The HF Law Group PLLC recently announced its intention to move from the central business district of downtown Memphis to eastern Shelby County. Its new address will be 3257 Sarazen's Circle. The firm will keep a presence at its former office in Suite 500 of 119 South Main Street, mostly to accommodate its mediation practice. The firm's principals, Bob Flynn and Michele Howard-Flynn, decided to make the move to be closer to clients.

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law recently recognized Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Kay Spalding Robilio and her family for a $50,000 contribution to the school, which also included funds specifically earmarked for a third-year law student scholarship. Robilio graduated from then-Memphis State University in 1973 and from the law school in 1980. The contribution was acknowledged during the school's open house on March 28 and commemorated with a plaque on the second floor of the new building.

Bristol lawyer Robert Ferril Peel has been named a shareholder in the firm of Jones, King, Downs & Peel PC. He practices in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, charitable planning and administration, and fiduciary litigation. Peel graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2005. He is licensed to practice in Tennessee and Virginia.

Memphis lawyer Rick Bennett has been named a member of Farris Bobango Branan PLC. He will continue to focus his practice in the areas of labor and employment, construction, business and real estate law, as well as business and general litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Bennett was a member of the Law Offices of Maiden & Bennett. He earned his law degree in 1988 from the University of Memphis.

Susan Payne Woodrow, an administrative law judge with the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules, recently completed the Max Gardener Bankruptcy Boot Camp. In her current position, Woodrow handles unemployment and wage and hour issues, and plans to expand into debtor bankruptcy matters. She graduated from the University of Memphis School of Law in 1978. Following graduation, she clerked for Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Charles E. Nearn.

Nashville lawyer Bobby Guy, a partner with Frost Brown Todd LLC, has been appointed co-chair of the American Bankruptcy Institute's  Health Care Committee. In this role, Guy will focus on policy analysis  and education of insolvency issues affecting the health care industry, and chair the committee's annual meetings. Guy's practice focuses on restructuring and corporate bankruptcy, helping ailing health care companies return to growth and profitability. He also works with buyers and private equity funds across the country to acquire undervalued health care assets in distress sales. He earned his law degree in 1994 from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Philip J. La Nasa has joined the Knoxville office of Spicer Rudstrom PLLC, where he will focus his practice in the areas of insurance defense and subrogation, and automobile, premises and products liability. La Nasa earned his law degree from Loyola University in 1995. He is also licensed in Louisiana.

Nashville attorney Kim Adkins was selected by the American Council of Young Political Leaders as a delegate to Russia for a 10-day political exchange program. She joined six other political and policy leaders from across the United States who traveled to the country in May to study its political system, engage in dialogue on international issues and forge professional relationships. Adkins is a solo practioner focusing on general civil matters. She graduated from the Nashville School of Law in 2006. Prior to practicing law, she worked for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, as a government relations executive, and as fundraising coordinator for the Gore Lieberman presidential campaign.

Husch Blackwell Sanders attorney David T. Lewis has been selected vice chair of the American Health Lawyers Association's Physicians and Physician Organizations Practice Group. He also serves as chair of the Tennessee Bar Association's Health Law Section. Lewis is a partner in Husch Blackwell Sanders' Chattanooga office, where he assists health systems, physician groups and other health care providers with regulatory compliance and administrative appeals. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1984.

Nashville lawyer Michael J. Vetter Sr. of Spicer Rudstrom PLLC recently obtained his license to practice law in Kentucky. He already was licensed in Tennessee, California and Missouri. Vetter practices in the areas of alternative dispute resolution, arson and fire litigation, vehicle liability, bankruptcy, financial fraud, insurance, products liability, and property and casualty litigation. He also is a Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator. Vetter earned his law degree in 1987 from Loyola Law School.

Several attorneys with the Little Rock firm of Wilson & Associates PLLC have been appointed to leadership positions with the Arkansas Bar Association. Randall Bueter, Chris Palmer and Aaron Squyres have been named to the Task Force on Unauthorized Practice of Law. Bueter also has been appointed to the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee and the Long-Range Planning Committee. Squyres also has been appointed to the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee and the Uniform Laws Committee.

Marc Sorin recently joined the Memphis firm of McNabb, Bragorgos & Burgess PLLC, where he will practice in the areas of medical and nursing malpractice, long-term health care, personal injury, workers compensation  and general insurance defense.  Prior to joining the firm, he served as a member of the Law and Mediation Offices of Rebecca Adelman PLC; as an associate with Spicer, Flynn & Rudstrom PLLC; with the former law office of Nahon & Saharovich; and as an assistant Shelby County public defender. Sorin is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Mississippi.  He earned his law degree in 1991 from the University of Memphis.

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Maryville attorney FRANK B. BIRD died May 25 at the age of 93. Bird practiced law for more than 60 years and at the time of his death was the oldest practicing attorney in Blount County. Originally from Alcoa, he opened his law office in Maryville in 1946 and was the first attorney for the Blount County Industrial Board " a position he held for 30 years. Bird received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1941. The family asks that in lieu of flowers memorial donations be made to any favorite charitable cause.

Hixson attorney PARKER LYNN CARROLL died May 23. He was 87. A graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, Carroll worked in federal service for more than 30 years before retiring from the Johnson Space Center in 1978. He then moved to Chattanooga, where he practiced law for many years.

Chattanooga attorney JAC CHAMBLISS, a partner at Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, died June 8 at the age of 99. A 1932 graduate of the Cumberland University Law School, Chambliss entered his family's law firm, Sizer, Chambliss & Kefauver, in the summer of 1932 and, although the firm changed names through the years, spent his entire legal career there. Chambliss was known for his life commentaries, which were published by the Chattanoogan.com, as well as his poetry and prose. He was co-founder of the Citizens Good Government League, a local nonpartisan group dedicated to promoting better government on the local level. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Reflection Riding Endowment Fund, 400 Garden Road, Chattanooga 37419; or the McVea-Chambliss Scholarship Fund of the Webb School, 319 Webb Road East, Bell Buckle 37020-2044.

Nashville lawyer STANLEY MORTON CHERNAU died May 15 after an extended illness. He was 76. Chernau graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1956 and after spending two years in Army Counter-intelligence, began practicing law in Nashville with the late Louis Leftwich and Raymond Denney. He later practiced with Vaden Lackey, and most recently, with Chernau, Chaffin & Burnsed PLLC. Chernau maintained a civil trial practice for the duration of his career. He retired in 2009. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Family and Children's Service; Alive Hospice at St. Thomas Hospital; The Suzanne J. Morris Fund at The Temple; or the Community Foundation for Nashville Flood Relief.

Memphis attorney CHARLES PITTMAN COBB, 87, died June 1 of complications following a stroke. Cobb graduated from the University of Virginia Law School in 1948 and joined what is now the Evans & Petree law firm, in 1949. He became a senior partner before retiring from the firm in 1984. He served as an officer of election for the Shelby County Election Commission, as a member of the Memphis & Shelby County Planning Commission and as a member of the Rhodes College Board of Trustees. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Lindenwood Christian Church, Rhodes College or Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

ROBERT HOUSTON CRITCHFIELD, 78, passed away May 10 in Fort Worth, Texas. A native of Iowa, Critchfield earned his law degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1966. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army and then joined the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as a corporate attorney. After retiring from TVA, he served as city judge in Estill Springs, Tenn. He was buried with military honors at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.

Knoxville attorney PAUL E. HODGES died May 27 at the age of 78. At the time of his death, he was of counsel with Pitts & Brittian PC. Hodges began his career as a laboratory chemist with Union Carbide Corporation in Oak Ridge, eventually being promoted to patent counsel for the corporation's nuclear division. He later joined the Chicago patent firm of Fitch, Even, Tabin & Luedeka as a partner in its Knoxville office. He left that firm to form the intellectual property group Ludeka & Hodges PC. He then opened his own firm of Paul E. Hodges PC, which was merged in 1998 with Pitts Brittian. Hodges spent his career practicing in the area of intellectual property, and was a cofounder and board member of the Tennessee Intellectual Property Law Association. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee in 1966. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Legal Aid of East Tennessee.

