Memphis lawyer Robert M. "Miles" Mason Sr., a frequent speaker on forensic accounting and divorce, has accepted a teaching post at the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts' Forensic Accounting Academy. Presented seven times a year in various cities around the country, the academy is an intensive, five-day program that teaches forensic accounting techniques and methodology. Mason, who also is a certified public accountant, will speak on the laws relevant to expert witnesses and specific case matter applications. Mason chairs the Family Law Practice Group at Crone & Mason PLC.

Chief Deputy Knox County Law Director Joseph G. Jarret was recently presented with the Gordon Johnston Public Service Award by the Florida Association of County Attorneys. The award, given annually, recognizes local government attorneys who significantly contribute to the ethical and professional practice of local government law. Jarret previously served as county law director for Polk County, Fla.

Tennessee Bar Association Executive Director Allan F. Ramsaur has accepted an appointment by American Bar Association President Carolyn Lamm to serve on the newly created ABA Commission on the Impact of the Economic Crisis on the Legal Profession and Legal Needs. The group will pick up on work by an ad hoc working group that has already produced some programs within the ABA.

The Tennessee Association of Justice has named its new officers for the 2009-2010 bar year. TBA members among them include President Wayne A. Ritche with Ritchie, Dillard & Davies PC in Knoxville; President-Elect Phillip Miller, with Phillip Miller & Associates in Nashville; East Tennessee Vice President Leslie Muse with Butler, Vines & Babb in Knoxville; West Tennessee Vice President S. Drake Martin with Nix, Patterson & Roach LLP in Jackson; Secretary Kathryn Barnett with Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP in Nashville; and Parliamentarian Rebecca Blair with Day & Blair in Brentwood. Eric Buchanan with Eric Buchanan & Associates in Chattanooga is an at-large appointee also serving on the executive committee.

Todd D. Siroky with Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell PLC in Jackson is the new president of the Jackson-Madison County Bar Association. He replaces now immediate past president William F. Kendall with Waldrop & Hall PA.

The Memphis law firm of Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh PLLC announced in July that it launched a new Web site at www.harrisshelton.com. The firm said that the new site allows clients and fellow lawyers to learn more about its attorneys and the areas of law they practice, the services the firm offers, and its history and experience.

James R. Mulroy II, resident manager of the Memphis office of Jackson Lewis LLP, was recently named president of the board of directors of West Tennessee Family Solutions, a nonprofit dedicated to helping the developmentally disabled lead successful and satisfying lives. Mulroy has served on the board since 2005. Mulroy received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1975. He practices in the areas of labor and employment, civil rights and public accommodation.

Crossville attorney Caroline Knight with the Law Offices of Caroline E. Knight is the new president of the Cumberland County Bar Association. Knight graduated from New York's Pace University School of Law 2006.
  
Maryville attorney Stephen S. Ogle was sworn in as clerk and master for Blount County on July 6. Ogle is the first attorney to serve in the position since John C. Crawford completed his service in 1909.

The Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women has elected its officers and board for 2009-2010. They are Judge Amy Hollars, president, 13th Judicial District Circuit Court judge, Livingston; Rebecca Blair, vice president/president-elect, Day & Blair PC, Nashville; Linda Knight, treasurer, Gullett, Sanford, Robinson & Martin, Nashville; Stephanie Deupree, corresponding secretary, Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC, Memphis; Beth Bates, West Tennessee director, West Tennessee Legal Services, Jackson; Debra House, East Tennessee director, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Knoxville; Maria Salas, Middle Tennessee director, Salas Law Group PLLC, Nashville; and Barbara Zoccola, immediate past president, U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District, Memphis. Additional board members who also are TBA members are Ahsaki Baptist with Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs LLP in Memphis and Pat Moskal with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP in Nashville. Baptist is the organization's representative to the TBA Young Lawyers Division Board. Moskal sits on the board as a representative from the Lawyers Association of Women, Marion Griffin Chapter.

The Memphis law firm of Glankler Brown PLLC has announced its practice group chairs for the coming year. Oscar C. Carr III will continue as chair of the Litigation Practice Group, Chief Manager George Nassar Jr. will chair the Business Practice Group and Hunter Humphreys will continue as chair of the Real Estate Practice Group. Carr focuses his practice in the areas of business, construction, environmental and civil litigation. Nassar's areas of expertise include estate planning, tax planning and business transactions. He also represents clients in disputes with state and federal revenue agencies, and serves as a special judge in the Probate Court of Shelby County. Humphreys works in the areas of real estate and secured lending. He also is an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis School of Law.

Nashville lawyer Lela M. Hollabaugh has been elected to the board of directors for the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC). Hollabaugh is a partner at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP. As a member of the firm's Trial and Appellate Litigation Practice Section, she primarily represents natural gas pipeline companies and pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers.

Nashville attorney Stacey A. Garrett has been appointed by Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen to a second term on the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, which works to prevent and eliminate discrimination in employment, public accommodations and housing. She was first appointed to the agency in 2003 and now will serve until 2015. Garrett is a founding member and chair of the board of directors at Bone McAllester Norton PLLC. She focuses her practice in the areas of higher education, corporate transactions, immigration, healthcare and government affairs.

Three Federal Bar Association chapters in Tennessee have named officers for the current bar year. TBA members among them are as follows:

For the Chattanooga chapter, Neil Brunetz with Miller & Martin PLLC is president-elect; Tonya Cammon with Grant, Konvalinka & Harrison PC is secretary; and Chris Varner with Gearhiser, Peters, Lockaby, Cavett & Elliott PLLC is treasurer.

For the Memphis chapter, William Ryan with the Donati Law Firm is president; Amy Pepke with Butler, Snow, O'Mara, Stevens & Cannada PLLC is president-elect; J. Gregory Grisham with Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan PLLC is secretary; and Thomas L. Henderson with Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC is treasurer.

For the northeast Tennessee chapter, F. Braxton Terry with Terry, Terry & Stapleton in Morristown is president-elect and H. Scott Reams with Taylor, Reams, Tilson & Harrison in Morristown is secretary/treasurer. The immediate past president is Margaret B. Fugate with Anderson, Fugate & Givens in Johnson City.

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Former state Sen. JOHN RICHARDSON RUCKER, 93, of Murfreesboro died July 10. Rucker graduated from the Cumberland School of Law, passed the Tennessee Bar Exam and was admitted to practice in 1934 at the age of 18. He joined his grandfather's law practice and worked there until he enlisted in the Air Force. In 1948, he was elected Rutherford County General Sessions judge and held the position until 1962. From 1962 to 1968, he served as councilman on the Murfreesboro City Council. Rucker then served as state senator from 1977 to 1989, including time as speaker pro tempore. During that time he also practiced law with his two sons. He retired in 1990. Rucker was laid to rest in Evergreen Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Rucker's name be made to a charity of choice.

Lawyers and staff with the Nashville office of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis recently donated some "sweat equity" to the KIPP Academy, a free public charter school in East Nashville. In conjunction with the nonprofit group Hands On Nashville, the team which included: Bethany Kolenic, Scott Rayson, Jennifer McGugin, Charlie Robbins, Eileen Burkhalter Smith, Lesli Love, Shane Morris, Matt Burnstein, Kathleen Pearson, Kelly Caissie, Elin Henningsson, David Green, Josh RosenBlatt, Kieran Piller, David Clay, Mike Ewing, Josh Collins, Coe Peterman, Trenton Poynter, Reggie Hill, Heather Hubbard, John Claybrook, Jon Gaston, Paul Gontarek, Justin Leach and Keith Thompson gave the school a good cleaning and a fresh coat of paint.

The Nashville-based Marion Griffin Chapter of the Lawyers Association for Women recently named new officers. Candice Reed with Counsel on Call assumes the office of president. Donna L. Roberts with Stites & Harbison PLLC takes over as president-elect. Mary Dohner Smith with Constangy, Brooks & Smith is secretary, and Margaret R. T. Myers with Adams and Reese LLP is treasurer. All are from Nashville.

The Nashville-based Napier-Looby Bar Association has elected new officers. Among them are the following TBA members: Isaac T. Conner, president, Lewis, King, Krieg & Waldrop PC; William Stover, vice president, solo practitioner; and David Green, treasurer, Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis LLP. All are from Nashville.

Chattanooga-based SouthEast Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women (SETLAW) recently named officers for the new bar year. Kathryn Russell with Campbell & Campbell is president. Amanda B. Rogers with Luther Anderson PLLP is president-elect. Heather Magnuson with Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan PLLC is treasurer, and Kathryn G. Smith with the EPB Legal Division is secretary. All are from Chattanooga.

The Twelfth Judicial District Bar Association has named officers for the coming year. TBA members among them are Rhea County General Sessions Judge James W. McKenzie of Dayton, who is the new president, and Marion County General Sessions Judge Marshall A. Raines of Jasper, who is president-elect.

The Bradley County Bar Association has elected new officers for the bar year. Michael Jenne, with Jenne, Scott & Jenne, is the new president. Robert Thompson, of Logan-Thompson, is president-elect. And Josh Jenne, with Jenne, Scott & Jenne, is treasurer. All are from Cleveland.

Matt Potempa recently announced the opening of a law office in downtown Nashville. A native Memphian, Potempa received his law degree from The University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006 and previously served as assistant general counsel for the Tennessee Department of Human Services. His new practice will focus on civil litigation as well as criminal and domestic matters. Potempa is the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division's 2009-2011 District Representative for Tennessee and Kentucky, as well as the ABA YLD liaison to the ABA Judicial Division. His new office is located at 222 Second Ave. North, Washington Square, Suite 360, Nashville, TN 37201.

The Jackson law firm of Pentecost & Glenn PLLC recently added two new associates to its firm. Ryan K. Porter received his law degree from the Nashville School of Law in 2007 and worked at Jackson Energy Authority and the City of Jackson prior to joining the firm. Melissa K. Van Pelt received her law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 2008. Both will be focusing their work in the areas of civil rights and employment defense.

William B. Hicky and Matthew C. Pietsch have joined the Nashville law firm of Taylor, Pigue, Marchetti & Mink PLLC as associate attorneys. Pietsch will focus his practice on commercial and tort litigation. He has been a prosecutor for the past four years, serving as an assistant district attorney general in Nashville, as well as an assistant state attorney for Palm Beach County, Fla. Pietsch received his law degree in 2004 from the University of Miami School of Law. He previously was an attorney at Allen, Kopet & Associates. He earned his law degree in 2006 from the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Mary Ellen Morris has joined the firm of Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge, where she will focus her work on plaintiffs' personal injury, products liability and medical malpractice litigation. She previously worked for Miller & Martin PLLC and Trabue, Sturdivant & DeWitt. Morris is a 1988 graduate of the Vanderbilt University School of Law. She currently serves as co-archivist of the Marion Griffin Chapter of the Lawyers Association for Women. She formerly served as secretary and membership committee chair of the group.

Knoxville lawyer Chad Tindell recently was elected president of the Southern Region of the Commercial Law League of America. Tindell earned his law degree in 1991 from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. He is a shareholder and vice president at Stone & Hinds PC.

Jessica J. Uitto has joined the Nashville firm of Moses & Townsend PLLC as an associate. She previously was a pro bono attorney in the family law division of the Legal Aid Society. Uitto is a 2008 graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law and holds a Dispute Resolution Certificate from the law school's Straus Institute. While in law school, Uitto was a legal extern at the Union Rescue Mission Legal Aid Clinic. In 2007, she was a summer associate at O'Brien & Ryan LLP in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. While there, she co-authored a textbook chapter on the legal implications of medical malpractice for physicians. Uitto is licensed to practice law in Tennessee, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The Chattanooga law firm of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC recently announced that Robert M. "Mark" Addison and Bryson M. Kirksey have joined the firm. Addison, a 1998 graduate of the Wake Forest University School of Law, joins the firm of counsel and will focus his practice on estate planning and administration and elder law. Prior to joining the firm, he was a partner with a law firm in Winston-Salem, N.C. and a trust officer at Regions Morgan Keegan Trust. Kirksey joins the firm as an associate practicing in the areas of tax and estate planning. He earned his law degree from Samford University in 2008. In 2009, he completed a master of laws at the Georgetown University Law Center.

