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THE DAILY RECORDW E S T E R N N E W YO R K ’ S S O U R C E F O R L AW, R E A L E S TAT E , F I N A N C E A N D G E N E R A L I N T E L L I G E N C E S I N C E 1 9 0 8

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Recipient ProfilesHarold Carter Jr. 4

Charles Johnson 5

Regina Morano 6

Maureen Mulholland6

Michael Sciortino 9

Zosan Soong 10

Spencer Studwell 11

Hugh Thomas 12

Sharon Underberg 15

Sumitha Yogesh 16

EDITORIAL

Web/Copy EditorKristy O’Malley

[email protected]

ReporterDenise M. Champagne

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ReporterTodd Etshman

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DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Production ArtistVictoria Story

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PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice CoordinatorElayna Malley

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CIRCULATION

Circulation/Marketing DirectorKatelyn Duggan

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EVENTS

Event CoordinatorThomas Misener

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PublisherKevin M. Momot

[email protected]

Bond, Schoeneck & King 11

Boylan, Brown, Code,

Vigdor & Wilson 2

ChamberlainD’Amanda 16

Counsel Press 10

D4 18

Eastman Kodak Company 4

eHealth 16

Harris Beach 14

M&T Insurance Agency 18

Monro Muffler 8

Osborn, Reed & Burke 5

Phillips Lytle 7

Rochester General

Health System 9

Rochester Genesee Regional

Transporation Authority 9

University of Rochester 15

Vasiliy Images 12

Ward Greenberg 8

Last year, The Daily Record created theTop Counsel awards program to honorhardworking and dedicated in-house andgeneral counsel in Rochester. Because ofthe significant support from the legal com-munity of our inaugural Top Counsel event,we understood the need to continue to high-light this group of accomplished attorneyseach and every year.

So again, in 2011, we are recognizing an-other outstanding group of lawyers whocontribute so much to the success of theirrespective organizations. They have doneso while demonstrating exceptional char-acter and integrity, and have helped to ad-vance the role of in-house and generalcounsel for all who follow in their foot-steps.

It is a testament to the talent level and ex-perience of these award recipients that wecan only begin to summarize their accom-

plishments in the following pages. Thework general counsel handles can be com-plex and varied. But all of the attorneysprofiled here have one thing in common:Their commitment to their profession.

Congratulations to our Top Counselaward winners:

Harold Carter, Rochester Genesee Re-gional Transportation Authority

Charles Johnson, Rochester CitySchool District

Regina Morano, Thompson HealthMaureen Mulholland, Monro MufflerMichael Sciortino, eHealth Global

TechnologiesZosan “Sam” Soong, Xerox Corp.Spencer Studwell, University of

RochesterHugh Thomas, Rochester General

Health SystemSharon Underberg, Eastman Kodak Co.

Sumitha Yogesh, Sutherland GlobalServices

Your recognition is truly well deserved!

Kevin M. MomotPublisher

2011 TOP COUNSELTHE DAILY RECORD presents

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4 T h e D a i l y R e c o r d

Harold M. Carter grew up in Annan-dale, Va. He received a Bachelor of Arts.in government studies at the College ofWilliam & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.,and completed his juris doctor at the Uni-versity of Virginia School of Law inCharlottesville.

“This is going to sound corny,” he ad-mitted, “but the whole idea of justice anddoing the right thing has always appealedto me.”

While his father was a lawyer, he saidhis parents never pushed him one way orthe other.

“Law is sort of a puzzle — all of thetime,” Carter said. “You’re always tryingto figure out what’s right or you’re tryingto be persuasive, so it’s always a new in-tellectual challenge.”

Now 58, married to Elise (a licensedclinical social worker) and with two sons(Nicholas, 31, and Ethan, 27), Cartercame to Rochester after completing lawschool in 1977. Elise’s parents lived inthe area and after several visits the coupledecided they liked it here.

Carter took a position with HarrisBeach and became a partner, saying “itwas a very innovative and fun place towork.” The firm represented theRochester Genesee Regional Transporta-tion Authority since its inception, andCarter explained his transition from out-

side to inside counsel.“I came to the CEO and said, ‘You

know, I really like what you’re doing … Ilike your people and I’d love to work with

you,’” he explained.That was five years ago.“It’s been somewhat different [than I

expected] in that I’ve gotten much more

involved in the business aspects as wellas the legal aspects,” Carter said, “whichhas made it even more fun. The Legal Af-

See CARTER page 8

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By CHRISTINE G. ADAMO

General Counsel

Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority

HAROLD M. CARTER JR.

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It was, at first, like waiting to see theprincipal. Lively student artwork hungfrom the otherwise bland ceiling andwalls between Charles G. Johnson’s of-

fice suite and the only available chairs,located some 50 feet down the hall inwhat felt like a much longer walk.

The mood changed quickly when heapproached — which was easy to an-ticipate. He’d said, by phone, that if

called “Charles” he might not respond.A more affable moniker, “Chuck”seemed to suit him.

Johnson came to Rochester in 1979 towork for Kodak after graduating with abachelor’s degree in business from

Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. By1981, he was off to Guatemala.

“I wasn’t ready to go [to law school]yet,” he explained. “So, I was a PeaceCorps volunteer for two years.”

In Guatemala, he worked in smallbusiness development with artisan co-operatives. After six months, a coup d’é-tat erupted. He was given the option tostay, go home or transfer.

“I worked for the next year and a halfin Ecuador [with] the Working Boys’Center, which helped shoe shine boyswho were basically without educationor futures to provide them with training,education and vocational skills so theycould, in turn, create and enter the mid-dle class,” Johnson recalled.

