Jean Holloway, Moderator Jean Holloway joined Hamline Law as dean on January 6. As dean of the law school, Holloway is responsible for overseeing and providing strategic direction to the School of Law's academic and related programs, leading the recruitment and retention efforts of the school, managing its fiscal resources, leading its fundraising efforts, and serving as a university officer in collaborative work on governance, strategic planning, fund development, and institutional assessments. Holloway brings nearly 30 years of legal expertise, including extensive leadership of complex organizations such as Medtronic and CR Bard, experience in corporate and private practice, strategic plan development and execution, and fiscal management expertise. She also has significant fundraising experience, has board chair experience, has served as president for two local bar associations, and remained closely involved in legal education. Holloway has very strong academic credentials, holding two bachelor s degrees from Yale University and a joint MBA and JD from the University of Chicago. Holloway joined Hamline from CR Bard, Inc., a global medical device manufacturer, where she served as vice president, general counsel, and secretary. Prior to that, she served as vice president and deputy general counsel for Medtronic, and before that was vice president for Boston Scientific and Guidant. She also has experience as a partner at Faegre & Benson, a strategic business consultant at McKinsey & Company, and a partner at Dorsey & Whitney. "Jean Holloway's leadership roles in complex institutions both in the public and private sectors, her skill to work creatively with diverse constituencies, and her demonstrated record of success in the practice and business of law led to our decision that she would contribute significantly to advancing Hamline University's School of Law, Hamline President Dr. Linda Hanson said of her appointment. We are delighted Dean Holloway will bring her considerable knowledge and passion for developing new approaches to legal education to our expanding vision for our master's in law program, strengthening the institutes in dispute resolution, health law and business law, and delivering legal education more effectively and affordably."
Laurie Vasichek, Panelist Laurie Vasichek is a Senior Trial Attorney with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in its Minneapolis Area Office, where she has represented the EEOC on some of its significant cases, including the $13 million jury award against Chuck E Cheese and the EEOC s first case challenging genetic testing of employees under the ADA. Vasichek, who is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School, clerked for Judge Myron Bright of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and was a trial attorney with the Minneapolis-based Dorsey & Whitney Law Firm before joining the EEOC. Vasichek is a former member of the Federal Practice Committee of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. Vasichek is also the former Chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Section, was a Government Fellow to the Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee of the Labor & Employment Law Section of the ABA, and acted as a chapter editor for the fourth edition of the hornbook, Lindemann & Grossman, Employment Discrimination Law (2007). She has been recognized as a Super Lawyer over the years, and has been a frequent public speaker on employment law and compliance.
James J. Seifert, Panelist Jim Seifert is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Ecolab Inc. In his current position, Seifert oversees several company departments, including Law, Regulatory Affairs, Government Relations and Safety, Health and Environment. Previously, Seifert served as vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary for Bemis Company. He also held law department positions with the Toro Company, Tennant Company and American Hoist and Derrick. Seifert has also served as federal public defender, a legal aid attorney, taught several years at the William Mitchell College of Law and served in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Seifert serves on the board of the American Arbitration Association, the board of the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership and the advisory board of Creighton University School of Law. He is a member of the Dean s advisory council of the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and serves on the board of trustees of Twin Cities Public Television and the Science Museum of Minnesota. Seifert holds a bachelor s degree from the University of Notre Dame, a master s degree in Manufacturing Systems from the University of St. Thomas and a juris doctor degree from Creighton University.
Shawn L. Pearson, Panelist Shawn L. Pearson practices Labor & Employment law in the Minneapolis office of Barnes & Thornburg LLP, a national law firm with 12 locations. Mr. Pearson represents employers in state and federal courts in matters involving claims of discrimination, FMLA, wage-hour, OSHA citations, and whistleblower allegations. In addition to litigation, Mr. Pearson assists employers in conducting internal investigations, workforce planning, and OFCCP/Affirmative Action/EEO compliance and audits. Mr. Pearson also has also worked as in-house counsel for an international food manufacturing company handling Labor & Employment litigation/arbitrations, EEOC Charge responses, labor relations, immigration issues, Affirmative Action Plan preparation and training, OFCCP audit defense, Corporate Social Responsibility policy development, reductions-in-force, and HR investigations. Mr. Pearson is a Minnesota Rule 114 Qualified Neutral and has been named a Rising Star by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine for years 2005-2009 and 2013. Mr. Pearson serves as a Board Member of the Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce and performs pro bono work for the Children s Law Center of Minnesota. Mr. Pearson earned his B.A. from the University of Chicago and J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
Ivan K. Fong, Panelist Ivan K. Fong is Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs and General Counsel of the 3M Company. Under Ivan s leadership, 3M s law department was recently named Twin Cities In-House Legal Department of the Year by the National Law Journal. Ivan was previously nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate to serve as General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Before that he was Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Cardinal Health, Inc., where he was selected to be one of the Twenty Most Influential General Counsel by the National Law Journal. He was also previously Senior Vice President and General Counsel of GE Vendor Financial Services; Chief Privacy Leader and Senior Counsel, Information Technology of GE; and Deputy Associate Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice. Ivan has also been a partner with Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C.; an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center; and a law clerk to Judge Abner J. Mikva of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and Justice Sandra Day O Connor of the U.S. Supreme Court. He has received, among other honors, NAPABA s Trailblazer Award; the Justice-in-Action Award from the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc.; and the Spirit of Excellence Award from the ABA. Ivan holds a B.C.L. with first class honors from Oxford University, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. He received his J.D. (with distinction) from Stanford Law School, where he was president of the Stanford Law Review, and an S.B. in chemical engineering and an S.M. in chemical engineering practice from MIT. He is a registered patent attorney.
Angela Beranek Brandt, Panelist Angela, a partner with Larson King, focuses her civil litigation practice in the areas of commercial litigation, employment litigation, professional liability and products liability. She has represented clients in litigated disputes in State and Federal courts. She has served as lead counsel in more than seventy-five arbitrations and trials. Angela also has experience working with clients as an in-house attorney and as outside general counsel. Angela is active in a number of local and national organizations, including county, state, and national bar associations, and practice groups such as defense and risk management. She currently serves on the Executive Board of the National Association of Women Lawyers ("NAWL"). Angela has chaired the Mentor Committee and served as the National Chair of the popular NAWL Nights of Giving and serves as President-Elect of the Ramsey County Bar Association. She is also a member of Campaign for Legal Aid, a committee that raises money for Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services ("SMRLS"). She is regularly asked to speak at seminars in Minnesota and across the country. Angela has been received professional recognition as an American Bar Foundation Fellow, a Rising Star by MN Law & Politics (2001-2012), by the National Association of Women Lawyer's Virginia S. Mueller Outstanding Member Award (2008), and as an "AV" rated attorney by her peers in Martindale Hubbell (the highest lawyer rating for both skills and ethics). Angela is a magna cum laude graduate of the Hamline University School of Law, where she was a member of the Hamline Law Review and the Jessup International Moot Court Team. She is also a graduate of the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, where she earned a Bachelor of Liberal Studies, with Honors.