S.J. Quinney College of Law

We want to celebrate your successes! Share your professional and personal accomplishments, which we’ll include in the fall Res Gestae issue. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity, and adherence to editorial style.

Submit your class notes

Tom Weber (JD ’73)

Tom Weber recently wrote “The Christmas Doctor, Book Seven: The True Story of Dr. J.P. Weber” about his father’s life as a country doctor. The book is also an account of Weber’s time attending law school from 1970-1973 and a social commentary on Salt Lake City and the University of Utah. Weber worked for a number of governmental agencies during his career, including the Utah State Insurance Fund and the United States Tariff Commission.

W. Kent Fletcher (JD ’78)

Kent Fletcher received the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Idaho Water Users Association in appreciation of his outstanding contributions and service to the local community and Idaho water users. Fletcher recently retired after nearly 40 years of water law practice, serving as legal counsel for water users in the Minidoka Irrigation District, Big Lost River Irrigation District, and American Falls Reservoir District.

Rick J. Sutherland (JD ’81)

Rick J. Sutherland has been individually recognized in the 2025 Chambers USA Guide, a prestigious annual guide ranking the leading law firms in the U.S., for his labor and employment practice. Sutherland works at national employment law firm Jackson Lewis P.C.

Bryan K. Gould (JD ’84)

Bryan K. Gould was nominated by New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte to serve as an associate justice on the New Hampshire Supreme Court. He has appeared multiple times before the state’s highest court to litigate high-profile issues during his 35-year career. Gould also served as special counsel to former Gov. Craig Benson and as counsel to the Executive Council, advising on complex regulatory and legal issues.

Kate Kendell (JD ’88)

Kate Kendell was named CEO of the Gill Foundation, a philanthropic organization that works to secure full equality for LGBTQ+ people in the United States, in May 2025. Before accepting this position, Kendell was chief of staff of the California Endowment, which works to expand underserved individuals’ and communities’ access to affordable, quality healthcare.

Erik Christiansen (JD ’90)

In August 2025, Erik Christiansen joined the Executive Committee of the American Bar Association’s Board of Governors and was appointed chair of the Member Services Committee of the ABA Board of Governors. Christiansen will serve as a member of the ABA Board of Governors through August 2027.

Jeffery McFarland (JD ’91)

Jeffery McFarland was appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court in December 2024. McFarland served as a partner at Eisner LLP since 2023 and before that served as partner at McKool Smith LLP, McDermott Will & Emery LLP, and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP from 2000 to 2020. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Donna Groman.

Lucy Knight Andre (JD ’92)

Lucy Knight Andre was included on Utah Business’ 30 Women to Watch list in May 2025. She currently serves as CEO of Stadler Signaling North America and chief of staff and general counsel of Stadler U.S. Inc. Andre has grown the company from eight to over 500 employees and secured more than $2 billion in orders.

Paul G. Amann (JD ’93)

Paul G. Amann (BA ’81, JD ’93) is working as a criminal defense attorney in Mohave County, Arizona. He was awarded the William Rothstein Achievement Award by the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice on Jan. 31, 2025, at a ceremony at the Phoenix Museum of Art. The award recognized Amann for winning jury acquittals and directed verdicts in numerous difficult and serious cases, including murder and dangerous crimes against children. He was also recognized for mounting “several significant constitutional and statutory challenges for prosecution under [Arizona’s] new dangerousness statute, ultimately obtaining relief from incarceration for his incompetent client.”

Brian W. Jones (JD ’93)

After 19 years of service as its general counsel, Brian W. Jones was recently appointed president of Merrick Bank, a $6 billion asset bank in South Jordan, Utah. Since arriving at Merrick Bank, Jones has applied his expertise in banking, consumer lending, payment systems, and litigation management to grow the nationwide bank. Before his tenure at Merrick Bank, Jones worked as an attorney at Zions Bank and inContact, Inc. He also served as senior counsel in consumer litigation at Select Portfolio Servicing.

Craig Menden (JD ’95)

Craig Menden has joined O’Melveny & Myers LLP as a partner in the mergers and acquisitions and emerging technologies industry groups. Menden brings nearly 30 years of experience to O’Melveny, advising corporate clients on their most consequential and complex mergers and acquisitions involving technology and life sciences companies. He has handled more than 1,000 successful M&A transactions for a wide range of clients—from innovative start-ups to established tech giants—and has extensive experience with a broad range of deal structures, including public company acquisitions, venture capital-backed private acquisitions, and strategic investments.