According to the WBC, the organiza-tion opened a second facility near Quitoin 1981, and was providing day care,adult literacy programs and technicaltraining for 400 families. Upon leavingEcuador, Johnson went to Puerto Rico toserve as a Peace Corps recruiter.

“The Peace Corps [requires] a senseof adventure and [a desire] to see a dif-ferent world and be respectful of thatculture,” he said. “When I think of it interms of now being a lawyer — this maysound cliché — but it’s a matter ofwanting to make a difference and dosomething meaningful.”

Back in the states by 1984, he receivedhis juris doctor at SUNY Buffalo in 1988and then joined Lacy, Katzen, Ryen &Mittleman in Rochester. That’s where hemet Nia Nichols, his wife, a court liaison

See JOHNSON page 7V

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General Counsel

Rochester City School District

CHARLES G. JOHNSON


You’ve seen her — Justicia. A pillarof marble, she guards court housesworldwide. Scales in hand, her blind-fold signifies impartiality. Learning thatRegina Morano is the middle of sevenchildren, this image quickly came tomind.

As she spoke, it became clear she dis-plays traits of the Roman icon protect-ing her craft’s integrity: An immovableadvocate of justice whose passion forengaging activities and causes bringsbalance to her world.

“The way some kids play school Iused to play court house,” Morano said.“My Uncle Joe Morono was [a top] at-torney in our town. I used to love to goto his office and look at his books. Hehad these walls of McKinney’s that Ijust thought were magnificent.”

After he died, she inherited a few —and treasures them. Her father, with acareer in law and government, also hadan influence.

“I think I looked at the world, even asa child, in terms of where the justicewas in particular situations,” she said.

Growing up in East Rochester,Morano attended St. Agnes — a small,private high school for girls. It nolonger functions, but its impact wascritical.

“We had the opportunity to participatein the Monroe County Mock Trial com-

petition,” Morano said. “It was [a bigthing] for me, as a teenager. Our coachwas [retired] Judge Patricia Marks. …She was an absolutely wonderful coachfor us. We made it to the finals!”

Morano earned a Bachelor of Arts withhonors in Political Science fromLeMoyne College in Syracuse; in hersophomore year she was elected as thefirst woman student senate president. She

then served the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, afaith-based Peace Corps alternative.

“I [spent] two years in Baltimoreworking in a homeless women’s day


See MORANO page 8

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Vice President of Legal & Regulatory Affairs & General Counsel

Thompson Health

REGINA MORANO

You can learn a lot about MonroMuffler from its reception area. Thecompany received a United Way Pres-

ident’s “Live United” Award in 2009and its stock price was $33.71 earlylast month — with 5,246 employeesand 787 stores nationwide.

You can learn a lot about Maureen

Mulholland there, too, simply in theway she extends a warm smile and akind handshake.

Married to a sales engineer (Brian)and the mother of three (Jessica, 18,

Clare, 10, and Brigid, 5), Mulhollandgraduated from the University ofScranton with a both bachelor’s andmaster’s degrees in American History.She received her law degree from theUniversity of Notre Dame LawSchool.

“I thought [I’d] venture out to Indi-ana and just try something that no oneI knew had ever done,” Mulhollandsaid. “I went out for a trip and just fellin love with Notre Dame.

“My parents [encouraged] me to takeany risks and opportunities that cameup,” she continued. “Leaving HarrisBeach and going to Underberg &Kessler — that was a risk. Certainly,coming to Monro and starting the LegalDepartment here — that was a risk, butit’s been tremendously rewarding.”

They also encouraged her to under-stand people and find out what mattersto them. Case in point: Roughly 5,000of Monro’s employees work with theirhands every day.

“Growing up in a working classneighborhood, you [meet] all differentkinds of people and get to know peoplewho have no sense of entitlement,”Mulholland explained. “That is, for me,a very important trait. You learn to getalong with lots of different folks. Thatcertainly has helped me here and I think

See MULHOLLAND page 7

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General Counsel

Monro Muffler

MAUREEN MULHOLLAND

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that’s helped me in law, in general.“What’s never lost on us is that all of

the work we do impacts 5,000 fami-lies,” she added. “[Our employees] areat work supporting their own families.That’s a tremendous responsibility, butwe’ve been successful in keeping thatfocus and I think that’s really what’sworked well for Monro.”

Mulholland shares a staff of onewith the Real Estate Department andconsiders herself one member of theteam. Everyone brings assets to thetable and gets things done — whetheron the business side or from a legalstandpoint.

“Contracts, acquisitions, employ-ment-related issues,” she explained,

“I’m part of the decision making.That’s the exciting part.”

Mulholland originally came toRochester in 1995 to spend the sum-mer of her second year in law schoolas a clerk at Harris Beach PLLC. Bysummer’s end, she had an offer tocome back post-graduation. Sheseized the opportunity to live alonewith a new job in a new city.

“I came back after law school andgot this fabulous apartment right nearthe Eastman Theatre,” she said.

In 1998, she was approached by Un-derberg & Kessler, LLP. The firm’ssize and culture appealed to her, ayoung attorney interested in buildingclient relationships, delving deeper

and solving problems.There she found a mentor in John

Crowe, another Notre Dame graduate.“He gave me tremendous opportu-

nities to be in front of clients,” sheexplained. “One of the opportunitieshe gave me was to have nearly dailycontact with Monro Muffler. Thatwas his client. That still is his client.

“I had every intention of continuingat Underberg,” she said. “It was agreat experience … but, in 2003 I wasout at an event with a number ofclients — one of which was [MonroCFO] Cathy D’Amico.”

Talk centered on the work Mulhol-land was already doing as outside coun-sel to help manage Monro’sacquisitions. The company was ready togrow and expand.

“She looked at me and she said,‘Would you ever think of coming in-

house?’” Mulholland explained.It was an unexpected but welcome

question. Mulholland knew the com-pany well and respected its people.

