Curtis Sample and Aubrey (Wilson) Sample, L’14, were married on Aug. 19 at Fresh Air Farm in Missouri. Curtis is a criminal defense attorney in Olathe, and Aubrey is an assistant district attorney in the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office. Dannie Dan-Irabor Brooke Smith joined McAnany Van Cleave & Phillips PA in Springfield, Missouri. She defends employers and insurance carriers in workers’ compensation matters. Hon. Julie Smith was sworn in as a judge in Nebraska’s First Judicial District on May 8, having been appointed by Gov. Pete Ricketts in April. Smith previously served as county attorney in Johnson County, Nebraska, as well as chief legal counsel for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. The First Judicial District covers 11 counties in the southeast corner of Nebraska. Nate White became executive vice president of Sanford Fargo in August, when the new Sanford Medical Center opened in Fargo, North Dakota. White was previously chief operating officer of Sanford Health.
2005 Tiffany Cornejo was appointed as the Chapter 13 Standing Trustee of New Mexico and will appear in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Mexico. M. Suzanne Schrandt was appointed as one of nine voting members on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s first-ever Patient Engagement Advisory Committee. Schrandt is director of patient engagement at the Arthritis Foundation in Atlanta. Bradley Ward joined Young, Bogle, McCausland, Wells & Blanchard PA in Wichita as an associate. He was previously with O’Hara & O’Hara LLC.
2006 Gregory Benefiel was confirmed
2008 Heiko Heppner moved from
as McPherson County attorney. He replaces Torrance Parkins, L’13, who resigned to pursue private practice. Hon. Lori Dougherty-Bichsel was sworn in as an administrative judge for the Topeka Municipal Court. She previously served as senior counsel for the litigation division of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. Holly Teeter was nominated by President Trump to a federal judgeship on the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. Her nomination must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Teeter is an assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.
Clifford Chance to Dentons as a partner in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Department in Frankfurt, Germany. Heppner focuses on international arbitration and complex litigation, particularly in cases that cross the common law/civil law divide. Heppner is admitted to the German, English and New York bars. He also teaches international arbitration as a professor at Fuzhou University, China. Robert Johnson was elected shareholder at Polsinelli PC in Kansas City, Missouri. He focuses his practice on real estate law. Christel Koranda was promoted to minerals director of the Colorado State Land Board. She previously served as the board’s oil and gas leasing manager. Christopher Scott opened his own law office — with locations in Overland Park and Kansas City, Missouri — in September after nearly nine years in prosecution. He focuses on criminal defense at the municipal, state and federal levels, as well as asset forfeiture. Devin Sikes joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in Washington, D.C., as an associate. Sikes counsels clients on international business and trade, and advises on federal civil and multilateral litigation. Previously, Sikes served as a judicial clerk to the Hon. Evan Wallach on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Cody Wamsley joined McDonald Hopkins LLC in Chicago. Wamsley is an associate in the firm’s national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group.
2007 Zachary Dyer was elected shareholder at Polsinelli PC in Kansas City, Missouri. He focuses his practice on insurance and regulatory law. Laura Dakhil Monahan was recognized among the 2017 Women in Business by the Wichita Business Journal. The designation honors career achievements, company success and service to the community. Monahan is chief legal officer at Cancer Center of Kansas. Jacy Hurst Moneymaker joined Kutak Rock as of counsel in Kansas City, Missouri. Moneymaker practices primarily in the areas of health care regulation, compliance and business transactions. She was previously with Swope Health Services. Gabe Zorogastua was named a NextGen Leader by the Kansas City Business Journal, having demonstrated leadership and involvement in the Kansas City business and civic communities. Zorogastua is a shareholder at Polsinelli PC in Kansas City, Missouri.
2009 Christina Arnone was promoted to partner at Stinson Leonard Street LLP in Kansas City, Missouri. Arnone is a litigator representing corporate policyholders in insurance coverage disputes.
KU LAW MAGAZINE 33