Class Action - December '20

Robert B. Conklin ’68 received the Federal Court Award from the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project in Buffalo. Conklin is a retired partner with Hodgson Russ in the Buffalo office. He lives in Orchard Park, N.Y.

David G. Brock ’72 has become senior counsel with The Coppola Firm in Buffalo. He was previously senior counsel with Kavinoky Cook in Buffalo. Brock is a resident of East Amherst, N.Y.

Hon. John J. Aman ’77 received the Judicial Award from the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project in Buffalo. Aman is an Erie County Family Court support magistrate in Buffalo. He lives in Amherst, N.Y.

Hon. Hollie S. Levine ’85 was elected Broome County Family Court judge in Binghamton, N.Y., where she resides. Levine is a principal court attorney with Mental Hygiene Legal Service in Binghamton.

Thomas C. Behr ’87 has authored the book Social Justice and Subsidiarity: Luigi Taparelli and the Origins of Modern Catholic Social Thought. The book is an “ideas in context” study of the emergence of modern Catholic social thought and teaching. It examines the economic, social and political forces that shaped the institutional Catholic response to modernization, specifically looking at how scholastic natural law social theories could connect conservative principles and liberal political developments. Behr is director of liberal arts degree programs and assistant professor of history at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, where he resides.     

Hon. Paul G. Buchanan ’89 received the VIP Award from the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project in Buffalo. He is a retired Erie County Family Court judge in Buffalo, where he resides.

Hon. Kelly A. Brinkworth ’89 was elected an Erie County Family Court judge in Buffalo. She is an assistant county attorney with the Erie County Department of Law in Buffalo. Brinkworth lives in Amherst, N.Y. 

Hon. Kevin M. Carter ’89 received the Liberty Bell Award from the Bar Association of Erie County in Buffalo. Carter is supervising judge of the Family Courts of the 8th Judicial District and an Erie County Family Court judge in Buffalo. He lives in Orchard Park, N.Y. 

Hon. Brenda M. Freedman ’89 of Williamsville, N.Y., received the Liberty Bell Award from the Bar Association of Erie County in Buffalo. She is an Erie County Family Court judge in Buffalo.

Andrew B. Isenberg ’92 received the Champion for Justice Award from the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project in Buffalo. Isenberg is district executive for the New York State Unified Court System, Eighth Judicial District, in Buffalo. He lives in Williamsville, N.Y. He serves as liaison to the courts for the board of the UB Law Alumni Association. Andrew lives in Williamsville, N.Y.

Patricia D. Pope ’93 has been elected a member of the Newstead Town Council in Akron, N.Y., where she resides. She is an assistant public defender with the Orleans County Public Defender’s Office in Albion, N.Y., and has a private law practice in Akron.

Douglas J. Sylvester ’94 was named to the 2020 Most Admired Leaders list by the Phoenix Business Journal. Sylvester is dean of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz., where he resides.   

Luke P. Bellocchi ’95 was named ombudsman, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman in Washington, D.C. The ombudsman position was recently created by statute. It reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security to assist stakeholders in resolving immigration detention related issues, to investigate detention facilities and recommend changes to improve immigration detention conditions. Bellocchi previously served as strategic adviser for aviation policy with the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., and counsel with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee for the U.S. Senate. He is a resident of Arlington, Va.

Mirna Martinez Santiago ’95 has joined Hurwitz & Fine P.C. as a member in the insurance coverage department in the firm’s Melville, N.Y., office. She is also president and CEO of Girls Rule the Law Inc., an organization designed to introduce girls to the law, judiciary and legislature, in Pawling, N.Y. Santiago lives in Patterson, N.Y.

Heather Gresham ’96 has been appointed to lead the diversity and inclusion efforts of BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York/BlueShield of Northeastern New York, in Buffalo. Gresham is director of talent acquisition with the company. She resides in Snyder, N.Y.

