BYU Law Alumni Chapter Board ’26-’27

Favorite BYU Law memory: 

About:

Favorite BYU Law memory: I don’t know if this is my favorite memory, but it is definitely the most profound memory I have from law school. I was walking by a classmate’s carol in the early morning, and I saw an airplane fly directly into the World Trade Center Towers. I asked my classmate, “What movie trailer is that?” He responded, “This is live and is actually happening.” I hadn’t realized that I had just seen the second plane fly into the tower live, and it was so unbelievable that I thought it was a fake scene in a movie trailer. The rest of the day was somber, as the law students gathered in shock, and then all classes were canceled. September 11th during law school invokes a poignant memory.

About: Jonathan (’04) is the Chief IP Counsel for a firm providing legal advice and leading intellectual property strategy and implementation globally for a family of blockchain/crypto companies. Prior to working in-house, Jonathan lived and worked in New York and was a partner in a boutique intellectual property law firm. He and his wife Allison have six children (1 boy, the oldest, and then 5 girls) that keep them busy and happy. Jonathan loves spending time in the mountains, coaching his kids’ soccer teams, and watching BYU sports—go Cougs!

Favorite BYU Law memory: It’s so hard to pick just one favorite memory from law school! Aside from meeting and becoming life-long friends with so many wonderful classmates and professors, I loved competing in moot court competitions. My involvement with the Moot Court Team helped me discover my passion for written and oral argument. I loved working closely with my teammates as we conducted research, drafted briefs, participated in mock oral arguments, and traveled to competitions.

About: McKell is a first-year litigation associate at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, where she represents clients in complex commercial litigation matters. Her practice spans across multiple industries including general products liability, automotive, and trade secrets. McKell is licensed to practice in Utah and Ohio.

Favorite BYU Law memory: I made many lifelong friends during law school. From showing up during 1L orientation completely bewildered to graduating three short years later (still somewhat bewildered), I cherish the time I was able to spend with them during class, in between classes in the carrels, and outside of school.

About: Andrew is a corporate litigation attorney at Hilgers Graben PLLC in Dallas, Texas, where he practices in complex commercial litigation. After graduating from law school, Andrew clerked for the Hon. Michael Mosman at the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon in Andrew’s hometown of Portland, Oregon. Andrew then made his way down to Houston, Texas, where he clerked on the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals for the Hon. Jennifer Walker Elrod. Andrew entered private practice at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher’s Dallas, Texas, office, where he practiced as a litigator for seven years before moving his practice to Hilgers Graben. Andrew is a die-hard BYU sports fan and spends his free time cheering on his Cougars, road cycling, cooking, and spending time with his wife and twin daughters.

Favorite BYU Law memory:

About: Blake Tierney is the general counsel at Qualtrics, where he oversees all legal and compliance matters. Blake started his career at Latham & Watkins, first as a patent litigation associate in Orange County, California, and then as a corporate associate in London. He left Latham to join Amazon at its headquarters in Seattle, serving as corporate counsel supporting Amazon Web Services (AWS), before joining Qualtrics in 2014. Blake holds a BS in Computer Science & Engineering from UCLA and a JD from BYU. Originally from Southern California, Blake lives in Utah with his family and loves aviation, theme parks, mixed martial arts, and pro surfing.

Favorite BYU Law memory: 

About: 

Favorite BYU Law memory: 

About: 

Favorite BYU Law memory: My favorite BYU Law memory is from my 1L year civil procedures class with Professor Lee. I had no idea how to outline, had no idea how to brief a case, and was particularly perplexed because everyone around me seemed to already know what they were supposed to do. When Professor Lee started teaching about “International Shoe,” I started laughing to myself, wondering if I needed to put on that international shoe and walk right out of law school. Fortunately, Professor Lee made the class so much fun that I trudged through and to this day, I love civil procedure.

About: Michelle Reed is Co-Chair of the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Group of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Dallas office. She has two decades of experience advising companies, boards, and executives on navigating the evolving risks in privacy and cybersecurity regulation, enforcement, and class action litigation. A Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US, International Association of Privacy Professionals), Michelle is a leading lawyer in crisis management, guiding corporations in data breach investigations and notifications, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) cybersecurity compliance, regulatory investigations, privacy and data protection compliance, and emerging developments in artificial intelligence, biometrics, children’s privacy, geolocation, and national security. Michelle is Chambers-ranked in both cybersecurity and securities litigation, and she represents clients in a variety of complex civil litigation matters, including securities class actions, derivative suits, and consumer class actions.

Favorite BYU Law memory: 

About: 

Favorite BYU Law memory:

About:

Favorite BYU Law memory:

About:

Favorite BYU Law memory: There are two memories that stand out from my time at BYU Law. One is the experience of taking final exams in the “typing room”—the sound of twenty or thirty classmates pounding away at typewriters as they worked through their long essay answers was unforgettable. My classmates always seemed to start typing more quickly and keep typing longer than I did. It was quite a cacophony that made staying focused on the exam all the more challenging. Another memory is of Professor Jim Gordon beginning every class with a few of his trademark jokes. It was a great way to get warmed up for a comprehensive lecture.

About: Cris Baird is the Chief Legal Officer of Centennial Real Estate Management, LLC, in Dallas, Texas. He leads a legal department focused on corporate matters, risk management, and commercial real estate transactions such as purchasing, selling, leasing, and managing shopping malls and shopping centers across the United States. He graduated from BYU Law in 1996, worked in Big Law for eight years, and has worked in several other in-house legal positions, including as General Counsel of Crescent Real Estate Equities, Ltd, based in Fort Worth, Texas. He and his wife, Janae, live in Arlington, Texas, and they have five children and five grandchildren. His hobbies include collecting art and books that tell the story of the Latter-day Saint experience and rooting for BYU whenever and wherever possible.

Favorite BYU memory: 

About: 

Favorite BYU Law memory: Watched Emely Perez (a young woman whose family my wife taught as a missionary in Honduras) presenting to BYU Law students and faculty with her LLM classmates. I was amazed to consider the law school’s impact on these students from Brazil, Jordan, Swaziland, South Sudan, Honduras, and Mexico and to learn of their unique journeys.

About: Before BYU Law, Mike was an Assistant Athletic Director and Director of BYU’s Cougar Club. A summa cum laude graduate with two degrees from BYU, he has been an adjunct public speaking instructor, Education Week presenter, and script writer for “Music and the Spoken Word.” Mike enjoys camping, hiking, sports, coin collecting, and writing. Somehow he caught and married BYU All-American track athlete Laura Zaugg; the couple have three children and live in Provo, Utah.

Favorite BYU Law Memory: One of the many highlights I have is getting to know the first class of Achievement Fellows and BYU Law Alum Roy Montclair over lunch. Hearing them share their stories and challenges and inspiring reasons for choosing to come to BYU Law is a testament to the incredible people who have studied and worked at this special place.

About: Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai`i, Erin graduated with her B.A. in International Relations and Political Science from the University of Southern California. She received her J.D. from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai`i, where she excelled on the Native American Moot Court Team, and earned a certificate in Native Hawaiian Law.

Erin has worked in politics, public policy, and public relations. Prior to her role at BYU Law, Erin was an associate at Durrett Lang Morse, practicing litigation, land use, and business transactions, and served as secretary of the JRCLS Hawaii Chapter. She enjoys baking, crafting, and K-dramas. Erin and her husband, Richard, live in Provo with their three daughters.