Vanderbilt University Law School

Class of 1967

(Notes posted in the order they were received, with the newest posts on top.)

Charles (Chuck) W. Dixon, 65, died at home in Santa Fe, on September 23, 2008. A resident of Santa Fe since 1999, Chuck was the spouse of Mary Eileen Dixon. He was born February 27, 1943, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Ida and Charles S. Dixon. He earned his B.S. degree from Vanderbilt University in 1965. He began a distinguished 30-year career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1969. Highlights of his FBI career included trips to Hungary and Russia as the “Cold War” was ending to advise officials of those countries on the proper role of counter-intelligence agencies in democracies. After his retirement from the FBI in 2000, he returned to Washington, D.C., for a short period as a staff member of the commission for the review of FBI Security Programs. Chuck was very active in community affairs both in Alexandria, Virginia, where he resided for more than 25 years, and in Santa Fe. In Alexandria, he was an elder and choir member at Westminster Presbyterian Church and a member of the Alexandria Harmonizers. In Santa Fe, he was a member of the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity for seven years and served as the board’s chairman from 2005 to 2008. A fundraising drive in Chuck’s honor by Habitat for Humanity over the past several months resulted in the groundbreaking on September 13, 2008 of a “House of Hope” in Chuck’s name. A member of Santa Fe’s First Presbyterian Church, he co-chaired its recent successful capital campaign. Chuck was an avid tennis player who also enjoyed hiking in Santa Fe’s foothills. Chuck is survived by his wife, Mary Eileen; his daughters Kathryn Ness (Erik) of Santa Fe and Elizabeth Cannon (Michael) of Alexandria, VA; granddaughter, Caroline Ness of Santa Fe; his mother, Ida of Kansas City; and brother, William, of Kansas City. A memorial service was held at the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe on September 27, 2008. Burial was in Alexandria, Virginia. Memorial contributions may be made to Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity or the American Cancer Society.
Posted on web 10-3-08

Saul C. Belz was named a Superlawyer in the 2008 Corporate Counsel Edition. The issue features the top lawyers in the field of Business Litigation who are selected based on peer recognition and professional achievement. Saul Belz is currently practicing in Memphis with Glankler Brown.

Walter Lee Davis, Jr. of Johnson City, Tenn., was elected President of the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (“NAEPC”) at its 44^th Annual Conference held November 14-16, 2007, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The NAEPC is a national organization of approximately 200 affiliated Estate Planning Councils with a membership of approximately 26,000 professional estate planners focused on establishing and monitoring the highest professional and educational standards.

Mr. Davis, who is also licensed as a Certified Public Accountant and a Real Estate Broker, is certified as an Estate Planning Specialist by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization. He was awarded the Accredited Estate Planner designation by NAEPC in 1991. Mr. Davis has been named by Business Tennessee magazine as one of the “101 Best Lawyers” in TN in January 2005 and one of the “150 Best” in January 2006 and 2007. He has also been named a Mid-South Super Lawyer in 2006 and 2007.

Retired Col. John R. Brancato passed away on Memorial Day, May 28, 2007. Col. Brancato was born on Dec. 19, 1942, in DuBois, Pa., where he lived until graduating from high school in 1960. In 1964, he received a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Allegheny College of Meadville, Pa. In 1967, he received a doctor of jurisprudence degree from Vanderbilt University of Nashville, Tenn. Col. Brancato retired from the U.S. Air Force on March 1, 1998, after 30 years of active duty service as a judge advocate (military lawyer). His final assignment was Staff Judge Advocate at Headquarters, Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) at Hurlburt Field, Fla. In that capacity, he was lawyer to America's air commandos and the chief legal counsel of AFSOC. He and his wife Edda retired in Navarre, Fla. After retiring, Col. Brancato regularly researched and wrote a wide body of historical and political essays, many of which were published in local print media. He was a member of the Santa Rosa County Republican Executive Committee, and worked behind the scenes on conservative campaigns and issues, especially ones affecting Santa Rosa County. He was a strong believer in the potential of the Navarre area. He is survived by his wife, Edda Brancato; his adult children, Rocky Brancato and Sunny Payne; his son-in-law, John Payne; his grandchildren, Skylar Payne and Shea Payne; his sister, Jo Ann Smiley; and his nieces, Sheree Smiley, Leslee Smiley and Stacee White. A memorial gift, in lieu of flowers, may be sent to the Betty J. Pullum Family YMCA, Building Fund, 2379 Pawnee Drive, Navarre, FL 32566.

H. Roy Berkenstock authored an article published in both The Federal Lawyer and The Computer & Internet Lawyer entitled "The Provisional Application for Patent: Its Place in Intellectual Property Protection." Mr. Berkenstock is a member of Wyatt Tarrant & Combs in the Intellectual Property Practice Group, and he concentrates his practice in patents, trademarks, copyrights, and related matters. He has extensive experience in the counseling of inventors and company management on invention protection, drafting and prosecution of patent applications, infringement avoidance, patent and trademark enforcement, and licensing and sale of intellectual property. His practice has included positions as in-house counsel with Smith & Nephew, Inc., American Optical Corporation, and US Steel Corporation. Mr. Berkenstock has served on the board of directors of the American Corporate Counsel Association and as chairman of its Intellectual Property Committee.

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