91��Ƶ

Keynote Speaker

David Curran

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Dave Curran is Co-Chair of the Sustainability Advisory Practice and Executive Director of the Sustainability and Law Institute at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. He is responsible for continuing to develop and promote the firm’s Sustainability Practice. In this role, he also works with the firm’s lawyers to lead its Sustainability Practice.

Dave is a recognized leader in helping complex organizations build resilience. In addition to his work in the sustainability space, he has more than 30 years of experience in legal, technology, compliance, risk and ethics roles.

Dave began his career as a media trial and appellate lawyer before moving to senior in-house legal, compliance and regulatory affairs positions. He serves as co-chair of the New York State Bar Association’s ESG Committee, which aims to educate and engage New York lawyers, law students and faculty on ESG practices and developments through thought leadership and robust educational programs.

Featured Speakers

Christopher An

Christopher An, Esq., is Voice of the Customer Manager at LexisNexis Legal & Professional and an adjunct faculty member at Western New England University School of Law. A graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law, he brings experience in legal technology and legal education to his discussion of how attorneys can integrate AI into their work while maintaining professional judgment.

Horace E. Anderson Jr.

Horace E. Anderson Jr. is the ninth dean of 91��Ƶ’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law, appointed in December 2019 and now serving his second term. The Law School has been thriving under his leadership, with increased enrollment and application numbers, successful new programs and a growing global reputation.

Haub Law garnered its first U.S. News & World Report ranking as the No. 1 environmental law program in the country and has consistently maintained its preeminent ranking in environmental law, trial advocacy and other areas under Dean Anderson’s purview. He has expanded the Law School’s community impact through innovative new programs and partnerships in health law and policy, sustainable business law, and social justice including numerous pipeline programs for local youth aiming to promote civic engagement and improve diversity in the legal field.

Dean Anderson joined the faculty in 2004, and served as the Law School’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 2011 until his appointment as interim dean in 2018. Prior to teaching, he practiced law at White & Case LLP. He holds a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a BS in Economics, with a concentration in finance, from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. His areas of legal expertise include intellectual property, internet privacy, law and technology, and communications law. He currently serves on the board for organizations including the Center for Community Alternatives and the Westchester County Association.

John Bandler '02

John Bandler is a lawyer, consultant, speaker, teacher, and author in the areas of cybersecurity, cybercrime, privacy, cyberlaw, investigations, and more. He is the founder of Bandler Law Firm PLLC and Bandler Group LLC which are legal and consulting practices that help organizations and individuals with cybersecurity, the prevention and investigation of cybercrime, privacy, legal compliance, and more.

John has expertise in the areas where law and cyber intersect, holds a number of certifications, and is a prolific writer and speaker. He has worked to make cybersecurity accessible to all individuals and organizations, including through his Four Pillars of Cybersecurity and his DIY Cybersecurity Program.

John is the author of four books, including Cybersecurity for the Home and Office (2017) published by the American Bar Association, a comprehensive guide to understanding and improving information security; Cyberlaw: Law for Digital Spaces and Information Systems (2025), Policies and Procedures for Your Organization (2024), and Cybercrime Investigations (2020). John is also a regular contributing columnist on cybercrime and cybersecurity for Reuters Legal News and Westlaw Today.

Before entering private practice, John served in government for more than twenty years as a prosecutor, police officer, and military officer. John was hired as an assistant district attorney at the New York County District Attorney’s Office by the legendary Robert M. Morgenthau, where he investigated and prosecuted the full range of offenses including traditional crime, cybercrime, global trafficking of stolen data and virtual currency money laundering. Before that, he served for eight years as a state trooper in the New York State Police, assigned to a busy patrol station providing full services to the local community. He attended Haub Law at night, graduating in 2002, and teaches at the Law School and Seidenberg school as an adjunct.

Hon. Patria Frias-Colón

The Hon. Patria Frias-Colón was elected in 2022 as Justice of the Supreme Court, Civil Term, Kings County, where she currently serves in the Medical Malpractice Part. Previously, she was the Supervising Judge for the Civil Court in Queens County and served in both the Civil Court of Kings County and Family Court of New York County.

She is dedicated to improving the state court system, holding leadership roles such as co-chair of the Court Modernization Action Committee and serving on the Advisory Committee on Artificial Intelligence and the Courts.

Prior to her judicial career, she was Brooklyn Borough Chief at the NYC Law Department’s Family Court Division and Assistant Deputy Counsel to the Chancellor at the NYC Department of Education’s Office of Legal Services. Justice Frias-Colón began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. She also taught as an Adjunct Professor at St. John’s University School of Education.

Justice Frias-Colón holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in African American Studies from the University of Rochester and a Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law.

A proud Dominican-American born in the Dominican Republic, she lives by the mantra “to whom much is given, much is required” and strives to be both a good human and a just leader. She and her husband are parents to three successful adults who share pride in their heritage.

