Craig Scott (JD ’78)
Craig Scott was recently honored as a Legend in the Law by the Labor & Employment Law Section of California’s Orange County Bar Association. Recognized as an outstanding management-side employment attorney with nearly 50 years in practice, Craig is the lead author of “Employment Law in California, A Practical Guide for Employers.”
John Nelson (JD ’86)
John Nelson was promoted to co-practice group leader of the Foster Garvey PC’s litigation practice in Spokane, Washington. Nelson is a trial attorney who has represented clients in state and federal courts across the country as lead counsel in litigation. His practice encompasses a wide variety of commercial and environmental claims, both plaintiff and defense side. Over the past 40 years, John has tried more than 35 cases to decision before juries, judges, administrative bodies and arbitrators.
Christopher Leroi (JD ’92)
Christopher Leroi has launched a private mediation practice in Albuquerque, New Mexico, offering virtual mediation options to help those who can’t meet in person due to travel, cost, and physical limitations. He also serves as director of public policy for the New Mexico chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Joel Ferre (JD ’96)
Joel Ferre was appointed judge of the Third District Court by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox in December 2025. Ferre previously served as an assistant United States attorney for the District of Utah since 2018, leading civil enforcement efforts in cases involving healthcare fraud, opioid diversion, and violations of federal statutes protecting public funds and programs. In recognition of the office’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic, he received the United States Department of Justice Local Impact Opioid Team Enforcement Award in 2024. He was also recognized as Civil Division Lawyer of the Year in 2023.
Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ferre served in the Utah Attorney General’s Office, where he directed the tort section and later served as deputy director of the litigation division.
Bryan Benard (JD ’97)
Bryan Benard was recognized as one of the Utah State Bar Labor & Employment Section’s Attorneys of the Year for 2026, an honor awarded to those whose careers exemplify excellence, dedication, and leadership in employment law. This recognition comes on the heels of his recent election as a fellow of The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Fellows are recognized by colleagues as outstanding professionals who have made a sustained contribution to the field of labor and employment law and meet the college’s standards of integrity, professionalism, and character. Benard currently works as a partner at Holland & Hart.
Viviana Ramirez (JD ’98)
Viviana Ramirez was appointed city administrator of West Chicago City in June 2026. She most recently served in executive leadership roles in Aurora, Illinois, where she led and supported citywide initiatives focused on resident engagement, service accessibility, innovation, and cross-department collaboration.
Brent Gordon (JD ’00)
Brent Gordon was selected as a Mountain States Super Lawyer in 2025 and previously in 2018 through 2024. He has earned a reputation as an aggressive advocate for clients while litigating hundreds of court cases. Gordon currently practices at Parke Gordon Law in Boise, Idaho.
Kim Neville (JD ’01)
Kim Neville returned to Dorsey & Whitney LLP as a partner in the Salt Lake City office’s commercial litigation group in January 2026. She worked as vice president of legal at Franklin Covey for three years and previously practiced with Dorsey for more than a decade, formerly serving on the firm’s policy committee and as co-chair of the commercial litigation practice.
Ben Bates (JD ’02)
Ben Bates was named executive vice president and general counsel of Savage, a global supply chain based in Midvale, Utah, in January 2026. Bates brings more than 20 years of legal experience to the role, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and commercial transactions. He joined Savage in 2012 and most recently served as vice president and deputy general counsel. During his tenure at Savage, Bates has led a series of significant strategic transactions for the business, advising the company’s executive leadership and board on acquisitions, joint ventures, financings and divestitures.
Matthew Cox (JD ’03)
Matthew Cox was promoted to partner at Spencer Fane’s Salt Lake City office in January 2026. Cox represents financial institutions and other lenders in efforts to protect their collateral and loan rights in federal and state courts, including bankruptcy courts. He focuses on defending these lenders and other clients against avoidance, preference, and fraudulent transfer claims made by trustees and receivers. Cox also assists creditors in obtaining relief from the bankruptcy automatic stay and in prosecuting objections to confirmation. Cox also serves on the Ronald McDonald House Charities Board of Directors.
