UC Irvine's Paul Merage School of Business Adds Lester Savit to Dean's Advisory Board

Online, April 5, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine has recruited prominent attorney Lester Savit to the Merage School's Dean's Advisory Board. The Board serves as the Merage School's primary advisory body responsible for providing perspective and counsel for academic and professional programs.

"The Dean's Advisory Board is fast becoming one of the most influential groups of business advisors in Orange County," said Andy Policano, dean of The Paul Merage School of Business. "By providing guidance for our academic and professional programs, these individuals are shaping the future of business and creating a dynamic MBA curriculum that is unique among business schools. Lester is a stellar example of the type of individual we seek to advise on our MBA and executive programs and community outreach. Powerfully intellectual, he enhances the critical thinking we need to graduate exceptionally qualified businesspersons."

"I am pleased to be appointed to the Dean's Advisory Board," said Savit. "The support of the University is crucial to the continued success of the Orange County business community and the development of tomorrow's business leaders. I am honored to have the opportunity to be a part of this undertaking and welcome the challenges it may bring."

Lester Savit, one of Orange County's top intellectual property litigators, is a partner with the global law firm Jones Day where he heads up the Intellectual Property Practice in Orange County. Savit's responsibilities include helping companies solve their legal problems relating to inventions, trade secrets, trademarks and good will by representing them in federal court litigation and arbitrations, and advises companies on how to avoid or resolve disputes. He has represented companies in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, polymer, specialty chemical, semiconductor, electronics and other industries.

In addition to his membership on the Merage School Dean's Advisory Board, Savit serves as chair of the Merage School Corporate Partners Program Executive Steering Committee and is an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University School of Law. He is also an arbitrator/mediator for the American Arbitration Association and a member of the National Panel of Patent Arbitrators.

Jones Day is a global law firm with more than 2,500 lawyers, and 37 locations throughout the world. Ranked among the world's best and most integrated law firms, and perennially ranked among the best in client services, Jones Day acts as principal outside counsel to, or provides significant legal representation for, more than half of the Fortune Global 500.

About the Dean's Advisory Board
Currently the Dean's Advisory Board boasts nearly 90 members and is made of up of an exclusive list of top level professionals (a current list of members is available at www.merage.uci.edu/go/involvement under Dean's Advisory Board). New members are added by invitation only and each serves for a total of four years.

The Dean's Advisory Board of The Paul Merage School of Business was established to assist the Dean in the ongoing qualitative growth of the School. Specifically, the Dean's Advisory Board of The Paul Merage School of Business serves as the School's primary advisory body, providing advice and counsel for the School's academic and professional programs from the perspective of the general management profession. The Board also plays an important role in the fund raising efforts necessary to maintain the academic standing of the Merage School, particularly as public funding sources become less predictable. In addition, the Board also provides oversight of select aspects of the School, addressing relevant issues and providing guidance to the Dean and his colleagues.

About The Paul Merage School of Business at UC Irvine
The Paul Merage School of Business at UC Irvine offers four dynamic MBA programs - plus PhD and undergraduate business degrees - that deliver its thematic approach to business education: sustainable growth through strategic innovation. It graduates leaders with the exceptional ability to help grow their organizations through analytical decision-making, innovation and collaborative execution. In-class and on-site experiences with real-world business problems give students the edge needed to help companies compete in today's global economy. For more information visit the website at merage.uci.edu.

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