Attorneys and Staff

Laura Palk has been with the University of Oklahoma since 2001, serving in a variety of roles, including Assistant Legal Counsel from 2001-2011 with the OU Office of Legal Counsel, between 2011-2014 as the University’s Institutional Equity Officer, between 2014-2018 as an instructor and Accreditation and Assurance of Learning Coordinator with the Price College of Business, between 2007-2022 as an instructor for Employment Law with the OU College of Law, and between 2018-2022 as Assistant Dean for External Affairs also with the OU College of Law. Laura continues to teach the law of commercial transactions in the Master of Accountancy program for the Price College of Business, and healthcare law in the College of Law’s Masters of Legal Studies program.

Prior to her university employment, Laura served as a law clerk for six years in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma for Judge Wayne E. Alley, Judge Gary Purcell, and Judge Ronald Howland, and was an associate for three years with the law firm of McAfee and Taft. She received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Oklahoma in 1989 and 1992, with honors, including Order of the Coif.

Laura has published several articles related to business and employment law, including Ignorance Is Bliss: Should Lack of Personal Benefit Knowledge Immunize Insider Trading? 13 Berkeley Business Law Journal Issue I, 101 (2015); Gone But Not Forgotten: Does (or Should) the Use of Self-Destructing Messaging Applications Trigger Corporate Governance Duties? 7 Harvard Business Law Review No. 1, 115 (2017); A Free Ride: Data Brokers' Rent Seeking Behavior and the Future of Data Inequality 20 Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law 779 (Laura Palk and Krishnamurty Muralidhar Spring 2018); and Born Free: Toward an Expansive Definition of Sex and Support for the Equality Act 25 Michigan Journal of Gender and Law 1 (Laura Palk and Shelly Grunsted Spring 2018).

Paula Williams joined the Office of Legal Counsel in 2024 after practicing for twelve years with the Oklahoma City law firm GableGotwals, where she was voted Shareholder in 2018. In her private practice, Paula represented employers in a wide range of labor and employment laws and regularly advised employers on best practices and effective methods to avoid employment-related claims. In addition to employment law, she maintained a general litigation practice, litigating in Oklahoma state and federal courts.

Prior to GableGotwals, Paula graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oklahoma. She then received her Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law where she graduated in the Order of the Coif, ranked third in her law class, and served on the Oklahoma Law Review. In 2015 and 2016, she returned to the College of Law to teach Remedies as an adjunct professor.

In 2020, Paula earned her certification as a Senior Certified Professional by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM-SCP). During private practice, she was repeatedly named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers, a Labor and Employment Star by Benchmark Litigation, and the 2023 Lawyer of the Year for Employment Law in Oklahoma City by BestLawyers.  Paula has spoken at numerous national, regional, and state organizations and conferences, in addition to authoring news articles and participating in podcasts discussing her experience in the legal profession and employment law.

Susanna will be deeply missed. Obituary

Susanna Gattoni became the third generation of women in her family to graduate from the University of Oklahoma in 1994.   Susanna went on to attend the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where she graduated in 1997 with honors and was selected for both the Order of the Coif and the Order of the Barrister.

Susanna worked as the Deputy General Counsel for the University of Oklahoma at its Health Sciences Center.  Before joining OU in 2018, Susanna’s legal career included work as a Federal Prosecutor and as a Shareholder at the law firm of Hall, Estill. In Susanna’s 23-year legal career, she has assisted numerous clients in prosecuting, investigating, and defending all types of civil and criminal claims including fraud involving private, state, and federal funds.  Susanna also has extensive experience in employment law, including leading numerous internal investigations, providing employment advice to clients for over twenty years, and successfully defending clients at trial in both federal and state court. For Susanna’s work as an attorney, she has received the Courageous Lawyer Award from the Oklahoma County Bar Association and was the recipient of the Leadership in the Law award from the Journal Record.

Peggy Clay is the Associate General Counsel for the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Prior to joining OU in 2006, she was a Director in the Healthcare Practice Group at Crowe and Dunlevy in Oklahoma City. She is a graduate of the University of Tulsa (B.S., summa cum laude, 1973) and the University of Oklahoma (J.D., with honors, 1989).

