The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), along with a group of state co-plaintiffs, has expanded an antitrust lawsuit against RealPage Inc. to six more of the nation’s largest landlords. According to the Nashville Business Journal, the expanded case accuses all of the companies of harming renters. The complaint alleges the landlords "actively participated in a scheme" to set rents based on each other’s competitively sensitive information through shared pricing algorithms. At least two of the landlords named in the complaint deny the allegations and plan to defend against the claims. Tennessee had joined the original federal antitrust lawsuit against RealPage in August.

KPMG, a global network of independent firms offering audit, tax and advisory services, is seeking to launch a new legal services business in the United States, leveraging the relaxed law firm ownership rules in Arizona, according to Reuters. KPMG Law US, a subsidiary of KPMG US, has applied to the Arizona Supreme Court to operate as an alternative business structure under a state program that allows non-lawyers to co-own law firms. The Arizona location would offer compliance, contract-related services and other outsourced legal work. A committee will review the application at a meeting tomorrow. If approved, the application then will go to the court for final approval. In 2020, Arizona became the first state to lift restrictions on non-lawyers owning an economic interest in law firms, allowing co-ownership with court approval. Since 2021, the Arizona court has approved more than 100 alternative legal business structures.

Free Legal Answers, the American Bar Association's (ABA) virtual legal clinic program, has surpassed 400,000 total questions answered since its inception in 2016. In 2024, the program provided over 16,500 hours of pro bono service, assisting with family law, housing, consumer rights, employment and civil rights questions. The program, which has over 15,000 registered volunteers and is available in 42 states and territories, allows eligible users to post questions and receive answers to civil legal issues. Baker Donelson created and continues to maintain the portal in collaboration with the ABA. Originally launched in 2009 as Online Tennessee Justice to serve low-income individuals, the initiative has expanded into a nationwide program under the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service. See the most recent program report for more information. 

Those interested in serving on the TBA Board of Governors or House of Delegates, or as a TBA delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates, should apply by the end of the day this Wednesday, Jan. 15. Open positions include TBA's vice president (must be from middle Tennessee this year); district governors in two districts and grand division governors on the TBA Board; certain members of the TBA House of Delegates; and two Tennessee representatives to the ABA House of Delegates, one of whom must be a young lawyer. The 2025 Election Notice has more information on the open positions, including the qualifications for each and the process for applying. Questions? Visit the TBA’s election guidelines webpage.

During a meeting Tuesday, Memphis City Council members passed an amendment adding a "trigger" to an ordinance that includes a series of gun control measures approved by voters in the 2024 election. Members also voted to enter the election results into the permanent council record. According to the Tri-State Defender, the resolution acknowledges that current state law nullifies the ordinance but includes language allowing it to take effect if the open-carry law is changed in the future. 

After initially denying public records requests for an execution manual outlining new lethal injection protocols, the Tennessee Department of Correction has released a redacted version of the document. According to the Associated Press, the manual — much shorter than the previous version — includes a single page on lethal injection chemicals with no specific instructions for testing the drugs. It also removes a requirement that the drugs come from a licensed pharmacist. Kelley Henry, a Nashville-based assistant federal public defender who represents several death row inmates, described the new manual to the news outlet as "incomplete, truncated and vague." She added, "As of today, we still do not know the source of drugs, whether they are compounded, or whether they have been diverted from the market into a gray market, how they will be procured, stored, tested and administered." The 44-page document also redacts some titles and names and omits previously detailed steps for carrying out executions in Tennessee.

Due to a winter storm and the threat of hazardous travel conditions, Gov. Bill Lee closed state offices today. State courts were also closed and no opinions were released. State services offered online remain available, and state employees who can work from home have continued to do so. At Lee's direction, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) issued a state of emergency to provide regulatory relief ahead of the storm, which is expected to impact the state through Saturday afternoon, according to a press release from the governor's office. TEMA is working with local, regional and state partners to support readiness actions and resource requests. The Tennessee Department of Transportation is urging residents to exercise caution and avoid non-essential travel.

The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) is facing a lawsuit alleging it created an illegal monopoly over professional certification and overcharged its members for dues. According to Reuters, in a proposed class action filed last week in New Jersey, two court reporters claimed the NCRA was unlawfully forcing them and thousands of others to pay annual membership fees to maintain their certification. The lawsuit alleges the association violated U.S. antitrust law by "tying" certification to membership fees and states that there are no "reasonable substitutes" for NCRA certification, as state court reporter associations do not provide certification. The plaintiffs seek to represent a class of court reporters who have purchased membership from the NCRA since 2014, and the suit is asking for unspecified monetary damages and other penalties. The NCRA said it is reviewing the complaint but declined to comment further, the news outlet reports. 

Acting U.S. Attorney for Tennessee’s Middle District Tom Jaworski has joined the Nashville office of Epstein Becker Green as a member of the firm. He will handle health care matters with a focus on investigations and enforcement. Jaworski served as acting U.S. attorney starting in October 2024 following the departure of Henry Leventis, who joined the Nashville office of Holland & Knight. Jaworski previously served as first assistant U.S. attorney. Prior to joining the Nashville-based prosecutor’s office, Jaworski served as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division in Washington, D.C., where he focused on health care fraud, kickback crimes and money laundering. Read more in a release from the firm.

President-elect Donald Trump was found guilty in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records. Justice Juan Merchan today sentenced Trump to an "unconditional discharge," in the case, making Trump the first U.S. president to take office with a felony criminal conviction, Reuters reports. Merchan said he was imposing the sentence sparing Trump jail, a fine or probation because the U.S. Constitution shields presidents from criminal prosecution. But he said the protections afforded to the office "do not reduce the seriousness of a crime or justify its commission in any way." The sentencing took place after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene, SCOTUSblog reports. Trump has pledged to appeal the conviction.