Notes from Our Alumni CLASS ACTION
NEW FACULTY PROFILE
BRENDA ARNDT Senior Distinguished Fellow
Prior to joining St. Thomas Law’s faculty, Brenda Arndt was a senior attorney for international mergers and acquisitions at Cargill. She will teach International Business Transactions, Business Associations and Mergers and Acquisitions.
2004 Send your 2004 class notes and photos to Liz Odette (tinlizzieo@ gmail.com) or Susan Beltz (beltzsm@gmail.com). Victoria Brenner (pictured below) joined Taft as a Domestic Relations partner in the firm’s Minneapolis office. Victoria handles family law matters for both medium and high- net-worth individuals.
Kaarin Nelson Schaffer was honored by Minnesota Lawyer as a 2021 Attorney of the Year for her work on behalf of the family of George Floyd as the trustee in the federal case against Derek Chauvin and the city of Minneapolis that settled for $27 million. Jeff Storms was also honored by Minnesota Lawyer as a 2021 Attorney of the Year for his work as a civil-rights litigator, including the civil suit on behalf of George Floyd’s next of kin and a civil rights and medical malpractice case regarding the death of a foster child in Hennepin County. Mike Will is currently serving as the General Counsel of FOXO Technologies Inc., a Minneapolis- based company focused on bringing epigenetic technology and artificial intelligence to life. Finally, this past November, I transitioned to the General Counsel’s Office of Xcel Energy to focus on state regulatory work in Minnesota and the Dakotas. I office next to former St. Thomas adjunct professor Jon Bloomberg! – Ian Dobson 2007 Send your 2007 class notes and photos to Chuck Berendes (chuckberendes@gmail.com).
spending two years establishing the new State Ombudsperson for the Corrections Office. Mark’s kids are now in college. Some of us can recall very little versions of them hanging around the law school.
student Republican, has also taken interest in progressive causes and welcomes respectful conversation about it. Rafael Iverson JD/MBA is now a Senior Program Owner – Property Management for Target. Jessica Nelson , partner at Spencer Fane, was selected by Minnesota Lawyer as a 2021 Attorney of the Year for her work on the team that prosecuted 100+ lawsuits and recovered over $1.4 billion for ResCap after its clients misled the company during the subprime mortgage crisis. 2006
You’ve been an adjunct professor since 2018. What interested you about joining the full-time faculty? The supportive culture at St. Thomas. Faculty and staff have been friendly and welcoming – meeting to chat, sharing class materials, etc. This role allows me to be more
connected to this uplifting community. What is your favorite part of teaching?
I love connecting with students. I am energized when we develop momentum in our class discussions and when students ask questions. I also enjoy learning student perspectives on a wide range of topics. What a privilege to hear these stories. How do you bring your career experiences into the classroom? I highlight my experiences working around the globe negotiating mergers and acquisitions. My in-house counsel experience at a multinational company allows me to share how legal principles must be applied practically as a trusted team member. I also tap former colleagues to share their expertise. What is your favorite piece of advice from a mentor? In addition to being prepared, it is critically important to be open and authentic. I seek to model this in class by acknowledging my shortcomings and by letting students know that I care about them. Besides your work, what’s something that you’re passionate about? I enjoy hiking, paddleboarding and boating. I look forward to the warmth of summer and spending time outdoors with friends and family.
Congratulations to Liz Drotning Hartwell (pictured below) on becoming a partner at Best & Flanagan. Liz’s practice focuses on all aspects of family law.
Send your 2006 class notes and photos to Ian Dobson (imdobson@live.com).
Greetings class of 2006! I hope all is well with each of you. We have several great updates for this issue. Stephanie Boucher moved from the disability sector to become the new Program Administrator for the State Demography Center. Her son Niko will graduate from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in political science in August 2022. Beth Forsythe continues her corporate investigations and white-collar practice at Dorsey. Beth is finishing her term on Dorsey’s board and was appointed by Governor Walz to the Minnesota Zoo board. Beth also serves on the boards of the Great North Innocence Project and Connections to Independence. Mark Haase (pictured below) is now Executive Officer to the Ramsey County Attorney after
Heather McElroy , partner at Ciresi Conlin, was recognized by Twin Cities Business as a 2022 Notable Woman in Law. Mike Warren and wife Mollie welcomed baby John Pierce Warren into the world on February 11, 2022. He will be doted on by not only his parents but two big sisters and one big brother! 2005 Send your 2005 class notes and photos to Kerry McAndrew (kerry@kmcandrewlaw.com). Andre Chouravong is Lead Content Specialist at Thomson Reuters where he manages the online CLE library. Andre’s family of five lives in Maplewood with their shih-poo. Andrew, who was a law
Drew Nelson (pictured below) reports that things are moving along in Hudson, WI at Nelson & Lindquist. The firm is expanding into Shell Lake, WI. His family plans to visit every National Park. Drew and his wife Joy are pictured at Rocky Mountain National Park last year.
Congratulations to Erin Bryan on being named to the TMA Minnesota Chapter Board of
Directors. Erin is a partner at Dorsey & Whitney and member of several committees at the firm that sound distinguished and technical, but helpful in solving problems mere mortals don’t understand.
Page 26 St. Thomas Lawyer
Summer 2022 Page 27
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