WILLIAM P. ORTALE, 79, a founding member of the Nashville law firm Ortale, Kelley, Herbert & Crawford, died May 21 after a yearlong battle with cancer. Ortale graduated from the Vanderbilt University Law School in 1955 and worked as a claims adjuster for State Farm Insurance for eight years. In 1963, he joined Thos. O. H. Smith Sr. and Thos. O. H. Smith Jr. in private practice. In 1971, he founded the law firm of Ortale, Kelley, Herbert & Crawford, which today comprises more than 50 employees. Ortale was a fellow in the Nashville and Tennessee bar foundations, and was active in numerous industry and charitable organizations, including the Tennessee Defense Lawyers, the Vanderbilt Law School National Alumni Council and the Exchange Club of Nashville. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to Friends of Warner Parks, St. Henry Church or Alive Hospice.

Murfreesboro lawyer NANCY SMITH SELLERS died June 1 at the age of 82. Her law career spanned 57 years, having the distinction of being the first, and for many years the only, female attorney in Murfreesboro. Sellers graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1950 and married Bill Sellers, whom she joined in practicing law at Smith & Sellers. She practiced in the areas of tax and probate law, and served on various boards and commissions within the community and with the Tennessee and American bar associations. In 2001, she was honored by the Tennessee Bar Association as one of the state's pioneering women lawyers. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a charity of one's choice.

Memphis attorney JAMES MINOR TAIT JR. died May 8 at the age of 83. Tait earned his law degree from the Southern University College of Law in 1954. After graduation, he was appointed assistant district attorney for the 15th Judicial Circuit where he served for almost nine years. Tait left the DA's office in 1964 to join the law firm of McDonald, Kuhn, McDonald, Crenshaw & Smith " now McDonald Kuhn. In 1968, he was appointed part-time assistant Shelby County attorney where he served until his retirement in 1997. Tait served on the board of directors of the Memphis and Shelby County bar associations and the Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association, also serving as president of that group from 1989 to 1990. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials be sent to the King's Daughter's and Son's Home.

Arbitrator/Architect Retiring

Tennessee state architect and lawyer Mike Fitts is leaving his post effective June 1 after serving 45 years in state government. He was appointed as state architect in 1971 and earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law in 1980. He has handled arbitration work on the side while working for the state and plans to continue doing arbitration in retirement.

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Memphis attorney Gary K. Morrell has been named a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He practices with the Boswell Law Firm and is admitted in Tennessee and Arkansas.

Jackson lawyer Mary Jo Middlebrooks with Middlebrooks & Gray PA has been recognized by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a Board Certified Family Law Trial Advocate. She previously was certified as a Family Law Specialist by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education & Specialization and as a Rule 31 Listed Mediator in the field of General Civil/Family Mediation with a designation as "Specially Trained in Domestic Violence Issues." Middlebrooks earned her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1976. In 1978, she opened her law firm in Jackson.

Memphis lawyer Miles Mason Sr. has announced the opening of the new Miles Mason Family Law Group LLC, a comprehensive family law practice focused exclusively on divorce, custody, alimony and related legal areas. Mason " who was a co-founding partner of Crone & Mason PLC, which is now dissolved " and a team of four family law experts have opened offices in Memphis and Nashville/Brentwood.

Knoxville lawyer Weldon E. Patterson has been elected managing partner of Spicer Rudstrom PLLC, replacing Joe Spicer, the founder of the firm, who is still actively practicing. Patterson will continue to handle civil litigation cases, including products liability, transportation and construction matters. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1988.

The firm also recently named two new partners. Gary H. Nichols handles insurance and workers' compensation litigation as well as automobile liability, premises liability and products liability defense. He practices in the firm's Memphis office and graduated from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1998. Thomas J. Smith focuses his practice in the areas of insurance and workers' compensation litigation as well as automobile and premises liability defense in the firm's Nashville office. He earned his law degree from the University of Memphis in 1996.

The Jefferson County Bar Association recently elected Dennis "Will" Roach II of Jefferson City as its new president. Christopher D. Brown with P. Richard Talley & Associates remains the association's vice president.

Judge Ronald Lee Gilman of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals will take "senior status" on Nov. 21. Gilman has served on the court for 13 years. Although he is eligible for full retirement, Gilman plans to reduce his caseload by 25 percent and continue hearing cases both in the Sixth Circuit and as a visiting judge in other circuits. His primary chambers are in the Clifford Davis-Odell Horton Federal Building in Memphis. Judge Gilman was president of the Tennessee Bar Association in 1990-1991.

Rutherford County attorney Guy R. Dotson Jr. recently announced that M. Andre "Andy" Brunelle joined his practice and the two have formed the firm of Dotson and Brunelle. A native of Murfreesboro, Brunelle earned his law degree in 2009 from the Nashville School of Law. His areas of practice include family and domestic law, criminal law and personal injury law.

Elizabeth Maxey Hackworth has joined the Maryville office of Kizer & Black Attorneys PLLC as an associate. She will practice in the area of family law. Hackworth previously worked at Barnes & Diehl PC in Richmond, Va., and at Sheppeard, Swanson & Mynatt in Knoxville. She is a 2007 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law.

In April, the Bristol City Council appointed attorney Randy M. Kennedy as city juvenile judge after the death of Paul R. Wohlford. Kennedy will continue to practice law full time while handling juvenile matters on a part time basis. Kennedy has maintained a general practice in Bristol for over 30 years with an emphasis on real estate, business entities, probate and domestic issues. He earned his law degree from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the then-Memphis State University in 1979.

Davidson County Judge Daniel Eisenstein, presiding judge of the county's Mental Health Court, recently honored Elisabeth M. Dykens for her help in developing a program for individuals suffering from mental illness, developmental disabilities and substance abuse who are referred to the court. Dykens is director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, co-director of the University Center for Excellence in Development Disabilities, and professor of psychology, human development, psychiatry and pediatrics. The court supervises a year-long probation treatment program for those who enter the justice system with serious and persistent mental illness.

Passages

Retired Memphis lawyer JAMES T. BLAND SR. died Feb. 18 at the age of 91. Bland, who earned his law degree in 1941 from the then-Southern College of Law in Memphis, practiced law as a member of Malloy Leary & Bland until his retirement. In 1987 he served as president of the Federal Bar Association. Prior to joining Malloy Leary & Bland, he worked as a claims manager for several companies, including Hertz Corporation and Bland Claim Service " a business he opened in Memphis. The family suggests that memorial donations be made to the Memphis Bar Foundation, the Tennessee Bar Foundation or the Federal Bar Foundation.

Covington attorney DUKE HARRIS BRASFIELD, 62, died April 9. Brasfield practiced law in Covington for 33 years. He represented the Covington Industrial Development Board and had served as Tipton County attorney since 1985. Brasfield was instrumental in opening a Covington campus of the Dyersburg State Community College. He graduated in 1975 from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the then-Memphis State University. He is survived by his wife and 25th Judicial District Chancery Court Chancellor Martha Brasfield. Memorials should be sent to the First United Methodist Church of Covington, Dyersburg State Community College or a charity of the donor's choice.

SUSAN KATE COLLINS of Memphis died Feb. 2. A 1982 graduate of the Loyola University School of Law, Collins practiced law in Illinois and Ohio and was licensed to practice in Tennessee in 2003. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The Rev. Dr. BENJAMIN L. HOOKS died April 15 at the age of 85. A civil rights leader, lawyer, judge and preacher, Hooks was a native Memphian who grew up on Beale Street. He earned his law degree from DePaul University in 1949 and returned to Memphis to practice law. Hooks became a leader in the civil rights movement, working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and serving as secretary of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. On the night of King's assassination, Hooks moved throughout the city calling for nonviolence. In 1965, he was appointed to the Tennessee Criminal Court, becoming the first African-American judge in the south since Reconstruction. He spent a number of years in Washington, D.C., as the first black member of the Federal Communications Commission and as president of the NAACP from 1977 to 1992. For many years he served as pastor of the Greater New Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, and for 52 years he delivered sermons at the Greater Middle Baptist Church in Memphis, retiring just last year.

