Buffalo Law Review to Honor O'Donnell, Schwenkel

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- University a Buffalo Law School alumni Denise E. O'Donnell, a partner in the Buffalo-based law firm Hodgson Russ LLP, and Robert C. Schwenkel, a partner in the New York City-based law firm Fried Frank Harris Shriver and Jacobson, will be honored at the 17th annual Buffalo Law Review dinner on April 27 in The Buffalo Club.

Both honorees are former editors of the Buffalo Law Review and have excelled in the legal profession. They remain active in the UB Law School community, with O'Donnell serving as past president of the Law School's Alumni Association and Schwenkel mentoring hundreds of law students, helping to guide them through law-firm recruitment in New York City.

O'Donnell currently is seeking the Democratic nomination for New York State Attorney General. Before joining Hodgson Russ, she served as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York from 1997-2001. During that time, she directed all criminal prosecutions and civil litigation for the federal government in the 17 counties of Western New York. While U.S. attorney, she served as a vice chair of the Attorney General's Advisory Committee.

O'Donnell also has served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Appellate Chief and Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office. She was a confidential law clerk to the Hon. M. Dolores Denman, New York State Appellate Division, Fourth Department, and served as a legal assistant to the plaintiffs in the Buffalo School Desegregation case during law school.

She is a fellow of the New York State Bar Foundation, serves on the board of directors for the National Women's Hall of Fame and the Western New York Chapter of the National Conference of Community & Justice. She also serves as a trustee for the University at Buffalo Foundation and is a member of the UB Law School's Dean's Advisory Council.

O'Donnell has received numerous awards for her achievements, including the prestigious Ruth G. Shapiro Award from the New York State Bar Association, the Lawyer of the Year Award from the Women Lawyers of Western New York, the Director's Award from the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys and was an inductee into the Western New York Women's Hall of Fame.

She received her J.D., summa cum laude, in 1982 from UB Law School, where she was a senior editor on the Buffalo Law Review; her M.S.W. from the UB School of Social Work, and a bachelor's degree in political science from Canisius College.

Robert C. Schwenkel is the chair of Fried Frank Harris Shriver and Jacobson's New York corporate department, where he leads a team of 140 attorneys. He joined Fried Frank in 1982 and became a partner in 1989.

Schwenkel has a diverse transactional corporate practice, concentrating in private equity and mergers and acquisitions. Representative clients include private investment funds managed by Goldman, Sachs & Co., Permira Advisors LLC, Appaloosa Management LP, Cortec Group and Penske Capital Partners.

He is an editor and contributor to Fried Frank's PEPTalk, the firm's newsletter for private equity professionals. He also co-chairs an annual seminar sponsored by the Practicing Law Institute, "Advanced Doing Deals," and he was a featured speaker at the 2000 American Conference Institute's M&A program.

Schwenkel received his J.D., magna cum laude, in 1982 from the UB Law School, where he was an articles editor on the Buffalo Law Review, and a bachelor's degree, cum laude, in 1974 from UB.

For more information regarding the Buffalo Law Review's dinner, go to http://www.buffalolawreview.org or email Michael D. Mann, managing editor, at mdmann@buffalo.edu.