2019 Distinguished Alumni Awards
April 12, 2019
The Distinguished Law Alumni Awards honor alumni who have obtained distinction in their professional or academic careers. Those honored share the same characteristics of leadership, progressive thinking, high standards, uncompromising integrity, commitment, courage, and confidence. Their careers serve as models for WashU Law students and alumni.
The School of Law celebrated the outstanding achievements of these eight individuals on Thursday, April 11, 2019 at the Coronado Ballroom, St. Louis.
Distinguished Alumni
Faye Katt, JD ’90 and Ganesh Natarajan, JD ‘90
2019 Distinguished Alumnus
Chief Human Resources Officer at Mindcrest
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder at Mindcrest
Both Ganesh Natarajan and Faye Katt have more than 20 years of experience in business, legal affairs, human resources, technology, and operations. Together they have built the company Mindcrest, which provides support in the areas of contracts, lifecycle management, compliance, legal analytics, and litigation support. With Ganesh as the Co-Founder and Faye the Chief Human Resources Officer they serve this company with passion and expertise and are pioneers in the legal services industry.
Ganesh started his legal career as an associate and then became a partner at Gardner, Carton & Douglas (now Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP) in Chicago. His law practice was focused on international transactions, particularly in Asia. Prior to Mindcrest, he was a partner at McGuireWoods LLP, specializing in international mergers and acquisitions again with a focus on Asia.
In addition to his role as CEO, Ganesh is actively involved with the Washington University School of Law, Middlebury College and a variety of charitable organizations. Ganesh was formerly a member of the U.S. India Business Council and helped promote business relationships between India and Chicago.
Ganesh holds an MBA from Brigham Young University, a JD from Washington University in St. Louis, an undergraduate degree from the University of Bombay, and a graduate degree in Management from the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune.
As Chief Human Resources Officer, Faye oversees the company’s talent initiatives from acquisition to development. She works globally across the organization to shape an engaging company culture focused on innovation and commitment to exceeding client expectations.
Prior to joining Mindcrest, Faye held various senior management positions at ABN AMRO and Baxter Healthcare Corporation. Prior to joining Baxter, she was an attorney at Bell, Boyd & Lloyd (now K&L Gates). She has held leadership roles in IT, HR, and mergers and acquisitions. Faye has served both as outside and inside counsel and has managed internal operations and outside vendors. Her wide scope of experience in law, human resources, technology, and operations contribute a unique perspective to Mindcrest.
Faye is very active in supporting various political candidates and, together with Ganesh, is involved with supporting educational institutions in the United States and India as well as cultural institutions in Chicago.
Faye received her J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and her undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Faye and Ganesh have one son, Oliver and reside in Chicago, Illinois.
Max Margulis, JD ’69
2019 Distinguished Alumnus
Self-Employed Attorney at Margulis Law Group
Max Margulis is Managing Attorney at the Margulis Law Group, which specializes in Telephone Consumer Protection Act cases. The Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) was passed by Congress in response to an increasing number of consumer complaints about aggressive telemarketing and debt collection calls. Max has been recognized as one of the country’s leading experts in this area of law and has appeared before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on this matter.
Prior to specializing in the TCPA, Max was a staff attorney at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and headed the consumer unit. While there he founded the Patient Advocacy Legal Service, a national clearinghouse for case law in the area of involuntary mental commitment. He and his wife also owned and managed a number of franchise cookie stores.
Max received his BA in economics from Carlton College in Northfield Minnesota in 1966 and a JD from Washington University Law School in St. Louis in 1969. He is an Eagle Scout and was awarded a Reginald Huber Smith fellowship after serving as a Vista volunteer. He resides in St. Louis with his wife, Marilyn. They have two children, Mark and Scott, and three grandchildren.
Simon Mui, LLM ’04, JD ’06
2019 Distinguished Alumnus
Founder and Director of CLECSS (China Legal Education & Career Seminar Series)
Simon Mui is Founder of the China Legal Education and Career Seminar Series (CLECSS), a renowned social enterprise that promotes legal education and career development for young legal professionals and students in China. It is currently one of the largest lawyers’ platforms that provides seminars, social events, articles and information to lawyers, in-house counsels and business professionals relating to career, education and legal practice in China.
Simon has extensive legal experience in capital markets, corporate finance, listing compliance and merger & acquisitions. During the past decade, he served as an international lawyer at top U.S. law firms including Debevoise & Plimpton LLP; Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP; and Baker McKenzie. Simon was also the General Manager of the legal department of GCL New Energy Holdings Limited, a leading solar energy company listed in Hong Kong.
