Donica Thomas Varner is the Vice President and General Counsel of Cornell University. As university counsel, she will represent and advise all Cornell boards, senior officers and other officials and units. She will oversee offices in Ithaca and New York City, leading approximately 20 attorneys and other staff who provide in-house legal services, and will select and oversee all outside legal counsel retained to represent the university.

With over 27 years of combined experience representing two public research universities, a private residential liberal arts college, and corporate clients, she is a seasoned litigator, management-side labor and employment law subject matter expert, and a proven higher education thought leader. Donica has developed a comprehensive understanding of the complexity of the many laws and regulations affecting colleges and universities with unique expertise in the areas of constitutional law, civil rights, student privacy, student affairs, immigration, crisis management, and emergency preparedness planning. She leverages her interpersonal and project management skills to bring professionals together to creatively problem solve, to develop transformational solutions that reflect the client’s mission and core values, and to contribute to the advancement of diverse, equitable and inclusive academic communities.

Prior to joining Cornell University, Donica served as the Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary at Oberlin College & Conservatory where she managed Oberlin’s legal and compliance programs and corporate secretary functions. Prior to that role, she served as associate general counsel and practice group leader for the faculty, staff and student legal practice group in the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel at the University of Michigan. Her legal practice began with Detroit-based law firms representing public and private employers in the areas of employment and labor law, and she eventually left private practice to join the legal staff at Wayne State University, where she represented the university in trial and appellate courts, regulatory investigations, and labor negotiations.

Donica graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in political science and from the University of Michigan Law School.

Debbie Hodys is Deputy General Counsel and Secretary of the Medical College. Debbie supervises and leads the legal services rendered on behalf of the University for the Weill Cornell Medicine legal office in New York City. Before joining the Office of General Counsel at Weill Cornell Medicine, Debbie served for 13 years as Deputy General Counsel for the Yale New Haven Health System and General Counsel for one of Yale New Haven’s member hospitals, Greenwich Hospital. During her last year at Yale New Haven Health, Debbie also served as the Acting Chief Compliance Officer for the Health System. Prior to that, Debbie served as counsel to Northwell Health and was in private practice at the law firms of Garfunkel Wild and Stroock & Stroock & Lavan. Debbie’s broad legal practice includes health law matters, academic medical center affiliations, physician-related legal issues, regulatory and corporate compliance, corporate governance and exempt organization requirements, and corporate and real estate transactions. Debbie holds a BA from New York University and a J.D. from Fordham Law School.

Shannon Buffum advises in labor law matters, including those related to collective bargaining, grievance resolution and arbitration, and proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board and also handles other employment law matters as well as appeals from the Cornell student conduct system. Shannon received a B.S. from Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and a J.D. from Notre Dame Law School.  She was an associate at Harris Beach PLLC, where she represented educational institutions in a variety of labor and employment and education law matters, and conducted complex investigations for corporate clients.   Shannon was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in the area of Labor and Employment Law in 2016 and 2017.

Valerie Cross Dorn leads Cornell’s civil litigation practice and represents Cornell in federal and state courts.  Val advises in a wide range of practice areas including employment law, education law, intellectual property, veterinary malpractice, personal injury defense work, and risk management.   Val also is the primary attorney handling subpoenas and records requests.  After clerking for the Honorable Howard G. Munson of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, Val came to Cornell in 1994.  Val is a certified mediator for the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, where she has also served as an arbitrator in the alternative dispute resolution program.  Val graduated from Syracuse University College of Law, where she earned dual degrees in law and public administration (from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University). She was the Technical Editor of the Syracuse Law Review and Managing Editor of Law and History Review. She is admitted to practice in the New York State courts as well as all four federal district courts in New York, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.

Rob Hoon advises in the areas of research and intellectual property, research innovation, conflicts of interest and commitment, faculty engagement, copyright, facilities, capital construction, construction procurement alternatives, affiliation and placement agreements, complex business transactions and real property.  Originally from the State of Washington, Rob spent 27 years in Washington State and North Carolina before relocating to New York and Cornell.  Rob ended his time in Washington State as a university legal counsel and later an in-line business officer at Washington State University.  In North Carolina, Rob served as General Counsel at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and as Deputy General Counsel and Interim Vice Chancellor & General Counsel at NC State University.  Rob graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Washington State University in 1982 with a B.A. (Political Science) and obtained his law degree from the University of Washington (J.D. 1986). He is a member of the New York, North Carolina and Washington Bars.

