PUBLISHED:October 01, 2009

New York City event selebrates Schmalbeck's Simpson Thacher chair

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett hosted a luncheon in its New York office on Sept. 10 to honor Richard Schmalbeck’s appointment as the first Simpson Thacher & Bartlett Professor of Law. Schmalbeck, a specialist in tax law, addressed a number of partners who contributed to the chair on the topic “What We Mean by ‘Charitable.’”

Rhett Brandon ’79, David Eisenberg ’77, Jennifer Franklin ’98, Caroline Gottschalk ’90, David Ichel ’78, Aaron Kitlowski ’97, George Krouse ’70, David Lieberman ’89, Linda Martin ’96, Mario Ponce ’88, Mark Rambler ’02, Roxane Reardon ’93, Glenn Sarno ’92, Mariya Treisman ’00, Michael Treisman ’00, John Walker ’77, and Edward
Werner ’03 established the chair in the firm’s name.

“It was exciting for our Duke Law colleagues who gave to establish the Simpson Thacher & Bartlett professorship to actually see the fruition of our contributions in spending a great afternoon with Professor Schmalbeck,” said Ichel, chair of the Law School’s Board of Visitors. “He is a great teacher, a former law school dean, and a terrific guy as
well. The wonderful thing for all of us is that we know that this is a gift that will last forever for the benefit of succeeding generations of Duke Law students.”

A faculty member for more than 25 years, Schmalbeck focuses his scholarship on issues involving nonprofit organizations and the federal estate and gift taxes. Active in federal tax reform efforts, he also has served as an adviser to the Russian Federation in connection with its tax reform efforts. He is a former dean at the University of Illinois College of Law.

Schmalbeck is the co-author, with Lawrence Zelenak, the Pamela B. Gann Professor of Law, of a leading casebook, Federal Income Taxation, now in its second edition. Duke Law students have twice honored him with the Duke Bar Association’s award for distinguished teaching.