Virginia Lawyers Weekly

Troutman Sanders LLP has added three attorneys to the firm’s trusts & estates practice group in its Tysons Corner office.

Molly F. James joined the firm as a partner. She was previously a partner and head of the trusts and estates practice group of Hogan & Hartson.

James’ practice will focus on estate planning for clients, as well as business succession planning; dynasty trusts; estate planning with carried interests in venture capital funds; charitable planning; and the creation of trusts, LLCs and other structures to protect families from taxes and creditors.

She received her undergraduate degree in 1989 from Tufts University and her law degree in 1992 from Georgetown University. She is former chair of the board and current pro bono general counsel for College Bound Inc., a nonprofit located in Washington, that tutors and mentors D.C. public school students and provides scholarships for college.

Michael D. Erickson and Tania S. Sebastian joined the firm as associates. Both attorneys were previously associates with Hogan & Hartson.

Erickson’s practice will focus on federal income, estate and gift taxation, including both domestic estate planning, administration and international estate and trust planning. He received his undergraduate degree in 1997 from Yale University and his law degree in 2002 from the University of Virginia.

Sebastian’s practice will focus on federal income, estate and gift taxation, with a primary focus on estate planning and administration. She received her undergraduate degree in 1994 from Rollins College, her master’s degree in 1996 from the University of Essex and her law degree in 2007 from the University of Florida.

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McLean attorney Alan S. Goldberg has been appointed to the adjunct faculty of the George Mason University law school. He will teach health law at the law school’s campus in Arlington and will continue to teach health law as an adjunct professor at the GMU College of Health & Human Services in Fairfax.

Goldberg is a past president and inaugural fellow of the American Health Lawyers Association; secretary of the board of governors of the health law section and a member of the law and technology committee of the Virginia State Bar; and a member of the council of the health law section of the Virginia Bar Association.

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The Fairfax Bar Association has recently installed Julie H. Heiden of Koonz, McKenney, Johnson, DePaolis & Lightfoot LLP as the new president at the annual membership luncheon.

The FBA also announced the results of its election for the board of directors. The new FBA vice president and directors are:

• Vice President: David J. Gogal, Blankingship & Keith PC
• Board of Directors: Kelly Sweeney Hite, Law Offices of Kelly S. Hite PLLC; Brett A. Kassabian, Kassabian & Kassabian PLC; Douglas R. Kay, Briglia, Hundley, Nuttall & Kay PC; Robert B. Walker, Law Office of Robert Walker; and Edward L. Weiner, Weiner, Rohrstaff & Spivey PLC

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Dana A. Dews has joined the law firm of Christian & Barton LLP as an associate. She will focus her practice on labor and employment, healthcare and litigation matters. Dews is active in the Virginia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and currently serves as a co-chair of the Diversity Recruitment Committee.

Dews received her law degree from the University of Richmond and her undergraduate degree from Samford University in Alabama.

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John C. Shea of Marks & Harrison has been selected to the National Advisory Board of the Association of Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America (AITLA). AITLA is a newly formed national association of lawyers who have joined together to help eliminate unsafe and illegal interstate trucking practices. AITLA will work in the areas of learning, litigation and legislation.

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Matthew S. Reinaker has joined The Irvin Law Firm as an associate specializing in commercial real estate, estate planning and small business issues.

Reinaker received his law degree from University of Richmond in 2005 and his MBA in 2006.

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Mary Z. Natkin, a clinical professor of law at the Washington & Lee law school, has been named assistant dean for clinical education and public service. In this newly created position, Natkin will develop a standardized curriculum and methodology for the school’s clinical, externship and public service programs. Natkin began her career at the law school as an adjunct faculty member. She served as director of the Legal Practice Clinic from 1993 until 2007, when she took lead of the school’s general externship program.

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Robert H. Jackson has joined General Counsel PC as a non-equitypartner. Jackson focuses his practice on communications, technology transactions and government relations. He was previously executive director for US West and practiced with Arter & Hadden LLP and Reed Smith LLP before opening his own practice in 2005. Jackson is currently president of the McLean Citizens Association.

He will continue to be located in Washington, pending his admission to the Virginia bar. He will then move his practice to McLean.

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