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The winter issue of the Alumni Newsletter features a message from Tom Cole & Amie Colby, our Alumni Relations year-in-review, details about upcoming CLE opportunities, firm news, and recent alumni moves.

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A NOTE FROM TOM AND AMIE

As we move through the final month of 2024, we are thrilled to highlight some exciting developments from the past few months and are looking forward to an exciting start to the new year.

Of course, the biggest news of the year came in September — when the partners of Troutman Pepper and Locke Lord voted to combine our two firms, effective January 1, 2025. The combined firm will be known as Troutman Pepper Locke.

The combined firm — with its deeper bench of more than 1,600 attorneys — will offer our clients greater resources, enhanced industry knowledge, increased investments in innovation, and expanded reach in key geographies. We are very excited about this opportunity and what we will be able to accomplish as Troutman Pepper Locke.

In addition to the exciting merger news, since July, Troutman Pepper has welcomed three new lateral partners in our Corporate, Consumer Financial Services, and White Collar + Government Investigations practices — Nanette Heide, Heryka Knoespel, and Pete Jeydel. Throughout 2024, we have welcomed a total of 17 new laterals to the firm. Over the past couple of months, we also announced 18 newly elected partners and 10 newly promoted counsel, spanning numerous practices and multiple offices. This year’s class of partners and counsel embody the dedication, innovation, and commitment to client service that are the hallmarks of Troutman Pepper.

As we look ahead to 2025 as Troutman Pepper Locke, we will host a number of alumni events across the combined firm, and we encourage you to attend. These events will be an excellent opportunity for both Troutman Pepper and Locke Lord alumni to connect.

This holiday season provides us with the perfect opportunity to reflect on the past year and acknowledge the support and contributions of those around us. We are deeply thankful for your continued trust and partnership. Your support has been instrumental in the growth and success of Troutman Pepper, and soon-to-be Troutman Pepper Locke!

We wish you a wonderful holiday season and look forward to continuing our journey together in the coming year.

Tom and Amie

Thomas J. Cole Jr., Chair

Amie V. Colby, Managing Partner

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A NOTE FROM CLARE

As the holiday season approaches, we at Troutman Pepper want to extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones.

We are concluding this year with great anticipation for exciting new opportunities as Troutman Pepper Locke. We look forward to welcoming over 3,000 new alumni into our network and expanding our reach to over a dozen new cities.

We are grateful for the continued support and engagement from our alumni network. Your achievements and experiences enrich our firm and inspire us to strive for excellence. The bonds formed during your time with us continue to strengthen our community, and we are proud to count you as part of the Troutman Pepper family.

In the spirit of the season, we wish you and your loved ones a joyful holiday filled with peace, love, and happiness. May the coming year bring you success, good health, and fulfillment in all your endeavors.

We look forward to keeping in touch and hearing about your achievements in the new year. Please do not hesitate to reach out if there is anything we can assist you with.

All the best,
Clare

Clare Roath
Director of Alumni Relations

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LET’S STAY CONNECTED!

Join the Alumni LinkedIn Page

Alumni Portal

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ALUMNI RELATIONS: YEAR-IN-REVIEW

Our Alumni Relations team would like to thank our alumni, attorneys, and colleagues for their contributions to our success in 2024.

We are pleased to report that this year we have hosted seven in-person alumni receptions across our offices, offered over 25 alumni-inclusive CLE and special programs, and collaborated with internal teams to deliver new and meaningful ways to strengthen our alumni connections.

Many thanks to the alums who shared their stories in our newsletters, served as panelists, read our newsletter, interacted on our LinkedIn page, and joined us for receptions and other social or learning events.

Click here to share updated contact information and ensure you receive CLE and event invitations, and firm news.

We are excited to extend our alumni network to include Locke Lord attorneys and alums in 2025! In the meantime, we send best wishes to all for a happy and healthy holiday season!

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TROUTMAN PEPPER’S COMMUNITY IMPACT

At Troutman Pepper, we take pride in our unwavering commitment to excellent service, and we know that our responsibilities extend beyond our office walls and into our communities. We are equally proud that our attorneys and staff members are not just exceptional professionals, but compassionate individuals who strive to make a difference.

As a result of various fundraising drives and service activities across the firm this year Troutman Pepper made an impact on over 300 charitable causes ranging from American Red Cross emergency responses, to support for local food banks, veterans, schools, youth programs, community clean-up efforts, and many more.

Thank you to the firm’s leaders, attorneys, and staff members for your dedication and passion – coordinating such efforts is no small task and reflects the strength of our Troutman Pepper community. Together, we make a difference, and we look forward to continuing this important work in the new year!

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SEASONAL TREATS & TRADITIONS

In the spirit of the season, a few folks around the firm shared their favorite seasonal treats or traditions with us. Thanks to Heather Ducat, Kayla Weldon, and Danilo Castelli for sharing their special celebrations with us.