“I thought again about what an op-portunity it was to come to a companythat was growing and start up theirlegal department,” she said. “I thought,‘Hey, what a really neat opportunity.’[This was] a door that was opening forme and I was going to take it.”

In her first week, Mulholland beganwork on an acquisition that was com-pleted in early 2004. Since then, shesaid, she’s brought 12 sizable acquisi-tions in house.

“I certainly don’t always do it allalone,” she admitted.

Outside counsel helps. But, evenalone, Mulholland seems fully ca-pable of making the most out ofany opportunity.

Maureen Mulholland� MULHOLLAND from page 6

for the Rochester City School District. Thepair has three boys: Grant, 4, Matthew, 12,and Andrew, 8. Johnson spent his first fewyears, at the firm, in corporate law.

“I ended up moving into litigation,” hesaid. “I found [it] more to my interestbecause you’re on your feet, it’s moreinteractive and you’re in court; corporateis more document-driven. I liked thechallenge of litigation.”

After 12 years in private practice atvarious firms, he became deputy countyattorney for the Monroe County LawDepartment in 1999 and was there until2003 when he was recruited by theRCSD. A background in litigation andgovernment, Spanish fluency and sensi-

tivity to other cultures are what he be-lieved motivated them to reach out.

“Representing a school district,” heexplained, “[is] like being a generalist:Eighteen percent of our students areclassified as students with specialneeds, we have a large immigrant popu-lation and, in addition to [state and fed-eral] compliance, we have millions ofdollars in contracts that are negotiatedand processed each year.”

Tort and civil rights cases must be han-dled, labor arbitrations must be defendedand superintendent and Board of Educa-tion member concerns must be addressed.

“It spans so many different things,” headded, “and we do most of our work in-

house. Years ago we sent a lot of workout [but] my view has always been thatwe have a staff of five attorneys, in-cluding myself, and we’re certainly ca-pable of doing that work ourselves andhave the home-field advantage — we’rehere, we know the client.”

When considering his Peace Corpsexperience and the work he does now,Johnson said he sees similarities in theway he tries to make a contribution andbring value to what he does. But, he’smore a manager than he ever was.

“It has certainly stretched me,” hesaid. “I’ve [been the general counsel]for two years now; [as a litigator every-thing] was sort of self contained. In thisrole, I’m involved in so many things.”

That involvement has shaped his ap-proach to helping various stakeholdersmeet their goals.

“I always try to walk a middle path

and be respectful of different interestbut say, ‘My client is the institution.How can I represent the institution?’while recognizing that people may havedifferent viewpoints,” he added.

In the end, Johnson said, there may beno better job in Monroe County. Asicing on the cake, he gets to exercise hislanguage skills.

“There are people in the building who[speak it], so we exchange a few greet-ings in Spanish. It’s something to hold onto. It’s been a long time since I’ve used iton a daily basis, but it’s still there.”

Asking Johnson to cite his favoriteword was like asking an audiophile toname their favorite LP, but after someconsideration “ferrocarril” (railroad)rolled right off his tongue — r’s ex-pertly trilled. And the principle truth isthat, in fact, Johnson’s not someone tobe afraid of.

Charles G. Johnson� JOHNSON from page 5


center run by Catholic Charities [and]helped start a Health Care for theHomeless program,” Morano said. “Atthe time, [it was really] a shoe-stringoperation. There was the director andthen there was myself, [in] a caseworker role. We literally went around toa lot of the shelters and soup kitchensand spread the word.”

Driving along the JFX, or Jones FallsExpressway, she said, shows how HCHhas grown — now a “focal point interms of helping homeless and under-served populations.” Her sense of jus-tice shifted there, making her feel athome in the not-for-profit arena as ahealthcare lawyer.

Morano then went to Albany as asummer scholar in the NewYork StateAssembly. That turned full-time and shegot her law degree with honors from Al-

bany Law School of Union University.Upon graduation in 1995, she was ap-pointed to its board of trustees.

Which makes one wonder — is thistypical, or is it her?

“I do engage,” she explained. “I’mvery plugged in to what’s happening inthe world, [in] my community, [legally]and how you use law as a tool to im-prove society, protect people and protectpeople’s rights.”

By 1994, Morano was practicinghealth law at Higgins, Roberts, Beyerl& Coan, PC, in Schenectady. She wasspecial counsel to then New YorkWorkers’ Compensation Board Chair-man Robert Snashall from 1997 to2003. A mentor, his leadership and in-tegrity plugged her into another levelof practice.

In 2003, she and husband Charles

Latucca came to Rochester and sheturned to the private sector, first at Pre-ferred Care and then Excellus. A gov-ernment background helped her fill aniche for lawyers versed in complianceand regulation. Yet an opportunity atThompson, in 2007, gave her pause.

“It seemed a closer match for me inthat it was on the provider side, in acommunity where people were actuallydelivering the care,” she said. “I came in[to] set up a formal compliance programat a time when hospitals were undertremendous pressure.”

Morano felt fortunate in the mentorsshe’s had. Linda Farchione at Thomp-son Health — with her dynamic person-ality, devotion and energy — is one.Chris Booth, at Excellus, was another.He set high standards and taught her toengage the business side of law.

“Roll up your sleeves,” she recalled,“and give practical advice in a timely man-ner on critical issues that [can lead to] anaspect of the business succeeding or not.”

That approach paid off. Morano was

appointed general counsel at Thompsonin 2009. Being an effective communica-tor people want to engage with is key,she said — along with a sense of humorand an ability to empathize with peopleunder pressure.

“I’m not yucking it up all the time,but I have a sense of humor [thatsneaks up on you and] I use it fre-quently in a healthcare environment,”she said. “[It all] helps me delivervalue and the right level of support toour organization.”