Nashville attorney Robert A. Peal has joined the law firm of Neal & Harwell PLC as a litigation associate. He previously served as a major in the U.S. Marine Corps for 13 years. During his time of service, Peal worked as an F/A-18 flight officer and as a senior prosecutor. While on active duty, he deployed three times and saw combat in Operation Southern Watch and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He earned his law degree in 2006 from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Nashville law firm Parker, Lawrence, Cantrell and Dean named Frank M. Gallina a partner in the firm. Gallina practices law in the areas of tort and personal injury; collections law; and insurance, products liability and workers' compensation defense. He has been with the firm for five years. He earned his law degree in 2004 from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

Whitney King Fogerty has joined the Memphis office of Jackson Lewis LLP as of counsel and will represent clients in a variety of industries in both federal and state courts and regulatory agencies. Her practice focuses on labor and employment litigation as well as advising in-house legal staff, management and human resources personnel with respect to employment issues. She is licensed to practice in jurisdictions in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Michigan and Tennessee. She earned her law degree from Tulane University School of Law in 1999. Prior to joining the firm, Fogerty was a shareholder with Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart.

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Former Blount County attorney and General Sessions Judge J. N. BADGETT JR. died May 31 at age 90. The Maryville native earned his law degree in 1942 from the University of Tennessee and served in the Army during World War II. He later returned to serve as an attorney in the judge advocate section. Between tours of duty, he opened his own law firm and served as the Maryville city recorder for two years. After leaving the military, he spent a decade as Blount County General Sessions Judge and served one term as president of the Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference. In the community, Badgett served on the Maryville Housing Authority, Maryville-Alcoa Jaycees Board of Directors, First Federal Savings and Loan Association Board of Directors, Selective Service Board, Blount County Revenue Commission and Blount County Education Committee, which he also chaired.

Former Winchester attorney CHARLES EDWARD (ED) MURRAY died May 29 at the age of 80 in The Villages, Fla., where he had lived since retiring in 2004. Murray served in the Tennessee House of Representatives for 20 years " the last two of which he served as speaker of the House. He also served as Claims Commissioner for Middle Tennessee from 1990 to 1995 and as a partner in the law firm of Hickerson and Murray. Murray earned his law degree from the YMCA Night Law School and started practicing law in 1965. He was laid to rest at Mt. Garner Cemetery in Decherd, Tenn. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to a local charity of choice or the Cornerstone Hospice, 601 Casa Bella, The Villages, FL 32162.

The Tennessee Justice Center (TJC) has awarded its annual pro bono firm and attorney of the year awards. The Nashville office of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings was named "Pro Bono Firm of the Year" for its work representing needy families in TennCare appeals. Throughout 2008, 15 attorneys at the firm provided approximately 500 hours of pro bono legal services to TJC clients. Firmwide, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings attorneys provided a total of 4,252 hours of pro bono service in 2008, according to the firm's pro bono partner David Taylor.

Nashville lawyer Michael Abelow, a member with Sherrard & Roe, was named "Pro Bono Attorney of the Year" for his work on a lawsuit challenging the state's decision to limit home health care for adult TennCare patients. In the fall of 2008, the state of Tennessee began reducing private duty nursing and home health care services for 900 fragile adults across the state. Abelow worked with the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, the National Health Law Program and an attorney from Philadelphia to successfully challenge the cuts under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Abelow focuses his practice on complex commercial disputes. He earned his law degree in 2000 from Washington & Lee University School of Law.

Jessica McGarity Hackett has joined the Memphis law firm of Domico Kyle PLLC, which focuses on medical malpractice, insurance and railroad defense. Hackett graduated from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 2008. While in law school, she clerked for Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Karen R. Williams.
The law firm also recently announced its relocation to a new suite of offices in the Tower at Peabody Place. The firm is now located in Suite 1300. All other mailing address information, phone numbers, fax numbers and e-mail addresses remain the same.

Knoxville lawyer George T. Underwood Jr., an associate with the law firm of Spicer Rudstrom PLLC, has been elected founding president of the newly formed William H. Hastie Chapter of the National Bar Association (NBA). Underwood earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1986. He practices in the areas of employment law, civil rights, criminal law, family law, insurance defense and products liability. The new Knoxville chapter is the fourth NBA chapter in Tennessee, with other branches located in Chattanooga, Memphis and Nashville.

The Knoxville law firm of Gentry, Tipton & McLemore recently added two attorneys, both natives of Knoxville, to its roster. Meg Brown joined the firm earlier this year after working in the New York City office of a global law firm. She earned her law degree in 2003 from the Vanderbilt University Law School, where she served as managing editor of the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment Law and Practice. Brown went on to receive an L.L.M. in taxation from the New York University of Law. Catherine Lane Colocotronis joined the firm in December after working as corporate counsel for Knoxville-based Jewelry Television and practicing corporate and securities law for nine years with Hunton & Williams in Richmond, Va., and Knoxville. She earned her law degree from Washington & Lee University School of Law, where she was on the editorial board of the Washington & Lee Review. Colocotronis focuses her practice on a wide variety of corporate and business planning needs and media law.

Melanie E. Davis, a partner in the Maryville law firm of Kizer & Black PLLC, has been certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization. She joins a small but select group of 300 Tennessee attorneys who have completed a rigorous certification process required by the state Supreme Court. Davis practices in the areas of business, estate and personal injury litigation as well as municipal and government law. She also represents developers and property owners associations.

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Memphis native JOSEPH BAUM died April 25 of congestive heart failure in Maryland. He was 78. Baum served for 20 years as chief judge of the Coast Guard Court of Criminal Appeals " the only military service court with civilian members. Baum also had a distinguished career as a Naval legal officer before joining the Coast Guard. He earned his law degree from the Vanderbilt University Law School in 1955.

Nashville lawyer J. CLARENCE EVANS died May 20 at the age of 92. Among his many accomplishments, Evans co-founded the Nashville law firm Evans, Jones & Reynolds, served as state finance commissioner and helped form Kentucky Fried Chicken Corp. Evans graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1939 and completed two years at Harvard Law School. On his 25th birthday, he flew from Boston to Nashville, took and passed the Tennessee bar examination and then reported for active military duty. As a squadron commander flying over Germany, he was shot down and spent 14 months as a POW. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and the Purple Heart for his service. Evans returned home, completed coursework at Harvard in 1946, and began practicing law with the firm of Williams, Cummings & West. He created Evans, Jones & Reynolds in 1986 and maintained an active legal practice until just two years ago.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Association of Graduates West Point Fund, 698 Mills Road, West Point, NY 10996.

Memphis attorney and former Memphis Bar Association President MARVIN C. GOFF JR. died May 13 at the age of 93. Goff earned his law degree in 1947 from the Virginia School of Law and practiced in Memphis until his retirement in 1983. He served as president of the Memphis Bar Association in 1965. Funeral services were held at Memorial Park Funeral Home.

R. B. "PETE" HAILEY of Sevierville died May 1 at the age of 87. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy and serving in the Pacific theater during World War II, Hailey attended law school at Washington and Lee University, earning his law degree in 1950. He was later recalled to active military duty in the Korean War, where he earned the rank of commander. Returning to civilian life, Hailey practiced law for 55 years, worked as a real estate developer, and served in numerous civic and public service positions in Sevierville and across the state. Funeral services were held at the First United Methodist Church in Sevierville and at Shiloh Cemetery. Members of the Sevier County Bar Association served as honorary pallbearers.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 214 Cedar St., Sevierville, TN 37862 or Holston Home for Children, P. O. Box 188, Greeneville, TN 37744.

Former Knoxville Bar Association President JOE R. HAYNES died May 20 at the age of 88. Haynes graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1948. He served as president of the Knoxville Bar Association in 1966, and was awarded the association's highest honor, the Governor's Award, in 2004. He was also named a fellow of the Knoxville Bar Foundation and served as president of the Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Central Baptist Church of Fountain City, 5364 North Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37918.

Retired Knoxville lawyer WILLIAM H. OVERCASH, 83, died May 2 at Hillcrest West Nursing Home. A North Carolina native, Overcash served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War. Between terms of service, he earned a masters degree in accounting and a law degree (1951) from the University of Tennessee. As a lawyer, he served as tax counsel for a number of U.S. firms and retired in 1993 as director of international taxation for Georgia Pacific. Funeral services were held at Rose Mortuary Broadway Chapel. Interment with full military honors followed at Woodlawn Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers the family request memorials be made to Lake Hills Presbyterian Church, 3805 Maloney Rd., Knoxville, TN 37920.

Knoxville lawyer and Fountain City native IVAN THOMAS PRIVETTE JR. died May 23 after a long battle with leukemia. He was 65. A 1968 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, he first practiced law with his father, Ivan T. Privette Sr., and then went into solo practice. Funeral services were held at the Stevens Mortuary Chapel with internment at Greenwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Fountain City Lions Club c/o Fountain City Exxon, 5306 North Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37918.

The Jackson law firm of Teel, McCormack & Maroney PLC has acquired the practice of Utley & Latimer PC, following the death of attorney Timothy B. Latimer. Teel, McCormack & Maroney will maintain offices at its present location as well as the former offices of Utley & Latimer.

The Nashville law firm of Farris Mathews Bobango PLC has added Reen Locker to its roster of associate attorneys. Locker earned her law degree in 2008 from the Nashville School of Law where she was president of the Honor Council. She previously worked as the client relations manager at Gateway Title Services LLC in Murfreesboro.

Chattanooga lawyer Dana B. Perry has been named president and managing shareholder of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC. She succeeds Michael N. St. Charles, who served in the position for a decade and now resumes the full-time practice of real estate law. In her new role, Perry, who has been with the firm since 1988, will be responsible for leading the management team and implementing policies and strategic initiatives. She has focused her practice to date on estate planning, elder law and special needs trust planning.

Jimmie C. Miller, a senior partner in the Kingsport law firm of Hunter, Smith & Davis LLP, has been named a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Miller has practiced law in Kingsport for more than 25 years, working in the areas of health care law, medical malpractice defense, antitrust and commercial litigation. She received her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1981.

The Nashville law firm of Riley Warnock & Jacobson PLC has named two new members. Tim Harvey focuses his practice on litigation. Prior to joining the firm, he clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Thomas A. Wiseman Jr. in the Middle District of Tennessee. Harvey graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 2000. Chris L. Vlahos focuses his practice on intellectual property, commercial and entertainment litigation. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1999.

The Loudon County Bar Association has selected new officers for the coming bar year. TBA members among them are: G. Keith Alley with Kizer & Black Attorneys, president; solo practioner A. Wayne Henry, president-elect; and Robert G. Hinton with Sproul & Hinton, treasurer. All are from Lenoir City.

The Maury County Bar Association has elected John Russell Parkes with Hardin, Parks, Kelley & Carter PLLC as its new president, and Dalton Mounger, a solo practioner, as vice president. Both are from Columbia.

Jenney G. Springer has joined the Nashville law firm of Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge, where she will focus on plaintiffs' personal injury and medical malpractice litigation. Springer graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2008. While in law school she clerked with the U.S. Attorney's office and worked in the college's legal and mediation clinics.