EMANUEL "MANNY" PETER SCARMOUTSOS died April 4 at the age of 80. A 1957 graduate of Southern Law University, he practiced law in Memphis for 49 years until he retired in 2009. Scarmoutsos served as president of the Memphis Trial Lawyers from 1985 to 1986, taught business law classes at the then-Memphis State University and authored the book Unfrocked and Unashamed. The family requests that memorials be sent to the Andrew Scarmoutsos Scholarship fund in care of attorney Charles Patton, 5100 Poplar Ave., Suite 2723, Memphis 38137.

Memphis lawyer William R. Bradley Jr. has been named chief manager of Glankler Brown PLLC. His primary practice areas include intellectual property, antitrust, business and construction law. In addition to handling a wide range of commercial litigation, he has extensive experience in the procurement, maintenance and enforcement of trademarks and copyrights, and in the defense and prosecution of trade secrets and right-of-publicity claims. He also helps clients evaluate intellectual property rights in connection with corporate transactions.

The Memphis office of Jackson Lewis LLP recently announced that Whitney Fogerty and John Norris have been selected for partnership in the firm. Fogerty has extensive experience representing management in employment litigation and administration actions; advising clients on personnel practices and policies, employment contracts and non-compete agreements; and conducting mediation and alternative dispute resolution. She graduated from Tulane University Law School in 1999. Norris is an experienced litigator who handles discrimination and harassment claims and disability accommodation issues. He also devotes a portion of his practice to non-competition agreements, non-solicitation agreements, employee raiding issues, trade secrets misappropriation and garnishment issues. Norris earned his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1995.

The Jackson law firm of Gilbert Russell McWherter PLC has announced that Clinton Hondo Scott has been named a partner in the firm and that Jessica Farris Salonus has joined the firm as an associate. Scott handles complex litigation with an emphasis on wage and hour and consumer class actions. He earned his law degree in 2003 from the University of Memphis Law School. Salonus is a 2009 graduate of the University of Memphis Law School. She will work primarily in the firm's civil litigation group.

Knoxville lawyer Mike Baisley has joined the firm of Hodges, Doughty & Carson PLLC where he will practice in the areas of  business and real estate transactions,  commercial law and construction law. Baisley formerly worked at Woolf, McClane, Bright, Allen & Carpenter PLLC.  He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2005.

The Nashville firm of Blackburn & McCune PLLC recently announced it would become Blackburn, McCune, Happell & Zenner PLLC with the addition of named partners Perry R. Happell and Mathew R. Zenner.

Three Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell PLC attorneys recently were named partners in the firm: Geoffrey A. Lindley and Craig P. Sanders in the Jackson office and Amanda C. Waddell in the Memphis office. Lindley focuses his practice in the areas of employment law litigation defense, workers' compensation and personal injury litigation. He joined the firm in 2001 after graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Sanders maintains a civil defense practice representing professionals and health care clients in professional liability and medical malpractice suits. Prior to joining the firm in 2003, he practiced law in Knoxville. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2002. Waddell focuses on medical malpractice, auto liability and insurance coverage cases. Prior to joining the firm, she practiced law for eight years in Hattiesburg, Miss., defending against mass tort medical device/pharmaceutical and medical malpractice claims. She received a law degree from the University of Mississippi in 1999.

Bass Berry & Sims PLC recently announced that two lawyers in its Memphis office have been named members in the firm: T. Gaillard "Gil" Uhlhorn V and Kristen C. Wright. Uhlhorn focuses his practice in the areas of commercial real estate, financial transactions, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate representation. He earned his law degree in 2000 from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Wright focuses her practice on complex commercial and bankruptcy litigation, emphasizing banking, intellectual property, technology and business restructuring. She also serves on the firm's Law School Recruiting and Professional Development committees. Wright is licensed to practice in both Tennessee and Arkansas. She earned her law degree from the University of Arkansas in 2001. (An item in the March 2010 issue incorrectly identified Wright as an associate.)

John W. Elder has been named a partner in the Knoxville law office of Paine, Tarwater and Bickers LLP. He began working at the firm immediately after graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2003. Elder focuses his practice in the areas of products liability, medical malpractice and toxic torts litigation. He is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association's 2010 Leadership Law Class and volunteers with Legal Aid of East Tennessee in Maryville.

Barbara Marie Penland Giles has joined the Nashville law firm of Spicer Rudstrom PLLC, where she will focus her practice in the areas of insurance defense and subrogation, pharmacy malpractice, workers' compensation, and premises, products and automobile liability. Prior to joining the firm, Giles served as a law clerk to 16th Judicial District Chancellor Robert E. Corlew III. Giles earned her law degree from the Nashville School of Law 2008.

Lawrence R. Ahern III, partner in the Nashville office of Burr & Forman LLP, has been elected to serve on the board of directors of the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors " a nationwide nonprofit serving the needs of business turnaround, restructuring and bankruptcy lawyers. Ahern focuses his practice in the areas of creditors' rights, bankruptcy, commercial finance and banking. He is the former chair of the TBA Commercial, Banking and Bankruptcy Law Section, former director of the American Bankruptcy Institute, and former director of the Turnaround Management Association as well as president of its Tennessee chapter. He serves as Adjunct Professor for Secured Transactions at Vanderbilt University Law School. He earned his law degree from the school in 1972.

Nashville lawyer Kara Shea has been appointed vice chair of the Labor & Employment Department at Miller & Martin PLLC where she represents employers in discrimination, retaliatory discharge, whistleblower and wage and hour cases before administrative agencies and in litigation. Shea also speaks and provides training on employment-related topics, conducts workplace investigations and implements employee discipline. She is co-author of a comprehensive guide to wage and hour compliance and is co-editor of the Tennessee Employment Law Letter. She earned her law degree from the Vanderbilt University Law School in 1996.

Nashville lawyers Donald I. N. McKenzie and Robert H. Laird Jr. recently announced the formation of McKenzie Laird PLLC in Green Hills. The new firm combines McKenzie's corporate, securities, mergers and acquisitions, and venture capital practice with Laird's general counsel experience. The firm will offer advice on general corporate law and governance matters, business transactions, capital raising, securities advice, and mergers and acquisitions. Lisa Bashinsky, who served in the law office of Donald I. N. McKenzie, continues as an associate with the new firm. The office is located at 4015 Hillsboro Pike, Suite 210, Nashville, TN 37215. It can be reached at (615) 297-7001 or www.mckenzielaird.com.

The East Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women has elected new officers and committee chairs. TBA members among them are: President Wynne du M. Caffey Hall with Paine, Tarwater & Bickers; President-elect Karen G. Crutchfield of Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan; Treasurer Betty James; TLAW Member at Large Donna Holt; Membership Chair Sharon G. Lee, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice; CLE Chair Leslie A. Muse with Butler, Vines and Babb; CLE Co-Chair Tasha C. Blakney with Eldridge & Blakney; and Community Outreach Chair Sharon D. Frankenberg. All are from Knoxville. In addition, Dawn Coppock of Strawberry Plains was named IOLTA chair.

Nashville lawyer W. W. Frank Wilbert has been named a member of Kay, Griffin, Enkema & Brothers PLLC, where he maintains a civil litigation practice with an emphasis on intellectual property and commercial litigation. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2003.

Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan PLLC has announced that Lynn V. Lawyer and Anthony M. Noel have been named members in the firm's Nashville office. Lawyer practices in the areas of general liability, labor and employment law, product liability and workers' compensation. She received her law degree from Southern Illinois University in 2002. Noel focuses his practice on labor and employment issues, workers' compensation, general liability and product liability. He has extensive experience counseling employers on compliance and litigation avoidance. He also helps clients draft personnel policies and employee handbooks. Noel graduated from the New England School of Law in 1997.

