Children's Victory Project

Board of Directors

Founding Members Program

Contact

Robert S. Friedman – Founder and Chairman
Robert S. Friedman is a partner in the Business Trials and White Collar practice groups in the New York office of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP. Mr. Friedman’s practice focuses on commercial litigation with an emphasis on securities litigation, internal investigations, corporate trust litigation, real estate litigation, director and officer liability, bankruptcy litigation, restrictive covenants and intellectual property. From 1989-1996, Mr. Friedman was an Assistant District Attorney in the Kings County (Brooklyn) District Attorney’s office. His positions and titles included Deputy Bureau Chief in the Felony Trial Bureau and Senior Trial Attorney in the Homicide Bureau. While a prosecutor, Mr. Friedman tried over forty cases to verdict, including sixteen homicides. It was during this time that Mr. Friedman experienced first‑hand the plight of children affected by violent crime and the need for both short and long-term assistance.

Mr. Friedman graduated cum laude from both Boston University Law School and Tufts University. While at Tufts he started a Big Brother organization on campus, received the 1986 Scholar-Athlete Award and was named to the 1985 Academic All-American Football Team.

Kevin J. Cloherty – Director
Kevin J. Cloherty is currently Vice President and Chief Counsel for Global Compliance at Manulife Financial/John Hancock Financial. Prior to joining Manulife in February 2005, Mr. Cloherty was a partner at Testa Hurwitz & Thibeault LLP in Boston, specializing in Internal Investigations and White Collar Criminal Defense. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Cloherty was the Chief of the Drug Unit in the Boston U.S. Attorney’s office and the OCDETF Coordinator for New England. Mr. Cloherty spent eleven years with the United States Department of Justice, including eight years as an AUSA in Boston and three years as Trial Attorney in the Tax Division, including stints as a Special AUSA in the Eastern District of Virginia and the District of Nevada.

Mr. Cloherty is a cum laude graduate of the Harvard Law School and a summa cum laude graduate of Tufts University.

Joseph J. Conklin – Director
Joseph J. Conklin is Associate General Counsel for Coty Inc., the world’s largest fragrance company. Prior to joining Coty, Mr. Conklin was Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Director of Human Resources for Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. and was the General Counsel for Twin Laboratories, Inc., a leading manufacturer of dietary supplements. Before moving to in-house practice, Mr. Conklin also spent several years as a Litigation Associate at Donovan Leisure Newton & Irvine, as well as several years at an intellectual property boutique firm.

Mr. Conklin graduated from The George Washington University and St. John’s University School of Law, where he was an editor of the Law Review.