Memphis firm Glankler Brown PLLC recently announced its practice group chairs for 2009:   Oscar C. Carr III continues as chair of the Litigation Practice Group. He focuses his practice in the areas of business, construction, environmental and other civil litigation. R. Hunter Humphreys remains chair of the Real Estate Practice Group where he focuses on real estate, secured lending and other business transactions. He also teaches a course on real estate transactions at the University of Memphis School of Law. The firm's chief manager George Nassar Jr. is the new chair of the Business Practice Group. He focuses his practice in the areas of estate planning, mergers and acquisitions, and sophisticated tax planning for clients with significant domestic and international holdings. He also represents clients in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and state revenue agencies. Nassar is also a special judge in the Shelby County Probate Court.

Chattanooga lawyer Marcy Eason, a member of Miller & Martin PLLC, has been appointed to a four-year term on the Tennessee Judicial Council. Created by the state legislature, the council is an advisory body that considers recommendations for changes in rules and procedures related to the judicial system. While the General Assembly is in session, the council meets regularly in Nashville to discuss proposed legislation referred to it for comment. Eason, who is a former president of TBA, focuses her practice on civil litigation with an emphasis on commercial matters, lender liability and products liability. She earned her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center in 1979.

The Memphis law firm of Rice, Amundsen & Caperton PLLC welcomes Jennifer Bellott to its practice. Bellott earned her law degree in 2008 from the University of Memphis School of Law and has been named National Best Advocate in the American Bar Association's National Appellate Advocacy Competition.

National labor and employment law firm Constangy, Brooks & Smith LLP has added new associate Kate Summers to its Nashville office. Summers will focus her practice on employment litigation and defense. Prior to joining the firm, Summers completed a federal clerkship with Magistrate Judge Juliet Griffin in the Middle District of Tennessee. She earned her law degree in 2005 from the University of Georgia School of Law, where she served as executive editor for the Journal of Intellectual Property Law.

Sean Antone Hunt recently was named to the board of Memphis Area Legal Services as a representative from the Memphis Bar Association. A member of Spicer Rudstrom PLLC, he has practiced law for more than 15 years, the last eight of which have been in the Memphis area. Hunt earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1993. Memphis Area Legal Services provides free legal assistance to low-income and elderly residents in Shelby, Fayette, Lauderdale and Tipton counties.

The Memphis law firm of McNabb, Bragorgos & Burgess PLLC recently announced that Pam Warnock Green has been named a member of the firm. She practices in the areas of malpractice defense, commercial insurance defense, general trial practice, family law and appellate work. She earned her law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1983.

Brian S. Faughnan, a partner in the Memphis office of Adams and Reese, has accepted an invitation into the Litigation Counsel of America " an invitation-only trial lawyer society limited to 3,500 fellows. The counsel was created to provide an outlet for scholarly articles on trial and litigation practice, promote opportunities for professional development, and advance a superior judiciary through its work on judicial compensation and benefits. Faughnan practices in the areas of commercial litigation, professional responsibility, legal ethics and appellate procedure. He is chair of the firm's Pro Bono Committee, vice chair of the Tennessee Bar Association's Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and co-chair of the ABA's Firm Counsel Project.

Nashville lawyer Amy J. Everhart has launched a new law practice focusing on trademark, copyright, entertainment and Internet law. She also has unveiled a new legal blog on these issues called Lightbulb Moments. For more than a decade, Everhart worked with the Nashville law firm of Riley Warnock & Jacobson, where she handled intellectual property issues. Everhart is chair of TBA's Entertainment and Sports Law Section and a graduate of the Leadership Law Class of 2008. She earned her law degree in 1998 from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Bass, Berry & Sims member Jim Cheek has been named co-chair of the Coordinating Task Force on Financial Markets and Institutions for the American Bar Association's Business Law Section. The newly formed committee is charged with developing policies on reform of regulations governing the financial industry. Cheek focuses his practice in the areas of corporation finance and governance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and securities offerings. Cheek is an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University Law School where he teaches a course in current trends in mergers and acquisitions. He earned his law degree in 1967 from Vanderbilt University and a master of law from Harvard University in 1968.

Bass, Berry & Sims also announced that member Leigh Walton has been appointed to a three-year term as chair of the Committee on Mergers and Acquisitions of the American Bar Association's Section of Business Law. The committee's work includes debating issues of current relevance to mergers and acquisitions (M&A) practitioners; sponsoring educational programs on M&A topics; and publishing resource material for M&A practioners. At Bass, Berry & Sims, Walton co-chairs the Healthcare Practice Group and focuses her work on corporate governance, securities law, joint ventures, financing and mergers and acquisitions. She is active in the American Health Lawyers Association and the ABA's Task Force on Acquisition of Public Companies.

James D. Anderson recently joined the Nashville office of Frost Brown Todd where he will serve as counsel with the Business/Corporate Department. For 18 years Anderson served as the sole tax attorney for the Supreme Court of Tennessee, assisting the court with state and local tax cases that came before it. He also responded to federal court requests for answers to unsettled issues of Tennessee law. Prior to serving with the court, Anderson was in private practice in Nashville for more than 11 years handling federal and state tax issues, including corporate and partnership taxation, estate planning, exempt organizations and charitable donations.

Memphis attorney Bob Flynn, formerly a partner with Spicer, Flynn and Rudstrom, has joined his wife, attorney Michele Howard-Flynn, at her firm The Howard-Flynn Law Group. A native Memphian, Flynn has more than 30 years' experience as a civil trial litigator in a range of practice areas. He is board certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Education and Specialization and is a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 Mediator. He earned his law degree from Memphis State University in 1975. Howard-Flynn opened the city's first and only full-service entertainment law office in 2005 after practicing entertainment law in Nashville. She earned her law degree in 1998 from Tulane University. One of the first projects the couple will work on as business partners is the "Legal Life Line," a program designed to assist fellow attorneys with case overload, lack of resources and last-minute court dates.

Nashville law firm Cornelius & Collins LLP has named Brian W. Holmes and Ben M. Rose as partners in the firm. Holmes practices in general civil litigation with an emphasis on medical malpractice defense. Rose devotes his practice to general civil litigation.

The Knoxville law firm of Kennerly, Montgomery & Finley PC recently announced that William E. Mason and Michael S. Kelley have joined the firm as shareholders, and that Toby R. Carpenter has joined the firm as special counsel. Mason, a 1974 graduate of Harvard Law School, will continue to focus his practice in the areas of pension and employee benefits, technology transfer and economic development. Kelley will continue to focus his work in the areas of municipal law; employment law; and commercial litigation, including actions under the False Claims Act, construction disputes and employment matters. Prior to joining the firm he served as law director for the city of Knoxville. He received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1990. Carpenter is a 1995 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law. His practice is in the area of civil litigation, primarily handling insurance defense, personal injury, wrongful death, products liability, transportation and construction cases.

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Houston lawyer CHARLES EDWARD "CHUCK" CHEEK died April 17 at the age of 58. A graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, Cheek received his degree and was licensed in 1975. Following law school, he moved to Tulsa where he worked in the legal department of Gulf Oil Company. In 1985 he moved to Houston to join Enron and was chief litigation counsel for the company until 2005 when he retired. Cheek was a member of the state bar associations in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Funeral services were held in his hometown of Pittsfield, Ill. on April 23. Memorials may be made to the Pittsfield First Christian Church, Pike County Mounted Angels or Great Strides c/o Airsman-Hires Funeral Home, Box 513, Pittsfield, IL 62363.

The Tennessee Bar Foundation inducted its 2008 class of Fellows in January at a dinner in Nashville. New fellow are:
Paul A. Bates, Lawrenceburg
Mark S. Beveridge, Nashville
Judge Joe P. Binkley Jr., Nashville
Judge Jeffrey S. Bivins, Franklin
Andrew C. Branham, Memphis
Gary E. Brewer, Morristown
A. Stuart Campbell, Nashville
L. Webb Campbell II, Nashville
Frank S. Cantrell, Memphis
E. Franklin Childress Jr., Memphis
Catherine B. Clayton, Jackson
Chancellor William C. Cole, Atoka
Judge Curtis L. Collier, Chattanooga
S. Dawn Coppock, Strawberry Plains
D. Paul DeWitt, Nashville
J. Thomas DuBois, Columbia
Judge Timothy L. Easter, Franklin
State Representative C. Craig Fitzhugh, Ripley
Steven B. Greer, Paris
Celeste H. Herbert, Knoxville
Amy V. Hollars, Livingston
John T. Johnson Jr., Knoxville
John C. Knowles, Sparta
Robert L. Lockaby Jr., Chattanooga
Nancy F. MacLean, Brentwood
Frederick N. McLean, Paris
Chancellor Laurence M. McMillan Jr., Clarksville
Angelia M. Nystrom, Knoxville
Ted C. Raynor, Memphis
Richard A. Spivey, Kingsport
Michael N. St. Charles, Chattanooga
T. Lawrence Stewart, Nashville
Timothy L. Warnock, Nashville
William T. Wray Jr., Kingsport

Christopher D. David has joined the Chattanooga office of Husch Blackwell Sanders as an associate in the business litigation practice area. He previously served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Harry S. Mattice Jr. in the Eastern District of Tennessee. David earned his law degree in 2005 from the University of Georgia School of Law.

The Obion County Bar Association has named new officers for the 2009-2010 bar year. TBA members among them are President Damon Campbell and Vice President Bruce Stephens Conley, both of Conley, Campbell, Moss & Smith in Union City.

Memphis lawyer Hayden Lait has been named a 2009 Distinguished Fellow by the American College of Civil Trial Mediators. The college is dedicated to improving ethical and professional standards of mediation practice, fostering the growth of alternative dispute resolution and recognizing those who make major contributions to the ADR movement. Lait owns and operates the Mediation & Law Offices of Hayden Lait.

The Memphis law firm of McDonald Kuhn PLLC has named Evan Nahmias a member of the firm. He earned his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1998.

The Southeast Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women has named new officers and board members for 2009. Officers are President Kathryn M. Russell with Campbell & Campbell; President-elect Amanda B. Rogers with Luther Anderson PLLP; Treasurer Heather Magnuson with Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan PLLC; and Secretary Kathryn G. Smith with the Electric Power Board's legal division. Board members who are TBA members are Megan E. Demastus with Berke, Berke & Berke; Blair Bennington Cannon with Patrick, Beard, Schulman & Jacoway PC; and Rebecca Sierra Woods with Jenkins, Habernicht & Woods PLLC. All are from Chattanooga.

Oak Ridge attorney Bill Allen has been named president of the Anderson County Bar Association. He practices law with the firm of Mostoller, Stulberg, Whitfield and Allen.

Former TBA President Marcy Eason recently presented a program to the executive council of the National Conference of Bar Presidents in Boston on how to engage younger generations of lawyers in bar association work. Bar presidents and presidents-elect from across the United States attended the bi-annual conference. Eason practices commercial litigation, lender liability and products liability law in the Chattanooga office of Miller & Martin. She earned her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center in 1979.

C. Tucker Herndon has joined the Nashville office of Bone McAllester Norton PLLC where he will focus his practice in the areas of commercial lending, creditors' rights, real estate, general business law and alcoholic beverage licensing and regulatory compliance. Herndon served as a clerk at the firm in 2005 while attending law school. He graduated in 2008 from the Nashville School of Law.

Chattanooga attorney Sam Elliott has been elected to a two-year term as chair of the Tennessee Historical Commission. Elliott, who is vice president of the Tennessee Bar Association, practices law with Gearhiser, Peters, Lockaby, Cavett & Elliott PLLC.