Keeping the balance also spills intoMorano’s personal life.

“I am a huge basketball and baseballfan,” she said after reading an inscribedpewter keepsake at her desk: “Don’t beafraid to fail, be afraid not to try —Michael Jordan.”

“I really prefer college basketball [and]I’m a lifelong Baltimore Orioles fan,”she said. “I was somewhat devastatedwhen the Rochester Red Wings disasso-ciated with the Baltimore Orioles.”

Truly, where’s the justice in that?

Regina Morano� MORANO from page 6

Maureen Mulholland

fairs Department has been better than Icould have anticipated.”

As the years go by, I find myself beingmore and more interested in helping peo-ple develop by playing more of a mentor-ing role,” he added. “Being generalcounsel, with this kind of group workingwith me, gives me that opportunity. I’veenjoyed that.”

Clearly, in-house or out, he enjoysbeing a lawyer.

“My father used to say — which was highpraise for me — ‘You know, Hal, you thinklike a lawyer,’” Carter said. “It always mademe really proud … because he has a certainway of [methodically] using the facts andthe law to actually come to a solution. That’s

what I’ve always tried to focus on.”While Carter leaves his office for the oc-

casional hearing or television interview, hesaid the real face of RGRTA is CEO MarkAesch, whom he called “a dynamic guy”while pulling a copy of Aesch’s recentlypublished “Driving Excellence” (endorsedby Steve Forbes) from his bookshelf.

“It describes our collective philosophyabout how to operate a public agency in aprivate method and we’re proud of that,”Carter explained. “We are trying reallyhard to make it so that we can do what wehave to do even in these hard economictimes. Just to brag about the entity, we’llhave our fifth year of net income. Not a lotof public agencies have that in common.”

So, are there typical days at theRGRTA? Not so many. New develop-ments? Many.

“One of the things we’ve initiated recentlyis a meeting of the executive team [and thenmy team] every morning,”he said. “I think most every-one is finding those very,very helpful, because it kindof gets us all together aroundthe same page at the begin-ning of every day [with peo-ple] saying, ‘This is whatI’m worried about and this iswhat I’m working on.’ Otherpeople can chime in andhelp them, which creates ateam feeling which has beenreally good.”

While Carter’s days aren’t so predictable,his months — and years — are.

“We’re always getting ready for board

meetings, which means deciding on whatmatters they have to address, what informa-tion they need, legal issues have to be dealtwith, presenting them with the right [tools]— so, you’re moving toward that,” he said.

“And then there are somesurprises!”

RGRTA’s fiscal yearbegins April 1, with stateaid granted in or aroundFebruary.

“We actually have anelaborate planning processwhich takes us about ayear to pull together,”Carter said as he handedover a hard-cover annualplan the size of a Chilton’smanual. “We put out a new

comprehensive plan every year — reexam-ining vision statements and mission state-ments [and setting] goals for each quarter.”

Harold Carter Jr.� CARTER from page 4

As the years go by,I find myself beingmore and more interested in helpingpeople develop byplaying more of amentoring role.

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Start with a plum-colored Sharpie.Loop over, squiggle back and skip aspace. Make a straight line, ending in alush upward curve. Finish with a well-poised dot.

In Michael Sciortino’s world, myriadtalents move in time as he makes hismark on Rochester’s legal — andmusic — scenes.

“As a kid, I played violin,” he re-called of his rock origins. “My twoolder, twin brothers needed a bassplayer in their local band. I realized aviolin has four strings, a bass has fourstrings and the [chords are] the same.How much different could it be?”

In Cherry Bomb, his bass has founda home alongside one of his brothers’drum sets. Each month, the band cov-ers Top 40, modern, classic and anthemrock at places like The Jukebox, A-PubLive and Nola’s. The band’s evenplayed for 5,500 people at FrontierField.

“Every day my daughter, Julia —who knows that I’m a judge and thatI’m a lawyer — picks out a Sharpie tomatch my tie,” Sciortino said. “She says,‘Dad, you never know when you have tosign an autograph.’ She considers me arock star even though [I’m] in a suit.”

At that, a sheet of paper was slidacross eHealth Global’s conferenceroom table in his direction.

“Thank you,” he said with a smile

while uncapping a plum-coloredSharpie. “She’ll love knowing I signedan autograph today.”

Wife Tara, a lawyer at Hiscock & Bar-

clay, with whom he also has a 20-month-old named Sophia, attends

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Chief General Counsel & Chief Privacy Officer

eHealth Global Technologies

Partner, ChamberlainD’Amanda

MICHAEL SCIORTINO


See SCIORTINO page 13


Zosan “Sam” Soong, 50, was born inTaiwan and came to the U.S. at age 5.

His father received a scholarship toStanford University five years prior. Asthe elder Soong completed his Ph.D.studies, Sam, his mother and his sisterjoined him in Palo Alto, Calif. The fam-ily then spent six years in Seattle whileSam’s father worked at Boeing Corp.

“We came to Rochester in the early’70s when my father was offered a jobat Xerox,” said Soong, whose father re-tired six years ago. “I’m actually a sec-ond-generation Xeroid. When I wasgrowing up in Rochester and thenworked in Webster, at Xerox, I actuallynever saw [my father’s] office until Istarted working downtown.”

Soong and his wife, Grace (owner ofXtreme Fitness in Greece), have a son,Taylor, 15, and a daughter, Victoria, 10.Soong said his former brother-in-lawwas likely the first lawyer he ever metand that he never considered law schooluntil he was nearly out of college.

“I just didn’t think I would like work-ing in a laboratory,” he said of wrappingup his bachelor’s in chemistry at CornellUniversity. “It’s very isolated [work].”

So he chose a more people-oriented ca-reer path and applied to a number of schools.