Todd M. Olsen (JD ’06)
Todd M. Olsen (JD ’06) was appointed by Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox in April 2026 as a judge in the Third District Court (subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate). Olsen most recently served as a commissioner for the Third District Court and previously spent more than 15 years with the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
Tesia Stanley (JD ’10)
Tesia Stanley was elevated to counsel at Ballard Spahr in Salt Lake City in July 2026. Stanley handles complex commercial litigation matters with a focus on public finance, securities, and construction litigation. She has litigated document-intensive cases in state and federal courts across the country. Stanley is a former staff member of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board and regularly advises clients on federal securities law materiality standards, regulatory compliance, and enforcement actions.
Alema Leota (JD ’11)
Alema Leota (JD ’11) has joined Triumph Law Group in Phoenix as a personal injury attorney. Leota previously served as deputy general counsel at Weber State University, as a civil rights investigator and consultant at the University of Utah, and as assistant attorney general for American Samoa.
Jeffrey D. Mann (JD ’11)
Jeffrey D. Mann was appointed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox as judge of the Third District Court in June 2026, a position created by the Utah legislature earlier this year. Mann most recently served as an assistant solicitor general and director of the search and seizure section in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Utah Attorney General’s Office, litigating and arguing cases before Utah’s appellate courts, supervising appellate attorneys handling Fourth and Fifth Amendment issues, and advising prosecutors across the state.
Tyson Hafen (JD ’12)
Tyson Hafen was promoted to special counsel at Duane Morris’ Las Vegas trial practice group in January 2026. He practices primarily in business and commercial litigation with a focus in banking, contractual disputes and insurance coverage related matters. His recent successes include obtaining a complete defense verdict in a $5 million jury trial, winning a $6.5 million judgement in a shareholder derivative action and prevailing on multiple appeals to the Nevada Supreme Court. Hafen was appointed as a trustee of the Nevada Bar Foundation in 2025 and is also serving as chairman of the State Bar of Nevada’s Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Sub-Section. He is a past chairman of the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyer’s Business Law Committee and served on the executive board of the Las Vegas Chapter of the Inn of Court for eight years.
Abby Dizon-Maughan (JD ’12)
Abby Dizon-Maughan (JD ’12) was named a fellow of the American Bar Foundation in June 2026. American Bar Foundation Fellows are a global honorary society of attorneys, judges, law faculty and legal scholars whose public and private careers demonstrate outstanding dedication to the highest principles of the legal profession. Dizon-Maughan is currently a litigation shareholder at Parsons Behle & Latimer.
Stephen Dent (JD ’14)
Shaun Mathur (JD ’15)
Shaun Mathur was promoted to partner at Gibson Dunn’s Los Angeles litigation practice in January 2026. Mathur focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation at the trial and appellate levels and has helped clients across a variety of industries navigate intellectual property, antitrust, class action, and other disputes.
Andrew Boster (JD ’16)
Andrew Boster was appointed by Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe as an associate circuit judge for Knox County in the Second Judicial Circuit. He most recently served as the prosecuting attorney of Knox County and assistant prosecuting attorney of Adair County. Boster remains an active member of his community, serving as a member of the Rotary Club of Knox County.
Aaron Wade (JD ’17)
Aaron Wade was named director of Gilmore & Bell, P.C.’s Salt Lake City office in January 2026. Wade has worked as an associate at Gilmore & Bell since 2017, focusing on tax-exempt financings for state agencies, municipalities, and special districts in Utah and throughout the West. He frequently serves as bond, disclosure, or underwriter’s counsel and has developed expertise on the Public Infrastructure District Act, helping cities and counties in creating districts. Wade has also served as bond and disclosure counsel for numerous public infrastructure districts.