A Holiday Match and Hearty Breakfast
Courtesy of Heather Ducat

One of my favorite holiday traditions is that every Christmas Eve we play a pick-up soccer match with our family and friends that are like family. It’s a great chance to take a break from cooking and wrapping and get out of the house. Inevitably one of the adults embarrasses (or injures) themselves trying to make an impressive play, so we are usually still talking about it until the next year rolls around. And one benefit of Christmas in Atlanta that it is not too cold for outdoor soccer. On Christmas morning, we usually still have a house full of guests, so a breakfast casserole is a must. Our family favorite is an egg bake that the kids’ great grandmother started making on Christmas morning many years ago. Click here for the recipe.

Watch Night Tradition – December 31
Courtesy of Kayla Weldon

On December 31, 1862, enslaved and free Black Americans throughout the United States gathered together to welcome the new year and – most importantly – the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation. Although signed in September of 1862, the Proclamation was not effective until January 1, 1863. Watch Night was the name given to the gathering to commemorate the legal end of slavery in the Confederate States.

Watch Night continues to be a tradition among Black Americans, including my family and friends. As a child, I spent Watch Night at my church, hearing testimonies about overcoming the year’s hardships and the blessings that have touched lives. The night was often filled with song, laughter, and a few tears. It was a focus on appreciating the past and celebrating the future.

Once the new year starts and Watch Night draws to a close, New Years Day is spent preparing the first meal to prepare for a fortunate new year. The meal consists of black-eyed peas for good luck, collard greens for prosperity and pork for progress. I still vividly remember waking up to the smell of my dad preparing black-eyed peas early in the morning. Due to my limited cooking abilities, I now often rely on take-out and re-heatable options, but the sentiment remains the same.

Bringing in the new year through food and fellowship is always a joy.

We would love to learn how you celebrate and invite you to share your favorite treats or traditions on the Alumni LinkedIn page ~ feel free to include photos or recipes!

An Italian-American Family Feast
Courtesy of Danilo Castelli

Growing up as an Italian-American in the suburbs of Long Island, New York, nothing reminds me of the holiday season more than Christmas Eve dinner, or the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Family members gathered around the table, twenty different loud conversations all happening simultaneously and everyone enjoying an elaborate seafood dinner prepared mostly by my Zia (my Aunt in English). The meal lasts the entire night into the early hours of Christmas Day and is not limited to seven fishes by any means. From the moment you arrive, you are greeted with the beautiful scents of dinner preparations: lemon, extra virgin olive oil, parsley and garlic fill the air around my Zia who, at nearly 73 years old, is still hard at work in front of the oven after all of these years, but now with a few more grandchildren as helpers. Anyone else who asks how they can help is immediately told in a stern but gentle tone to sit down and eat. Behind her is a beautiful antipasto that she prepared: fresh fried calamari, Italian seafood salad, olives, cheeses, zeppole Calabrese (zeppole with anchovies) and more. You attempt to try a little bit of everything but soon realize it’s impossible if you want to make it to dessert (and trust me, you want to make it to dessert). Then, a short break before dinner where you catch up with family members, enjoy an aperitivo and watch whichever part of A Christmas Story is on at that point of the 24-hour marathon on TBS. Afterward, the apex of the evening—dinner. The table is filled with everything my Zia has been preparing during the weeks leading up to that night: linguine alle vongole (pasta with clams), lobster, shrimp, scallops, baked clams, fried baccala (salted cod) and more. As the night winds down, the liveliness of the table continues into the early hours of Christmas Day morning—most stick around and enjoy amazing fresh desserts, espresso and digestifs while some others duck out to attend Midnight Mass at the local Church. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to appreciate these moments and have realized that food is so important to Italians (to any culture really) because it brings family together and that Christmas Eve dinner is my Zia’s expression of her endless love for her family.

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UPCOMING PROGRAMS AND CLE OPPORTUNITIES

Be sure to check Troutman Pepper’s Firm Insights page for frequent updates on additional offerings and share with your fellow alums!

Free Fridays: Practicing Law Institute CLE Offerings

As part of the firm’s membership, we are happy to offer CLE offerings from PLI to friends of the firm. If you would like to be included in our Free Friday PLI email distribution, please contact Clare Roath at clare.roath@troutman.com.