Memphis lawyer Louise Chandler has joined the law firm of HF Law Group PLLC.  She graduated from the University of Memphis School of Law in 2009. During her last year of law school, she clerked for Circuit Court Judge John R. McCarroll and completed an externship at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court with Judges David S. Kennedy and Paulette J. Delk. Chandler is a fourth-generation lawyer: her father John Wyeth Chandler Jr. is an attorney, her grandfather was former  Memphis mayor and judge John Wyeth Chandler Sr. and her great-grandfather was Walter Chandler, former mayor of Memphis and a U.S. congressman.

Local Bar Elections

The Cocke County Bar Association has elected officers for the new bar year. TBA members among them are President John Derreck Whitson with the Law Office of J. Derreck Whitson, Vice President Susan Joanne Sheldon and Treasurer Jeffrey S. Greene with McSween & McSween. All are from Newport.

The Dickson County Bar Association has elected new officers: Timothy V. Potter is the new president, while Hilary H. Duke is now secretary and treasurer. Both are with the Dickson law firm of Reynolds, Potter, Ragan & Vandivort.

The Loudon County Bar Association recently elected new officers. TBA members among them are President Arthur Wayne Henry of Loudon, Secretary Sherri Alley with Kizer & Black in Maryville and Treasurer Robert Hinton with Sproul & Hinton in Lenoir City.

New officers of the Rutherford Cannon County Bar Association were sworn in on Feb. 27. TBA members among them are President R. Timothy Hogan and Vice President Thomas S. Santel Jr. with Cope, Hudson, Scarlett, Reed & McCreary. Both practice law in Murfreesboro.

The Sevier County Bar Association has elected new officers for the year. Scott D. Hall of Sevierville is president, C. Dan Scott of Seymour is vice president and Jeff Stern of Sevierville is secretary/treasurer.

The Robertson County Bar Association has elected a new president and vice resident. Frederic Lee Borthick Jr. with the Law Office of Lee Borthick has been named president, while Jennifer Evans is now vice president. Both are from Springfield.

Passages

Former Memphis civil rights lawyer, author and union leader BETH SHULMAN died Feb. 5 in Washington D.C. of complications from brain cancer. She was 60. Shulman, a former vice president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), was a leading advocate for addressing low-wage workers' issues, including minimum wage, paid sick days and paid family leave. She earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1974 and then moved to Tennessee to clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Robert McRae Jr. in the Western District of Tennessee. She later joined a Memphis civil rights law firm where she worked on employment discrimination and school desegregation cases. Shulman became assistant general counsel at UFCW in 1976 and worked for the union until 2000. She served on multiple boards, including those of the National Employment Law Project and the Center for Economic and Policy Research and was a senior fellow at Demos, a nonpartisan public policy research and advocacy organization.

DOROTHY G. CONWAY, 84, died Feb. 17 in Irving, Texas, after having moved there just six months prior. A native of DeRidder, La., Conway earned her law degree from the Nashville School of Law and was licensed in Tennessee in 1981.

General Sessions Court Judge Dan Eisenstein, who presides over the Davidson County Mental Health Court, recently recognized and thanked representatives of Subway Development of Tennessee for the company's donation of Subway restaurant gift cards to the Mental Health Court's probation treatment program. The gift cards are used as rewards for those who excel in the program. From left: Former court officer and Nashville School of Law student Barry Gearon; Tana Artussee, field consultant with Subway Development; Judge Eisenstein; and Tom Nolen, development agent for Subway Development.

Nashville lawyer William L. "Chip" Campbell Jr. has been named a member of the law firm of Riley Warnock & Jacobson PLC. Campbell focuses his practice on commercial litigation and employment law. He graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2001. Prior to attending law school, he served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis PLLC has named five new partners in its Nashville office. Rebekah Ellen Fisher practices real estate law with experience in shopping center leasing and commercial lending. Prior to joining the firm, she was an associate with the Cincinnati law firm of Dinsmore & Shohl and an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Fisher earned her law degree in 2002 from the University of Cincinnati. Jessica Green Gichner practices in the areas of commercial lending, mergers and acquisitions and securities. She also serves on the firm's Diversity Committee and is a member of Leadership Health Care. She received her law degree from Vanderbilt University in 2002. Shannon Leigh Goff practices tax law, including ERISA, employee benefits, incentive plans, ESOPs and executive compensation. She is also a member of the firm's Women's Initiative Committee. Goff earned an international master of business administration and a law degree from the University of South Carolina in 2002, and a master of laws in taxation in 2003 from New York University.

J. Kevin Kidd practices in the areas of financial services, electronic payment transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and financial institution regulation. He also is a member of the Electronic Transaction Association where he serves on the Government Relations Committee. He earned his law degree in 2002 from the University of Kentucky. Katie Grainer Stenberg practices in the areas of corporate restructuring, creditors' rights, commercial transactions and commercial litigation for clients in the health care, aviation and real estate industries. Previously, she was counsel for commercial operations at GE-Aviation in Cincinnati. Stenberg graduated with a law degree in 2002 from the University of Cincinnati.

The Montgomery County Bar Association recently elected officers for 2010. TBA members among them are President Sheri Sensing Phillips with the Law Office of Olson & Phillips and Vice President Julia North with Rassas North & Associates. Both are from Clarksville.

The Rochester, N.Y., law firm of Harter Secrest & Emery LLP has announced that John Mueller has joined the firm's litigation practice as an associate attorney. Mueller will focus on commercial litigation, bankruptcy and creditors' rights. His areas of experience include preference actions, commercial loan transactions, lien rights, and sureties and bonds. He also has experience with construction-based alternative dispute resolution. Mueller previously worked at Smythe Puryear & Robertson in Nashville but now resides in Buffalo, N.Y. He earned his law degree in 2003 from DePaul University.

Nashville attorney John L. Farringer IV has been named a member of the law firm Sherrard & Roe PLC. He joined the firm's Litigation Practice Group in 2008 and has focused his practice on business, commercial and tort litigation. Prior to joining the firm he served as law clerk to Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Wiseman Jr. in the Middle District of Tennessee. Farringer received his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2002.

The Arkansas-based firm of Wilson & Associates PLLC has announced two new partners: Joel W. Giddens and J. Skipper Ray. Giddens, a native of Shreveport, La., is the firm's bankruptcy attorney in Memphis. He also is chair of the Memphis Bar Association Bankruptcy Section. Giddens earned a master's degree in 1991 and law degree in 1994 from the University of Memphis. Ray, a native of North Little Rock, Ark., practices in the areas of foreclosure, eviction and title law. He is the supervising attorney for the firm's Closing Commitment & Curative, Title Policy, and Eviction departments. He earned his law degree in 2000 from the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Wilson & Associates PLLC serves clients in Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville as well as three locations in Arkansas.

The Chattanooga Bar Association has elected new officers and board members. The new president is John Tate Rice with law firm of John T. Rice PC, a general litigation practice with an emphasis on civil defense. Rice is a Rule 31 certified mediator and a 1974 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Other officers are President-elect Ira M. Long Jr. with Weill & Long PLLC; Secretary/Treasurer Robin L. Miller with Gearhiser, Peters, Cavett, Elliott & Cannon PLLC; and Immediate Past President Barry A. Steelman, Division 1 Criminal Court judge. Members of the Board of Governors are: Rosemarie Bryan with Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC; H. Dean Clements with Spears, Moore, Rebman & Williams PC; B. Paul Hatcher with Duncan Hatcher & Hixson PC; Timothy L. Mickel with Husch, Blackwell & Sanders LLP; M. Craig Smith with Miller & Martin PLLC; and YLD President Jason Demastus with Kennedy, Koontz & Fairnash.      

The law firm of Miller & Martin PLLC recently announced the naming of new partners in Chattanooga, the addition of three new associates and the presentation of an award to the firm chairman.

In the Chattanooga office, two attorneys " Matt Bell and Alison Martin " have been named to member status. Bell focuses his practice in business law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions and procurement. He received his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in 2002. Martin works in the area of civil litigation with an emphasis on health care issues, including risk management, liability defense, credentialing and peer review. She also represents clients in contract and business dissolution disputes, personal injury defense and railroad litigation. She graduated from Washington & Lee School of Law in 2002.

