BOSTON – Four accomplished attorneys have been elected to the Board of Directors of the New England Legal Foundation (NELF – www.newenglandlegal.org), the leading non-profit public interest law firm in the region. The four new Directors are (in alphabetical order, by last name):
- Ed DiSanto, American Tower Corporation’s Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary;
- Lana V. Graf, the Principal Industry Specialist on Artificial Intelligence at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a unit of the World Bank Group, and co-founder of NextEra Robotics;
- Jonathan Handler, Litigation Partner, Day Pitney LLP, an AmLaw 200 firm, where he represents corporate clients in complex commercial litigation; and
- Herb Holtz, Executive Vice President and General Counsel to the Steward Health Care System.
NELF Board Chair and Goodwin Procter LLP Partner Kevin P. Martin praised the new Board members, saying, “We are extremely fortunate for having added to our Board’s membership – in a unanimous vote – these four eminent attorneys. Each of them has earned great respect among their colleagues in the law, within their respective industries, and in the community at large. I look forward to working closely with them and with NELF President Dan Winslow in the months and years to come.”
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About Ed DiSanto
Ed DiSanto is the American Tower Corporation’s Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary. Prior to joining American Tower in April 2007, Mr. DiSanto was with Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corporation. Mr. DiSanto started with United Technologies in 1989, where he first served as Assistant General Counsel of its Carrier subsidiary, then as corporate Executive Assistant to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of United Technologies. From 1997, he held various legal and business roles at its Pratt & Whitney unit, including Deputy General Counsel and, most recently, Vice President, Global Service Partners, Business Development. Prior to joining United Technologies, Mr. DiSanto served in a number of legal and related positions at United Dominion Industries and New England Electric Systems. Mr. DiSanto earned a J.D. from Boston College Law School and a Bachelor of Science from Northeastern University. In 2013, Mr. DiSanto became a member of the Board of Directors of the Business Council for International Understanding.
About Lana V. Graf
Lana V. Graf, PhD, is the Principal Industry Specialist on Deep Tech, Robotics, and Artificial Intelligence at the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Before joining IFC, a unit of the World Bank Group, Dr. Graf worked as a corporate executive in the AI and robotics sectors. She developed extensive experience in implementing advanced technologies and process automation solutions across several tech areas, including big data analytics, industrial IoT, cybersecurity, cloud services for data management, and enterprise software platforms. Dr. Graf graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and served as an adviser and mentor to multiple successful companies and startups focused on AI applications and robotics.
About Jonathan Handler
Day Pitney Partner Jonathan Handler represents corporate clients in complex commercial litigation with an emphasis on large-scale contract and product liability disputes. He represents clients in state and federal courts in matters involving toxic torts, wireless telecommunications, construction, accounting and insurance broker malpractice, unfair and deceptive trade practices, and mergers and acquisitions. He also assists corporate clients in a number of industries, including specialty chemicals and aerospace, in evaluating the risks and benefits of particular actions and counsels them on ways to mitigate risk and avoid litigation. Mr. Handler has been published on “earn out” disputes, Chapter 93A, the work product doctrine, recent developments in product liability law and other legal subjects. He is a former member of the firm’s Executive Board and previously served as office managing partner of the firm’s Boston office.
About Herb Holtz
Herb Holtz is the Executive Vice President and General Counsel to Steward Health Care System, the largest private for-profit health care system in the United States. As General Counsel, Mr. Holtz oversees the legal and regulatory affairs of Steward Health Care and its subsidiaries. In his capacity as General Counsel, Mr. Holtz also directs Steward Health Care’s government relations efforts in Washington, D.C and across the United States; in this role, Mr. Holtz oversees Steward’s engagement with federal and state officials, including regulatory officials, state and federal agencies, and all public health tribunals. Prior to his appointment as General Counsel at Steward Health Care, Mr. Holtz was the founding partner of Holtz & Reed, LLP, a leading civil litigation law firm that represented public and private institutions in the Boston area and nationally. In 2014, Mr. Holtz was recognized by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as the “2014 Lawyer of the Year.” Mr. Holtz has been repeatedly selected by his peers as both a New England Super Lawyer and a Massachusetts Super Lawyer.
About the New England Legal Foundation
The New England Legal Foundation (NELF – www.newenglandlegal.org) is the leading non-profit public interest law firm in the region dedicated to addressing policy and constitutional concerns related to free enterprise. NELF’s ongoing mission is to champion individual economic liberties, property rights, good government based on rule of law, and inclusive economic growth. NELF challenges actions by governments and private litigants which would unreasonably intrude on the economic freedoms of individuals and business enterprises in New England and the nation. We believe that free enterprise is a linchpin of a democratic society and offers the most sustainable path to advance the American ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, including freedom from material want.