Alumni from the Class of 1996 Establish Two New Scholarships 

Patrick Dyson ’96 and Jon M. Mahan ’96 are both marking their 30-year class reunion by giving the gift of opportunity to William & Mary Law School students.  

By setting up two new scholarships, the Mahan and Dyson families are securing more options for students who may need financial assistance to attend the Law School. With more than 94% of students receiving financial aid each academic year, scholarships keep a legal education accessible to students who are eager to study at America’s first law school.   

The Dysons have chosen to endow a $250,000 scholarship. Patrick Dyson is a Partner and Global Head of Telecom at GoldenTree Asset Management and a member of the firm’s Distressed Committee. He previously served as a managing director at UBS O’Connor and a managing director at Credit Suisse. Ashley Dyson is an author and co-founder of Ashore Productions, which focuses on female-driven stories. Ashore’s recent projects include the short film Fat, which screened this summer at DWF: L.A., and the Galway Film Fleadh. 

Patrick serves on the William & Mary Foundation Board of Trustees and is a member of its Investment Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors of St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School and previously served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Hewitt School in New York City. 

Patrick and Ashley share a longstanding commitment to education and expanding opportunity for others. 

“William & Mary Law School has always held a special place in our lives. It gave me an extraordinary education and opened doors that shaped not only my career, but our family’s future," Dyson said. "As native Virginians, Ashley and I feel a deep connection to William & Mary and are always grateful to return. We are honored to give back to a place that has meant so much to us, and are especially excited that this scholarship will help make a William & Mary legal education possible for future students.” 

Mahan and his wife, Karen, longtime supporters of William & Mary Law School, have established a $150,000 scholarship fund. Jon Mahan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Western Michigan University before attending William & Mary Law School. He began his investment banking career at Legg Mason Capital Markets in 1996 and remained with the firm following its acquisition by Stifel in 2005. Today, he serves as Managing Director and Head of Financial Sponsor M&A within Stifel's Mergers & Acquisitions Group. He is also a CFA charterholder and serves on the Board of Directors of Donegal Group Inc. 

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in investment banking, Mahan hopes the scholarship will help aspiring business lawyers pursue careers in transactional and corporate law. 

Mahan rejoined the William & Mary Foundation Board of Trustees in July after previously serving from 2009 to 2015. He also served on the William & Mary Alumni Association Board from 2002 to 2010, including as president from 2008 to 2010. 

 Karen shares her husband's love of William & Mary along with his commitment to expanding opportunities for law students and helping ensure they have access to the resources needed to succeed at William & Mary and beyond. 

“William & Mary may be the alma mater of the nation, but for Karen and me, it is the foundation of the life we've built together," Mahan said. "Our careers, our family, many of our closest relationships and even our wedding all have roots in Williamsburg. We established this scholarship to honor the profound impact the Law School has had on our lives and to help talented students pursue the opportunities that made so much possible for us." 

If you are interested in establishing a scholarship, please reach out to the Office of Advancement at lsadvance@wm.edu or 757-221-3795.