“It’s one of the ironies of my life thatI got into patent law,” Soong explained.“At the time I got into [George Wash-ington University], I didn’t realize it was

one of the best schools to go to for patentlaw … I didn’t even think about patentlaw until my second year in law school.”

That’s when a classmate told him about

the intra-school Giles S. Rich Moot CourtCompetition. It was one of those thingshe had not planned for — it just hap-

See SOONG page 13

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Senior Patent Counsel

Xerox Corporation

ZOSAN ‘SAM’ SOONG


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Spencer Studwell’s job descriptiondoesn’t implicitly state that knowledgeof Swiss cheese and all its nuances is re-quired. Yet, there exists an ability to

close up related holes.As head of the University of

Rochester’s Office of Counsel, Studwelldoes just that. In part guided by JamesReason’s “Swiss Cheese Model,” he of-fers preventative counsel in support of

the U of R’s focus on preventativemeasures for patient safety.

“Swiss cheese has holes, right?” heasked. “You line up a bunch of slices …and the only way [a] problem actuallymakes it all the way through is if the

holes line up just right.”Each slice provides another opportu-

nity to intervene before a problem re-sults in harm.

“[Our] system’s approach is to con-stantly look to close the holes — makesure that if there is some type of a prob-lem it gets recognized and dealt with be-fore it actually makes it all the waythrough,” Studwell said. “It’s very satis-fying to break down the system issuesthat are implicated by [an] event and lookfor opportunities to make improvementsin those systems.”

Deconstruction, cause and effect andgap analysis are aspects of his work thatStudwell, 53, says he enjoys. The oldestof three boys, he grew up in WestchesterCounty, got his bachelor’s degree atWesleyan University, in MiddletownConn., and completed his juris doctor atSyracuse University Law School.

“My grandfather was a lawyer – mat-ter of fact, a judge,” he explained.

A plaque inherited from his grandfa-ther hangs on a wall opposite his chair,bearing the words of Abraham Lincoln:“A lawyer’s time and advice are hisstock in trade.”

“I think that was part of my originalinclination to at least explore law as apossible career,” he said. “My wife willalso tell you that my personality is mostconsistent with being a litigator. I havea tendency to cross examine everybody,including the dog.”

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Senior Associate General Counsel, Director of Risk Management

University of Rochester, Office of Counsel

SPENCER STUDWELLBy CHRISTINE G. ADAMO


Hugh Thomas was born in Sayre, Pa.,in August of 1961 and grew up in neigh-boring Waverly, N.Y. His father, now aretired vascular surgeon, was chief ofsurgery at Guthrie Clinic in Sayre.

“You never know when things aregoing to coalesce,” Thomas said.

“I had a broad base of experience — bothpersonal and professional — around health-care. That’s how I ended up in this posi-tion,” he said of his role within theRochester General Health System.

After graduating from a New Hamp-shire boarding school in 1980, heearned his juris doctor from the Uni-versity of Maryland’s School of Law,but not before pursuing electrical engi-neering and pre-med studies at JohnsHopkins University.

“Ultimately I concluded that medicineis a calling,” he explained. “And, at thatpoint in my life, I didn’t have that calling.”

He changed his major, got a bache-lor’s in economics and took a year offbetween college and law school to fig-ure out what to do, but he was pointedin the right direction.

“[While at Johns Hopkins] I workedfor a state senator in Maryland whoseright-hand person had become a veryclose mentor of mine,” Thomas said.“She had a legal degree [and] felt that itwas a very valuable degree to get —

even if you didn’t want to practice.”That appealed to him, as did the urg-

ing of a family friend who served as

general counsel for Guthrie HealthcareSystem. So he applied for and went tolaw school, spending the summer of his

first year as an intern for a federal judgein Baltimore and the summer of his sec-

See THOMAS page 14

Senior Vice President & General Counsel

Rochester General Health System

HUGH THOMAS


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13To p C o u n s e l 2 0 1 1

pened. And he and his partner won.And what brought him back in

Rochester?“After living in Washington, D.C.,

and New York City, I’ve come to real-ize that Rochester’s a pretty niceplace,” Soong said. “Especially, Iguess, when you have kids — becauseyour perception of what [you need]changes over time.”

From 1989 to 1991, Soong was an as-sociate at Finnegan, Henderson,Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, in Wash-ington, and was happy doing just that.

But his father heard, from an in-houseattorney, that Xerox was looking to ex-pand its patent department. Soong sentin a resume and was hired.

“I’ve had the same office and tele-phone number since 1991,” he said. “Alot of friends and acquaintances whohave already been through three or fourjobs [are] amazed.

“When I wake up I’m actually eager togo to work, because there are always in-teresting things to do,” Soong added. “Ilike the researchers I work with and get abig kick out of helping with their patent

questions and working on their cases.”Soong works on intellectual property

agreements with companies in the U.S.,Canada and sometimes Europe or Asia.He has counseled the Xerox ResearchCenter of Canada (outside of Toronto)for more than 10 years and helps pro-vide counsel for Xerox’s research cen-ter in Webster. Phone and email areconstants, but Soong said he enjoysface-to-face interaction.

“[It’s] personally fulfilling to beable to work with the researchers anddevelop their ideas by fleshing themout and putting them in the best possi-ble position so that if the company de-cides to invest a certain amount ofmoney to commercialize [an idea], we

have excellent patent protection to pre-vent our competitors from using it,” henoted.

For every 100 invention disclosures,Soong said less than 20 are commer-cialized or put into products, and thosenumbers likely hold true for any com-pany or large research organization. Tothat end, he finds creative problemsolving and creative thinking skills ofgreat importance.