Rosanna Berardi ’97 was named a 2020 “Woman Legal Entrepreneur of the Year” by Women Owned Law, a national nonprofit networking and advocacy group for women-owned law and legal services firms. Berardi is founder of Berardi Immigration Law, one of the only women-owned immigration law firms in the Buffalo Niagara region, and immigration counsel with Barclay Damon in the Buffalo office. She is a resident of Lancaster, N.Y.

Mary Moorman Penn ’99 was appointed chair of the Bar Association of Erie County’s Lawyers Helping Lawyers committee in Buffalo. She is the first woman chairperson in the history of the committee. Penn is a family law solo practitioner in Orchard Park, N.Y., where she resides.

Kelly L. Gotham ’00 received the Attorney of the Morning Award from the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project in Buffalo, where she resides. Gotham is an associate court attorney with the New York State Unified Court System in Tonawanda, N.Y.

Kevin M. Momot ’02 has joined PrintingHouse Press in Rochester, N.Y., as senior appellate counsel. He was previously publisher and director of sales for the Rochester Business Journal and The Daily Record in Rochester. Momot is a resident of Webster, N.Y.

Cheryl A. Kraus ’04 of Clifton Park, N.Y., has become director of Government Relations at Hospice & Palliative Care Association of New York State in Albany, N.Y. Kraus previously practiced with Rivera Law PLLC in Albany.  

Crystal J. Rodriguez-Dabney ’06 was named to the board of directors of Read to Succeed Buffalo. Rodriguez is chief of staff, chief diversity officer with Buffalo State College in Buffalo, where she resides.

Joshua E. Dubs ’08 received the Rev. A. Joseph Bissonette Pro Bono Award from the Bar Association of Erie County in Buffalo. He is a partner with Webster & Dubs P.C. in Buffalo. Dubs resides in Lockport, N.Y.    

John E. Mancebo ’08 has become a partner with Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck LLP in the New York City office. Mancebo focuses his practice on representing companies and non-profit organizations on a wide variety of employment-related issues, including employment practices litigation and administrative matters, wage and hour litigation, internal investigations, and compliance and fair housing violations. He is also a member of the board of directors of The Water Street Club, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion in the insurance industry and which he co-founded. Mancebo is a resident of Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.

Julie E. Kruger ’09 of Buffalo received the Pro Bono Trainer Award from the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project in Buffalo. She is owner of Kruger Immigration Law PLLC with offices in Buffalo and Toronto.

Emma L. Buckthal ’10 has been promoted to director of the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project’s Immigration Program in Buffalo. She is a lifetime member of the UB Law Alumni Association. Buckthal lives in Eden, N.Y.

Joanna T. McKeegan ’10 has become manager, law enforcement operations with Snap Inc., an American camera and social media company, in the London, England, office. She was previously a senior associate with McAllister Olivarius in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England.

Michael M. Kane ’12 has joined Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria LLP as an associate in Buffalo, practicing in the firm’s workers’ compensation department. Kane was previously director of legal services for Mental Health Advocates of Western New York, in Buffalo.

Nikole M. Wynn ’12 of Tonawanda, N.Y., has been promoted to supervising attorney with the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project in Buffalo.   

Justin J. Andreozzi ’14 has been promoted to a partner with Andreozzi Bluestein LLP in Buffalo. He concentrates his practice in individual and corporate tax controversy, criminal litigation and estate planning. Andreozzi resides in Williamsville, N.Y.

Kerry Battenfeld ’17 has been promoted to senior immigration staff attorney with the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project in Buffalo, where she resides.  

Dylan J. Garlock ’19 has become associated with Simpson & Simpson PLLC in Buffalo, where he resides. Garlock handles cases involving trademark and copyright matters.  

Jordan D. Mroczek ’19 has joined Bennett Schechter Arcuri & Will LLP in Buffalo, where he resides. Mroczek handles cases involving tort and commercial litigation matters.