UB Law Alumni to Honor Five at Annual Dinner

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Five graduates of the University at Buffalo Law School will receive Distinguished Alumni Awards for their valuable contributions to the legal profession and community at the 44th annual UB Law Alumni Association meeting and dinner to be held at 6 p.m. May 10 in the Hyatt Regency Buffalo.

"We are fortunate at UB to have such remarkable alumni. This is an exceptionally worthy group of recipients. Their leadership and accomplishments have contributed enormously to our Law School, community and legal profession," said UB Law School Dean Nils Olsen.

The dinner also will mark the end of the Law Alumni Association's membership drive for 2006-07. Alumni who have not renewed or joined the association for this year are requested to send in their $50 dues to the Alumni Office, 312 O'Brian Hall, Buffalo, N.Y. 14260.

Awards will be presented to:

* Hon. John P. Lane, Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, will be honored for his conscientious and diligent performance in the judiciary. A 1953 graduate of the UB Law School, Lane served as Amherst town attorney for 25 years prior to assuming the bench in 1996 as a judge on the Court of Claims. He moved to the Supreme Court, Eighth Judicial District, in 2000, where he is supervising judge of civil cases. He resides in Williamsville.

* Garry M. Graber, partner, Hodgson Russ LLP, will be honored for his leadership by example as a private practitioner. A 1978 graduate of the UB Law School, Graber has more than 25 years of experience in bankruptcy and corporate restructuring, commercial and corporate litigation, and general business law. President of the Upstate New York Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association, he also is a past president of the Bar Association of Erie County; past chair of the Bankruptcy Committee of the New York State Bar Association Section on Business Law; past president of the Volunteer Lawyers Project, Inc., and past president of the UB Law Alumni Association. He teaches a course on Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the UB Law School. He resides in Orchard Park.

* Hon. Elena Cacavas-Schietinger, administrative law judge, New York State Public Employment Relations Board, will be honored for her commitment to public service. A 1985 graduate of the UB Law School, Cacavas began her career with the law firm Hodgson Russ, where she became a partner and earned a reputation for being a knowledgeable and accomplished labor-and-employment lawyer. After relocating to New York City, she was appointed by former Gov. Mario Cuomo to her present position. She has served with distinction in that position for 12 years. She now serves on the UB Law School's Dean's Advisory Council, has raised a substantial amount of money for breast cancer research and teaches at her church. She resides in Manhasset, N.Y.

* Christopher T. Greene, managing partner, Damon & Morey LLP, will be honored for his many contributions to the betterment of the community. A 1974 graduate of the UB Law School, Greene is a member of the firm's business and corporate, health care and international practice groups. Active in a number of charitable and civic organizations, he formerly was the chairman of the board of directors of the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute and currently serves as chairman of the Hauptman-Woodward Foundation. He is a board member for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, the Buffalo State College Foundation and the National Conference for Community and Justice - WNY Region. He also serves on the Law School's Dean's Advisory Council. He resides in Buffalo.

* Robert P. Fine, managing partner, Hurwitz & Fine P.C., will be honored for his exemplary performance in business. A 1968 graduate of the UB Law School, Fine has extensive experience in the purchase and sale of business entities, including stock and asset transactions; business valuation, and in transactions involving major financial institutions, including industrial bond matters. Former vice chair of the board of directors of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, he is secretary of the Erie County Industrial Development Agency, the Buffalo and Erie County Regional Development Corporation and the Buffalo and Erie County Industrial Land Development Corporation. Fine is a former president of the Law Alumni Association and The Buffalo Club. He also serves on the Law School's Dean's Advisory Council. He resides in Williamsville.

For more information on the dinner, contact the UB Law Alumni Office at (716) 645-2107 or email at law-alumni@buffalo.edu.