“I see my role as actually making sureI’m not just protecting one way of [solv-ing a problem or improving an inven-tion], but thinking of other ways toaccomplish a similar result,” Soongsaid. “This way, there are no gaps inpatent coverage.”

Zosan ‘Sam’ Soong� SOONG from page 10

shows along with a slew of friends andfamily. The band’s lead singer isdaughter-in-law to Sciortino’s assis-tant.

“Some professionals are involved insports, [some] in acting or drama [andsome] in music,” he said. “I just hap-pen to be involved in music. It’s a greatrelease from the normal day-to-day.”

At 35, the first generation Sicilian-American is quite accomplished. Aftergraduating from McQuaid, he got abachelor’s in Political Science at theUniversity of Rochester with a doubleminor in Philosophy and Legal Studies.At Albany Law School of Union Uni-versity, he found his niche in trial law.

“My personality seemed to suit it,”he explained. “I consider myself apeople person and I was able to inter-act well with others — in front of ajury and in front of my classmates.”

He was appreciative and humbledwhen elected director of the school’smoot court board and said getting a

good education and becoming alawyer was always on the playlist.

“My dad worked at Rochester Prod-ucts [a division of GM] and built carbu-retors,” he said. “My mother was aseamstress at Hickey Freeman; she at-tended night school and got her diplomaat East High School My father attendedelementary school in Sicily and thenstopped. My parents, for all five of us,pushed education.

“On my wedding day, my familyhad presented me with this plaque,” headded. “Inside was a homework as-signment I’d written in 1985. Ourteacher had asked us the question,‘What do you want to be when yougrow up?’”

He’d answered with a list of desires(cars, boats, etc.), but ended: “And Iwant to be a lawyer.”

“I had no idea my mom had eversaved it … at that time, I was a youngkid — I was 9 years old,” Sciortinosaid. “That plaque is currently hang-

ing up in my office at Chamber-lainD’Amanda.”

His mother also saved a businesscard holder he’d made for her in sev-enth grade shop class.

“On the first trip she made up to my[law] office, she handed me this littlepackage,” he explained. “I unwrappedthe paper towel, which was yellow andfaded, and inside was the businesscard holder. I still use it.”

He came to eHealth Global, fromChamberlainD’Amanda, by requestof CEO Michael Margiotta — along-time friend.

“They’d always been a client ofmine,” he said. “When their businessstarted to boom, in 2007, they askedme to come on board full-time, whichI then did. I left the Chamberlain of-fice and had an office here [for nearlytwo years]. Once they were fully upand running, I went back.”

A partner at ChamberlainD’A-manda, he continues to provide ongo-ing service to eHealth.

“The core of our business is help-ing medical providers care for pa-tients,” Sciortino said. “We offer anecosystem, a suite, of services to

medical providers. We have about70 clients or customer accounts.About 40 of them are in the Top 100Hospitals nationwide.”

Entities like UCLA, USC andNewark Beth Israel medical centerscontact eHealth Global seeking patientmedical records and histories prior toconducting critical care, transplants,treatment for infectious diseases, liverand kidney procedures and more.

“Our scanning and digitizing is done[here],” he said. “Our outside sales de-partment and some of our executiveteam members live in California, Min-nesota and elsewhere outside of NewYork.”

“We” and “our” are words Sciortinoused frequently when talking abouteHealth and its 47-member staff.

“We’re family here. All of our em-ployees are family members.”

On the side, Sciortino’s also a Parmatown court justice and acting city courtjudge in Rochester. That variety, hesaid, helps balance his lifestyle — as dohis racing bike, a Suzuki GSX750 andhis custom-built chopper, a Bourget FatDaddy.

Could anything be more rock star?

Michael Sciortino� SCIORTINO from page 9


In 1982, Studwell joined Martin,Clearwater & Bell — the oldest mal-practice defense firm in the state —where he made partner.

“[I was] able to get into court veryquickly and [had] a lot of responsibil-ity,” he said. “I started trying caseswithin two to three years. It was a lot offun to be there — very fast paced.

His two big clients, at the time, wereNew York Hospital and Columbia-Pres-byterian Medical Center. In 1994, he washired as in-house at New York Hospital,which merged with Columbia in 1998 andbecame New York Presbyterian Hospital.

As vice president for risk manage-ment and associate general counsel, hegained new perspectives and acquired ataste for managing malpractice claimsprograms in a university-based, teach-ing hospital environment.

“When [outside lawyers] are lookingin, they’re kind of looking through a win-dow,” Studwell said. “There’s all sorts ofstuff that happens behind the walls … it’san extraordinarily complex environment.”

In 2001, Studwell was asked to coun-sel the U of R system. At the time, hischildren’s ages (Brian is now 23, Jamie,21, and Sarah, 19) and a change in

lifestyle made is appealing to him andhis wife, Debra Rhoten (a documentaryfilmmaker). But, additional considera-tion was required.

“I’d spent a long time developing re-lationships at [NYPH], which is a veryprestigious organization in its ownright,” he said. “You don’t leave itlightly; it’s a little like you’re playingfor the Yankees and now you’re think-ing of giving that up.”

Yet, by making that lateral move hegot the opportunity to patch a few holesin his own Swiss cheese.

“It’s been meaningful to kind of ex-pand my practice twice — once when I[worked] exclusively for a hospital andthen again when I went from [that] to ajob that straddles both the hospital andthe higher-ed world. There’s been a pro-

gressive expansion of the scope of myresponsibilities [and it’s been] refresh-ing each time.”

He and a team of seven spend 80 per-cent of their time addressing issues likemedical malpractice litigation for the Uof R’s hospitals (Strong Memorial andHighland). Studwell also manages risksspecific to the Memorial Art Gallery,Eastman School of Music, EastmanTheatre and River campus.

