Board of Trustees
In 1973, Bob Rines and Bob Viles hatched the idea of founding a law school that actually made a difference in legal education. They recruited several brave and enthusiastic individuals to take on the challenge of New Hampshire winters and politics and the responsibility of serving on the first Board of Trustees of Franklin Pierce Law Center, the state's newly founded law school situated on a country road just outside Concord. The school and its faculty and staff of less than a dozen people were first housed in buildings vacated by a secretarial school and previously a bull–breeding farm. As a member of the school's first graduating class, I remain humbled and amazed whenever I return to Concord and see how far we've come. From those modest beginnings, Pierce Law has grown to nearly 3,800 alumni, a student body of 481, and a supporting faculty and staff of over 100. It is with great pride that we've achieved a stature as one of the leading independent law schools in the nation and among the most respected intellectual property law educational institutions in the world.
This year, the number of Trustees has expanded to 20, plus five emeriti members. Most recently, in keeping with Pierce Law's commitment to furthering our global reach, two international graduates, Gloria Isla MIP ’88 of Mexico and Young Wook–Ha MIP ’90/JD ’92 of Korea, were appointed to the Board. Our newest member, Mark Haley, vice president and general counsel of the Electronics & Integrated Solutions Group of BAE Systems, Nashua, NH, joined the Board in November.
The Trustees are charged with governing the general operations of the corporation that owns Pierce Law. In that respect, the Trustees oversee the endowment, define Pierce Law's mission, develop a sound strategic plan, and with the faculty, determine our academic focus. During the next few years, the Trustees will also lead efforts to raise contributions for the Annual Fund, earmarked for an endowed chair in intellectual property law, and to build our Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) for graduates who work in public interest positions.
It is abundantly clear that the legal profession has dramatically changed in the 34 years since we first opened our doors and we've changed with it. But more importantly, we look forward to embracing the ever–accelerating changes that will come in the next 34 years and beyond. So whoever serves on the Board in 2040 will be taking the reigns of a great institution standing independent and proud.
Douglas J. Wood, JD ’76, Chair
Officers
Douglas J. Wood, JD ’76, Chair
Karin A. Gregory, JD ’88, Vice Chair
John D. Hutson, Dean & President
Eric Norman, Vice President for Finance & Administration
Bruce R. Burns, Treasurer
Board of Trustees
The Honorable Kenneth C. Brown, JD ’78
Abramson, Brown & Dugan
Manchester, NH
Bruce R. Burns, Treasurer
Concord Hospital
Concord, NH
Anthony Buxton, JD ’78
Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau & Pachios, LLC
Augusta, ME
The Honorable Carol A. Conboy, JD ’78
Superior Court
Manchester, NH
James E. Conway, JD ’76
Gabriel Realty
River Edge, NJ
Andrew J. Ferrara
Boston Healthcare Associates, Inc.
Boston, MA
Lewis Gersh, JD ’96
Gersh Venture Partners, LLC
New York, NY
Cathy J. Green, JD ’77
Green & Utter, P.A.
Manchester, NH
Karin A. Gregory, JD ’88, Vice Chair
Furman/Gregory, LLC
Maine
Young-Wook Ha, MIP ’90/JD ’92
Ha & Ha
Seoul, Korea
Mark Haley, Esq.
BAE Systems
Nashua, NH
Gloria G. Isla, MIP ’88
Trustee and Senior Partner
Isla del Campo, SC
Mexico
William L. Keefauver, Esq.
Consultant, Intellectual Property
New Vernon, NJ
Heather MacLean Walker Merrill, JD ’88
Manchester, NH
Jack B. Middleton, Esq.
President, Mclane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton, P.A.
Manchester, NH
Gordon V. Smith
Franklin Pierce Law Center Board of Trustees, Distinguished Professor of IP Management
Chairman of the Board of AUS, Inc.
Moorestown, NJ
H. Scott Tenney, JD ’77
Hudson Baylor Corporation
Newburgh, NY
Douglas J. Wood, ’JD 76, Chair
Reed Smith LLP
New York, NY
Sherilyn B. Young, JD ’82
Rath, Young and Pignatelli, P.A.
Concord, NH
Board Emeriti
Morgan A. Hollis, JD ’76
John Pendleton, Esq.
Dr. Kenan Sahin
Representatives to the Board
Kimberly Kirkland
Faculty Representative to the Board
Michel Bohn
Student Representative to the Board
11/2/09 Notice: It is with sadness that we announce Robert H. Rines, Esq., Franklin Pierce Law Center Board of Trustees, passed away.
Notice: It is with sadness that we announce Morton E. Goulder, Franklin Pierce Law Center Board of Trustees, passed away January 25, 2008.