Hon. Vito M. DeStefano

The Honorable Vito M. DeStefano is a New York State Supreme Court Justice and the Administrative Judge of the 10th Judicial District, Nassau County. He has served as Administrative Judge since 2021 and as a Supreme Court Justice since 2008. Before joining the Supreme Court, he served as a Nassau County District Court Judge for four years.

Judge DeStefano currently presides over the Tax Certiorari Part of the Supreme Court, Nassau County. He previously presided in the Commercial Division, the Matrimonial Part, the regular Civil Part and an old case Part of the court. In the old case Part, he achieved approximately $40 million in settlements and a 75% settlement rate for trial-ready cases. He has handled thousands of civil and criminal matters from commencement through verdict or decision and has authored many published decisions covering a wide array of legal issues.

Judge DeStefano has been a member of the Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics (ACJE) since 2009 and currently serves on its Ethics Faculty. Since 2019, he has served on the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Standards of Attorney Conduct, revising and recommending changes to the Rules of Professional Conduct. He is also a member of the Advisory Committee on AI and the Courts.

Judge DeStefano has been an adjunct professor at Hofstra University School of Law, St. John’s University School of Law, Long Island University C.W. Post School of Accountancy and Molloy College. He has taught undergraduate and graduate business courses, including Business Ethics for MBA students, as well as Lawyer’s Ethics at Hofstra. Molloy College students twice recognized him as Adjunct Faculty Member of the Year. In the summer of 2016, he taught Advanced Argumentation and Professional Responsibility at St. John’s. He currently teaches New York Civil Practice and Select Topics in Law and Technology: Legal Ethics and Artificial Intelligence at St. John’s.

Judge DeStefano is a frequent continuing legal education lecturer on a range of subjects.

Beth Gordon

Beth Gordon, PhD, is Vice President of Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer at 91��Ƶ. She has worked in academic technology at 91��Ƶ for three decades, helping shape how the University uses technology in teaching and learning. She also serves as staff co-chair of 91��Ƶ’s Artificial Intelligence Committee, which supports the responsible use of AI across the University.

Deborah L. Heller '08

Deborah L Heller is currently the Assistant Dean of the 91��Ƶ Law Library and an adjunct professor at Haub Law. She began working at 91��Ƶ as the Environmental Law Librarian in January 2018.

Before coming to 91��Ƶ, Professor Heller worked at Columbia University’s Arthur W. Diamond Law Library as a Reference Librarian and later Head of Public Services. She also taught legal research to first year students and LLM students and in the Advanced Legal Research class. Professor Heller is an active member of the American Association of Law Libraries and has served on a number of committees.

Professor Heller teaches in the First Year Fundamental Legal Skills class, Advanced Legal Research, and Advanced Research Skills: Environmental Law.

Jonathan H. Hill, DPS

Jonathan H. Hill is Chief Transformation Officer and Executive Vice President at 91��Ƶ. Since joining 91��Ƶ in 2003, he has held several leadership roles, including serving as dean of the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems from 2016 to 2024 and as interim provost. His work spans technology education, institutional change and the role of AI in higher education.

Frank Iannella

Frank Iannella is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Heineken USA, where he leads digital, data, analytics, AI, and technology strategy as a member of the executive leadership team. With more than 25 years of experience across consumer products and technology, he has held senior leadership roles at Heineken USA, Freshpet, and PepsiCo, driving large-scale business and digital transformations. Frank is recognized for aligning technology investments with commercial and operational outcomes, advancing decision intelligence, and developing high-performing teams. He is a frequent speaker on AI, digital transformation, leadership, and the future of technology-enabled business.

Nicholas A. Robinson

Nicholas A. Robinson has been a distinguished member of the faculty at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law since 1978. In 2009, 91��Ƶ conferred the prestigious position of University Professor for the Environment on Professor Robinson for his significant contribution to scholarship in the field of environmental law, both in the USA and abroad. He also holds the title of inaugural Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law Emeritus.

Professor Robinson is widely recognized in the U.S. and globally as a pioneer of modern environmental law. He began developing environmental law in 1969, when he was named to the Legal Advisory Committee of the President’s Council on Environmental Quality. During his career, he drafted New York’s wetlands and wild bird laws and was inaugurated as the first chairman of both the statutory Freshwater Wetlands Appeals Board and Greenway Heritage Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley. He edited the proceedings of the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

During his tenure at the Law School, Professor Robinson helped establish its environmental law programs, founded the environmental law review, launched the 91��Ƶ Environmental Law Clinic, secured 91��Ƶ’s membership in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and pioneered the first United Nation’s Environmental Diplomacy Practicum. His work and influence can be attributed to advancing the Law School’s premiere reputation as the top ranked Environmental Law Program in the nation and across the globe.

Heather Schneider

Heather M. Schneider is an experienced IP practitioner and Past President of the New York Intellectual Property Association (NYIPLA). Ms. Schneider’s practice focuses on patent litigation and IP strategy, as well as transactional and antitrust issues that involve intellectual property. Her litigation experience encompasses numerous technologies, including pharmaceuticals and biologic products, medical devices, and chemical and industrial products.