She focuses her practice in the areas of academic medical center matters including hospital-provider relationships, corporate governance, medical staff issues, clinical practice acquisitions, and administrative and employment law.

Peggy has extensive experience in healthcare having served as in-house counsel to several hospitals and their related entities. At the Health Sciences Center, Peggy counsels OU Physicians, the Provost, and the College of Medicine concerning matters related to hospital affiliations and relationships, regulatory compliance, reimbursement, licensure, corporate governance, administrative policies and procedures, and contract negotiations and disputes. In addition, Peggy is a frequent speaker discussing various health laws and academic medical center topics.

Peggy's professional memberships include the American Health Lawyers Association, American Bar Association, the Oklahoma Bar Association, and the Oklahoma County Bar Association.

Rachel has held several roles in the Office of Legal Counsel over the past 15 years, which includes her ten years of service at HSC.  During her 10 years at HSC, Rachel represented campus leaders in all 7 HSC Colleges and has developed expertise in health law, including health information privacy, as well as academic research, student affairs, and faculty affairs.  Rachel has served on many working groups and committees for HSC and for joint OU/OU Health initiatives, such as the medical marijuana working group, Epic working groups, and the 21st Century Cures Act implementation working group. She provided guidance during the pandemic as part of the HSC Emergency Operations Committee. Rachel has trained HSC leaders on timely legal issues, including presenting at the Department of Psychiatry’s Grand Rounds.  Rachel is a trusted advisor and campus leader who completed the New Leader Development Program in 2022.

Before joining the HSC office of the Office of Legal Counsel, she was the director of OU Open Records Office and worked as a Staff Attorney on the Norman campus. Rachel is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, the American Health Lawyers Association, the Oklahoma Bar Association, and the Oklahoma County Bar Association.

Prior to joining OU, Rachel was in private practice for five years. While in law school, Rachel served as a judicial intern on the Oklahoma Supreme Court for the late Justice Marian Opala and also interned at the Oklahoma Bar Association.  Rachel holds two degrees from OU – a B.A. cum laude in Letters and a J.D. with distinction. She also earned an LL.M. with merit in Public International Law from the University of London.

Dan Weitman joined as Associate General Counsel for Litigation in October 2021. He is excited to return to the institution from which he graduated with a law degree, with distinction, in 1997.

Prior to coming to work for OU, Dan worked in the Litigation Units of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (2018-2021) and the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office (2005-2017) where he handled a variety of civil litigation matters including cases involving constitutional rights, contracts, tort, water law and construction law. While in these positions, he acted as a team leader and mentor for younger attorneys. Dan was the initial director of the Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights Enforcement. Prior to entering government work, Dan was in private practice at a small firm in south Oklahoma City.

Dan has handled numerous trials in federal, state, and administrative courts, has argued to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals on several occasions, has argued twice to the full panel of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and had one case heard at the United States Supreme Court.

Heather Hendricks joined the Office of Legal Counsel in 2013. Her practice area includes general issues affecting the Norman campus and multi-campus special projects. Prior to joining the University, Heather worked in private practice at an education law firm. Heather graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2002 and 2005 with a B.A. in Public Administration and a J.D., respectively.

Caroline Smolkin joined the Office of Legal Counsel in 2013. Caroline originally worked as a Staff Attorney in the Norman Office before transferring to the Health Sciences Center in 2020. In 2022, Caroline returned to the Norman campus. She graduated from Rhodes College in 2007 with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained her J.D. from Louisiana State University in 2012.

Brant Bentley is a Staff Attorney in the Purchasing Department of the University of Oklahoma. A native of Oklahoma, Brant earned his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law after graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma with a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Having practiced law at a firm in Oklahoma City for three years before joining OU, Brant’s experience includes litigating and resolving a wide range of disputes, forming and restructuring businesses, and working on transactional matters. While in law school, Brant represented indigent clients as a Licensed Legal Intern in the civil department of the OU Legal Clinic, interned for a state court judge, and interned in the legal department of a fast-growing technology company headquartered in Oklahoma City. Brant was admitted to the Oklahoma Bar Association in September of 2018 and is also licensed to practice before the United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma.