Kevin C. Timken (JD ’97)

Kevin Timken was appointed to Utah Medical Products, Inc.’s board of directors in November 2025. Timken served as Utah Medical Products’ outside legal counsel for more than 20 years prior to his retirement in 2025 and previously worked as a partner at Michael Best & Friedrich.

Blake Hills (JD ’98)

Blake Hills was nominated by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox in October 2025 to serve as chair of the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole. Hills has served on the board since 2021 and as vice chairperson since April 2025. He previously spent more than two decades as a prosecutor, including leadership roles at the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office and service in the Summit County Attorney’s Office, where he focused on cases involving victims of domestic violence and child abuse. He also teaches constitutional and statutory criminal law at the Salt Lake Community College Law Enforcement Academy.

M. Scott Keim (JD ’98)

Hon. M. Scott Keim was appointed to the Boise County, Idaho, bench as a magistrate judge in September 2025. Keim previously served as deputy attorney general for the state of Idaho, representing the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Idaho Department of Labor, and the Idaho Human Rights Commission. He also worked for Brady Lerma, Chartered and later Lerma Law Offices, specializing in civil litigation and personal injury claims, and as a deputy public defender in Canyon County immediately after joining the Idaho Bar.

Britt Ide (JD ’99)

Britt Ide was included on BoardProspects’ 2025 100 Leaders in the Boardroom list. Ide has served as CEO of Ide Energy & Strategy since 2010 and is also on the advisory board of the Clean Energy & Empowerment (C3E) initiative to advance the field of clean energy. She serves on the boards of NorthWestern Energy, Nxu, Inc., and NEI Electric Power Engineering, Inc., as well, and has worked in diverse industries, including engineering, manufacturing, distribution, HR, IT, marketing and sales.

Phillip D. Torrence (JD ’99)

Teresa Hill (JD ’00)

Financial Times named Teresa Hill the 2024 Most Innovative Practitioner of the Year for her work architecting first-of-their-kind agreements shaping the decarbonization and data center markets globally. Hill noted that her Utah Law environmental law certificate and faculty like Professor Robert Keiter sparked her interest in environmental law, which led to renewable energy. She was also named a Law360 MVP in the Energy category for her significant work in the renewable energy market. Hill currently co-lead’s Orrick’s energy and infrastructure sector and lives in Seattle, Washington.

Jody Bryson (JD ’02)

Jody L. Bryson has been promoted to partner at Perkins Coie’s Palo Alto, California, firm. She is a member of the private client services practice, providing guidance in estate planning, trust administration, probate estate administration, and family investment entities and succession planning. Individuals, families and fiduciaries turn to Bryson for practical and thoughtful advice even in complicated or emotional circumstances. Bryson’s estate planning practice focuses on both probate avoidance planning as well as sophisticated and creative wealth transfer planning.

Lonny Pehrson (JD ’02)

Lonny Pehrson was appointed as the first director of Utah’s Government Records Office, which replaces the seven-member panel that previously ruled on disputes over public records. Pehrson previously served as government records counsel in the Utah Attorney General’s Office and also worked for the Utah and Texas District Courts.

Margaret Plane (JD ’02)

Margaret Plane was named the Utah State Bar’s Lawyer of the Year in 2024. She has served as Park City municipal attorney since 2019 and previously served as Salt Lake City’s attorney, advising both branches of government and representing the city in its civil litigations. Plane has also served as president of Women Lawyers of Utah, a member of the Utah Judicial Council and a member of the Utah Supreme Court’s Oversight Committee for the Office of Professional Conduct.

Jennifer Roberts (JD ’02)

Jennifer Roberts was named chief compliance officer of Resorts World Las Vegas in April 2025. She will oversee the casino’s regulatory compliance, which includes registration and licensing, anti-money laundering and responsible gaming. Roberts most recently served as vice president and general counsel at WynnBET, the online gambling division of Wynn Resorts Ltd. She is the founder of Roberts Gaming Law Ltd. and previously held roles as associate director and interim executive director of UNLV’s International Center for Gaming Regulation. She is an adjunct professor at both Utah Law and the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law.

Heather M. Sneddon (JD ’02)

Cheylynn Hayman (JD ’03)

Melissa Holyoak (JD ’03)

Melissa Holyoak was appointed as the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah in November 2025. Most recently, Holyoak served as a commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission, focusing on protecting American consumers. She also served as the solicitor general with the Utah Attorney’s office from 2020-2024.

