J. Snyder, Justin Whittaker, Shane Kiernanand Richard Lam

A unique educational collaboration is providing University at Buffalo law and MBA students with a new gateway to New York City's international financial markets and highly competitive financial-sector job market.

Twenty UB law, MBA and joint JD/MBA students studied international finance and global investment banking this past spring semester in New York City at the Levin Graduate Institute of International Relations and Commerce, an innovative new graduate institution operated within the State University of New York system.

The UB/Levin program is the first SUNY graduate program offered by the Levin Institute, which was established in 2004 by Gov. George Pataki in memory of Neil D. Levin, director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, who died during the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

The 12-credit, semester-long program is designed to introduce students to the challenges of managing financial transactions and banking flows across borders, business cultures and multiple regulatory systems. Courses are taught by well-known UB law and management faculty, as well as other faculty from leading law and business schools.

High-level alumni from the two UB schools frequently serve as guest speakers and the students are assigned hands-on projects working with executives from M&T Bank, Credit Suisse, UBS and the international law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP.

"This new collaboration with the Levin Institute gives us the opportunity to expose our students to New York City's unique financial institutions and allows them to learn from top professionals in international finance," says Nils Olsen, dean of the UB Law School. "It is our first extended effort to teach courses in the New York City area and offers not only significant academic advantages for our students but also enhanced career placement for them as well."

The goal of the program, according to John Thomas, dean of the UB School of Management, is to help the students develop knowledge, skills and contacts needed to break into the very competitive world of investment banking and international finance.

"The program is providing our students with invaluable access to the top companies in the financial sector," he says. "If students are interested in careers in international finance, it's critical they be in New York City where the major players are."

Acceptance into the program is competitive. Experiential learning and cross-discipline team collaboration are key components of the program, according to UB Law School professor Philip Halpern, UB's on-site administrator in New York City.

"Integration is a very important part of the program because it dovetails with the real world, where lawyers and business executives often work together to solve a problem or perform a transaction," Halpern says. "There are legal and business issues, but they are linked. The students' degrees may be different, but they work together very well.

Third-year law student Jesse George of Utica, N.Y., for example, wants to pursue a career in international law in New York City or overseas.

The UB/Levin program, George says, helped him "meet people and make connections" he would not have made in Buffalo. "If you're going to a professional school to study finance, ideally you'd like to get some experience in the financial center of the world," he explains. "This program was a natural choice for me."

George's team of law, MBA and JD/MBA students worked this semester with global financial services provider Credit Suisse, helping the company examine international business opportunities and competition for a major client, PepsiCo.

Fellow student Erik Zeppuhar of Pittsburgh and his teammates worked alongside an executive from UBS, a global financial services firm. They developed a plan for unbundling the client commissions UBS pays and receives for research and the execution of trades, in anticipation of proposed SEC regulations. The objective was to help UBS conform its business to the regulations and develop strategies for gaining new business in the new regulatory environment.

"The experience definitely has better prepared me for a career in finance," Zeppuhar says. "Learning about market regulations and various international topics from people actually in the industry is something I was not exposed to before I came here. "Even if I don't end up working in the investment banking industry, the knowledge gained on these topics is applicable to other areas of business."

The UB/Levin program fits well with the mission of the Levin Institute, according to institute president Garrick Utley, who says the institute also is exploring similar internationally focused graduate programs in collaboration with other SUNY institutions.

"The Levin Institute can serve as SUNY's platform into the workings of business and international affairs in one of the world's famous global cities," Utley says. "Our approach is a response to some of the challenges facing traditional law and management schools today as they seek to internationalize while at the same time making their curriculum more relevant to potential employers."

UB deans Olsen and Thomas hope to develop future educational collaborations between the UB Law School, School of Management and Levin Institute. Thomas is working with the Levin Institute to develop a new program in global supply-chain management, for example.