In the Nashville office Andrew D. Oldham and Kyle A. Young recently joined the firm as associate attorneys. Oldham graduated in 2009 from the University of Tennessee College of Law, where he was articles editor for the Tennessee Law Review and a student editor for Transactions: Tennessee Journal of Business Law. He will practice in the corporate department, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, securities and general corporate law. Young, a 2009 graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law, joins the firm's Labor & Employment Department. In law school, he was articles and notes editor of the North Carolina Banking Institute Journal and a member of the Dean's Advisory Council. Rebecca Bumgarner Rojas, who spent two summers clerking for the firm, has joined its Chattanooga office. She will focus on health care, immigration, business transactions, and mergers and acquisitions. Rojas earned her law degree in 2009 from the University of Tennessee College of Law, where she worked as a research assistant and volunteered with the university's immigration clinic.

Finally, the firm announced that firm Chairman Melvin J. Malone was awarded the J.C. Napier Trailblazer Award for Commitment to Excellence by the Napier-Looby Bar Foundation. The award is given annually to a member of the association who exemplifies courage and fortitude in the practice of law while "blazing a trail" of excellence for the larger legal community. Malone was named chairman of the firm in November 2009 after serving as managing member of the Nashville office.

Elizabeth Washko has been named managing shareholder of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart's Nashville office. She takes over from Tom Davis, who, after five years in the position, has been named leader of the firm's Traditional Labor Practice Group. In her new role, Washko will be responsible for the leadership, growth and day-to-day operation of the office. Washko's practice has focused on litigation of employment issues including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, Family and Medical Leave Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, wrongful termination, breach of contract and covenant not to compete. She also conducts training on employment issues, drafts and reviews employment policies and agreements, and conducts harassment investigations for employers. She earned her law degree in 1993 from Rutgers University.

Nashville lawyers Joshua Lindsey and Christy Sawyer recently established the law firm of Lindsey & Sawyer PLLC. Prior to launching the new firm, Lindsey practiced at Bass, Berry & Sims PLC and Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis LLP. He earned his law degree in 1997 from the Tulane University School of Law. Sawyer previously practiced with Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis LLP and served as in-house counsel for Comdata Corporation and Affinion Benefits Group. She earned her law degree in 1998 from the University of Tennessee College of Law. The firm is located in Suite 1850 of the Nashville City Center, 511 Union Street, Nashville, TN 37219.

Patrick D. Witherington has been named a member in the Nashville law firm of Howell & Fisher PLLC, where he practices in the area of civil litigation. Witherington joined the firm in 2003. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2002.

The Paris-Henry County Bar Association recently elected Beth F. Belew as its new president. Belew works at the Paris firm of Ainley, Hoover, Clark & Hoover PLLC where she handles workers' compensation, personal injury, family, juvenile and Social Security disability cases. She earned her law degree from the Nashville School of Law.

Brentwood attorney and architect Andrew Collignon recently announced the opening of Starting Point Health Facility Planning LLC, where he will provide facility planning, design and certificate-of-need consulting services for health care organizations in Tennessee and across the country. He earned his architecture degree from the University of Kentucky in 1993 and his law degree from the Nashville School of Law in 2001. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and is LEED accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Lawrence "Larry" Magdovitz II recently was elected to a three-year term on the Mississippi Bar Board of Commissioners " the governing body of the bar. He will serve as commissioner for the 11th Circuit District.

Cheyanne K. Mahoney has joined the Nashville law firm of MGLAW PLLC as an associate. She will practice in the areas of business litigation and business law. She is a 2009 graduate of the Vanderbilt University Law School.

Passages

SUSAN KATE COLLINS of Memphis died on Feb. 2. She was 62. A 1982 graduate of the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, Collins practiced law in Illinois and Ohio and was licensed to practice in Tennessee in 2003. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

EMMETT JAMES HOUSE died on Dec. 7, 2009. He was 73 years old. House graduated from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1967 and worked for Union Planters Corporation in Memphis.

MELVIN FLEISCHER of Memphis died Jan. 21 after an extended illness. He was 79. He graduated from Vanderbilt Law School in 1959. He practiced law for 40 years. He handled a variety of civil matters during his practice. Charitable donations can be made to charity of the donor's choice.

Pera nominated ABA treasurer

The American Bar Association announced nominations for key posts at its 2010 Midyear Meeting in Orlando, Fla., including Lucian Pera of Memphis to be treasurer. The ABA House of Delegates will hold elections in August at the 2010 ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Pera would be elected to serve as treasurer for a three-year term beginning at the conclusion of the 2011 Annual Meeting until the close of the ABA Annual Meeting in August 2014.

Pera is a partner in the litigation practice group of Adams & Reese in Memphis. He has served on the ABA Board of Governors, in the ABA House of Delegates and as a member of the Ethics 2000 Special Committee.

Find out about more actions taken by the ABA House http://www.abanow.org/

Nashville lawyer and Adams and Reese LLP partner Gif Thornton has been elected to a one-year term as chair of the firm's executive committee. In this role, he will oversee the strategic operations of the firm and its 12 offices. Thornton practices on the firm's governmental relations team and serves as legislative counsel to a number of businesses, trade associations and governmental entities. He also represents clients before local, state and federal regulatory boards and administrative agencies. He has extensive experience in the areas of public utilities, telecommunications, energy, health care, insurance, transportation and public safety.

Memphis lawyer James B. McLaren has been named group leader for Adam and Reese's Transactions and Corporate Advisory Services Practice Group. In this capacity, he will oversee the firm's work on banking and finance, commercial restructuring and bankruptcy, corporate, securities, mergers and acquisitions, economic development, forestry, public finance, real estate, stimulus work and tax law. In his own practice, McLaren focuses on economic development, public finance, real estate development, commercial lending, and mergers and acquisitions. He is also a leader of the group's Economic Development Practice Team and a member of the group's Public Finance Practice Team.

In other news from the firm, Adams and Reese recently announced it has expanded into the state of Florida, adding new offices in St. Petersburg and Sarasota formerly with the law firm of Ruden McClosky.

The Nashville Bar Association installed new officers and board members at its annual meeting on Dec. 3. TBA members among them are President Jonathan Cole, Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC; President-elect Robert J. Mendes, MGLAW PLLC; Secretary Yanika Smith-Bartley, Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC; First Vice President Martha Boyd, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP; and Second Vice President Anne Arney, Traugher & Tuke. New board members are Rebecca Blair, Day & Blair; Barbara Holmes, Harwell, Howard, Hyde, Gabbert & Manner PC; 20th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge (David) Randy Kennedy; Thomas Sherrard, Sherrard & Roe PLC; Marietta Shipley, The Mediation Group of Tennessee LLC; and Amanda Haynes Young with Miller & Martin PLLC.

As of Jan.1, the Chattanooga law firm of Gearhiser, Peters, Lockaby, Cavett & Elliott PLLC changed its name to Gearhiser, Peters, Cavett, Elliott & Cannon PLLC. The firm also announced that David G. McDowell has become a member of the firm and former member Robert L. Lockaby Jr. has become of counsel.

Stites & Harbison PLLC has named James "Randy" Michels as a member in its Nashville office. Previously an associate with the firm's Intellectual Property & Technology Service Group, Michels will continue to focus on the litigation of patents, copyrights and trademarks. Michels earned his law degree in 2001 from Vanderbilt University Law School.

The law firm of Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin PLLC has named Scott Derrick as its new managing partner. In this capacity, Derrick will chair the Firm Committee, which provides leadership and strategic direction for the firm. Derrick has been with Gullett Sanford since 1987 and most recently served as leader of the Litigation Practice Section. He practices in the areas of business, real estate and commercial landlord/tenant litigation; personal injury defense of railroad, trucking and bus clients; and administrative proceedings before state agencies. Derrick earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1979. He succeeds George Crawford Jr. who served as managing partner for 11 years.