Her transactional experience includes client counseling on patent, copyright, and trademark issues, including licensing, development and collaboration agreements, mergers, and bankruptcy. She also advises clients on IP prosecution and enforcement strategy, acquisitions, financing, and ownership structures, as well as the intersection of IP law with AI, privacy, and cybersecurity.

Heather has a Masters in Computer Science from 91��Ƶ and a graduate certificate in Genetics and Genomics from the Stanford University Center for Professional Development.

Ms. Schneider was recognized by IAM Patent 1000 as a top patent litigator in 2024-2025.

Basil Seggos '01

Basil Seggos is widely known for his extensive experience creating and implementing groundbreaking policy focused on energy, climate and environment in both federal and state contexts. He has deep knowledge on how to successfully deliver multidisciplinary projects, advise corporate strategy, and analyze law and regulatory policy.

Basil works on renewable energy and environmental issues, complex project siting and permitting, environmental compliance, remediation and redevelopment of contaminated land, government and stakeholder relations, and crisis management. His practice also includes climate change resiliency and adaptation, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, environmental sustainability and environmental corporate social responsibility.

Jeff Sipos

Jeff Sipos is General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer of Clarion Capital Partners, a private equity and credit investment firm managing more than $2 billion in assets. He began his career at Kirkland & Ellis and Locke Lord, and has focused on the asset management, insurance, and private equity spaces. Over 23+ years in legal practice, Jeff has led legal teams at global specialty insurer Ascot Group, ProSight Specialty Insurance, and Clarion Capital. In these roles he oversaw teams responsible for all contract negotiation, board governance, mergers and acquisitions, finance, regulatory compliance, and dispute management. In 2019 he led the legal efforts on a successful IPO on the NYSE.

At Clarion, Jeff's role at the intersection of law and administration has positioned him at the forefront of the firm's AI strategy. He led the effort to select the firm's initial AI approach including its tools and strategy, drives AI policy-making as chair of the firm's compliance committee, and advises Clarion's 13 portfolio companies on AI governance, risk, and integration. He brings to this panel a practitioner's perspective on how AI is reshaping legal and operational workflows, risk management, and institutional decision-making in a regulated industry.

Jeff holds a B.A. in Political Science and Journalism from the University of Maryland, and a J.D. from Emory University School of Law.

Gabriel Terrizzi

Gabriel Terrizzi is Director of Web, Mobile, and AI Services at 91��Ƶ. He has worked on 91��Ƶ’s digital services for more than a decade and has helped develop AI tools for teaching and student support, including AI tutors and the University’s chatbot. He also teaches 91��Ƶ’s AI in the Workplace course and serves on the University’s Artificial Intelligence Committee.

Achinthi C. Vithanage ’18

Achinthi Vithanage is the Executive Director of the Environmental Law Program and a Professor of Law for Designated Service in Environmental Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at 91��Ƶ. Prior to that, she was a Visiting Associate Professor of Law and the first Environmental and Energy Law Fellow with an international law background at the George Washington University Law School (GW Law). Professor Vithanage was born in Sri Lanka, lived in the United Arab Emirates, practiced as an attorney in the state of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia, and undertook tertiary studies in Australia, Japan, China, Spain, and the United States, providing her a unique international perspective. She also worked at the Energy & Water Ombudsman of NSW and practiced in the corporate, commercial, and property legal sectors in Sydney, Australia.

Since her arrival in the United States, Professor Vithanage was recognized as one of the country’s leading environmental and energy lawyers in and was subsequently listed in for . Within the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment Energy & Resources (SEER) she serves on its Governing Council, is the founding Co-Chair of the , and a former Co-Chair of the . She serves on the Secretariat to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Academy of Environmental Law, is a member of the World Commission on Environmental Law, and an originating member of the International Association of Energy Law, a global network of early career energy law professors. Most recently, she attended COP28 and the 2024 Bonn Climate Change Conference as the ABA Delegate and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for the Environmental Law Institute’s Environmental Forum publication.

Pianpian Wang ’13, ’24

Pianpian Wang is the Global Regulatory Affairs Manager with Vita Coco. She has more than 13 years of experience in environmental law and climate policy and is a scholar and practitioner whose work bridges corporate sustainability, climate governance, and comparative environmental regulation. Her expertise and career experience span carbon markets, renewable energy, and corporate sustainability, with a proven record of helping organizations translate ambitious sustainability commitments into actionable strategies.

Active in the private sector, Pianpian has advised clients across industries ranging from agile start-ups to global Fortune 500 companies, delivering practical solutions that align with evolving regulations and stakeholder expectations. She believes that business, when guided by responsibility and purpose, can serve as a powerful catalyst for advancing environmental and social governance.

As an admitted lawyer in China, Pianpian focuses on environmental, corporate, and labor law. She is a member of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law and a frequent speaker on climate and sustainability topics. Her academic contributions include serving as a visiting scholar at Vermont Law School in 2012 and a guest lecturer on carbon trading between 2022 and 2024.