2009–10
Officers
Valerie A. Yarashus
President
Firm: Meehan, Boyle, Black & Bogdanow PC,
Boston
Education: B.A., George Washington University,
1987; J.D., Harvard Law School, 1990.
Legal Career: Yarashus concentrates in
plaintiff's civil trial practice, including medical malpractice,
product liability and a wide variety of general liability
cases.Yarashus was awarded the prestigious Weidemann-Wysocki
"Citation of Excellence" from the American Association for Justice
for her commitment to the civil justice system. In 1997,
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly named Yarashus one of the
"Rising Stars" in the legal profession, and in 2006, inducted her
into its Up-and-Coming Lawyers Hall of Fame. Since 2004, she has
been named in every edition of Best Lawyers in America.
Also, Yarashus has been listed by Boston Magazine's "Best
of Boston" as a "Super Lawyer" in the field of personal injury
every year since 2004, and as one of the top 50 female attorneys in
Massachusetts (including every practice area) annually since
2005.
MBA Service: A past-chair of the Health Law
Section Council and House of Delegates member, Yarashus served as
treasurer following two consecutive terms as vice president.
Yarashus spearheaded the MBA Task Force on Diversity in 2005-06 and
continues to chair this committee that works to increase diversity
in the law profession and encourage young, minority students to
consider legal careers. A Civil Litigation Section Council member
from 1994 to 1997, Yarashus is a frequent speaker and writer for
continuing legal education. In addition, she co-chairs a bench-bar
task force for plain English jury instructions.
Additional Service: Massachusetts Academy of
Trial Attorneys; Association of Trial Lawyers of America;
co-authored the sample jury instructions used by many Superior
Court judges in personal injury and wrongful death cases; frequent
speaker and writer for continuing legal education.
Additional Information: Yarashus lives in
Holliston.
Denise Squillante
President-elect
Firm: Denise Squillante, Attorney at
Law.
Education: B.S., Roger Williams College, 1980;
J.D., New England School of Law, 1983.
Legal Career: A solo practitioner, Squillante
concentrates in family law, corporate law, injury and estates, and
also provides business and legal consulting services to
corporations.
MBA Service: Long active in the MBA's Family
Law Section Council and its associated committees, Squillante has
also lent her energy to the MBA's Presidential Task Force on
Terrorism, the Amicus Committee and the Joint Bar Committee. A
former recipient of the MBA's Pro Bono Publico Award, Squillante is
a longtime member of the House of Delegates and a Massachusetts Bar
Foundation Fellow. Squillante has testified in front of the
Massachusetts Legislature on behalf of the MBA and is a frequent
guest lecturer for MBA continuing legal education programs.
Instrumental in establishing the MBA's General Practice, Solo &
Small Firm Section, as well as leading the MBA's efforts to assist
lawyers who are transitioning in or out of the practice of law,
this will be Squillante's fifth term as an MBA officer.
Additional Service: Bristol County Bar
Association Executive Committee member; past president of the Fall
River Bar Association. Co-chair of the joint MBA/Boston Bar
Association Alimony Task Force and the MBA representative on the
Equality Commission, a collaborative effort of the BBA/MBA, Women's
Bar Foundation, and the Women's Bar Association. Squillante is a
trustee of Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Inc., and she
also takes part in the Supreme Judicial Court Steering Committee
Self-Represented Litigants Advisory Group. In addition, Squillante
is the Massachusetts delegate to the American Bar Association's
House of Delegates. She is highly involved with efforts to address
domestic violence in Fall River. Squillante is a former member of
the board of directors at the Katie Brown Educational Program,
YMCA-Fall River and Domestic Violence Task Force. Squillante is a
former visiting lecturer at Bridgewater State College and Bristol
Community College.
Additional Information: Squillante lives in
Fall River.
Robert L. Holloway Jr.
Treasurer
Firm: Shareholder and president of MacLean, Holloway,
Doherty, Ardiff & Morse PC, Peabody.
Education: B.A., Amherst College, 1968; J.D.,
Boston University Law School, 1973.
Legal Career: Holloway's practice focuses on
the resolution of complex litigation matters for business and
individual clients, in a wide range of substantive areas. He has
successfully litigated shareholder derivative actions, securities
fraud, lender liability, partnership and close-corporation
dissolution matters, trade regulation and consumer protection
matters, land use, construction, commercial and banking transaction
matters, products liability, employment and discrimination claims,
as well as creditor and debtor disputes in the Bankruptcy Court and
elsewhere. In August, Holloway began a three-year appointment to
the Supreme Judicial Court's Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal
Services.
MBA Service: Long-term member of the
Massachusetts Bar Association Ethics Committee, a member and past
chair of the MBA's Civil Litigation Section Council and a former
regional delegate to the MBA House of Delegates. In addition,
Holloway received the MBA's Community Service Award in 1993 and has
served on the Joint Bar Committee on Judicial Nominations for six
years.
