Drake University Law School is pleased to announce the arrival of two outstanding new faculty members, Christoph Henkel and Alexa Perez. Professor of Law Christoph Henkel brings a distinct international and comparative perspective to Drake’s business law faculty. He will teach Business Organizations, Contract Drafting, and other upper-level business law courses. Assistant Professor of Law Alexa Perez brings noteworthy expertise in both civil and criminal law gained from her experience as a federal prosecutor and commercial litigation associate. Perez will teach Civil Procedure and Evidence.
“Our newly appointed faculty members possess remarkable expertise within their specific fields and boast impressive qualifications,” said Jerry Anderson, dean of the law school. “Their innovative viewpoints and enthusiasm will align perfectly with our current faculty, fostering the achievements of our students.”
Christoph Henkel joins Drake from Mississippi College School of Law where he taught a variety of business law courses and was co-director of the International and Comparative Law Center. Henkel also served as a visiting professor on the law faculties at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law and University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. Henkel holds an SJD and LLM degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. He earned a JD equivalent at the Justus-Liebig-University in Giessen, Germany, and has practiced law in Europe and the United States. His research encompasses banking law, Fintech, entrepreneurial law, and wide range of corporate subjects.
Alexa Perez received her JD from the University of Chicago Law School, and a BA in English summa cum laude from the University of Florida. She served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, where she prosecuted racketeering, money-laundering, drug, and gun related offenses. Prior to that, she was a managing associate at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago where she represented Fortune 500 companies in a wide range of legal proceedings including, securities fraud class actions, general commercial disputes, and government investigations and enforcement actions. She also clerked for the Honorable Edmond Chang on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.