Trevor S. Buller co-founded Patton & Buller, PLLC, one year ago, celebrating the Boise-based firm’s first anniversary on Aug. 5, 2025. He specializes in probate and appellate litigation within the firm’s practice areas of real estate, business and corporate law, estate planning and probate.

“I am most proud of what we have been able to build here at Patton & Buller,” Buller said. “Every day presents an opportunity for us to help someone work through a challenge they are facing in their life. Being a part of that has certainly been my most significant professional accomplishment this past year.”

He holds a law degree from University of Idaho and bachelor’s degree from Boise State University. His biggest challenge was overcoming discomfort as a younger professional launching a new law firm, describing himself as not particularly entrepreneurial.

“Needless to say it was not easy for me to take that ‘leap of faith’ necessary to open any new business,” he said.

His goals include continuing to develop a service-centric model focused on alleviating client stress during legal matters.

Aviva Abramovsky is a New York native who saw her dad rise to the role of law professor. She followed in his footsteps and is now an expert in insurance law, commercial law and the regulation of financial entities and legal ethics.  

A graduate of Cornell University, with an undergraduate degree in industrial and labor relations, and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where she earned her Juris Doctor, Abramovsky spent 13 years teaching at the Syracuse University College of Law.  

She then transitioned to work as the dean of the University of Buffalo School of Law, where she served for six years. In this position, she expanded the experiential and clinical legal education program and helped begin the second undergraduate law program in the country. She also helped launch a Doctor of Juridical Science degree there. 

Abramovsky is also a published author and has been included in numerous book chapters and articles in insurance and commercial law.  

Abramovsky stepped into her role as the University of Idaho College of Law’s 22nd dean in 2024. She left the school in January of 2026 to pursue a career in Nevada. 

Sunrise Ayers has led Idaho Legal Aid Services for almost one year, taking over as executive director on Nov. 18, 2024. Her most significant recent accomplishment was navigating the organization through budget cuts and funding challenges during her transition into leadership, addressing a deficit budget and canceled federal grant while maintaining staff morale.

“My focus was on finding a way to reduce our costs while still keeping morale within the organization healthy,” Ayers said. “I worked very closely with my deputy director, Jenna Furman, to maintain a positive and appreciative work environment with low-cost and no-cost changes and improvements, while also implementing difficult decisions around staffing reductions and other cost cutting measures.”

She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from College of Idaho and law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School. Over nearly 19 years with the organization, Ayers has provided legal assistance to more than 9,700 Idahoans facing life-changing legal problems.

Her biggest challenge was learning to establish work boundaries to avoid burnout while serving clients in crisis situations.

Nicole Derden is a respected immigration attorney known for her knowledge and commitment to helping individuals and families navigate the intricacies of U.S. immigration law. She opened her law office in 2009 and has since assisted countless clients, often taking on difficult cases that require sharp legal proficiency and empathy.

Derden’s interest in immigration law began at a young age, when she became interested in Spanish and the Mexican culture. She graduated with her undergraduate degree with majors in Spanish and history, with a minor in Catholic theology, before graduating from law school and working at the Immigrational Legal Aid Clinic. Derden also lived and studied in various cities around Mexico, which allowed her to truly immerse in the culture and its people.

Outside of her legal work, Derden is a busy wife and mother to four boys. She also enjoys yoga, running and traveling.

Kimberly Evans Ross began her legal career in the late 1990s, when she worked as a bankruptcy law clerk for Hon. William Stocks, Chief Judge, in North Carolina. She then worked in Montana for five years as an associate attorney before moving to Idaho Falls to join the team at Moffatt Thomas as a partner and shareholder, where she gained extensive commercial law and litigation experience for more than a decade.

In 2014, Ross accepted the role of senior counsel for Idaho National Laboratory and then seven years later, stepped into her current role there as the general counsel and director of the office or risk, assurance and compliance. In this position, she helps the laboratory reach their goals and business objectives while cost-effectively managing legal risks and expenses.

Recognized for her dedication to the legal industry and her superior professionalism, Ross has been honored with various awards and honors, including being one of 2020’s Women Worth Watching by Diversity Magazine, and the ISB Service Award issued by the Idaho State Bar.

Jaclyn T. Gans has served as shareholder at Elam & Burke for five years, specializing in legal work for insurance and construction industries from the firm’s Boise office. Recently, she successfully secured a favorable decision for a client.

“About a month after returning to work from maternity leave, I presented oral argument before the Idaho Supreme Court in a case with wide-reaching implications for the state’s ski industry,” Gans said. “Not only did the Court grant our petition and re-hear the case, but it went on to issue a substitute opinion in favor of our client, reversing its prior decision.”

She holds a law degree from University of Idaho and bachelor’s degree in communications from California State University, Fullerton. Gans is admitted to practice in Idaho state and federal courts and the Ninth Circuit.

Her biggest challenge has been maintaining professional momentum while navigating motherhood and increased firm leadership responsibilities. As part of the firm’s executive committee, she focuses on mentoring young attorneys and developing future firm leaders while managing strict work boundaries and efficiency demands.