Additional Service: Holloway regularly
volunteers as a judge for moot court arguments at Boston University
School of Law and Harvard Law School and as a trial advisor in the
Harvard Trial Workshop program. He is also a regular panelist on
continuing legal education programs, including the recurring MCLE
program, "How To Try A Civil Case In Superior Court" and an
emeritus member of the Board of Editors of Massachusetts
Lawyers Weekly, having served on that board since 1981. He is
a past president of the Essex County Bar Association,
past member of the Town of Topsfield Board of Health and
served as the elected representative to the Masconomet Regional
School Committee from 1990 to 1999. For many years he was the
director of the Topsfield Athletic Association and also served as
the organization's president for a time. Prior to that, he served
as an appointed member and chair of the Danvers Recreation
Committee. He was a founding member of Hospice of the North Shore
and served for many years as a corporator of Beverly Hospital.
Additional information: Holloway lives in
Topsfield.
Douglas K. Sheff
Vice President
Firm: Senior partner
at Sheff Law
Offices in Boston.
Education: B.A., University of Michigan, 1980;
J.D., Boston College Law School, 1984.
Legal Career: Sheff specializes in all aspects
of personal injury law and is considered an expert in brain injury
law. A five-time recipient of the American Association for
Justice's Wiedemann Wysocki Award, Sheff serves on the AAJ's Board
of Governors, its Leaders Forum and its Traumatic Brain Injury
Litigation Group. In addition, Sheff has been awarded the AAJ's New
Generation Award and has been elected by his peers nationally to
chair the AAJ's 100 State Delegates. A Boston Magazine
"Super Lawyer," Sheff has also been recognized in
Lifesavers, for preventing injury through aggressive
representation of victims of defective products. Sheff is a
Massachusetts Bar Foundation fellow and a member of Trial Lawyers
for Public Justice, which supports consumer rights nationwide.
MBA Service: MBA membership committee chair;
2007, 2008 Gala Dinner Committee chair; former regional delegate to
the House of Delegates; member of Executive Management Board and
Budget and Finance Committee; and past member of the Civil
Litigation Section Council.
Additional Service: A past president of the
Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys, Sheff has been appointed
Trustee of the National College of Advocacy, which provides
superior education and training for trial lawyers across the United
States. Sheff is also a director of the Belli Society, a recognized
group of outstanding trial attorneys, and has been awarded the ORT
ward for integrity in the law. Sheff also served as chair to the
AAJ's Council of Presidents, representing 50,000 attorneys
nationwide.
Additional Information: Sheff lives in the
North End neighborhood of Boston.
Richard P. Campbell
Vice President
Firm: Founder and chairman of Campbell, Campbell, Edwards & Conroy PC in
Boston.
Education: B.A., University of
Massachusetts-Boston, 1970; J.D., Boston College Law School,
1974.
Legal Career: Campbell represents individuals
in serious personal injury matters, commercial disputes,
multi-district litigation, class actions, aviation disasters, toxic
tort and product liability disputes. In addition, Campbell
organizes and leads his firm's pro bono project, educating parents,
students, and school administrators about civil and criminal social
host liability laws. Campbell was was awarded Boston College Law
School's highest award for dedication to the law ― the Founder's
Medal. Campbell was also the 2009 recipient of the ABA Tort
Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) Andrew C. Hecker
Memorial Award, in recognition for his leadership, outreach,
enthusiasm, professionalism and pride in TIPS.
MBA Service: A past MBA secretary, Campbell has
served on the MBA's governing body, the House of Delegates, for
more than five years; the Criminal Justice Section Council for four
years and currently serves as a trustee on the Massachusetts Bar
Foundation.
Additional Service: Campbell is a past chair of
the 34,000-member Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section of
the American Bar Association and director of its National Trial
Academy. Campbell also served as dean of the International
Association of Defense Counsel's Corporate Counsel College and has
been a member of the Executive Committees of the International
Association of Defense Counsel and the Product Liability Advisory
Council. The president of the American Bar Association appointed
him to the ABA's Task Force on Terrorism and the Law and Campbell
has also served as chair of the Task Force on the September 11th
Victim Compensation Fund.
Additional Information: Campbell lives in
Cohasset.
Jeffrey N. Catalano
Secretary
Firm: Partner at Todd & Weld
LLP in Boston.
Education: B.A., University of Scranton, 1990;
J.D., Boston College Law School, 1994.
Legal Career: Catalano specializes in
representing victims of catastrophic injuries in the areas of
medical negligence, product liability, auto accident, class action
and other personal injury cases. Catalano was selected as a New
England "Super Lawyer" in 2009 and a "Rising Star" by Boston
Magazine in 2005.
MBA Service: A past chair of the MBA's Civil
Litigation Section, Catalano has served on the MBA's governing
board, the House of Delegates, since 2006 and is a member of its
Executive Management Board.
Additional Service: A Massachusetts Bar
Foundation Fellow, Catalano is also a member of the executive
committee for the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys.
Catalano is on the board of directors for the non-profit law firm
Health Law Advocates, Inc., where his pro bono work includes
patient advocacy and representing chronically ill and impoverished
people who are denied access to health care services. In 2008, he
was recognized by Health Law Advocates for his exceptional pro bono
representation.
Additional information: Catalano lives in West
Roxbury.