Charles G. Wentworth (JD ’04)

Charles G. Wentworth was sworn in as president of the DuPage County Bar Association in Illinois in June 2025. He currently works as a shareholder at The Law Office of Lofgren & Wentworth, P.C. in Glen Ellyn and previously had a solo practice. Wentworth also worked as a commercial litigation at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago

Brian P. Rosander (JD ’05)

Tad May (JD ’06)

Tad May was appointed by Utah Gov. Cox to the Third District Court in February 2025, filling a vacancy created by Judge Holmberg’s retirement. May previously served as an assistant United States attorney in the District of Utah since 2018. He also served as the tribal liaison and has been a faculty trainer for the National Advocacy Center, helping to build relationships across Utah’s tribal communities.

Steven Burt (JD ’07)

Steven Burt rejoined Ballard Spahr as a member of the firm’s Litigation Department, Consumer Financial Services Group, and Salt Lake City office in fall 2025. Prior to joining Ballard Spahr, Burt worked at residential solar energy company PosiGen, where he served as chief public policy & engagement officer and before that as chief compliance & public policy officer.

Robert Van Dyke (’09)

Robert Van Dyke was appointed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to serve as judge of the Sixth District Court in January 2025. Van Dyke previously served as Kane County attorney for more than a decade and was instrumental in creating the Kane County Drug Court, the Children’s Justice Center and the Sexual Assault Response Team. Additionally, Van Dyke founded the youth soccer league in Kane County more than 10 years earlier, demonstrating his long-standing commitment to improving the lives of youth in his community.

John Deeds (’10)

John Deeds was appointed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox as the newest commissioner of the Utah State Tax Commission on June 5. He previously served as a partner at Crapo | Deeds PLLC, representing individuals and businesses in a wide range of state and local tax matters. Deeds’ legal career spans more than a decade, with prior roles at Holland & Hart LLP and Crapo | Smith PLLC. He also served as a law clerk in the Utah Attorney General’s Office, Tax and Revenue Division, where he represented the Utah State Tax Commission in tax litigation and compliance issues.

Tony Graf (JD’10)

Tony Graf was appointed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox as a judge in the Fourth District Court, filling a vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Robert Lunnen. He most recently served as a deputy county attorney for Davis County, previously led the Special Victims Unit for the Utah County Attorney’s Office, and served as a deputy district attorney in Salt Lake County. His diverse experience also includes roles as an assistant attorney general in American Samoa, deputy district attorney in Lincoln County, Nevada, and special assistant United States attorney in Washington, D.C.

Ryan Holtan (JD’10)

Ryan Holtan was appointed as West Jordan’s district court judge in February 2025, following the retirement of Judge Ronald E. Kunz. Holtan’s background includes positions such as a private practice criminal defense attorney, assistant attorney general for the Utah Attorney General’s Office and special assistant United States attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.

Jeremy M. Christiansen (JD’14)

Jeremy Christiansen joined the Regent University School of Law as a faculty member in June 2025, bringing extensive experience in appellate and constitutional litigation. He previously worked as a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP’s office in Washington, D.C.

Cameron Beech (JD’15)

Cameron Beech was appointed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox as judge of the Eighth District Court in November 2024. He previously worked as an attorney at Campbell Williams Beech & Hall, and has practiced in the areas of medical malpractice defense, domestic law, estate planning and probate, and other general civil litigation matters. He also served as Vernal’s hearing and variance officer and as a former Vernal prosecutor.

Steven Avena (JD ’19)

Steven Avena joined Dorsey & Whitney LLP as Of Counsel in the patent group in Denver in June 2025. Avena has extensive experience in preparing and prosecuting U.S., international, and foreign patent applications and now provides comprehensive counsel to clients and foreign associates. He provides patentability and clearance analysis, develops targeted protection strategies for standards and products, and provides patent portfolio growth and management strategies. In post-grant proceedings, Avena has led high-stakes cases on both the petitioner and patent owner side. He also provides essential litigation support, including analysis of non-infringement and invalidity positions.

Alex Vandiver (JD ’20)

Alex Vandiver was appointed president of the Utah State Bar’s Young Lawyers Division (YLD) for the 2025–2026 term and will serve on the Bar Commission. She is a litigation attorney at Parsons Behle & Latimer, specializing in commercial, civil, and environmental cases, from debt collection and construction disputes to personal injury and environmental claims.

Chad Nelson (MLS ’24)

Chad Nelson was promoted to buyer/merchant of toys, gifts and novelty at the Bass Pro Shops corporate office in Springfield, Missouri, in October 2024. The role is new and allows him to deliver products that meet quality standards and negotiate favorable terms with suppliers. Nelson is excited to grow a division within an organization whose founder and owner has contributed so much to conservation. He previously worked within the toy industry and at Sportsman’s Warehouse.