“When you shift into an in-house role,[you go from] playing the game to beinga coach or a general manager and kindof coordinating a lot of the informationthat goes into developing the defensewith these cases — but, you have to un-derstand the medicine that’s involved.”

It stands to reason: That’s how youclose up holes.

Spencer Studwell� STUDWELL from page 11

ond year, 1987, in Rochester after be-ginning this tax coursework.

“My brother’s best friend went to St.John Fisher and through him I met avariety of people who are very closestill,” Thomas said. “Through themand through some family contacts Iknew of a firm in Rochester and ap-plied for a summer job with that firm— Harris Beach.”

The summer was a success. He wasoffered a permanent position beginninga year later and accepted it. He com-pleted law school, passed the bar examand joined Harris Beach in August of1988. As he practiced tax and corpo-rate law alongside many who would

become his mentors, the regulatoryside of healthcare law called to him.

“There was a need, in the health-care department, for help,” he ex-plained. “Although I always stayedactive in the tax department, I reallybecame more of a healthcare lawyerfor quite a number of years.”

Thomas was named a partner at Har-ris Beach in 1996, and remained thereuntil 2001 when he was appointed firstcorporate counsel with RGHS.

“Leaving a partnership is not some-thing you do lightly,” he explained, not-ing that he came to the decision afterextensive conversation with his wife,Jennifer Harris-Thomas (also a lawyer).

“That’s when my career changed,”Thomas said. “It’s been an incredibleexperience, at times complex and con-troversial … the variety is endless. It’sexciting, it’s maddening, it’s quick —it’s all of the above.

“When I was in private practice, Iwas exposed to another piece of thepuzzle,” he said. “I was [invited] tojoin the board of Unity Health Systemand [served] on the board until I tookthis job. … Again, the whole mosaicsort of comes together.”

While Thomas said he especiallymisses his private practice clients, thisrole suits him.

“It’s probably always been in myblood, because of my background, butin order to pursue this kind of a careeryou really have to want to embrace acalling, sort of,” he said. “Not-for-profithealthcare [is] different. It is a calling.

You’re having a massive effect on peo-ple’s lives … in their most needy time.”

Thomas said he still relies heavilyon outside counsel, but is building asmall staff at RGHS.

“I’ve really wrestled back and forthabout building an inside staff or con-tinuing to rely on the external re-sources that we have,” he explained. “Ithink that you can get a lot of differentanswers about what’s better [but] I likedifferent perspectives.

“Every firm and all lawyers ap-proach things a little bit differently,”Thomas added. “Having access to a lotof different perspectives is helpful.”

In his spare time Thomas said he readsa great deal — mostly political fare,newspapers and historical biographies.He is an avid golfer and skier and enjoystraveling with his wife and children:Madeline, 15, Evan, 14, and Meredith, 8.

Hugh Thomas� THOMAS from page 12

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15To p C o u n s e l 2 0 1 1

The digital age takes center stage atKodak online, with links to RSS feeds,podcasts, blogs and webcasts, and pop-ular search terms like digital cameras,downloads and drivers and scanners.

For Sharon Underberg, 49, oversee-ing the legal side of the company’s dig-ital transformation with help from ateam of 16 was a welcome challengethat brought out the best in everyone.

“We have fabulous products and[great] technology,” she said. “But peo-ple, I think, are the most importantasset we have here. They’re battletested, they’re battle scarred, [they’re]loyal and determined to see this com-pany through to success.”

In short, they’re flexible, adaptablegeneralists.

“They just get it done — whateverneeds to be done — no complaints,”Underberg said. “We’ve shrunk, soeverybody’s got more to do. But, younever hear complaints. Everyone’s justwilling to do their share to pitch in andhelp the company succeed. That’s themost rewarding thing, for me.”

So, how did this Brooklyn native cometo find herself in such good company?

“My grandmother was a legal secre-tary for a judge,” she explained. “Whenwe were growing up, she would regaleus with her courtroom adventures.

“She had a lot of exciting stories to

tell,” she continued. “She would bringhome those red lawyer’s diaries that peo-ple used in those days to track their timeand I would scribble in them, as a kid.

That was a major influence for me.”Underberg’s father worked for the

U.S. Postal Service. Her mother was ahomemaker. Supportive, encouraging

and loving, they instilled a sense ofhope and possibility. She and herbrother, both lawyers, are first-genera-

See UNDERBERG page 18

VA

SIL

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AZ

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Assistant General Counsel & Director of Corporate, Business & Regulatory Staff & Vice President of Legal Department

Eastman Kodak Company

SHARON UNDERBERG



Sumitha Yogesh said all she knows islaw — nothing else.

“This is my 16th year of practice,” sheexplained. “In India, I went directly intolaw school [after high school] and took afive-year, integrated course [that in-cluded] everything under the sun. I gotmy master’s training in India, too, whichis the L.L.M., in International Law.”

She began practicing law at R&P Part-ners in 1996, handling real estate, intel-lectual property and consumer cases.Ultimately, litigation was not for her.While she said India’s legal systems arevery strong, getting to court takes time.

“You need to have a lot of patience to evenclose one litigation,” Yogesh said. “Youdon’t get to do that as a junior attorney. Youeither do the drafting or the pleading work.”

Making partner would require a lot ofpatience, as well, so when Polaris Soft-ware Lab Inc., asked her to come in-house, she did.

“Since then, there’s been no turningback,” Yogesh explained. “I feel I’mable to achieve a lot in an in-house, cor-porate environment. There’s a satisfac-tion of finishing something that you take[away from it]. It’s a time-bound activ-ity. I found that a very interesting andaggressive approach, [coming] from anotherwise lethargic background.”

What she learned in litigation, shesaid, formed the basis for her corporatelife — so much so that she advises oth-

ers to spend time in practice before ven-turing into corporate life. Her reason-ing? To be able to manage anylitigations that come their way.