Simon received an LLM in 2004 and a JD in 2006 from Washington University School of Law. He also obtained a Master of Science in Management from Stanford University. Simon currently resides in Hong Kong.
Ester Saverson Jr, JD ‘79
2019 Distinguished Alumna
Assistant Director/ Office of International Affairs at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Ester Saverson Jr., is the President of Stennis-Moore Financials, which provides legal advice on all areas of Securities Law. The firm offers services such as: reviewing and updating securities laws and regulations, implementing effective anti-money laundering procedures, and trainings in all aspects of securities laws. Prior to Ester becoming president at Stennis-Moore, he held several positions at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for more than 35-years, including Assistant Director of the Office of International Affairs.
Ester received his AB in political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1976, a JD from Washington University Law School in St. Louis in 1979, and an LLM from Georgetown University Law Center in 1981. In 2008 Ester received the Chairman Award for Excellence from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for his dedication to developing international principles. He currently resides in Washington D.C.
2019 Distinguished Young Law Alumni Awards
The Distinguished Young Law Alumni Awards honor alumni who graduated from the School of Law within the past 10 years. The recipients exemplify achievement and commitment to the ideals embodied in a School of Law education.
Ilunga Kalala, JD ‘13
2019 Distinguished Young Alumna
Privacy Counsel, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Ilunga Kalala is Privacy Counsel for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., where he provides guidance to the global entertainment, sports and news company regarding compliance with U.S. and international advertising, privacy, and information security laws, regulations, and industry best practices. Prior to this position, Ilunga was an associate at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP in Washington D.C., where he focused on advertising and marketing, privacy and information security, as well as other consumer protection laws. Ilunga is qualified as a Certified Information Privacy Professional for the United States (CIPP/US) and a Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He is also qualified as a Healthcare Information Security and Privacy Practitioner (HCISPP) by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium.
In addition, Ilunga is a Vice Chair of the Consumer Protection Committee in the American Bar Association Section of Antitrust Law, where he serves as Editor for the Consumer Protection Committee’s What’s In Store Newsletter and coordinates the Committee’s monthly consumer protection webinar updates. Prior to his term as Vice Chair, Ilunga served as Counsel to the Chair of the Section.
A champion of civic service, Ilunga currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Leja Bulela, Inc., a human rights and social justice nonprofit that operates a health clinic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and as the Assistant Secretary of the Roothbert Fund, Inc., which awards yearly grants for undergraduate and graduate study and works to foster fellowship among grant recipients. Ilunga also served as the Chairman to the Board of Directors for Africa Volunteer Corps, a service corps for Africans to do long-term volunteer work in African-initiated development projects.
Ilunga graduated from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis in May 2013 after completing internships with Search for Common Ground, a nonprofit, peacebuilding organization in the DRC; the Africa Division of the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative in Washington D.C.; and the Office of the President of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Tanzania. Ilunga received his undergraduate degree from Williams College. He is married to Deona Kalala, JD ’13, and they have two children, Cadence and Frederic.
Jessica Kronstadt, JD ’09
2019 Distinguished Alumna
Deputy District Attorney, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
Jessica Kronstadt is a Deputy District Attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. As a Deputy District Attorney, Jessica is responsible for investigating and prosecuting child sexual abuse cases. In her previous assignments within the District Attorney’s Office, she has handled domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and animal cruelty matters. Prior to joining the District Attorney’s Office, Jessica served as a Holocaust Services Attorney at Bet Tzedek Legal Services, where she managed more than 800 cases involving Holocaust reparations. She also worked as a Litigation Associate at Latham & Watkins, where she handled intellectual property, employment discrimination, and bankruptcy matters.
Jessica currently serves as the Second Vice-President and Treasurer of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA). WLALA is an active bar organization that promotes the interest of women attorneys and judges and continues the understanding of and support for the legal rights of all women.
Jessica received her B.A. in 2004 from Yale University. At Yale, Jessica was a member of the Varsity Women’s Volleyball Team, where she was a four-year varsity letter winner, a member of the Academic All-Ivy Team and received the Coach’s Award in her senior year. Jessica received her J.D. from Washington University Law School in 2009. Jessica has run in and successfully completed five marathons, including the St. Louis marathon, which she ran during her first year of law school. She is also an avid indoor cyclist. Jessica currently resides in Los Angeles, California with her husband, Will Turner, and their two daughters, Caroline and Catherine.