Sheryl Orwel represents Weill Cornell Medicine on employment matters, faculty and student affairs, Title IX, Clery Act, affirmative action, administrative investigations, and civil litigation.  Sheryl led the Weill Cornell Medicine Office as Interim Deputy Counsel in 2020. Prior to joining the Office of General Counsel at Weill Cornell Medicine in 2012, Sheryl practiced employment and labor law for seven years as an associate at Clifton Budd & DeMara, LLP.  Previously, she was an assistant general counsel at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations, representing the city in every phase of administrative proceedings, including arbitration and improper practice matters before the New York City Office of Collective Bargaining. Sheryl also provided legal counsel to the city’s negotiators in collective bargaining negotiations. Sheryl received a J.D. from New York Law School and a B.A. from City College of the City University of New York, and has an M.A. in Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Adam Pence represents the University in various civil litigations in state and federal courts, including but not limited to employment, intellectual property, bankruptcy, and contracting matters.  Adam is also responsible for prosecuting and maintaining the University’s trademark portfolio and regularly consults on various licensing issues.  From 2010-2019, he was an attorney with Foley & Lardner LLP in New York, New York, representing clients on a broad range of commercial litigations, including employment and intellectual property law matters.  Adam received a B.A. in both Political Science and English, high honors, from the University of Michigan; an M.A. in English Literature from Indiana University; and a J.D. from Indiana University School of Law, summa cum laude.  Adam is admitted to practice in New York State courts, all four federal district courts in New York, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Jared Pittman focuses on a wide variety of land use matters and related litigation and administrative proceedings, including zoning, building, fire code, historic preservation, and real property tax issues, and also advises on energy, environmental regulation, government relations, Cornell assemblies and transportation matters.   Prior to joining the Office of General Counsel, Jared specialized in labor and employment law as an associate at Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP and Winston & Strawn LLP, and as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Ithaca. Jared received a B.A., summa cum laude, from Texas A&M University, and a J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a two-time James Kent Scholar.

Christopher Rogala advises on a range of business and transactional matters including software licensing and other IT contracts; service contracts; agreements with other educational and healthcare institutions; issues of confidentiality, liability and risk allocation; and matters arising out of the Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar campus and other locations worldwide where Weill Cornell Medicine has activities. Christopher received a B.A., summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Colgate University; an M.A. from the University of Chicago; and a J.D. from New York University School of Law, magna cum laude and Order of the Coif.  Prior to joining the Office of General Counsel at Weill Cornell Medicine, he was an Associate General Counsel in the commercial unit of the Office of General Counsel of The City University of New York. From 2009 to 2015, Christopher was an associate at the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, where he advised clients on the development of international joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and other large-scale commercial transactions.

Michael Smith serves as principal counsel to the Weill Cornell Physician Organization, and also advises on a wide range of topics including managed care, billing compliance, HIPAA privacy and security, real estate and vendor contracting.  Prior to joining the Office of General Counsel at Weill Cornell Medicine in 2001, Mike was in the health care practice group of large law firms in Washington, DC and Austin, Texas, served as in-house counsel for a San Antonio, Texas hospital group, and was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Maryland. Mike is a cum laude graduate of Middlebury College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was Comment Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Business Law.

Wendy Tarlow leads the Ithaca office’s employment practice, advising university clients on all aspects of employment matters and representing the University in employment, civil rights, and other matters before of administrative agencies.  Wendy also handles a range of other legal matters, including athletics, affirmative action, disability law, Title IX, and faculty affairs.  Wendy received her undergraduate degree in philosophy from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and her J.D. from Cornell University Law School.

Marie Taylor advises on a range of business and transactional matters, with primary focus on providing legal advice and services in support of university procurement, information technology software licensing, including intellectual property, data privacy and data security issues, and audit and regulatory compliance matters. Prior to joining the Office of General Counsel in 2023, Marie was a senior associate general counsel at The University of Kansas, where she handled complex business transactions, procurement and strategic sourcing, fair use/copyright and intellectual property, sponsored research, museum administration, and information technology matters. Previously, Marie served as a staff attorney for the Kansas Department of Transportation and as an assistant city attorney for the City of El Paso, Texas. Marie received a B.A., summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Connecticut College; an M.A. from Princeton University; and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.