Chambliss, Bahner and Stophel has announced that shareholder Cal Marshall is the new chair of its Health Care Practice Group. He succeeds Doug Griswold. Marshall advises health care and business clients on regulatory compliance and transactional matters. A former aide to several U.S. House of Representatives members, he has a background in health care policy and government oversight, offering strategic guidance to clients nationwide, according to Chattanoogan.com. Marshall earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. He is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a member of the Chattanooga, Tennessee and American Bar Associations. "I am honored to step into this leadership position and build upon our team's strong foundation," Marshall said. "I look forward to facilitating the continued growth of our practice and the exceptional service our clients expect."

A Memphis physician has been indicted for theft and insurance fraud, marking the second time the doctor has faced similar charges in the last two decades. Dr. Rande Lazar, an ear, nose and throat specialist, has been charged with one count each of TennCare fraud and theft of property. Lazar was indicted March 6, taken into custody March 13 and released on a $35,000 bond. He is due back in court in May. Legal trouble began for Lazar in 2004, when he was federally indicted on 115 counts of insurance fraud after allegedly filing false insurance claims for surgeries he did not perform, the Daily Memphian reports. Lazar was accused of falsely billing for frontal sinus surgery for more than 100 children. The indictment accused Lazar of requiring others in his practice to falsify both TennCare and Medicaid records to indicate that he had performed the surgeries. Those charges were later dropped after a judge found the search warrant served in the case was problematic.

The Tennessee General Assembly has confirmed Judge Valerie L. Smith and Judge Steven W. Sword to their respective appellate courts. Both were appointed by Gov. Bill Lee on Feb. 28. Smith will join the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Western Division, to fill a vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Arnold B. Goldin. She previously served as a circuit court judge for the 30th Judicial District and worked as an attorney at Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. She received her law degree from the University of Memphis. Sword was confirmed to the Court of Criminal Appeals, Eastern Division, to fill a vacancy created by the death of Judge James C. Witt Jr. Sword served as a Knox County criminal court judge since 2011, and was an assistant district attorney for 15 years. He is also a judge advocate general in the U.S. Army Reserves. Sword received his law degree from the University of Tennessee School of Law.

The TBA Board of Governors has filled several key positions that had been vacant after the filing period closed. Cookeville attorney Henry "Hank" D. Fincher was named 4th District governor. Knoxville lawyer Kelly Street with McAfee Armistead & Davis was appointed the East Tennessee grand division governor. And Alexandra "Alix" Rogers with Belmont University College of Law in Nashville was selected as Tennessee's young lawyer delegate to the ABA House of Delegates. The TBA is still seeking to fill vacancies in its House of Delegates for Districts 9, 14, 15, 24, 26, 28 and 31. Interested candidates are encouraged to visit the TBA’s election page for additional information and contact BarED@tnbar.org to be considered for any of the openings.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office Division of Consumer Affairs and the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors warned consumers last week about home improvement fraud and provided tips in a press release to help recognize and avoid fraudulent contractors. "Home improvement scams top the list of consumer complaints received by our Division of Consumer Affairs," said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. "If you’re planning to renovate this spring, make sure your contractor really is licensed and bonded — don’t take their word for it. Do your due diligence before you trust anyone with your money."

The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury has released a report on Shelby County's criminal justice system following a request by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, more than a year ago. The report, which examined thousands of felony charges filed between 2018 and 2024, found that while Shelby County handles more felony cases than other major counties, it struggles with delays, with only 33% of felony charges disposed of within a year. According to the Commercial Appeal, investigators pointed to several factors contributing to delays, including turnover in the district attorney’s and public defender’s offices, a reduction in criminal court judges, and frequent changes in defense counsel, which often result in case resets. The report also fund that the court system has work to do in furthering transparency and making things accessible to the general public. Since taking office, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy has pushed for a public-facing database that could provide some of this data.

Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) of Nashville was named the 2025 Tennessee State High School Mock Trial champion Saturday night after two days of preliminary rounds. The school prevailed over Agathos Classical School from Columbia. Tennessee State Supreme Court Justice Mary Wagner presided over the round, while members of the TBA Young Lawyers Division's (YLD) Executive Committee, TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr., TBA Vice President Heidi Barcus and TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright served as jurors. Earlier in the day, the top eight teams were announced, an MVP for each of the 16 teams was recognized, individual awards were presented to the best advocates and witnesses, and Sevier County High School of Sevierville was awarded the 2025 Sportsmanship Award. The top three artists in the inaugural Artist in the Courtroom Contest also were recognized and the first place winner was on hand to accept the award. Read more about the event and see photos.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti today filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court supporting President Donald Trump’s application to stay preliminary injunctions issued by multiple district courts in cases addressing birthright citizenship. According to a press release, the brief emphasizes that courts should interpret the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment in line with its original public meaning and should limit their judicial power to specific cases and controversies, consistent with the separation of powers. “Courts are empowered by the Constitution to resolve cases and controversies, not to issue sweeping policy proclamations or manage the executive branch,” Skrmetti said. After Trump signed the executive order, “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” three federal judges have issued nationwide preliminary injunctions, freezing the order and ruling it violated the Citizenship Clause. The Trump administration had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in last week. 

TBA’s Legislative Updates podcast is new this week with TBA lobbyist Brad Lampley with Adams and Reese. He is joined by TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright and TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. in a live recording from TBA's third annual "Day on the Hill" event. They discuss key highlights from the event and the impact of attorney advocacy on state legislation. Tune in to the podcast on the TBA website or through this link. See a photo from behind the scenes.

The 10th Judicial Drug Task Force, comprised of law enforcement agencies from across the 10th Judicial District, released its 2024 statistics. According to The Chattanoogan, the statistics indicate the deadly amount of drugs pouring into the communities, and the cooperative efforts of law enforcement agencies in the 10th Judicial District working together to get dangerous drugs out of communities. The task force, with 10 agents assigned across the district, reported 324 new cases, 176 felony arrests and 77 misdemeanor arrests. The task force also seized 156 firearms, $221,864 in currency and 15 vehicles, with one methamphetamine lab dismantled.