The TBA will be closed Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The office will reopen Tuesday at 8 a.m. CST.

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The Tennessee Supreme Court on Monday issued an order referring the case of Cocke County lawyer Charlotte Ann Leibrock to the Board of Professional Responsibility. Leibrock previously pled guilty to and was adjudged guilty of disorderly conduct, a Class C misdemeanor, in the Cocke County General Sessions Court. The court directed the board to take whatever action it deems warranted.

Maynard Cooper & Gale, a Birmingham-based firm with a Nashville office, is merging with Nexsen Pruet of Columbia, South Carolina, the firms recently reported. The new firm will operate under the name Maynard Nexsen starting April 1. The combined firm will number more than 500 attorneys in 23 offices. Maynard managing shareholder Jeff Grantham will be CEO and managing shareholder of the combined firm, while Nexsen chair Leighton Lord will be the combined firm’s president and chief strategy officer. Maynard lists 17 attorneys in its Nashville office.

Join the TBA for a panel discussion on diversifying the judicial branch on Jan. 23 from noon to 1:30 p.m. CST. Produced by the TBA Committee on Racial & Ethnic Diversity, this free event is the first part of a series focused on providing minority lawyers the tools needed when seeking judgeships. The series will feature candid discussions on preparation for running, financing, campaigning, transition of practice and other needs. Panelists include Mary Beard, Judge Ana L. Escobar, Jimmie Miller and Judge I'Ashea L. Myles. Pre-register here.

Hendersonville lawyer and TBA member Russ Edwards was recently appointed as Hendersonville city judge. He replaces Judge Curtis Lincoln, who had served in the role since 1994 but died in November. Edwards was appointed by the Hendersonville Board of Mayor and Alderman to fill Lincoln's remaining term, which will end in March 2025. Edwards has been in private, general practice in Hendersonville since 2003. He currently serves as the TBA House of Delegates representative for the 18th District. Edwards had been an alderman for the city of Hendersonville, but resigned the position to take the judicial appointment.

Falling demand, declining profits and rising expenses are creating a challenging climate for major law firms in 2023, a new industry report warns. Some law firms already have let attorneys go after bulking up in 2021, and more layoffs are likely as clients tighten their belts and move work to lower-priced firms, the report from Thomson Reuters suggests. The “2023 Report on the State of the Legal Market” found that after growing 3.7% in 2021, client demand dropped 1.2% in the first nine months of 2022. That contraction was fueled largely by declines in transactional work and general uncertainty about the direction of the economy. The outlook for mid-sized firms may be more positive, the report finds. Read the full report.

The Tennessee Journal reports that Blake Harris, former chief of staff to Gov. Bill Lee, has established Blake Harris & Associates with Laine Arnold, former communications director and campaign aide to Lee. Others on the team include David Topping, former chief of staff to the Tennessee secretary of state; Douglas Sellers, previously a U.S. Senate and Trump administration official; and Jessica Bader, a former aide to Lee and Bob Corker. The Nashville Post has the story.

Gov. Bill Lee this week appointed Stanley “Stan” Kweller as a circuit judge in Davidson County’s 20th Judicial District. Kweller, a Nashville family law attorney, will fill the vacancy left by the death of Judge Phil Smith last year. Kweller was most recently a solo practioner and attorney at Watkins & McNeilly. Earlier in his career, he was a prosecutor in East Tennessee. He attended Emory University and University of Tennessee College of Law. Other finalists selected by the Trial Court Vacancy Commission were Stephanie Williams, special master in Smith’s court, and Nashville attorney Audrey Anderson.