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FIRM NEWS

Troutman Pepper and Locke Lord Announce Merger

Troutman Pepper Promotes 18 Partners Nationwide

Troutman Pepper Secures Defense Verdict for Johnson & Johnson in Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Case

One Year Later: How Troutman Pepper’s Generative AI Assistant Athena Has Transformed Legal Services

Troutman Pepper Achieves Mansfield Certification for Seventh Consecutive Year

Troutman Pepper’s Capital Markets and M&A Practices Achieve Top Industry League Table Rankings Through Q3 2024

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ALUMNI ON THE MOVE

Eric Astrin (Atlanta) is now Vice President, Real Estate & Construction at Inspire

Brian Auerbach (Philadelphia) is now Of Counsel at Barnes & Thornburg

Meredith Barnes (Atlanta) is now Assistant Director at Emory Law Career Center, Emory University School of Law

Hailey Barnett (Atlanta) is now Counsel at Councill, Gunnemann & Chally LLC

Ben Carlson (Atlanta) is now Managing Chief Counsel at McKesson

Randall Cherkas (Philadelphia) is now Senior Counsel, Benefits at The Campbell’s Company

Jeff Cohen (Washington, D.C.) is now Senior Grants and Contracts Officer at the Institute of International Education

Deanna DeFrancesco (New York) is now Counsel at Wonder

John Dooley (Atlanta) is now General Counsel at Diamond Baseball Holdings

Matthew Dukes (Washington, D.C.) is now Senior Counsel at Federal Reserve Board

Ari Erdfarb (New York) is now Assistant General Counsel at MoCaFi

Karl Frederic (Princeton) is now Member at Clark Hill Law

Francie French (Philadelphia) is now Director, Global eDiscovery Operations at GSK

Megan Gess (Orange County) is now Partner at Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth

David Gollin (Philadelphia) is now Managing Director, Associate General Counsel at JPMorganChase

Todd Goodwin (Atlanta) is now Director, Legal Affairs at T-Mobile

Bill Green (Philadelphia) is now President & CEO at PermaFair

Jennifer Green (Philadelphia) is now Vice President, Associate General Counsel at Jazz Pharmaceuticals

Charles Haven (Philadelphia) is now Vice President, Legal & Business Affairs at Fanatics

Mike Hochman (Washington, D.C.) is now Global Manager of Strategy & Business Development at Bechtel Corporation

Jonathan Blake Hovander (Boston) is now Special Counsel at Duane Morris

Jennifer Hruslinski (Philadelphia) is now Associate at Rothkoff Law Group

Edward Ivey (New York) is now Partner at Haynes & Boone

Lance Jacobs (Philadelphia) is now Managing Director – Washington National Tax at Forvis Mazars

Schuyla Goodson-Bell Jeanniton (Atlanta) is now Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer at John Deere

Hunter Knowles (Atlanta) is now Vice President & Deputy General Counsel at the Atlanta Braves

Tim Kozik (Atlanta) is now Vice President, Legal and Policy at Ada Infrastructure

Robert Lane (Philadelphia) is now Principal at Bob Lane Advisory LLC

Chris Lowe (Philadelphia) is now General Counsel at New Jersey Property – Liability Insurance Guaranty Association

Ilya Mirov (Richmond) is now Associate at Nixon Peabody

David Morris (Philadelphia) is now President, Legal Affairs at Vividion Therapeutics, Inc.

Harry Moseley (Philadelphia) is now Executive Director, Content Acquisition at Comcast

Josh Norris (Atlanta) is now Head of Global People Business Partners at Confluent

Joe Pohl (Pittsburgh) is now Chief Executive Officer at Healthcare Ventures Group

George Prothro (Atlanta) is now Deputy Division Chief at City of Atlanta Department of Law

Joy Ragsdale (Washington, D.C.) is now Special Counsel at Federal Communications Commission

Scott Robinson (Philadelphia) is now Managing Assistant General Counsel at Novo Nordisk

Jonathan Ross (Atlanta) is now Shareholder at Maynard Nexsen

Gina Rotenberg (New York) is now Senior Principal at Slalom

Andrew Rudolph (Philadelphia) is now Senior Counsel at Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld

Suzanne Satterfield (Atlanta) is now General Counsel at Free TV Networks

Danielle Schmidt (Chicago) is now Corporate Counsel at Enterprise Mobility

Jennifer Shields (Berwyn) is now Assistant General Counsel at Principal Financial Group

Matt Sides (Charlotte) is now Partner at BCLP

Ana Spone (Boston) is now Associate at Goodwin

Craig Steen (Philadelphia) is now Partner at Miller Coughlin LLC

John Stephenson (Atlanta) is now Vice President at Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center

Keely Stewart (Philadelphia) is now Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel & Assistant Corporate Secretary at Iron Mountain

Steven Strasberg (Atlanta) is now Principal Legal Counsel at Amazon

Ralph Surman (Pittsburgh) is now Attorney Advisor at National Energy Technology Laboratory

Randy Varner (Harrisburg) is now Contracts Counsel at West Shore Home

Karie Schepis Varner (Pittsburgh) is now Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Excelitas Technologies Corp.

Curtis Wadsworth (Pittsburgh) is now Partner, Chair of Intellectual Property at Jordan Voytek

Hollie Washington (Washington, D.C.) is now Attorney at Davis Wright Tremaine

Lori Zehner (New York) is now Deputy General Counsel at Consigli Construction Company