John Curtis joined the Office of Legal Counsel as a staff attorney in 2022. John graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2013 with a B.A. in Philosophy and earned his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2016. Prior to joining the Office of Legal Counsel, John worked in private practice at a civil litigation firm in Oklahoma City.

Courtney Floyd joined the Office of Legal Counsel in July 2019, prior to joining the office Courtney worked as a Contract Administrator at the University. Courtney graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2009 with a B.A. in Political Science and went on to attend the University of Oklahoma College of Law, graduating in 2012. Outside of higher education, Courtney has practiced in the areas of juvenile law, criminal law, municipal law and aviation law.

Marci Gracey joined the Office of Legal Counsel as a staff attorney in 2021. Marci graduated from East Central University in 2000 with a B.A. in history and earned a M.A. in history in 2003 from Oklahoma State University. Marci earned a J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2020. Prior to joining OLC, Marci worked in human resources and held administrative positions in state government.

Sally Griffin joined the Office of Legal Counsel in 2024.  Sally graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oklahoma in 2016 with a B.B.A. in Marketing and earned a J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 2019. She is a member of the Order of the Coif and served on the Washington and Lee Law Review. Prior to joining the Office of Legal Counsel, Sally served as a law clerk for two years in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama for Judge Kristi DuBose and worked in private practice with the law firm of Crowe & Dunlevy in Oklahoma City.

Whitney Guild graduated from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center with a B.S.R.T., and went on to earn her juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Whitney first joined the Office of Legal Counsel as an intern while in law school. Upon graduation, Whitney practiced in the areas of medical malpractice, professional negligence defense, and insurance subrogation, representing hospitals, physicians, and mental health facilities. Whitney re-joined the Office of Legal Counsel at the beginning of 2023.

Tina Ikpa joined the Office of Legal Counsel in October 2020. Tina graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2004 with a B.A. in English and earned a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law in 2007. Prior to joining the Office of Legal Counsel, Tina practiced in areas of municipal law, criminal law, and tax law.

Shaojuan (Amy) Jiang joined OLC in 2017 and is a staff attorney at OLC. Her work focuses on legal issues involved in research related agreements. With her educational background in biology and as a registered patent agent, she is able to enhance her understanding of the legal aspects in research with her scientific knowledge. Amy received her J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of law, Ph.D. in Biology from the University of California, Irvine, and B.S. in Biotechnology from Peking University. Amy is a native speaker of Mandarin, and enjoys her time serving the local community.

Melissa Pachucki joined the Office of Legal Counsel in 2024. Melissa graduated from Northeastern State University with an M.A. in Composition/Rhetoric and B.A. in English. Thereafter, she attended the University of Tulsa College of Law and graduated with highest honors in 2014. Following law school, Melissa worked in private practice at a civil litigation and transactional law firm in Tulsa, specializing in business litigation and corporate defense matters. In 2016, Melissa joined the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine as a Contracts Director for the Office of the Executive Dean.

Matthew Smith first joined the Office of Legal Counsel in 2008 as a Staff Attorney at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center before being promoted in 2012 to Director of the OUHSC Institutional Review Board. In 2014, Matthew moved to Spain where he lived for several years before re-joining the Office of Legal Counsel in 2022 as Senior Counsel. Matthew received his B.A. in International Studies and Spanish in 2000 from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. In 2004, he received his J.D. from The University of Oklahoma College of Law, and in 2007, he earned a LL.M. in International Law from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida. Prior to joining The University of Oklahoma, Matthew practiced litigation as an associate attorney in several law firms in Oklahoma. 

Wiraswasti (Mei) Yuwono is the Senior Administrative/Financial Coordinator for the OUHSC Office of Legal Counsel. She has been with OUHSC Office of Legal Counsel since September 2010. She is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma (B.A., 2005).