News

Kristine J. Beaudoin ’14 has been promoted to partner at Perkins Coie, effective January 1. Kristine is based in Phoenix and is a member of the Labor & Employment practice, where she counsels employers on issues spanning all stages of the employment relationship. Kristie also maintains an active litigation practice and regularly helps clients litigate employment and commercial disputes.

Janet Ward Black ’85 was named one of North Carolina’s 50 Most Influential Women by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly. This year’s honorees were honored at an event in October. Janet is principal owner of Ward Black Law, a personal injury and workers’ compensation firm in Greensboro, N.C., that is one of the state’s largest women-owned law firms and has been recognized nationally for its local, state, and international philanthropy efforts. Janet is a past president of the N.C. Bar Association and N.C. Advocates for Justice.

Ed Comber LLM ’17 has been promoted to counsel at Latham & Watkins, effective January 1. Ed is based in New York and is a member of the Structured Finance Practice and Finance Department. He represents sponsors, issuers, borrowers, banks, underwriters, placement agents, investors, lenders, funds, and other financial institutions in structured finance, securitization, and secured financing transactions.

Hugh Hollman ’05 LLM ’00 has returned to Baker Botts as an antitrust partner in Washington, D.C. Hugh is a leading international competition expert with more than 20 years of experience in private practice, in-house, and regulatory roles across the U.S., EU, Middle East, and Africa. He previously served as an Attorney Advisor in Commissioner William Kovacic’s office at the Federal Trade Commission.

Emily Johnson ’10 was interviewed in Lawdragon as a member of Wachtell’s highly successful restructuring and finance group. Emily has been a partner since 2018 and works with clients including NBA legend Michael Jordan, whom she advised on the $3B sale of his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets, and highly complex deals such as the 2020 separation of industrial giant United Technologies into three public companies and a merger with Raytheon.

Magdalena Pyzik-Waląg '06 has been named managing partner of Rymarz Zdort Maruta, Poland's leading law firm. Magdalena joined the firm in 2006 and has headed the Restructuring and Insolvency practice as well as the Distressed Asset Investments team since 2018. She focuses her practice on complex M&A transactions, both at the domestic and international level, as well as in restructuring and insolvency matters.

Bailey Sanders ’21 PhD ’19 co-authored an article, The Role of Judge Gender and Ideology in Hiring Female Law Clerks, that has been published in the Journal of Law and Courts. The article analyzes hiring practices among federal judges from 1995 to 2005 for insight on why women continue to be underrepresented. Bailey is presently back at Duke Law as a visiting assistant professor after clerking for Judge Gerald B. Tjoflat on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and practicing antitrust law at McDermott in Washington D.C.

David Starr ’89 was honored as Solo General Counsel of the Year at the Texas General Counsel Forum’s annual Magna Stella Awards dinner in November. David is general counsel of PlayPower, the world’s largest maker of playground equipment. He has served in the corporate legal departments for a wide variety of clients, including a commercial airline, a major media organization, an assisted-living provider, and one of the world’s largest dairy processors.

Christopher Thompson '09 is an honoree in Connect CRE's 2024 Lawyers in Real Estate Awards as one of the best in the field in Atlanta and the Southeast. Chris is a partner at Moore & Van Allen, where he is a member of its Commercial Real Estate team representing developers, investors, nonprofit and affordable housing organizations, and corporations in acquiring, developing, financing, and leasing commercial real estate and residential developments. Earlier this year he was also named to the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers in America. Chris's pro bono efforts include spending approximately 150 hours annually co-leading MVA’s Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project, which helps some 50 survivors each year begin rebuilding their lives. 

H. Glenn Tucker ’80 is joining Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi on January 1 as a member in its Corporate & Securities Group after the sale of his Newark-based firm Greenberg Dauber Epstein & Tucker to CSG law. Glenn counsels family-held businesses and handles complex mergers and acquisitions for closely held enterprises. He is a director of the Business Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association and a member of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association.

John Yates ’81 was interviewed in Georgia Trend magazine in November on his pioneering work in technology and the future of the tech ecosystem in Georgia. John was recently named co-chair of Atlanta-based Morris, Manning & Martin, where he launched its technology practice in 1987. John also co-founded the Technology Association of Georgia and is highly involved in community service and philanthropy in the Atlanta area.