April 2012 Alumni Briefs

Michael Coleman ’80, the major of Columbus, Ohio, was named number two on a list of Central Ohio’s most influential business, civic and political leaders for 2012, as ranked by the editors of Smart Business. 

Gregory Todd ’81 was named program director for the proposed Florida State University Internal Medicine Residency Program at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. Previously, he was senior associate program director of the Department of Medicine & Internal Medicine Residency Program with Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. He has also served as adjunct clinical assistant professor of medicine with New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and as assistant professor at SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. After graduating from Dayton Law, his practiced focused on corporate and securities law. In 1997, he discovered an interest in medicine and applied to Ross University School of Medicine in Portsmouth, Dominica.  

Paul R. Warren ’82 was appointed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of New York. Paul, who previously served as clerk of court for the Bankruptcy Court, received a 14-year appointment. He began his legal career in 1982 as an associate in a Charleston, W.Va., firm then in 1984 joined the Rochester firm of Boylan, Brown, Code, Vigdor and Wilson, where he practiced bankruptcy and commercial law.

Jon M. Rosemeyer ’84 has completed the exams required to qualify for placement on the Roll of Solicitors in England and Wales. By passing the Qualified Lawyers’ Transfer Test Jon is qualified to be licensed as a solicitor in England and Wales and to practice the law of many countries. Jon, a shareholder with the Dayton law firm Pickrel, Schaeffer and Ebeling, practices in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, general business, complex business transactions and financing, and real estate.

John Hart ’85, director of legal affairs and counsel at the University of Dayton for more than 26 years, is returning to his alma mater, Cedarville University, as the school's first in-house counsel. He’s looking forward to returning to Cedarville University, where he and his wife, Sheri, both graduated and are strongly committed to the school’s religious mission. Before beginning law school at the University of Dayton, John spent a year after graduation traveling as an admission representative for Cedarville.

Roger Craig ’88 has joined Dinsmore’s Columbus office, where he will practice as a partner in the corporate department and member of the mergers and acquisitions and securities practice groups. He will focus his practice primarily on corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, securities law and investigations by the SEC and FINRA. He previously was senior vice president and general counsel of Nationwide Financial Services and counsel for Huffy Corporation.

Chris Benintendi ’90, a partner in Dinsmore’s Cincinnati office, was elected to serve on the firm’s board of directors. He is a member of the litigation department and workers’ compensation practice group. He counsels clients on workers’ compensation law, violation of specific safety requirements claims, and intentional tort claims.

Robert T. Traub ’90 was promoted to the position of general counsel and director of global corporate compliance at Quaker Chemical Corporation in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Rob has been with Quaker for nearly 12 years, with increasing responsibilities in the legal, compliance, securities and disclosure arenas. Prior to joining Quaker, Rob worked for Penske Truck Leasing, as a business counsel for Penske’s corporate practice, including lease and sale agreements, litigation, acquisitions, creditors’ rights and environmental matters. Previously, he was in private practice.

John L. Gohmann ‘93 was promoted to regional president of PNC Bank for Lexington and Central Kentucky. He joined PNC in 2009 as wealth management director. Prior to joining PNC, he worked for JPMorgan Bank's private banking group. He holds a joint J.D.-Master of Business Administration from the University of Dayton. He serves on the board of the Bluegrass chapter of the American Red Cross and is a member of the Lexington Rotary Club.

Kristina Oesterle ’01 has opened her own practice, Oesterle Law Office, in Jeffersonville, Ohio. She is also working as a public defender. Previously, she served as assistant prosecuting attorney in Fayette County, Ohio, for 10 years. She received the 2011 Meritorious Assistant Prosecutor Award from the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association. Her new endeavor is featured in the Washington Court House Record Herald.

Matthew A. Gardner ’03 has joined the law firm of Richardson Harman Ober of Pasadena, California, as an associate. He will concentrate his practice on homeowner association and real estate legal matters. Prior to joining the firm, Matthew headed his own law firm in South Pasadena specializing in providing legal services to homeowners and mutual benefit corporations. Earlier in his career he was an associate with the Los Angeles law firm of Adams Kessler and a trial attorney in the Juvenile Division of the Hamilton County Public Defender’s office in Cincinnati.