Kristen Vanderkooi has announced the opening of a general law practice in Nashville, which will include representation of plaintiffs and defendants in civil litigation and criminal defense. Vanderkooi is a 2004 graduate of the Nashville School of Law and a former Metro Nashville police officer. She spent four years with Neal & Harwell PLC prior to opening her own law office.

Julie Murphy Burnstein has joined the Nashville firm of Leader, Bulso, Nolan & Burnstein PLC where she will focus on business and commercial litigation. She earned her law degree in 1996 from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Dr. Kevin H. Smith, Thomas B. Preston Professor of Law at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, has been named dean of the school. He succeeds Dean Emeritus James Smoot. Smith joined the law school faculty in 1993 and has served as interim dean since October 2007. He holds a master, doctor of philosophy, and law degree from the University of Iowa. He practiced law in Maryland and taught as a visiting professor at Notre Dame Law School, Chicago-Kent College of Law, and Northern Illinois University before joining the University of Memphis.

Knoxville lawyer George Underwood has been named president of the new William H. Hastie Chapter of the National Bar Association. An attorney with Spicer, Flynn & Rudstrom PLLC, Underwood will oversee the state's fourth chapter of the association, which is the nation's oldest and largest national association of predominately African American lawyers and judges.

Nashville lawyer Darlene T. Marsh has been appointed to the executive committee of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry and will serve on the chamber's board of directors for 2009. Marsh practices law with Burr & Forman LLP and serves in the firm's environmental law group and commercial, real estate and finance group. She earned her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1988.

The Knoxville law firm of Watson, Roach, Batson, Rowell & Lauderback PLC recently announced that Hanson R. Tipton was named a member of the firm effective Jan. 1. Tipton handles civil and government tort litigation, workers' compensation cases and appellate work. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2002.

Memphis-based Apperson Crump & Maxwell PLLC has named Amy Harden Cannon and William King Self Jr. as members of the firm. Cannon focuses her practice in the area of domestic relations and family law. She earned her law degree from the University of Mississippi in 1999. Self practices in the areas of elder law, estate planning and administration and real estate, and is a certified elder law specialist by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization. He received his law degree from Tulane University in 1979.

Miller & Martin PLLC attorney W. Randall (Randy) Wilson has been named a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Wilson practices in the firm's Chattanooga office and handles general litigation in the areas of construction, health care and personal injury defense. He also provides general risk management advice to clients. Wilson graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1981.

The Jackson office of Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell PLC recently announced that Michelle Greenway Sellers and Keely N. Wilson have been named partners in the firm. Sellers represents physicians, nurses, hospitals and clinics in medical malpractice litigation, and handles professional malpractice and automobile accident cases. She earned her law degree in 2000 from the University of Tennessee College of Law and currently is president of the TBA Young Lawyers Division. Wilson's practice focuses on tort litigation, dealing specifically with arson fraud, automobile liability litigation, premises liability and coverage. She joined the firm after receiving her law degree in 2000 from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

Nashville attorney and trial consultant Phillip Miller served on the faculty of a national trial advocacy program at Harvard Law School, March 21-25. The program, "The Ultimate Trial Advocacy Course: Art of Persuasion," was sponsored by the American Association for Justice. He spoke on using storytelling as a jury tool and using focus groups to test the persuasiveness of an argument. Miller has been practicing law since 1980 and is a certified trial specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law in 1979.

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Madison County lawyer and former judge WHIT SIMPSON LAFON died March 29 after suffering a stroke two weeks prior. He was 91. LaFon earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1948 and began practicing law in Jackson with the late Jack Woodall Sr. and then with the firm of the late Roger Murray Sr. He later served as assistant district attorney general until he was appointed by former Gov. Ned McWherter in 1987 to the 26th Judicial Circuit Court. LaFon retired from the bench in 1998 and opened a small private practice in Jackson, where he served intermittently. Among his many accomplishments, LaFon served as president of the Jackson-Madison County Bar Association. The brother of Pauline Gore " former Vice President Al Gore's mother " LaFon was buried April 4 in Jackson's Hollywood Cemetery.

Chattanooga lawyer DUDLEY PORTER JR. died March 10 at the age of 93. Porter retired as vice chairman of the board of Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company in 1976 after having led its legal department for 27 years. He then served as counsel to Chambliss & Bahner and later turned his attention to conservation and preservation as a co-founder of the Tennessee chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Porter earned his law degree in 1937 from the Cumberland Law School and worked as an assistant attorney general in Nashville before moving to Chattanooga. He served in the Army during World War II as a judge advocate of the 100th Infantry Division in France and Germany. Porter was a member of numerous community organizations as well as the Sixth Judicial Conference and the Hamilton County Juvenile Court Commission. He also was a fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation. Memorial gifts may be made to the Second Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga, the Nature Conservancy or a favorite charity.

THOMAS E. "PETE" SISSON, a former member of the Shelby County Commission, died Jan. 31 at the age of 81. At the time of his death he was serving as chief executive officer of TESCO Properties Inc., a family real estate management and development company founded in 1979. Sisson earned his law degree in 1960 from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis. After graduating, he served as Memphis Public Works commissioner and in 1976 was elected to the Shelby County Court, which would later become the Shelby County Commission. The family requests that memorials be sent to the Pete and Jewel Sisson Endowment Fund at Harding Academy.

Former Shelby County General Sessions Judge WILLIAM DAVID STINSON JR. died March 18 at the age of 82. A graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law, Stinson served as a law clerk for the U.S. District Court in Memphis and for the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. He held the position of general sessions judge from 1970 to 1982. Following his judicial service, Stinson practiced law in Bolivar for 20 years. Memorials may be sent to the Bolivar Cumberland Presbyterian Church or to the Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tenn.

Dresden attorney GEORGE C. THOMAS JR. died March 14. He was 90. A 1949 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, Thomas was elected Weakley County judge in 1950. He served in that role through 1968. Following his judicial service, Thomas built a successful law practice that eventually included three other partners. He also served as field representative for congressmen Robert (Fats) Everett and Ed Jones for over 25 years. The family requests that memorials be sent to Dresden First United Methodist Church Building Fund, 105 S. Church Street, Dresden, TN 38225.

The Putnam County Bar Association recently recognized Cookeville attorney Ben Fann for his contributions to his country and community. In 1942, Fann began serving in the Army Air Corps and was active during World War II. He served with distinction in the China-Burma-India Theater, where he participated in dangerous missions flying military supplies for troops in unarmed cargo planes over the Himalayas. Fann has been a member of Cookeville's legal community since 1975 and continues to serve today as an assistant district attorney. To recognize his outstanding citizenship, the bar honored him with an event at the Putnam County Justice Center.

Thomas H. Ware was recently reappointed to serve a four-year term as Davidson County Public Trustee. Ware, who was first appointed to the position in 1997, is a partner in the Nashville firm of Ware & Boone. He focuses his practice on trust administration and estate planning and administration. He is past chair of the Nashville Bar Association's Probate Court Committee and a graduate of the Nashville School of Law.

Nashville-based Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP partner John C. Tishler has been chosen chair-elect of the firm's partnership. He will serve the remaining term of Ralph W. Davis, who is departing the firm in March to join Cressey & Company, a private health care investment firm. Tishler currently leads Waller Lansden's Corporate Restructuring and Bankruptcy practice and serves on the firm's Board of Directors. He joined the practice in 2000 and graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1988. Davis has been with the firm for 15 years, serving as chairman for the last four. Cressey & Company is a client of the firm.

David M. Anthony has joined the Nashville firm of Bone McAllester Norton PLLC and will focus his practice in the areas of bankruptcy, creditor's rights, and commercial, construction and lien litigation. He previously practiced with Smythe & Puryear. Anthony received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1999.

The Nashville office of Sherrard & Roe PLC has named Carla Lovell a member of the firm. Lovell has 20 years of legal experience and has been associated with Sherrard & Roe since 1995. As senior counsel at the firm, her practice has been focused on the areas of estate planning, probate and estate administration, as well as charitable, business and tax planning. She earned her law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1988.

Randy Chism with Elam, Glasgow & Chism is the new president of the Obion County Bar Association. He resides in Union City.

Patricia Best Vital was recently honored as the recipient of the 2007 Albert L. Hodge Volunteer Award, given annually by the Chattanooga Bar Association (CBA) to an attorney with exemplary service to the association and the legal community. Vital was recognized for her service as chair of the CBA's Fee Dispute Arbitration Program, which provides no-cost binding arbitration of fee disputes between clients and attorneys. She also recently was named president-elect of the Leadership Chattanooga Alumni Association, and will become its president in 2009. Vital is a principal in the Vital Law Office and Dispute Resolution Services in Chattanooga.

The Memphis office of Butler Snow O'Mara Stevens & Cannada PLLC has welcomed attorney Hemant Gupta to its intellectual property practice. A biomedical engineering graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Gupta worked as a researcher in the university's Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and spent five years as a St. Jude cancer researcher before attending law school. Gupta obtained his law degree from the University of Memphis School of Law in 2005.

Butler Snow also announced that Kari Sutherland has rejoined the firm after serving in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. After graduating from the Mississippi College School of Law, Sutherland clerked for U.S. District Judge Glen Davidson of the Northern District of Mississippi and Judge E. Grady Jolly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She then joined the Jackson, Miss., office of Butler Snow. In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, Sutherland left the firm to work in Washington, D.C. She recently returned to the firm's Memphis office to practice in the Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare Industry Group.

Jay Hardcastle has been named managing director of Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry PLC. He succeeds Robert E. Wood who has served in the role since 2006. Hardcastle joined the Nashville firm in 1987 after graduating from Vanderbilt University Law School. He has served on the firm's Board of Governors since January 2000, and practices on the firm's health care team.

The Rutherford/Cannon County Bar Association has elected Murfreesboro lawyer Thomas Santel as its new treasurer. Santel serves with the firm of Cope, Hudson, Scarlett, Reed & McCreary.

Frost Brown Todd LLC has appointment Mekesha Montgomery a member in its Nashville office. Montgomery focuses her practice on employment discrimination litigation and traditional labor law. She has been with the firm since 2004. The firm also recently announced that Montgomery was selected to participate in the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce's 2008 Leadership Bowling Green Program.

In other news, the firm adopted a Make-a-Wish child from Rock Island. Working through the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation, it was able to provide a trip to Disney World for the child and her family.

Christina Pitts has joined the Brentwood office of Crone & Mason PLC Family Law Practice Group. Pitts brings a wealth of experience in complex financial planning to the group, which focuses exclusively on matrimonial law. Prior to practicing family law she worked in banking, administering trust accounts and estates. Pitts earned her law degree from the Nashville School of Law in 1998.

The Nashville law firm of Walker, Tipps & Malone has hired Jason W. Callen as an associate in the firm. Callen has been a civil trial lawyer since 2003 when he graduated from the University of Chicago Law School. His practice now involves general commercial litigation and arbitration in the areas of contract and shareholder disputes, antitrust law and employee benefits claims. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a law clerk for Frank H. Easterbrook, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Lewis, King, Krieg & Waldrop PC has added three new associates to its Knoxville office. Katrina Atchley joins the firm after practicing law in Sevier County. She focuses her work in the areas of construction, commercial litigation, design professional liability and landlord/ tenant litigation. She earned her law degree from the Syracuse University College of Law.   Joseph Ballard, a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, joins the firm to practice in the areas of insurance casualty defense, product liability and general commercial and tort litigation. David Headrick joins the firm after working as a project manager and business developer for architecture, engineering and surveying companies. His practice will focus on defending professional liability claims against design clients. Headrick earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

In other news from the firm, David A. Changas has been named a shareholder in the Nashville office. Changas, a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, joined the firm in March 2002. He practices in the areas of casualty defense litigation, commercial litigation, and workers' compensation, and is admitted to practice in the U.S. district courts for the middle and western districts of Tennessee. Changas is active in bar work and currently serves as vice president of the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.

