Class Notes April 2009
If you have career or personal news to share with the Hamline Law community, please feel free to drop us a note at lawalum@hamline.edu.
Laura M. Johnson ‘08 was recently hired by Olson & Price, Ltd. as and associate attorney.
Lindsay Brice ‘07 just accepted a job with the Rochester City Attorney's Office as its newest Assistant City Attorney.
Megan Brennan ‘06 has joined the firm Nichols Kaster, PLLP as an associate attorney. She will represent employees on a variety of employment issues including multi-plaintiff class and collective actions involving overtime and minimum wage violations, and individual employment discrimination, retaliation, and sexual harassment claims.
Michael S. Gaarder ‘06 joined the St. Cloud law firm of Pennington, Lies & Cherne, P.A. in September 2007 after completing judicial clerkships with Judge Fred Casey and Judge Richard Zimmerman in Crow Wing County. He is currently practicing in family law, criminal defense, personal injury, employment law, and civil rights/police misconduct.
Stephanie Haedt ‘03 was named as an Up and Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer. She is currently a shareholder at Peterson, Savelkoul & Benda Ltd., where she advises clients on employment and business decisions, including personnel issues and revising employee handbooks and policies. She also practices in the areas of family law and civil litigation, and currently serves on the Human Rights Commission in Austin while volunteering as an attorney for Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services.
Joani C. Moberg ‘99 has been elected as a shareholder of Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren, Ltd. She currently practices family law and handles a variety of legal matters relating to marital dissolution, child custody, child support and spousal maintenance, paternity cases, property divisions, settlement negotiations, premarital agreements, litigation and appeals. She also has consecutively been named a Rising Star by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine since 2002, is the current Co-Chair of the Executive Committee for the Hennepin County Bar Association Family Law Section, and serves as Co-President for the Loan Repayment Assistance Program of Minnesota.
Rob A. Stefonowicz ‘99 has been elected as a shareholder of Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren, Ltd. He focuses his practice in real estate litigation and construction litigation, representing developers, contractors, and property owners in condemnation, property tax and special assessment matters. He has been named a Rising Star since 2005 by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine. He is a member of the American Bar Association Construction and Litigations Forums and is licensed to practice in Minnesota and North Dakota.
John Bloomer ‘96 has recently joined the Dallas Law Firm of Curran Tomko Tarski, L.L.P. as a part of their Real Estate & Finance Section. His practice focuses on sophisticated commercial real estate transactions. For over eleven years, he has worked with owners nationwide regarding acquisition, development, leasing, financing, operation, and management of all kinds of real estate, ranging from raw land to luxury apartments to senior living centers to shopping centers. He has also represented banks and other financial institutions regarding multi-million dollar real estate transactions.
Burnham "Bud" Philbrook ‘83 was chosen by Agricultural Secretary, Tom Vislack, to be Agriculture Deputy Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services in charge of international affairs. Since 1994, he has been president and CEO of Global Volunteers, an organization that sends Americans on volunteer vacations on American Indian reservations and 21 countries overseas. The Minnesota native also practiced law, served in the state House, and worked as assistant commissioner in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. As Deputy Undersecretary, he will oversee USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service, and cover trade and food aid issues.
Gerald B. Yost ‘80 was recently chosen by his peers as a 2009 Super Lawyer as a business attorney to be published in Minnesota Law & Politics, Twin Cities Business and Mpls. St. Paul Magazine. It was his sixth selection. Only five percent of the attorneys in the state are named to the list.
FAMILY
Thomas L. Borgen ‘07 and his wife welcomed the birth of their new daughter, Elizabeth. Thomas also was recently hired as a new associate attorney at Nierengarten and Hippert, Ltd. in New Ulm, Minnesota, where his family now resides.
Sarah (Frisque) Schmitz ‘04 and her husband announce the birth of their new daughter, Jillian Ruby Schmitz. Jillian arrived on April 8, 2009 at 11:13 a.m., weighing in at 7lbs, 2oz and 20 inches long.
Bethany O'Neill ‘96 and her husband, Jeffrey Commisso, have a new baby boy: Joseph Alexander Commisso, born April 13, 2009.