Stephanie Kimbro ’03 agreed to serve as of counsel and director of the North Carolina branch of Burton Law, a virtual and full service law firm based in Beavercreek, Ohio. Kimbro will continue to operate her virtual law office, Kimbro Legal Services, as a solo practitioner. This summer, Kimbro will teach Unbundling and the Future of Law Practice at the University of Dayton School of Law. Kimbro also contributed a chapter “What Should be in a Digital Curriculum: A Practitioner’s Must Have List” in the book Educating the Digital Lawyer, published by LexisNexis.

Benjamin J. Helwig ’05 has joined Frost Brown Todd as a senior associate in the tax, benefits and entrepreneurial services practice group. Prior to joining the firm, he was a senior associate with Taft, Stettinius & Hollister in Dayton, practicing in the firm's business and finance and business litigation groups. Ben began his legal career as a litigator, and he has handled a diverse business litigation caseload as well.

James A. Singler ’05 received the Ohio State Bar Foundation Community Service Award for Attorneys 40 and Under. He's an attorney with Keating Muething & Klekamp in Cincinnati and practices in the firm’s private client group. He serves as general counsel for patients of The Heartland Homecare Hospice; general counsel and secretary for the Mt. Adams Hillside House Condominium Association; and general counsel and president of the Catawba House Condominium Association. He is also a member of the Cincinnati Estate Planning Council, Give Back Cincinnati, Mt. Adams Civic Association and the Down Syndrome Association Young Professionals Guild, and serves on the board of trustees for the Multiple Sclerosis Society and is chairman of MS 150, a 150-mile bike event in the greater Cincinnati area.   

Sasha VanDeGrift ’06 is writing about technology issues on a blog How the Tech Are You, published by the Dayton law firm Coolidge Wall. Sasha is an attorney with the firm.

Diana R. Zamani ’07 was named one of Atlantic City's Top 40 Under 40 for the 2012 by Greater Atlantic City Jaycees and the Atlanta City Weekly. Diana is an attorney with Hankin, Sandman & Palladino in Atlantic City, where she practices criminal and family law. Previously, she served as judicial law clerk with the Honorable Charles M. Middlesworth Jr. in the Family Part of the New Jersey Superior Court of Atlantic County. She volunteers with community-based organizations, serving on the board and fundraising committee for the Alcove Center for Grieving Children, as an attorney coach for the Egg Harbor Township High School Mock Trial team and as a member of the Atlantic County Bar Associations’ Young Lawyers Division.

Michael O. Eshleman ’08 was elected to the County Central Committee of the Warren County Republican Party in Ohio’s March primary election.

Ashley Krenelka ’09 has joined the law library at the Stetson University College of Law as a reference librarian.

Breanne M. Whalen ’11 has joined Freund Freeze & Arnold as an associate attorney in its Dayton office. Prior to joining the firm, she worked as a legal intern for two years at The Dayton Power and Light Company and as an extern at Freund, Freeze & Arnold in the summer of 2010. Breanne is a member of the School of Law Alumni Association’s Board of Trustees and the Young Lawyers Division of the Dayton Bar Association.

Alumni in the Charleston, W.Va., area welcomed Dean Paul E. McGreal at a gathering hosted by the law firm Jackson Kelly on Feb. 28. The firm employs 12 alumni, which is believed to be the largest number outside of Ohio. Alumni in attendance included Dave Barnette, Tom Hurney, Julie Hurney, Jon Osborne, Kellie Clark, Rob Passmore, Felicia Phipps, Ryan Voelker, Roddy Stieger, Tricia Nidiffer, Matt Tyree, Bernard Layne, Zack Mazey, Adrian Hoosier, Brad Bury, Becky McClennen, Chris Settles, Josh Kin and Doug Smoot. Tony Casillano from the law school’s Office of Admissions and Deborah Adler from the development office were also in attendance.