Glankler Brown PLLC has named Patrick T. Burnett and Christopher C. Lamberson as members of the firm. Burnett practices in the areas of civil and criminal litigation. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1999. Prior to attending law school, he worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., serving as a confidential assistant to the secretary and the administrator of the Farmer's Home Administration. Lamberson received a masters in business administration and a law degree from the University of Memphis in 1999. He works in the areas of corporate and business transactions, real estate and secured lending.

The firm also recently announced that Kevin C. Cox has been appointed to its management committee. Cox handles business transactions, estate planning, trust, probate, taxation and general business law. He received a masters in business administration and a law degree in 1994 from the University of Memphis's Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and Fogelman College of Business. He also went on to earn a master of laws in taxation in 1995 from Washington University.

The Washington County Bar Association has named new officers for 2008. They are: President David Harvey with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC; Vice President Suzanne Cook with Hunter, Smith & Davis LLP; and Secretary Bryan Martin, all from Johnson City.
      
Cumberland Trust & Investment Company recently welcomed three new officers to its Nashville headquarters. Sharon B. Winkler joins the company as a vice president and compliance officer. She received her law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and previously was an estate tax attorney with the Internal Revenue Service.  Mark Colter joins the company as a vice president and trust officer and will focus primarily on estate and trust administration. He received his law degree from the Nashville School of Law in 2006. Douglas K. Chapman joins the company as a trust officer after working as a financial services specialist with AmSouth Bank. He is currently a second year student at the Nashville School of Law.  

The Board of Directors for the Tennessee Justice Center has elected two new attorney board members: Nancy Fraas MacLean and Ellen B. Vergos. MacLean is an attorney and author with Thomson West, where she has co-authored a number of volumes on bankruptcy, legal forms and Tennessee practice. She is active in bar work in Nashville and is a fellow of the Nashville Bar Foundation. She earned her law degree in 1978 from the Santa Clara University School of Law. Vergos is an attorney in the Memphis office of Wyatt Tarrant & Combs LLP, where she practices in the areas of business bankruptcy and commercial litigation. She is past president of the Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women and the Association for Women Attorneys. She graduated from the University of Memphis School of Law in 1976.
  
Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs LLP recently announced several personnel developments in its Nashville and Memphis offices. In Nashville, David Lewis joined the firm as a partner in its corporate and real estate practice areas. He was formerly a partner in the firm of Corbett Crockett & Lewis and an attorney in the Civil Rights and Claims Division of the Tennessee Attorney General's Office. He received his law degree from Tulane University. Lee A. Harkavy, Odell Horton Jr. and Ellen B. Vergos have been named partners in the Memphis office. Harkavy practices in the areas of general corporate, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and real estate.  Prior to joining the firm he held numerous leadership positions with Storage USA. He received his law degree from Vanderbilt University. Horton practices in the areas of corporate law and litigation. His career includes executive positions with Memphis Light Gas and Water and the University of Tennessee, and service as an assistant state attorney general. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Vergos practices in the areas of creditors' rights, business bankruptcy and commercial litigation. She is certified  by the American Board of Certification as a specialist in business bankruptcy law and is listed by the Tennessee Supreme Court as a Rule 31 general civil mediator.  She has served as a U.S. Trustee and clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Harry W. Wellford. Vergos graduated from the University of Memphis School of Law in 1976. Finally, the firm announced that William S. "Bill" Parks has been named of counsel in the Memphis office. Parks practices in the areas of patents, trademarks and copyright. He has authored over 300 U.S. patents and is listed as an inventor on  five of them. His past experience includes serving as in-house counsel for several companies and working as a patent examiner for the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.  He earned his law degree from the John Marshall Law School.

The Jackson law firm of Hardee, Martin & Donahoe PA has named Angela Snider and Bradley J. Owens as shareholders of the firm. Snider graduated from the University of Memphis School of Law in 2001 and joined the firm in 2003. Her practice focuses on family law, real estate, wills, probate and business organizations. Owens joined the firm in 2005 and has focused his practice in the areas of personal injury, workers' compensation, social security disability, family law, real estate, probate & estates and criminal defense. He graduated from the University of Memphis School of Law in 2001.

Mary Taylor Gallagher has been elected to membership in the Nashville law firm of Gullett, Sanford, Robinson & Martin, where she practices in the litigation group and focuses on transportation and employment-related litigation. Gallagher joined the firm in 2001 after graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

The Hawkins County Bar Association has elected new leaders for 2008. Officers are: Allen Coup, president, with May & Coup in Mt. Carmel; Daniel Boyd, vice president, with Boyd & Boyd in Rogersville; and Michelle Green, secretary and treasurer, an attorney in Rogersville.

Marcy Dodds Magee has been named a partner with the Memphis firm of Thomason, Hendrix, Harvey, Johnson & Mitchell PLLC.  She received her law degree from the University of Memphis in 1998.   

PASSAGES

Knoxville attorney FRED G. MUSICK died Feb. 12 at the age of 86. At the time of his death he was serving as counsel with the firm of Jenkins & Jenkins Attorneys PLLC. Musick graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1953 and joined the firm shortly thereafter. He served as senior partner from 1990 to 2001 when he was named of counsel. Musick was president of the Knoxville Bar Association in 1982. At Musick's request, friends are encouraged to give to the charity of their choice in his memory.

Crossville attorney VIVIAN WARNER died Feb. 24 in her law office. She was 56. Warner was a solo practioner who graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1978. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Tomorrow Fund. Those interested in learning more about the fund may contact Judge Larry M. Warner at (931) 484-2447.

WILLIAM THOMAS "BILL" MCHUGH died March 7. He was 83. He graduated in 1947 from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford and began private practice the same year. Memorial contributions may be made to the William Thomas McHugh Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, 3833 Cleghorn Ave. Suite 400, Nashville, TN 37215-2519.

Memphis lawyer NEWTON P. ALLEN SR. died March 9 at his home. He practiced law in Memphis for 61 years, spending most of his career at Armstrong, Allen, the firm his father James Seddon Allen helped found. Later, he founded the Newton P. Allen Law Firm with his wife Malinda Crutchfield Allen. Allen was past-president of the American Bar Association Senior Lawyers Division and a recent honoree of the Tennessee Bar Foundation Legal History Project. He was an alumnus of Princeton University and the University of Virginia School of Law. He was an Eagle Scout and Army veteran of World War II. Both his late father and his late brother Richard were past TBA presidents; his son-in-law is TBA President-Elect Buck Lewis. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to Calvary Episcopal Church.
  

20th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Walter C. Kurtz of Nashville will retire effective March 21 after more than 25 years, to become the state's fifth senior judge. Chief Justice William M. Barker of Chattanooga said Kurtz will be missed as a trial court judge, but will continue to serve Tennesseans in his new position. Senior judges are former trial and appellate court judges who may be assigned on a temporary basis to any state court.

"He is as well-respected as any judge in the state, and for good reason," Barker said.   

Kurtz, 64, has been a judge since 1982 and previously served one term as a public defender in Davidson County.

The Sevier County Bar Association recently elected its officers for 2008. They are: President Charles S. Sexton with the Wallace & Sexton Law Office, Vice President Scott D. Hall, and Secretary-Treasurer Jeffrey L. Stern. They are all of Sevierville.

Marcy Adcock of McMinnville is the new president of the Warren County Bar Association. She will serve in the position for two years.

The Kingsport law firm of Hunter, Smith & Davis LLP has added a new attorney to its developing immigration practice. Michael A. Eastridge joins the firm after working in the Atlanta office of a large immigration firm. While there, Eastridge handled employer-based non-immigrant visas for large-employer clients. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1994 and is licensed to practice in Tennessee and Georgia. He also is the founder and director of a nonprofit organization engaged in international justice initiatives in Africa.

The 15th Judicial District Bar Association has elected its officers for 2008. Among the group are the following TBA members: Treasurer Byron Gill with Rochelle, McCulloch & Aulds, and Secretary Robert P. Hamilton, probate and general sessions judge. Both are from Lebanon.

The Bristol Bar Association recently chose its officers for the new year: Jack Lewis Combs, an assistant district attorney in Blountville, will serve as president and Joseph Wesley Edens with Icenhour & Edens in Bristol will serve as treasurer.

Marjorie Kaup Haines has joined the law firm of Kay B. Housch PC where she will practice commercial real estate law. A 2007 graduate of the Nashville School of Law, Haines co-founded the Nashville School of Law Legal Society and served as its president from 2006 to 2007.

Holly Melinda Bishop has joined Jack A. Butler & Associates in Nashville. Bishop previously served as a paralegal for the firm and will focus in the areas of personal injury, domestic law, criminal defense and general practice. She earned her law degree from the Nashville School of Law in 2007.

Lisa Millican Ewing has opened a private law practice under the name Ewing Law Office LLC in association with Jack A. Butler & Associates. Ewing is a 2007 graduate of the Nashville School of Law and is focusing her practice in the areas of domestic law, probate, wills and estate planning and civil litigation.  The office is located in the Washington Square Building, Suite 417, 222 Second Ave., North, Nashville 37201.

Miller & Martin PLLC has named four lawyers to leadership positions in the firm. In the Nashville office, Katie Edge has been named chair of the Commercial Department and Tony Swafford has been named chair of the Labor & Employment Department. In Chattanooga, Jonathan Kent has been named chair of the Corporate Department and Randy Wilson has been named chair of the Litigation Department.

In other news from the firm, S. Ruffin Craig Jr. has joined the Nashville office as an associate in the Corporate Department where he will focus on ERISA and employee benefits, taxation, corporate law, investment banking and bank regulatory matters.  He previously practiced with the Memphis firm of Gerrish McCreary Smith PC.  A 2001 graduate of the University of Mississippi College of Law, Craig also earned Master of Laws in Taxation from Villanova School of Law in 2002.

The law firms of Husch & Eppenberger LLC and Blackwell Sanders LLP have merged to form Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP. The new firm, whose name was decided by a coin toss, will focus on commercial litigation and business services. The firm has offices in Chattanooga and Memphis, as well as around the nation and overseas.

After 15 years in private practice in Crossville, Sharon Potter has joined the Knoxville law firm of Frantz, McConnell & Seymour LLP.  She will focus her practice in real estate transactions, estate planning and probate.  Potter graduated from Memphis State University, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1985.

W. Scott Sims with Walker Tipps & Malone has taken office as president of the Nashville Bar Association for 2008. Sims earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1995. Trey Harwell of Neal & Harwell PLC is the new president-elect. New board members, who are TBA members, are Anne Arney, Martha Boyd, Stacey Garrett, Robert Mendes and Jim Weatherly.

Frost Brown Todd LLC member M. Clark Spoden and associate Derek C. Jumper were recognized as the Nashville Bar Association's 2007 Joseph G. Cummings Pro Bono Volunteers of the Year. The distinction is given to an attorney whose work, in association with the Nashville Pro Bono Program, best exemplifies the capacity to provide pro bono legal services. Spoden and Jumper represented an elderly, sight-
disabled, couple that was taken advantage of when purchasing a home.

The NBA's highest award, the John C. Tune Community Service Award, was presented to Davidson County Circuit Court Judge Barbara Haynes.

The law firm of Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell PLC recently announced the addition of Amanda Clearman Waddell to its Memphis office. Waddell joins the firm after practicing for eight years in Hattiesburg, Miss. She will focus her practice primarily in the areas of medical malpractice, general insurance defense and insurance coverage. She obtained her law degree from the University of Mississippi in 1999.