In 2004, she was sent to New Jerseyto head U.S. and European legal opera-tions. Though she would miss her ex-tended family, she and husband Yogesh

Bulla, head of R&D in Rochester atGoglanian Bakeries Inc., made themove. Professionally, it made sense.

See YOGESH page 18

VA

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AZ

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Corporate Counsel

Sutherland Global Services

SUMITHA YOGESH



tion college graduates.“I always set my sights pretty broad,”

Underberg said. “When I was pickingcolleges, I absolutely wanted to go awayand not be in the New York City area.When I graduated from college, I wenton a backpacking trip through Europewith a friend. It was a wonderful expe-rience — very freeing and liberatingand fascinating. I still have a love oftravel.”

After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in1982 from Brandeis University, and ajuris doctor from the University ofPennsylvania’s School of Law, in 1985,she became a corporate and securitiesassociate.

“I moved to the Big Apple to start mycareer at (Fulbright & Jaworski) in thego-go ’80s, which was very exciting,”she said. “But, after four and a halfyears, we decided to come to Rochester.That’s when I came to Kodak. I’ve beenhere for 21 years.”

It was go-go indeed. The AssociatedPress has called 1983 to 1989 thelongest period of peacetime economicexpansion in U.S. history, with peopleunafraid to take risks or fail in the stockmarket and elsewhere. Confidence andoptimism were at their peak.

Drawn to Rochester by the quality oflife and other benefits, she and her hus-band, Paul (general counsel for Pictome-

try, International) headed north. Reunitedwith his family, they started one of theirown. Their son, Daniel, is now 18 andtheir daughter, Jillian, is 16.

“Kodak was looking for an attorneyand I was very fortunate to get in touchwith our former general counsel, GaryVan Graafeiland,” Underberg said. “Iwas his ‘first hire,’ as he always liked tosay. The department [was] in a develop-ing mode. It was quite different then.

“I was very interested in an in-houseopportunity … advocating for one clientand really delving into the businessside,” she said. “What I love aboutKodak is that I get to work in a very so-phisticated legal environment on verycomplex and interesting legal issues. Ialso get to be involved in the businessside — in the cultivation and formationof our strategy and ideas. I find that fas-cinating and very satisfying.

“When you’re in private practice,”she added, “you get brought in to workon discrete matters and then they goaway. You never know what happened.But, when you’re in-house at a com-pany like Kodak, you get to help craftthe strategy, implement it and live withit afterwards.”

Underberg noted that working on re-capitalization projects, fortifyingKodak’s graphics business through ac-quisitions and changing up the gamehave added to the appeal.

“I’ve been very fortunate to work onmany of our transformational projects[and have] really had an opportunity tohelp leave an imprint on the company,”she said.

Three-quarters of Kodak’s revenuenow comes from digital products. It’sdefinitely go-go digital for what wasonce, basically, a film company.

“Not many countries have been out-sourcing their jobs,” Yogesh said. “Youought to know U.S. culture and U.S. lawif you [work] for a multi-national com-pany in any other country.”

In 2005, she returned to India tomanage off-shore legal functions forCognizant Technology Solutions. In2006, she joined Sutherland as corpo-rate counsel to its India branch. Twoyears later, she accepted a transfer toits Rochester headquarters. They com-pany employs 35,000 worldwide —with a staff of 6,000 at its twoRochester facilities.

“I would say the best part of my ca-reer has been at Sutherland, both interms of exposure to the entire out-sourcing area [including but not limitedto IT] and in terms of learning.”

She said the company’s approach tocalculated risk taking has led it to suc-cess, even in a slow economy, andhelped expand its reach to 10 countries:Bulgaria, Canada, Columbia, Egypt,India, Mexico, the Philippines, theUnited Arab Emirtes, the U.K. and theU.S.

“Imagine, as a corporate counsel, try-ing to incorporate a company in a newgeography,” she posited. “The learningstarts right there. When I said exposure,this is what I meant — exposure to var-ious [business] aspects.”

The mandate before her recently wasto help Sutherland start up operations inBrazil. She set out to identify leadingexternal law firms in Brazil, find thebest forms of incorporation from a taxand business perspective and more. The

approach, non-limiting and aggressive,appealed to her.

“While my other experiences [havebeen strictly] from a business perspec-tive, Sutherland has given me maximumexposure from a corporate perspective,”Yogesh said. “Business matters have tobe in sync with the local law whereas,from a corporate perspective, thatchanges from country to country.”

The need to conform to variousrules and regulations has, in part, in-creased the company’s use of “sharedservices” so that off-shore teams canprovide global, back-end support.Now local, Yogesh can close deals inreal time and meet with clients. But,her work still requires a multi-nationalmindset.

“My day [runs] ’round the clock,”she said. “When the day ends for me,India starts. I give them instructionson what needs to be done and what[immediate litigations] need to be

handled.”Respect, satisfaction, a sense of value

and trust are part of what Yogesh saidshe gets in return for her ’round theclock efforts. But, was law always in thecards?

“I wanted to be a [classical Indian]singer,” she said of an early interest thatwas in part inspired by A. R. Rahman,who won an Academy Award for hiswork on the “Slumdog Millionaire”score. “Jokes aside, I think what droveme to law is, basically, my aggressivenature.”

Law also suited her problem-solvingbent. While her job keeps her quitebusy, she said anyone with an in-houserole like hers must reserve time for de-liberate decision-making.

“It’s not an easy [job],” she admitted.“You have to strike a balance betweenwhat is right and what is wrong. Neversuccumb to business pressures, but dowhat is always right.”

Sumitha Yogesh� YOGESH from page 16

Sharon Underberg� UNDERBERG from page 15

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