The Mississippi-based firm of Wilkins, Stephens & Tipton changed its name effective Jan. 5 to Wilkins Tipton PA. In addition to offices in Jackson and Greenville, Miss., the firm maintains an office in Nashville. Its areas of practice include the defense of health care, insurance, premises liability, commercial, workers' compensation, and automobile and trucking liability claims. Jay R. McLemore is the managing member of the Nashville office and is joined there by associate David M. Eaton.

The Washington County Bar Association recently installed new officers for 2010. J. Matthew Bolton with Herndon, Coleman, Brading & McKee is president, while solo practitioner Stephanie A. Sherwood is vice president. Both are from Johnson City.

Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan PLLC has named Lynn V. Lawyer and Anthony M. Noel members of the firm. Both are located in the Nashville office. Lawyer received her law degree from Southern Illinois University in 2002. Her practice emphasizes general liability, labor and employment law, product liability and workers' compensation. Noel earned his law degree from the New England School of Law in 1997. His practice focuses on labor and employment issues, general liability, workers' compensation and product liability. He also helps client companies draft personnel policies and employee handbooks.

Chief Deputy Knox County Law Director Joseph G. Jarret has been elected president of the Tennessee Valley Mediation Association. He also recently presented "The Ethical & Legal Challenges of Public Sector Mediation" and published "Animal Control Liability" in Public Risk Journal.

Orlando lawyer Samuel P. King received the Pursuit of Justice Award from the American Bar Association Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section during the group's meeting in February. The award recognizes lawyers and judges who have shown outstanding merit and who excel in providing access to justice for all. King practices at Dellecker, Wilson, King, McKenna & Ruffier LLP and focuses in the areas of automobile negligence, personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, insurance coverage and insurance bad faith.

The Maury County Bar Association has named two new leaders: President Dalton Mounger, a solo practioner, and Vice President Ed Lancaster, an attorney with the Tennessee Farm Bureau. Both are from Columbia.

Knoxville lawyer Dalton L. Townsend has been named the new chair of the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization. Townsend practices with Hodges, Doughty & Carson in the areas of civil and commercial litigation, torts and products liability. A former chair of the Tennessee Bar Foundation and member of the Knoxville Bar Association Board of Governors, Townsend earned his law degree in 1967 from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Nashville mediator Marnie Huff has been appointed as a liaison from the American Bar Association (ABA) Dispute Resolution Section to the ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20. Created by ABA President Carolyn B. Lamm in 2009, the ethics commission will perform a thorough review of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the U.S. system of lawyer regulation in the context of advances in technology and global legal practice. The commission held its first public hearing in February at the ABA midyear meeting.

FORTUNE Magazine released its annual list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in January and Tennessee law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC debuted on the list at number 77. It was the only law firm in the state " and only one of six firms nationwide " to be recognized. This year's list focused on hiring practices and the ways companies helped employees weather the recession. In addition, the magazine named Baker Donelson the top paying company on the list. The study found that the firm provides above-average compensation to shareholders, lawyers, legal secretaries and paralegals.

Paula D. Walker has joined the company Sitel as vice president and employment counsel for the Americas, Asia and Pacific. Sitel is a Nashville-based global business process outsourcing leader with associates in 27 countries. Walker previously was a partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP.

Kristen Collier Wright has joined the Memphis office of Bass Berry & Sims PLC as an associate. She will focus her practice on complex commercial and bankruptcy litigation, emphasizing banking, intellectual property, technology and business restructuring. She also serves on the firm's Law School Recruiting and Professional Development committees. Wright is licensed to practice in both Tennessee and Arkansas. She earned her law degree from the University of Arkansas in 2001.

The Association for Women Attorneys (AWA) held its annual banquet Jan. 21 at the Racquet Club in Memphis. During the evening, the association inducted new officers, presented its annual award and granted law school scholarships to several young women. The association's new leaders are: President Michele Howard-Flynn, a principal of The Howard-Flynn Law Group; President-elect Lucie Brackin with The Landers Firm; Vice President Emily Taube with Adams and Reese LLP; Immediate Past President Jennifer Hagerman with Burch, Porter & Johnson PLLC; Secretary Jennifer Himes with Hale, Dewey & Knight PLLC; and Historian Ashley Martin with Harris, Shelton, Hanover Walsh PLLC. All are from Memphis and were inducted into office by Circuit Court Judge Lorrie K. Ridder. The AWA presented its premier award, the Marion Griffin-Frances Loring Award, to University of Memphis law professor Janet L. Richards " the first woman to achieve professor status at the school. University of Memphis law student and TBA member Diana Comes received the association's $2,000 Dorothy Osradker Memorial Scholarship.

The Napier-Looby Bar Association and its foundation elected new officers and board members at its annual meeting in January. Solo practioner Will Stover was named president of the association, after serving as president-elect last year. Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC lawyer L. Nicole James was elected president-elect and will automatically assume the office of president in 2011. David E. Green with Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP was elected treasurer and Shameak Belvitt with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC was elected secretary. TBA members now serving on the association's board of directors are: Andrea Perry with Bone McAllester Norton PLLC and Brian Winfrey with the Tennessee Department of Labor.

The group also elected board members for the Napier-Looby Bar Foundation. TBA members among them are: Shameak Belvitt, Isaac Conner with Manson Johnson Stewart & Associates, Nashville Public Defender Dawn Deaner and Charles Traughber with Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis LLP.

J. David Wicker has joined the Nashville law firm of Corbett Crockett where he will focus on business litigation and corporate and commercial transactions. Wicker has been practicing as a trial lawyer in Nashville for the past five years handling criminal, general business and tort litigation in state and federal courts. He earned his law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 2003.

The Nashville law firm of Trauger & Tuke has been accepted into membership by the International Society of Primerus Law Firms, an alliance of small to medium-size, independent law firms. The firm joins 140 others located across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom that are screened each year for their commitment in six key areas; integrity, reasonable fees, continuing education, civility, community service and excellent work product.

The law firm of Mudter, Morgan, Patterson & Akins recently announced the addition of three new attorneys to its Nashville office: Kelly E. Bacon, Richard R. Clark Jr. and Theresa M. Colwell. Bacon earned her law degree in 2009 from the University of Tennessee College of Law. She will practice in the areas of civil litigation, real estate and transactional law. Clark, who received his law degree in 2009 from the University of Memphis School of Law, will focus on civil litigation. Colwell earned her law degree in 2007 from the University of Baltimore School of Law. She will focus her work on civil litigation and wills and trusts.

The Blount County Bar Association recently elected Diane Hicks with Goddard & Hicks in Maryville as president. Hicks earned her law degree in 1988 from the University of Miami Law School in 1988. She was licensed to practice in Tennessee in 2005.

The Tennessee Bar Foundation inducted 35 new fellows during its annual meeting in January. TBA members among the group are:

Chattanooga: Dana B. Perry with Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC.
Clarksville: Roger A. Maness with Marks, Shell & Maness.
Dunlap: Solo practioner Stephen T. Greer.
Dyersburg: James A. Hamilton with Jones, Hamilton & Lay PLC and Douglas W. Wilkerson with Wilkerson, Gauldin, Hayes & Jenkins.
Franklin: Solo practioner Joseph D. Baugh and Michael W. Binkley with Schell Binkley & Davies LLC.
Knoxville: W. Dale Amburn and Heidi A. Barcus of London & Amburn PC, Douglas A. Blaze with the University of Tennessee College of Law, David M. Eldridge with Eldridge & Blakney PC, Leslie A. Muse with Butler, Vines & Babb and Clarence Risin with Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC.
Lawrenceburg: Solo practioner David L. Allen and Ben Boston with Boston, Holt, Sockwell & Durham PLLC.
Memphis: Jerome A. Broadhurst with Apperson, Crump & Maxwell PLC, Jennifer S. Hagerman with Burch Porter & Johnson PLLC, Jonathan C. Hancock with Glankler Brown PLLC, Jay W. Kiesewetter with Kiesewetter Wise Kaplan Prather PLC, Lancelot L. Minor III with Bourland Heflin Alvarez Minor & Matthews PLC, Mark Vorder-Bruegge Jr. with Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs LLP and C. Barry Ward with Ballin, Ballin & Fishman PC.
Nashville: Larry W. Bridgesmith with Miller & Martin PLLC, Julie Murphy Burnstein with Leader Bulso Nolan & Burnstein PLC, James A. Crumlin Jr. with Bone McAllester Norton PLLC, Margaret M. Huff with Margaret Huff Mediation, C. Bennett Harrison Jr. with Cornelius & Collins LLP, Trey Harwell with Neal & Harwell PLC, Barbara J. Perutelli with Schulman, LeRoy & Bennett PC, Jane Branstetter Stranch with Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings PLLC and John C. Tishler with Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP.