The Nashville law firm of Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry PLC has named six new members of the firm: Emily Hatch Bowman, Robert C. Hannon, Austin L. McMullen, J. Scott Richardson, Jonathan M. Skeeters and Christopher E. Thorsen. Bowman represents financial institutions and corporate clients in a variety of commercial lending, real estate, and general corporate and business transactional matters. She joined the firm in 2000 after earning her law degree from the Vanderbilt University Law School. Hannon joined the firm in 2005 after practicing at Stites & Harbison PLLC and graduating from the Vanderbilt University Law School in 1998 graduate. He focuses his practice on commercial loan transactions and has extensive experience with loan workouts and distressed debt acquisition. McMullen has an active bankruptcy practice representing creditors and clients in commercial litigation. He joined the firm in 2000 after earning his law degree from the Vanderbilt University Law School. Richardson joined the firm in 2000 and focuses his practice on health care law, with an emphasis on regulatory compliance, licensing and certification, and transaction matters. He received his law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 2000. Skeeters represents clients in business transactions, with a primary focus on advising health care companies. He joined the firm in 2003 and received his law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 2000. Finally, Thorsen practices in the areas of commercial, securities and intellectual property litigation. He joined the firm in 2000 after obtaining his law degree from the Vanderbilt University Law School.

In other news, Boult, Cummings announced that Mark W. Miller has joined its Nashville office as a member in the tax practice. Miller, who has more than 10 years of experience in tax law, will focus his practice on partnership and limited liability company transactions. Prior to joining Boult Cummings, he was a partner at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP. Miller earned his law degree from Indiana University in 1996 and an advanced degree in taxation from New York University in 1997.

Jason R. Mirmelstein and Harold L. North Jr. have been named shareholders in the Chattanooga firm of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC. Mirmelstein is a member of the firm's business section and focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate and securities law and business organizations. He earned his law degree in 1998 from the University of Virginia. North focuses his practice on bankruptcy and commercial litigation. He received his law degree from the University of Memphis in 1980.

The Blount County Bar Association has elected its officers for 2008. Among them are TBA members Stephen S. Ogle, president, and Sherri DeCosta, secretary. Both are from Maryville. DeCosta practices with Kizer & Black.

Stacy Slone Neisler has announced the opening of The Law Office of Stacy S. Neisler at 2011 Wall Street in Spring Hill, Tennessee. She can be reached at (615) 302-3300.

Pentecost & Glenn PLLC in Jackson has named Brandon O. Gibson a partner in the firm effective Sept. 1, 2007.  Gibson has practiced with the firm since its inception in 2003.  She is a 2000 graduate of Southern Methodist University School of Law and focuses her practice on civil rights defense, employment defense and commercial litigation.

The Knoxville law firm of London & Amburn PC has hired four new attorneys: Ian P. Hennessey, Jessica Kulkarni, Summer Stevens and Daniel T. Swanson. Hennessey graduated in 2007 from the University of Tennessee College of Law, where he was articles editor for the Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy. Kulkarni also earned her law degree from the University of Tennessee in 2007. As a student she worked as a Legal Aid volunteer and a federal investigator for the EEOC. Stevens has been practicing for eight years in the areas of general civil litigation, products liability, nursing home litigation and medical malpractice defense. She is a 1999 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law and currently serves as the publications chair for the Defense Research Institute's Medical Liability Committee. Swanson has practiced in Knoxville for the last four years in the areas of insurance defense and workers' compensation. He is a 2003 graduate of the University of Baltimore College of Law. All four attorneys will be practicing primarily in the areas of health care law and medical malpractice defense.

The Lawrenceburg law firm of Boston, Holt, Sockwell & Durham PLLC has named Ryan P. Durham a member of the firm. Durham joined the firm as an associate in 2004 and focuses his practice in the areas of general civil litigation, family law, personal injury and corporate litigation. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2002.

Nashville lawyer Guilford F. Thornton Jr. has been elected to serve on Adams and Reese's executive committee. Thornton serves as legislative counsel to a number of trade associations, as well as business and governmental entities with interests before the Tennessee General Assembly and regulatory boards and administrative agencies of local, state and federal government. He earned his law degree in 1990 from the Vanderbilt University Law School.

Adams and Reese also recently announced that Nashville attorney Kolin B. Holladay has been elected to partnership in the firm. Holladay serves in the Transactions and Corporate Advisory Practice Group, assisting clients with federal and state securities law, public and private offerings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and contracts. He earned a law degree and a master of business administration simultaneously from the University of Tennessee in 2001.

In other news from the firm, Adams and Reese LLP will be featured in two magazines for its efforts "to foster a working environment of inclusion, respect and opportunity for all employees." MultiCultural Law Magazine has named it in the top 100 firms for diversity and Women 3.0 has named it in the top 100 firms for women.

Morristown lawyer Martha Lionberger has been elected president of the Hamblen County Bar Association for 2008. She serves with Legal Aid of East Tennessee.

Dawn Davis Carson has been named a partner in the Memphis firm of Heaton and Moore PC. Carson received her law degree from the University of Mississippi in 2001. She focuses her practice in the areas of insurance defense, medical malpractice and general litigation.

Nashville attorney Alexandra MacKay has been elected to membership in Stites & Harbison PLLC. A member of the firm's Intellectual Property & Technology Service Group, she focuses on intellectual property law and handles both transactional and litigation work.

Kate M. Embry recently joined the Memphis law firm of Bourland Heflin Alvarez Minor & Matthews as an associate. Embry earned her law degree in 2007 from the University of Mississippi School of Law, where she was an editor of the Mississippi Law Journal and president of the Environmental Law Society. She is focusing her practice primarily in the area of commercial litigation.

The Clarksville firm of Batson, Nolan, Pearson, Miller & Joiner has named Philip Mize a partner, effective Jan. 1.  Mize has been with the firm for six years practicing in its  civil litigation, commercial law and family law practice groups.  He received his law degree in 2002 from the University of Memphis School of Law.

Virginia Trotter Betts, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities, was recently named president of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. Betts was elected vice president of the organization in 2007, having represented the Southern region on its board of directors since 2005.

Stephen D. Potts has been awarded the 2007 Stanley C. Pace Ethics in Leadership Award by the Ethics Resource Center Fellows Program for his years of work promoting ethical conduct in the public and private sectors. Potts served as chair of the Virginia-based Ethics Resource Center for three years. He left in 2007 to take the position of White House associate counsel. His career has included service in the Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps, as director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and as a partner with the Washington, D.C. firm of Shaw, Pittman, Potts and Trowbridge.  Potts earned his law degree from the Vanderbilt University Law School in 1954.
  
Knoxville attorney Joseph G. Jarret recently authored two articles in addition to his recent feature in the Tennessee Bar Journal. They are "Public Sector Mediation," which ran in the Tennessee Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission Newsletter; and "Firefighter Stress-Related Illness," which appeared in Public Risk Magazine.

Nashville lawyer Julie-Karel Elkin has joined with long-time personal injury and criminal defense attorney Jack A. Butler to form the firm of Butler & Elkin. The firm has a new office at 222 Second Avenue North, Suite 417 in Nashville and a second location at 725 Cool Springs Blvd. in Franklin. Elkin has handled insurance defense litigation for 12 years. In her new practice she will represent clients with personal injuries and assist small business owners with litigation needs.

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Nashville attorney GWEN E.N. MCFARLAND died Jan. 2 at the age of 77. McFarland, who had achieved senior counselor status, worked as a solo practioner. She earned her law degree in 1979 from the YMCA Night Law School, the precursor entity to the Nashville School of Law.

IRA H. MURPHY, a former state lawmaker and judge, died Jan. 6 at the age of 79. Murphy served in the state House from 1969 to 1983 as a Democrat from Memphis, and was a general sessions judge in Shelby County.

WILLIAM JAMES (BILL) PEELER OF MCEWEN died Jan. 24 at age 80. Funeral services were held at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in McEwen and burial was at Richlawn Cemetery in Waverly. Peeler served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1959 to 1963, and in the state Senate from 1967 to 1975 (holding the post of Senate Majority Leader for four years). Peeler may be known best for drafting and passing legislation that established a statewide system of general sessions courts. He also served as county attorney for Humphreys County. Peeler established his Waverly law firm " Porch, Peeler, Williams & Thomason " in 1952 following graduation from the Cumberland School of Law.
  

Whitney Harmon, an attorney at Glankler Brown in Memphis, received the firm's first annual Frank J. Glankler Jr. Pro Bono Award in December. The award was created in 2007 to honor an attorney who commits to pro bono work. The firm as a whole has committed to handle a minimum of 35 pro bono cases each year. Harmon focuses her practice in the area of civil litigation. Prior to joining Glankler Brown, she served as law clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Karl S. Forester in the Eastern District of Kentucky. She earned her law degree in 2004 from the University of Kentucky College of Law.

The Knoxville law firm of Paine, Tarwater, Bickers and Tillman LLP announced that Daniel C. Headrick joined the firm on Nov. 1. Headrick earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2007.

Katy J.L. Duke recently passed the Louisiana bar exam and relocated to New Orleans to work for Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles, where she will practice in the firm's civil litigation department. She retains her license to practice in Tennessee as well as in Georgia. Prior to making the move, Duke practiced law in Chattanooga with the firm of Lewis & Oliver. She received her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2003.

Nashville attorney Timothy L. Meyer has been named counsel for Health Care REIT Inc., an equity real estate investment trust specializing in senior housing and health care real estate. He will work out of the company's Brentwood office. Meyer was most recently a member of Stites & Harbison's real estate and finance service group, where he focused on the acquisition, financing and development of medical properties. He earned his law degree and a master's of business administration from Vanderbilt University.

Mudter, Morgan & Patterson, a litigation and real estate law firm, has named Nicholas S. Akins a partner of the firm effective Jan. 1. As a result, the firm has changed its name to Mudter, Morgan, Patterson & Akins. Akins, who was serving as an associate with the firm, focuses his practice in the areas of workers' compensation, products liability, automobile accidents, premises liability, general negligence litigation and real estate. He earned his law degree in 2001 from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.
In other news from the firm, Timothy J. "Jay" Warner has been hired as an associate attorney.   He will focus in the areas of workers' compensation, employment law and other business and general litigation. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2007.

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC has announced the addition of Robert V. Cornish Jr. to its Memphis office. He joins the firm as of counsel and a member of the Securities/Corporate Governance practice group, where he will handle issues associated with the regulation of investment managers, broker/dealers, investment funds, securities and commodities. Cornish earned his law degree in 1993 from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.

Larry Hayes Jr. with the Nashville firm of Jackson, Kweller, McKinney, Warden & Hayes was recently honored as the fourth lawyer from Nashville and the 12th lawyer from Tennessee to be named a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. The academy was founded to improve the practice and advance the cause of matrimonial law. Hayes has been a family law practioner since 1992.

Nashville lawyer Tom Jurkovich, who recently served as director of the mayor's Office of Economic Development, has joined Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP as a partner.  Jurkovich will practice in the firm's Government Relations group, representing major development projects; businesses seeking to establish, expand or relocate to Nashville; and clients involved in local, state and federal governmental affairs. His past experience includes working in Washington, D.C. as Microsoft's government affairs manager, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of Commerce and staff director of the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on House Administration. He also has extensive experience in political campaigns. A native of Nashville, Jurkovich earned his law degree in 1983 from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Lawrence R. Ahern III, managing partner of the Nashville office of Burr & Forman LLP, was elected president of the American Board of Certification in December. The board is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of the legal profession. Ahern, who focuses his practice on creditors' rights, bankruptcy and commercial law, has been involved with the certification of legal specialists for more than 15 years.  Here in Tennessee, he helped create the state's regulatory system governing attorney certification and served for six years as chair of the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization.
  
