Albany Law Appoints Five New Board of Trustees Members

Five new members have joined the Albany Law School Board of Trustees. They include Jon Dorf, Matthew Herman and Frank Willey as Term Trustees, effective August 7, 2015; Patrick Jordan as Alumni Trustee, and Jared Pellerin as Student Trustee, both effective July 1, 2015.

Jon Dorf ’90 began his law career as a solo practitioner and has since expanded his firm, Dorf & Nelson LLP of New York and Los Angeles, to include multiple practice areas serving a variety of businesses from burgeoning enterprises to major corporations. Mr. Dorf's personal areas of concentration include Corporate and Business Law, Real Estate Law and Intellectual Property Law. Mr. Dorf has been a longtime advocate for Albany Law students and graduates through the school’s Career Center.

Matthew Herman ’94 is a partner and head of the U.S. corporate practice in the law firm of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in New York City. He advises corporations, financial sponsors and other financial intermediaries on their public and private M&A needs. He is the only lawyer in the United States to have been the lead partner on transactions recognized by the Financial Times in every year of their “US Innovative Lawyer” Awards. Mr. Herman hosted the Albany Law Review's 3rd Annual Alumni Reception in New York in 2012.

Frank Willey ’78 is a partner in the law firm of Hennelly & Grossfeld LLP, with offices in California and Arizona. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (FNF), and Vice Chairman of the Board of Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc. Prior to his current positions, Mr. Willey served FNF as President and as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. He also serves as Director of several other firms. Mr. Willey is an active member of the State Bar of Arizona and has been admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. His son, Michael, is a student at Albany Law School.

Patrick Jordan ’02 joined the City of Albany's Corporation Counsel's office in 2003. He primarily handles property matters defending the City's assessments of commercial properties in Supreme Court. In an earlier position, Mr. Jordan worked for the law firm of Read & Laniado, LLP handling legal matters related to the environmental regulation of power plants. Mr. Jordan, as President-elect of the National Alumni Association (NAA), serves on the Executive Committee of the NAA.

Jared Pellerin ’16 serves as a senator for the class of 2016 on the Student Bar Association and is a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. He has volunteered for a number of Pro-Bono Law Days, was a finalist this past year in the Gabrielli Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Competition, and in the spring semester of his 2L year, he worked with Albany County Supreme Court Judge Kimberly O'Connor. This year he will serve as the Director of Competitions for the Anthony V. Cardona Moot Court program.