Nashville lawyer Christy Sawyer recently opened   Lindsey & Sawyer PLLC, where she will focus on family and business law matters. Prior to starting the firm, Sawyer practiced with Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis and served as in-house counsel for Comdata Corporation and Affinion Benefits Group. She earned her law degree in 1998 from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Nashville lawyer Ed Lanquist has been elected president and managing partner of Waddey & Patterson PC. He succeeds Jack Waddey and Mark Patterson, the founders of the firm, who will focus exclusively on their intellectual property law practice. Lanquist, who was the firm's first associate, is a registered patent attorney. He will continue to handle patent and trademark litigation and intellectual property counseling. Lanquist earned civil engineering and law degrees from the University of Tennessee. He is a former president of the Tennessee Intellectual Property Law Association, chair of the Nashville Bar Association Intellectual Property Committee and chair of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division's Patent, Copyright & Trademark Committee.

Jason K. Murrie, formerly of Bowling Green, Ky., has joined the Nashville firm of Cornelius & Collins LLP as an associate. He will continue to practice in the area of general civil litigation with a focus on tort and insurance defense, medical malpractice defense, personal injury and workers' compensation. Murrie earned his law degree in 2006 from the University of Louisville and is licensed to practice in Tennessee and Kentucky. He previously worked for the Bowling Green law firm of Kerrick, Stivers, Coyle & Van Zant PLLC.

Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell PLC recently welcomed three new associates to its west Tennessee offices. Joshua B. Dougan, who focuses his practice in the areas of tort and insurance defense and workers' compensation, joined the firm's Jackson office, while Cory A. Brown and Michael Burnett Joiner were hired for the firm's Memphis office. Brown focuses his practice in the areas of transactional, health care, business and commercial law. Joiner works in the areas of litigation, employment law, insurance coverage and general insurance defense.

Jackson, Miss., lawyer Stephanie M. Rippee has been selected as a fellow in the American Bar Foundation. Rippee, a shareholder with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC, is one of only 60 Mississippi attorneys to be inducted. Rippee earned her law degree from the Vanderbilt University School of Law. She focuses her defense practice on the litigation of products liability and commercial claims and has significant experience defending complex mass tort litigation.

The Clarksville law firm of Patton & Pittman has named B. Nathan Hunt a partner in the firm. Hunt, who has been an associate with the firm for five years, practices in the areas of criminal defense litigation, estate planning, probate and general civil litigation. He graduated from the University of Memphis School of Law in 2004.

Memphis attorney Laurie M. Thornton has received her firm's annual Frank J. Glankler Jr. Pro Bono Award for the second year in a row. Thornton, who serves with Glankler Brown, completed more than 40 hours of free legal services this past year. At Glankler Brown, she focuses her practice in residential and commercial real estate law. Prior to joining the firm, she worked for a Memphis charitable organization, and as a prosecuting attorney and public defender for Shelby County. The Glankler Pro Bono Award is given in memory of the firm's founding partner who was a strong supporter of pro bono efforts.

Chattanooga firm Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC has named Justin B. Hosie as a shareholder. A member of the firm's Consumer Finance Group, Hosie advises clients on federal and state financial services laws, lending laws, privacy laws and discrimination laws. He earned his law degree in 2003 from Stetson University College of Law.

The Nashville office of Miller & Martin has named James A. Beakes III a member of the firm. Beakes, who serves on the firm's general litigation team, represents clients in a broad range of litigation matters including personal injury, products liability, transportation, medical malpractice, pharmaceuticals and medical device cases. He earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2002.
       
The office also recently announced that T. Wayne Hood has joined the firm as of counsel. As a member of the Financial Institutions Practice Group, Hood will focus his work in the area of consumer compliance and regulated financial institutions. Hood began his legal career in 1987 as associate counsel with National Bank of Commerce in Memphis, where he also served as the company's consumer compliance officer. In 1989, he made a lateral move to Great Western Consumer Finance Group, and in 1993, was named senior vice president and general counsel for the Bank of Nashville. Hood is past chair of the Tennessee Bankers Association's Bank Lawyers Committee and is a certified regulatory compliance manager. He earned his law degree in 1987 from the University of Mississippi School of Law.
  
Memphis lawyer James B. McLaren has been named group leader for Adam and Reese's Transactions and Corporate Advisory Services Practice Group. In this capacity, he will oversee the firm's work on banking and finance, commercial restructuring and bankruptcy, corporate, securities, mergers and acquisitions, economic development, forestry, public finance, real estate, stimulus work and tax law. In his own practice, McLaren focuses on economic development, public finance, real estate development, commercial lending, and mergers and acquisitions. He is also a leader of the group's Economic Development Practice Team and a member of the group's Public Finance Practice Team.

The Nashville Bar Association installed new officers and board members at its annual meeting on Dec. 3. TBA members among them are President Jonathan Cole, Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC; President-elect Robert J. Mendes, MGLAW PLLC; Secretary Yanika Smith-Bartley, Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC; First Vice President Martha Boyd, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings; and Second Vice President Anne Arney, Traugher & Tuke. New board members are Rebecca Blair, Day & Blair; Barbara Holmes, Harwell, Howard, Hyde, Gabbert & Manner PC; 20th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge (David) Randy Kennedy; Thomas Sherrard, Sherrard & Roe PLC; Marietta Shipley, The Mediation Group of Tennessee LLC; and Amanda Haynes Young with Miller & Martin PLLC.

Passages

Knoxville lawyer LAWRENCE E. AULT died Dec. 21 at the age of 61. A 1980 graduate of the Nashville School of Law, Ault worked at Reischling Ault Webber Beasfield & Looper, where he focused on collections and personal injury cases. He also served as the attorney for the local Shriner's organization, Kerbela Temple. Ault received many awards and recognitions during his career including the prestigious award of Knoxville's Top Lawyer for 2009, presented to him this past October. Ault was active in the Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) and members of the KBA served as honorary pallbearers during his funeral service. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be donated to InterFaith Health Clinic, 315 Gill Ave., Knoxville 37917 or Kerbela Temple, 315 Mimosa Ave., Knoxville 37920.

RUSSELL C. HINSON, 83, formerly of Chattanooga, died Dec. 13 in Duluth, Ga. Hinson practiced law in Chattanooga from 1957 to 1962 when he was appointed to the Hamilton County General Sessions Court. He retired from the court in 1996 and relocated to Georgia in 2004 to be near family. Hinson earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1951, served in World War II and worked as an adjunct professor of criminal justice at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for many years. The family suggests that memorial donations be made to the Brainerd Church of Christ, 4203 Brainerd Road, Chattanooga 37411.

Knoxville lawyer TED H. LOWE SR. died Dec. 27 at age 78 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident earlier that month. Lowe worked as a certified public accountant after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He later put himself through law school at the University of Tennessee while teaching accounting courses. He began practicing law in 1966 with lawyer Ray H. Jenkins and remained with that firm for nearly 20 years. He was in private practice at the time of his death. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Home Federal Bank to endow a scholarship for an underprivileged student in Little Pine, N.C.

Former TBA president and Memphis attorney W. EMMETT MARSTON, 81, died Jan. 7. A director and shareholder at Martin Tate Morrow & Marston PC, Marston practiced in the area of commercial real estate and was a Rule 31 Mediator. His accomplishments included service as chair of the state CLE Commission, chair of the Tennessee Supreme Court's Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission, president of the Memphis Bar Association, and president of the Tennessee Bar Association. Marston also was active in the American Bar Association, serving as a member of the House of Delegates, committee chair and state chair of the American Bar Foundation. He graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1953.