The Knoxville law firm of Gentry, Tipton & McLemore PC recently announced the hiring of two attorneys " Joel D. Roettger and Michael P. Sayne " and the opening of its new Sevier County office.  Roettger, a 2000 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, will focus his practice on estate planning, estate administration, and taxation.  He previously served with Holbrook & Peterson PLLC. He also holds a Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Florida College of Law. Sayne joins the firm to practice in the areas of litigation, tort liability, personal injury, employment and construction law. He practiced with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC after receiving his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2000. In other news, the firm announced it is opening a new office at 2430 Teaster Lane, Suite 210 in Pigeon Forge.

Kramer Rayson attorney Adrienne L. Anderson recently assumed the office of president of the Knoxville Bar Association. Other new officers elected who are TBA members were Treasurer Samuel C. Doak with Arnett, Draper & Hagood and Secretary Michael J. King with Woolf McClane Bright Allen & Carpenter LLC. New board members included Tasha C. Blakney with Eldridge & Blakney PC, Gregory S. McMillan with Lewis, King, Krieg & Waldrop PC and Knox County Chancellor Daryl R. Fansler.  At its annual meeting in December, William D. Vines III and Howard Vogel were each awarded a Governor's Award for 2007 by the KBA. It is the highest honor bestowed upon a Knoxville lawyer. The 2007 President's Awards were presented to John W. Routh and John M. Smartt for their service to the KBA membership and the community. The family of Douglas M. Anderson was presented with the Courage in the Face of Adversity Award.

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Nashville attorney DEVEREAUX CANNON died suddenly on Dec. 29 at the age of 53. A 1979 University of Tennessee College of Law graduate, Cannon was vice president and Tennessee state counsel for Old Republic Title, and an active historian and political activist. Services were held Jan. 1 at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Gallatin.

LON BOYD, a force in local Kingsport politics for more than four decades, died Dec. 27. A former Sullivan County judge and member of the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Boyd also served as president of the Kingsport Bar Association from 1998 to 1999. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1957. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Dobyns-Bennett High School Lon Boyd Scholarship Fund, Activities Office, 1800 Legion Drive, Kingsport, TN 37664; UDT-Seal, Naval Special Warfare Foundation Building Fund, P. O. Box 5965, Virginia Beach, VA 23471; or First Presbyterian Church, Music Ministry, 100 West Church Circle, Kingsport, TN 37660.

Legal Aid Society wins excellence awards

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands (LASMTC) received two of the top awards presented in the Center for Nonprofit Management's 2007 Salute to Excellence program. The Chief Executive of the Year Award went to Ashley Wiltshire Jr., in recognition of his leadership and the organization's achievements. LASMTC was also recognized with an Excellence in Communications Award, presented to the organization that exemplifies the best strategy for planning and executing a communication program.

The law firm of Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell PLC has announced the addition of two associate attorneys in its west Tennessee offices. In the Memphis office, John O. Alexander IV has joined the Malpractice & Healthcare and Employment Law practice groups, where he will focus in the areas of medical malpractice, workers' compensation, insurance defense and insurance coverage. Prior to joining the firm, Alexander served as a law clerk to Judge Holly M. Kirby of the Tennessee Court of Appeals. He received his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphrey's School of Law in 2006. Nathan E. Shelby has joined the firm's Jackson office, where he will practice in the Employment Law and Tort & Insurance practice groups handling workers' compensation, insurance defense and insurance coverage issues. A 2007 graduate of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphrey's School of Law, Shelby previously clerked for U.S. Magistrate Judge Diane K. Vescovo and Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge W. Frank Crawford.

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC has named David M. Rudolph a shareholder in its newly opened Memphis office. Formerly with the law firm of Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston PC in Memphis, Rudolph has over 19 years of experience representing clients in labor and employment law matters and is a Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator. Rudolph earned his law degree from the Vanderbilt University Law School in 1988. The firm also announced that Brian C. Winfrey has joined its Nashville office as an associate. Winfrey, who previously served as a litigation associate with Day & Blair, will focus his practice on labor and employment law. He received his law degree in May 2006 from the Vanderbilt University Law School.

Jonathan Williams has joined Larry R. Williams PLLC in Nashville as an associate. Formerly the firm's law clerk, Williams will focus his practice in the areas of personal injury, commercial litigation, workers' compensation, business law, wills and probate. He earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law in 2007.

The Campbell County Bar Association recently elected Elizabeth Asbury with the Asbury Law Office in Jacksboro as its new secretary.

Michael J. McSunas has rejoined the Chattanooga firm of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC after serving as in-house counsel for a Detroit advertising agency. He returns as a shareholder, focusing his practice on marketing, product distribution, dealer relations, advertising, promotional law and business law. McSunas earned his law degree in 1992 from the Vanderbilt University Law School.

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC recently welcomed attorney and certified public accountant Todd Ervin to its Nashville office. Ervin joins the firm as a member in the tax practice section. Previously, he was a member of Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry where he served as chair of the tax section. Ervins earned a law degree and a master's degree in taxation from the University of Florida.

Stites & Harbison has announced the addition of two new associates in its Nashville office. F. David T. Arens joins the Creditors' Rights & Bankruptcy Service Group. Prior to joining the firm, he was a law clerk to Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia A. Clark and a summer law clerk with the Tennessee Attorney General's Office. He graduated from the Vanderbilt University Law School in 2006. The second associate, Melissa C. Hunter, is a member of the Intellectual Property & Technology Service and Business Litigation Service groups. She graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2007. During law school she served as a summer associate with the firm, an intern with the Tennessee Court of Appeals and law clerk to Tennessee Attorney General Paul Summers.

Nathan M. Bays has joined the Kingsport law firm of Hunter, Smith and Davis LLP where he will focus on general transactional law, banking and healthcare law. Bays received his law degree from Wake Forest University in 2007.

Memphis immigration lawyer Greg Siskind recently testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration about creating a board of visa appeals to review visa denials by U.S. consular officers. Siskind is a partner in the Memphis-based immigration firm Siskind Susser Bland.

The Greene County Bar Association has named Todd Shelton with Rogers, Laughlin, Nunnally, Hood & Crum in Greeneville as its new president.

Craig V. Gabbert Jr., a shareholder at Harwell Howard Hyne Gabbert & Manner PC in Nashville, is now listed as a Rule 31 General Civil Mediator. Gabbert has over 30 years of experience handling commercial litigation, bankruptcy and reorganization matters. He is a 1976 graduate of the Vanderbilt University Law School.

The Nashville law firm of Farmer & Luna PLLC has named Jonathan Farmer as a member and Jason Holleman as of-counsel to the firm. Farmer joined the firm as an associate in 2003 after serving as an assistant public defender in Nashville. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2000, and has focused his work in the areas of criminal defense and general civil litigation. Holleman joined the firm as an associate in 2002, after serving as assistant general counsel with the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation and assistant attorney general in the environmental division of the state attorney general's office. His practice has focused on land use, municipal, environmental, regulatory and administrative law. He earned his law degree from the Tulane University School of Law in 1998.

Joshua J. Phillips has joined the law firm of Neal & Harwell PLC as an associate. He previously served as a law clerk to Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice William M. Barker. He received his law degree in 2006 from University of Tennessee College of Law.

Lance A. Bowling has rejoined the law firm of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC and will serve on its commercial litigation team in Houston. Bowling previously practiced for five years in the firm's New Orleans office before accepting an in-house counsel position with a Fortune 500 energy company. In returning to the firm, he will continue focusing his practice on labor and employment, class action defense and other business litigation. Bowling holds a law degree from the University of Memphis School of Law and is admitted to practice in Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas.

Kevin A. Dean has been named an associate in the Knoxville law firm of Frantz, McConnell & Seymour LLP. Dean, who has been with the firm since graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2007, will practice in the area of general civil litigation.

The Nashville law firm of Waddey & Patterson PC recently announced the addition of Andrew J. "Andy" Thomson as an associate attorney. A holder of six patents, Thomson will focus his practice in the areas of patent and trademark prosecution. He received his law degree in 2007 from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. During law school he worked for Chief Judge Sharon L. Blackburn of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Prior to attending law school, he was an electrical engineer. During that time he earned a master of science degree in electrical engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology.

The Coffee County Bar Association has elected its officers for 2008. TBA members among them are President Edward H. North with Rogers & Duncan in Manchester and Vice President Craig Northcott with VanCleave & Northcott PC in Tullahoma.

Charles K. Grant, a shareholder with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC, has been named to a two-year term as board chair of the Nashville Business Incubation Center " an entity dedicated to developing small and microenterprise businesses in the Nashville area. He previously served as vice chair. A member of Baker Donelson's Labor & Employment Department, Grant handles complex employment litigation as well as commercial litigation and professional liability defense.

M. Clark Spoden, a member in the Nashville office of Frost Brown Todd LLC, recently was recognized by the Muscular Dystrophy Association for his distinguished legal career and willingness to give back to the community. He was one of 25 Middle Tennessee legal professionals chosen for the "Most Prominent Legal Leader Who Cares" award, which was given for the first time this year. Spoden focuses his practice on complex business, employment, environmental, construction, commodity and government fraud cases.

Carl E. Seely and G. Michael Casey announce the opening of their downtown office, Divorce Incorporated, at 449 E. Baltimore St. in Jackson. The phone number is (731) 660-8810.

Former Tennessee Bar Association treasurer and Nashville lawyer Paul Ney will take over as Nashville's director of economic and community development in January. Ney, who has been serving as deputy general counsel of the U.S. Department of Defense in Washington, D.C., had been a partner in Trauger, Ney & Tuke, which is now Trauger & Tuke.

New officers for the Monroe County Bar Association are Peter Alliman, president, of White, Carson & Alliman PC and Kathaleen Ann Barker, secretary, or the Barker Law & Mediation Services. Both are from Madisonville.

The Memphis Bar Association held its election Dec. 6, 2007. The new officers are Amy Amundsen, president, of Rice, Amundsen, Rogers & Caperton PLLC; Art Quinn, president-elect/vice president, of The Bogatin Law Firm PLC; Ricky Wilkins, treasurer, of the Law Offices of Ricky E. Wilkins; John Cannon, secretary, of Shuttleworth Williams PLLC; David M. Cook, past president, of the Hardison Law Firm; and Stacie WInkler, YLD president, of Thomason, Hendrix, Harvey, Johnson & Mitchell PLLC.

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Memphis attorney FRANK GLANKLER JR., died Nov. 21. He was 81. As a young man, Glankler joined the Marines and took part in the World War II invasion of the Pacific island of Peleliu. After graduating in 1952 from Southern Law University, he joined his father in practice and then went on to co-found the firm known today as Glankler Brown PLLC. He focused his practice in the areas of business and corporate law, and criminal and civil litigation. Glankler was a fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation and the American College of Trial Lawyers. Memorials may be made to Double Dog Rescue, 17 Harmony Hill Rd., Harwinton, CT 06791 or Kentucky Lab Rescue, 1101 Sugar Ridge Rd., Winchester, KY 40391.

Memphis law School names dean, Vanderbilt starts new search

Dr. Kevin Smith was appointed dean at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in February. Smith had been serving as the interim dean since October 2007 and was one of four candidates being considered for the position. "I'm delighted to have the opportunity to work with faculty, staff, students, University officials, alumni and friends of the law school at this transformational time in the law school's history," Smith told The Daily News.

