newsletter articles

MAY 2011

NVLSP Appoints New Board Members

Veterans just got a few more champions – with the addition of eight new members to NVLSP’s Board of Directors. The new board members will be actively involved in policy oversight for the organization.

“NVLSP is working hard to extend its reach. One way to accomplish this is to draw on a Board comprised of individuals from across the country with a diversity of experience and opinions,” said Ron Abrams, Joint Executive Director at NVLSP.

NVLSP welcomes the following new board members:

William P. Cook, of Washington, D.C., is a partner at DLA Piper LLP, where he chairs DLA Piper's Global Communications, eCommerce and Privacy Group and represents the largest telecommunications and media companies in the US. In addition to his distinguished career as an attorney, Cook is a retired Commander in the US Navy Reserves.

Doris Johnson Hines, of Washington, D.C., is a partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP. She is the head of the firm’s Litigation Section and practices all aspects of patent law, with a particular focus on U.S. district court and International Trade Commission litigation. She has represented several claimants in the firm's veteran pro bono program in partnership with NVLSP.

Joseph Clarke Mathews, of Dallas, TX, is a partner at Hunton & Williams LLP. His practice focuses on a wide variety of corporate transactions. Mathews has been involved with NVLSP's Lawyers Serving Warriors program, where he has represented several veterans seeking benefits they were wrongfully denied.

Randal S. Milch, of New York, NY, is the executive vice president and general counsel for Verizon Communications. He leads the company’s legal, regulatory and security groups. Milch has involved dozens of attorneys at Verizon in assisting veterans through NVLSP’s Lawyers Serving Warriors program. They recently piloted a new program to assist Iraq and Afghanistan veterans applying for combat related special compensation.

The Honorable Edward A. “Ned Powell, Jr., of Washington, D.C., is a former president and CEO for USO World Headquarters. He is a former Assistant Secretary for Management (CFO) and Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Because of his leadership and commitment to the armed forces for many years, Powell was awarded the Distinguished Public Service Medal, the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff’s Distinguished Public Service Award and the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.

Thomas Riley, of New York, NY, is a partner at Chadbourne & Parke LLP where he heads the firm’s litigation department. He volunteers as a pro-bono counsel with NVLSP representing veterans seeking disability pension benefits. Most recently, he assisted NVLSP with filing legal motions to ensure the VA complied with regulations to compensate Vietnam veterans suffering from diseases medically linked to Agent Orange exposure during their military service.

Amy Schuh, of Palo Alto, CA, is the Legal/GA Chief of Staff and Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Legal Strategy and Operations at Hewlett-Packard Company. She co-chairs HP’s legal pro-bono program, which recently partnered with NVLSP to provide pro-bono counsel to thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Howard M. Shapiro, of Washington, D.C., is a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP. He chairs the firm’s Litigation/Controversy Department. His legal practice is focused largely on white collar criminal defense, complex commercial litigation and securities enforcement matters. Shapiro and several attorneys at the firm have assisted veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who needed pro-bono legal help.

The eight new members will bring the total number of members serving on the NVLSP Board of Directors to 19. In addition to the eight listed above, the members are: Ronald S. Flagg (Chair), partner at Sidley Austin LLP; Rafael B. Acosta, general manager at Autopistas de Puerto Rico y Compañia; Samuel R. Bond, consultant at Bain & Company; Nathaniel F. Emmons, general practice attorney in Washington, DC; John H. Harwood, retired partner at Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr, LLP; Stephen B. Kinnaird, partner at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, LLP; Herbert E. Marks, senior counsel at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP; Howard C. Menditch, managing member at Menditch Homes LLC; George P. Parker, Jr., of counsel at Bracewell & Giuliani LLP; former assistant secretary for management (CFO) and former deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Amanda D. Smith, pro bono partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP; Wayne Smith, program manager at Civil Liberties Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.