Chattanooga lawyer JOHN RICHARD "RICK" SCARBOROUGH SR. died Jan. 2 at age 61. Scarborough worked as an attorney for 30 years and at the time of his death was a partner with the firm of Scarborough, Fulton & Glass PC. He earned his law degree in 1976 from the University of Tennessee College of Law. The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to Brainerd Presbyterian Church, 1624 Jenkins Road, Chattanooga 37421 or to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 404 BNA Drive, Suite 102, Nashville 37217.  

The Knoxville law firm of Holbrook Peterson & Smith PLLC has added Heather K. Craig and William D. Edwards to the firm as associates. Craig earned her law degree in 2008 from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Edwards graduated from Mississippi College School of Law in 2008 and earned a master of laws from Washington University School of Law.

Chattanooga native and attorney Melvin J. Malone has been named the first African-American chair of Miller & Martin PLLC. Malone, who is a partner at the firm, succeeds Howard I. Levine who served as chairman from 2002 to 2009. Malone joined the firm seven years ago and has served in the Telecommunications & Utilities, Government Relations and Litigation practice groups. Prior to joining Miller & Martin, Malone was deputy legal counsel to Gov. Don Sundquist and commissioner of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority. Malone earned his law degree in 1989 from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Daniel B. Gilmore has joined the Chattanooga office of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC, where he will practice labor and employment law. He previously practiced law in Chattanooga and Los Angeles, and in Nashville as a member of Miller & Martin PLLC. Gilmore is a former judge advocate and chief trial counsel with the U.S. Marine Corps. He earned his law degree from Baylor University in 1986.

Ross Booher and R. Dale Grimes, both members with Bass, Berry & Sims PLC, have assumed leadership roles in Lex Mundi, an association of independent law firms. Booher has been named North America regional vice-chair for the Business Crimes and Compliance Practice Group. Grimes, who leads the firm's Antitrust and Trade Practices Group, has been named North America regional vice-chair for the Antitrust, Competition and Trade Practice Group. They join firm colleagues Angela Humphreys, who is North America regional vice-chair for the Health Care Industries Practice Group and Keith Simmons, who is on the organization's executive committee.

Carol Owen, partner at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP in Nashville, was named a finalist for the 6th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business in the "Mentor of the Year" category this fall. Owen was recognized for her work developing the Women's Roundtable " a national organization providing career support and networking for female attorneys. Owen launched the roundtable with a three-day forum that brought together female lawyers from across the country.

Johnson City lawyer Jason M. Ensley recently announced the opening of the Ensley Law Firm, where he will represent clients in the areas of employment law, workers' compensation, premises liability and general civil litigation. Ensley previously practiced for seven years in the Labor & Employment Group at Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz. He is a Rule 31 General Civil Mediator and a member of the editorial advisory board for the Tennessee Workers' Comp Reporter.

Marlene Eskind Moses has been elected president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers " a national organization of divorce and family lawyers. She also holds the distinction of being the first Tennessee attorney to be named president of the group. She previously served as vice-president, parliamentarian and board of governors member for the academy. Moses is principal and manager at Moses & Townsend PLLC, a family and divorce law firm in Nashville. She is a family law trial specialist and currently serves as vice president for the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

Memphis lawyer Miles Mason of Crone & Mason PLC and Knoxville lawyer Robert Vance of Lattimore
Black Morgan & Cain recently conducted a workshop at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' National Business Valuation Conference. The topic of their presentation was "Mock Deposition for a Business Valuation Engagement."

Nashville attorney Phillip Miller has developed a program to help attorneys read involuntary facial microexpressions that can reveal a person's true emotions. He also served as course advisor for a leading expert on the topic, who presented the material to American lawyers for the first time at an American Association for Justice (AAJ) conference this fall. Miller is a member of the AAJ's National College of Advocacy Board of Trustees and a frequent speaker for the group. He also is a certified trial specialist of the National Board of Trial Advocacy and president-elect of the Tennessee Association for Justice. He holds a masters in public administration from Pennsylvania State University and a law degree from the Nashville School of Law.

Frost Brown Todd recently announced that Bobby Guy has joined the firm's Nashville office where he will focus on business bankruptcy, workouts and distressed acquisitions. Guy has served as debtors' counsel in numerous cases and buyers' counsel for multiple private equity fund purchases of bankrupt companies. He is board certified in business bankruptcy law by the American Board of Certification and has numerous years of experience handling health care insolvencies. Guy earned his law degree in 1994 from the Vanderbilt University Law School.

The Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization has certified William D. Domico as a medical malpractice specialist. Domico, a founding partner of Domico Kyle PLLC in Memphis, practices in the areas of medical malpractice defense, medical product liability, nursing home defense and environmental law. He earned a master's degree from Tulane University in 1978, a doctorate from Florida State University in 1981 and a law degree from the University of Memphis in 1989.

Murfreesboro city attorney Susan Emery McGannon has been elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA) and has been recertified by the organization as a Local Government Fellow in recognition of her continuing excellence in the practice of local government law. She was first certified in 1999 and is the only Tennessean to hold this distinction. IMLA consists of more than 2,500 local governments throughout the United States and Canada and provides educational programs, publications and legal advocacy in the appellate courts.

TBA Task Force on Judicial Conduct Rules Named

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Pamela L. Reeves, of the Knoxville law firm Reeves, Herbert & Murrian PA, was recently installed as president of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators, an association of 150 dispute resolution professionals from across the country. Reeves, who was the first female president of the Tennessee Bar Association in 1998, is now the first woman to serve as president of the college.

The Nashville law firm of Williams & Prochaska PC has named Victoria A. Ferraro as a partner in the firm. Ferraro, who has been with the firm since 2002, practices in the areas of creditors' rights, collection, repossession and foreclosure. She earned her law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 2000.

Adams and Reese LLP recently announced that two of its partners have been appointed to leadership positions with other organizations. Nashville lawyer Sam Bartholomew has been appointed to the Fort Campbell Historical Foundation's board, while Memphis lawyer Lucian Pera has been appointed as a special advisor to the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Strategic Communications. Bartholomew has a broad practice including corporate, health care and aviation law, as well as governmental relations and economic development. Pera practices primarily in the civil trial arena. He also has a growing practice counseling and representing lawyers, law firms and others on questions of legal ethics and the professional responsibility of lawyers.

Matthew Thornton, a member of Bourland, Heflin, Alvarez, Minor & Matthews PLC in Memphis, has become a Rule 31 listed General Civil Mediator. Thornton focuses his law practice in probate and real estate matters.

Memphis lawyer Richard Carter has been chosen president of the alumni chapter of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. A 1980 law graduate, Carter is director and shareholder of the Memphis law firm Martin Tate Morrow & Marston PC. He will serve a one-year term. New alumni board members also have been named. Among them are TBA members Todd Presnell of Miller & Martin PLLC in Nashville (class of 1995) and John Winters of Kramer Rayson LLP in Knoxville (class of 1993). They each will serve a three-year term.

The Williamson County Bar Association has elected new officers for the bar year. TBA members among the group are President Jackson M. Welch Jr., with Sidwell, Barrett & Welch PC, and Vice President and President-elect Kim Helper, District Attorney General for the 21st Judicial District. Both are from Franklin.

Christopher G. Clark of Clarksville has been named an associate at the law firm of Patton & Pittman. He will practice in the areas of criminal defense and civil litigation. Clark previously spent six years as an assistant district attorney in Montgomery County.

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Giles County Commissioner ROBERT E. LEE JR., 87, died Aug. 12 at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville following an extended illness. Known by many as "The Ole Judge," Lee served multiple terms as Giles County General Sessions and Juvenile Court judge and recently had been elected to the county commission. He also served as the county's first elected roads superintendent. Lee was laid to rest in Maplewood Cemetery after a memorial service at First United Methodist Church of Pulaski. The family suggests memorial donations be made to Giles County Library, Senior Citizens or Veterans Alliance.