Edward L. Rubin is stepping down from his position as dean of Vanderbilt University Law School effective June 30. He said he will continue to teach and write as a member of the faculty. Rubin became the law school's 14th dean and the first John Wade-Kent Syverud Professor of Law in July 2005. Accomplishments during Rubin's tenure as dean include the addition of 16 new faculty members; a 40-percent increase in student applications; a rise in median LSAT scores; the creation of a new admissions program through which applicants for admission are interviewed by alumni; a jump in the U.S. News and World Report ranking from 17 to 15; and a substantial increase in the school's annual fund.

Louisville, Ky,. attorney Sheryl G. Snyder has been elected to Frost Brown Todd's executive committee, where he will help oversee operations of the firm. Snyder is chair of the firm's Appellate Practice Group and has made appellate oral arguments in more than 50 reported decisions, including the Oklahoma City bombing civil litigation. He practices primarily in the areas of business, contract, antitrust, securities, RICO and intellectual property law.

The Memphis firm of Burch, Porter & Johnson PLLC has announced that David E. Goodman Jr. and Debra A. Wiles recently were named members of the firm. Goodman joined the firm in 2001, following graduation from the University of Mississippi School of Law. He has been focusing his practice on municipal and criminal law, as well as personal injury, employment and commercial litigation. Wiles joined the firm in 2002 following graduation from the University of Memphis School of Law. A certified public accountant, she practices in the area of business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, securities, real estate, probate and estate planning, and municipal law.

Miller & Martin PLLC has promoted four of its associates to member status. Neil A. Brunetz litigates general civil matters for the firm. He earned his law degree in 2001 from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Kyle W. Eiselstein, a 2000 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, focuses his practice in the area of civil litigation with an emphasis on complex commercial disputes. He also represents individuals with significant personal injury claims. Ian K. Leavy handles labor and employment law with a focus on immigration procedures. He earned a law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2000. Camille Webb Steward focuses her practice in employment law and general litigation. She also handles commercial and tort actions through arbitration. She completed her law degree in 2000 from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

The Rutherford-Cannon County Bar Association recently elected new officers. They are: President Darwin Colston with Mitchell & Mitchell; Vice President and solo practioner Tim Hogan; Secretary Thomas Santel with Cope, Hudson, Scarlett, Reed & McCreary; and Treasurer and solo practioner Diana Burns. All are from Murfreesboro.

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC recently elected four attorneys to membership in the firm. In the firm's Nashville office, Bob Brewer practices in the areas of intellectual property and technology, with a particular emphasis on development, commercialization and transfer of rights. He earned his law degree in 2000 from Stetson University College of Law. Joshua Denton focuses on antitrust and trade practices; debtor-creditor relations; and class action, real estate and commercial litigation. He received his law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1999. Brian D. Roark chairs the firm's Litigation Technology Committee and handles complex commercial, health care, securities and software litigation. He earned his law degree from the University of North Carolina in 1999. In the firm's Memphis office, Clarence A. Wilbon represents national companies and financial institutions in commercial cases and employment disputes. He serves on the firm's Law School Hiring and Diversity committees and is a founding member of the firm's African-American Affinity Group. He earned his law degree in 2000 from the Brandeis School of Law.

Two new attorneys have joined the litigation practice of Bass, Berry & Sims in Memphis. Annie T. Christoff graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2007 and served as a clerk for District Judge Jon Phipps McCalla in the Western District of Tennessee. Prior to attending law school she spent four years as a high school teacher in Memphis. Nolan M. Johnson earned his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 2007. He served as a law clerk to Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Holly M. Kirby prior to joining the firm.

Memphis attorney Amy J. Amundsen recently was selected as a fellow of both the American Bar Foundation and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She also recently spoke at the National Continuing Legal Education Institute in Vail, Colo., on the topic of how to protect divorce clients during hard economic times. Amundsen has practiced family law in Memphis for the last 21 years at the firm of Rice, Amundsen & Caperton PLLC. She earned her law degree from the University of Memphis School of Law in 1988.

David N. Burn has joined the Nashville firm of Drescher & Sharp, practicing in the areas of corporate and securities law and commercial bankruptcy. Burn has practiced law for over 28 years and has been an arbitrator for FINRA (formerly the National Association of Securities Dealers) since 1989. Prior to joining the firm he worked at Stokes & Bartholomew.

The new firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP " formed as the result of a recent merger between Bradley Arant Rose & White LLP and Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry PLC " has named six Tennessee attorneys to partnership in the firm. Tara L. Cleare, a graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School, practices in the firm's health care section and focuses on a wide range of regulatory, operational and transactional matters. Andrew Elbon practices in the areas of employee benefits, executive compensation and health information privacy. He earned law and masters degrees from the University of Kentucky and a doctorate from the University of Michigan. Catherine Grow, a graduate of the William & Mary Law School, handles business transactional work including business formation, contracts, mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. Jonathan D. Rose practices in the areas of intellectual property, civil litigation and appeals. He received his law degree from Harvard and a masters degree from Murray State University. Eric W. Smith represents clients in the areas of business, tort and real estate litigation. He graduated from the William & Mary Law School. Joycelyn A. Stevenson represents clients in litigation and dispute resolution matters, primarily involving labor and employment, health care and business litigation. She received her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School. Of particular note, Cleare and Stevenson are the first women of color to be elected partner in the firm's nearly 100-year history. Both have worked at Boult Cummings for their entire legal careers.

Knoxville's Watson, Roach, Batson, Rowell & Lauderback PLC recently announced that Emily A. Cleveland and Sarah Larkin have joined the firm as associate attorneys. Cleveland is a 2008 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law. Larkin is a 2008 graduate of the New England School of Law.

The Bristol Bar Association has elected a new president and officers for 2009. David W. Tipton with Tipton & Jones takes over as president. Daniel Coughlin with Massengill & Caldwell PC is now vice president and Joseph Wesley Edens with Icenhour & Edens is secretary/treasurer.

The East Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women has elected a new board of directors for 2009. TBA members among them are President Debra House with Legal Aid of East Tennessee; President-elect Wynne Hall with Paine, Tarwater, Bickers & Tillman LLP; program chairs Leslie Muse and Dawn Coppock; membership chairs Karen Crutchfield with Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan PLLC and Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee; Tennessee Lawyers Association of Women representative Donna Holt; IOLTA grant review representative Heather Anderson with Howard & Howard PC; and community outreach chair Sharon Frankenberg.

The Chattanooga Bar Association elected new officers and board members for 2009 at its annual meeting in January. TBA members among them are President and Criminal Court Judge Barry A. Steelman; President-elect John T. Rice with the John Rice Law Firm; Secretary-Treasurer Ira M. Long Jr. with Weill & Long PLLC; and Immediate Past President Cynthia D. Hall with Franklin, Cooper & Marcus PLLC. Board members are RoseMarie Bryan with Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC; Harry Cash with Grant, Konvalinka & Harrison PC; Stephen T. Greer with the Greer Law Firm; Robin Miller with Gearhiser, Peters, Lockaby, Cavett & Elliott PLLC; and M. Craig Smith with Miller & Martin PLLC.

The association also recognized a number of award winners at its annual meeting. Jeffrey M. Atherton with Burnette, Dobson & Pinchak received the Ralph M. Kelly Humanitarian Award for exemplary service to the Chattanooga community. Barry Abbott with Cavett & Abbott PLLC was honored with the 2008 President's Award. Mike St. Charles with Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC was given the Albert L. Hodge Volunteer Award for exemplary volunteer service to the association and the legal community. And Mike Luhowiak with Spears, Moore, Rebman & Williams received the Harry Weill Zealous Practice of Law Award for energetic and enthusiastic service to clients.

The Jackson law firm of Pentecost & Glenn PLLC has added two new associates to its office. Ryan K. Porter earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law in 2007 and worked at Jackson Energy Authority and the City of Jackson prior to joining the firm. Melissa K. Van Pelt received her law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 2008. Both will be practicing in the areas of civil rights and employment defense.

Jeremy M. Cothern has joined the Murfreesboro law firm of Cope, Hudson, Scarlett, Reed & McCreary PLLC as an associate. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law and clerked for Chancellors Daryl Fansler and John F. Weaver of the Knox County Chancery Court prior to joining the firm.

Chief Deputy Knox County Law Director Joe Jarret recently presented "Ethical Issues for the Local Government Attorney" on behalf of the Tennessee Bar Association; published "E-Discovery: Challenges for the Public Risk Manager" in the Public Management Journal; and presented "Local Government Legal Challenges" on behalf of the Howard Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy.

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC recently announced that Jonathan O. Harris, an employment attorney in its Nashville office, has been elected a shareholder in the firm. From 2000 to 2001, Harris served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber in the Eastern District of Missouri. He earned his law degree from Washington University School of Law in 2000.

The Nashville School of Law has named R. Eddie Davidson a civil litigation instructor at the school. A legal veteran of 20 years, Davidson operates a private catastrophic injury practice in Nashville where he focuses on interstate trucking litigation, natural gas and fuel explosions and nursing home litigation. He is currently a faculty member with the National College of Advocacy and has taught at Harvard Law School. He graduated from the Nashville School of Law in 1989.

Nashville-based Rothschild and Associates has announced the addition of a new partner, Mary Beth Ausbrooks, and the new firm name of Rothschild, Nave and Ausbrooks. A board-certified bankruptcy attorney, Ausbrooks worked in the Nashville office of Clark and Washington PC before joining the firm, which focuses on complex consumer bankruptcies.

J. Matthew Blackburn has joined the law firm of Cornelius & Collin LLP as an associate where he will focus on representing businesses and individuals in civil litigation. Blackburn earned his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 2008.

Father and son team Larry and Lance Bridgesmith have joined the Nashville office of Miller & Martin PLLC after previously working for Waller, Lansden, Dortch and Davis LLP. Larry will join the firm as of counsel in the labor & employment department and represent businesses in the areas of employment, labor and human resource management. He also will continue to advise organizations on ways to resolve conflict as director of a graduate program at Lipscomb University's Institute for Conflict Management. Larry earned his law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 1979. Lance will join the firm as a member in the corporate department and focus on private placements, mergers and acquisitions, securities/broker-dealer regulation, corporate compliance, operations contracts, corporate formation and new business ventures. He earned his law degree in 1999 from Pepperdine University School of Law.

Wilson & Associates has named Jason Mangrum, supervising attorney in its Nashville office, to the same position in its Knoxville office. He will now manage both offices. A native of Nashville, Mangrum graduated from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1996. His practice includes foreclosure, bankruptcy and general commercial litigation.

Former Tennessee Attorney General Paul Summers has been named pro bono director of government affairs for The Jason Foundation, a nonprofit group that works to prevent youth suicide. Summers will continue to maintain his full-time practice as a partner at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP while serving in a volunteer capacity with the foundation. Summers has been involved with the foundation for more than a decade and currently chairs its board of directors.

Passages

Knoxville lawyer WARREN BUTLER, a founding member of the Butler, Vines, and Babb law firm, died Feb. 28. He was 78. A graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, he practiced at the firm for 40 years. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials be made to FISH Hospitality Pantries, 800 Northshore Dr., Knoxville TN 37919.

Jackson lawyer TIMOTHY BRYAN LATIMER died of a sudden unexpected illness March 3. He was 50. Latimer was a partner with Utley & Latimer and a 1984 graduate of the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. in Waverly. Donations may be made in his honor to the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church on the 45 bypass in Jackson.

Knoxville lawyer CECIL D. MEEK JR. died Feb. 28. He was 74. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1959. In his nearly 50 years of practice, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney, practiced with the law firm of Stone and Bozeman, and was in private practice. In 1974, he became one of the founding members of the law firm of Haynes, Meek, Jones and Summers (now Haynes, Meek, Summers and Stanuszek). In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.