Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has announced that a 40-state group has obtained separate settlements from Experian and T-Mobile in connection with a three data breaches. Under a $12.67 million settlement, Experian has agreed to strengthen its due diligence and data security practices. It also will offer credit monitoring services to those who were affected by a 2015 breach. In addition, it agreed to pay $1 million to resolve claims against its subsidiary Experian Data Corp. for a 2012 data breach. In a separate $2.43 million settlement, T-Mobile agreed to detailed vendor management provisions designed to strengthen its vendor oversight. The agreement only includes claims from a 2015 breach. It does not include claims filed in connection with a data breach in 2021, which is still under investigation by a coalition of state attorneys general.

The Chattanooga office of Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) hosted its annual Pro Bono Night recently. The evening featured food, drinks, music, a silent auction and the group’s traditional awards ceremony. Among those recognized was Rebecca Miller with Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, who received the Bruce C. Bailey Volunteer Lawyer of the Year Award for her work on conservatorships. The Chief Justice William M. Barker Access to Justice Award was presented to Emily O’Donnell, a former Legal Aid staff attorney, for her pioneering work in establishing an Eviction Prevention Initiative in the county. The group also recognized the Chattanooga Hamilton County Family Justice Center with the Alexander Hamilton Award, which honors a nonlegal entity that works to advance justice. The center was chosen for its partnership with LAET, allowing it to hold clinics for free at its facility throughout the year. Finally, LAET named the Chattanooga Bar Association Young Lawyers Division as its Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year for the many legal clinics the group hosted. Read more in the Hamilton County Herald.

The 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has denied immunity to former Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputy Daniel Wilkey and current deputy Tyler McRae in a civil rights lawsuit filed by a Soddy Daisy resident, Tennessee Lookout reports. William Eugene Klaver filed the suit after an April 2019 traffic stop in which he was detained on the side of the road for nearly an hour in a fruitless search for marijuana. A three-judge panel of the court said Klaver presented ample evidence that the deputies intentionally dragged out a stop for a window tint violation to illegally search his vehicle. Wilkey and McRae have been named as defendants in at least a half dozen federal civil rights lawsuits alleging abuses of power and brutality in encounters with citizens. Since the interaction with Klaver, Wilkey also has been arrested on rape, assault and official oppression charges.

A congressionally mandated online database of federal judges’ financial disclosure reports, detailing their assets and stock trades, is now live, Reuters reports. President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan bill into law in May with the goal of making it easier for the public to see if judges have a financial conflict of interest that would warrant recusal from hearing a case. Registered database users now are able to search for, sort, view and download judges’ reports. U.S. District Judge Roslynn Mauskopf, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, said the database will initially contain 2021 financial disclosure reports and periodic transaction reports detailing stock trades.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee held its Knoxville Pro Bono Night celebration last night to honor local attorneys for their pro bono work. The law firm of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillps Grossman was recognized as the 2022 Law Firm of the Year, while Jennifer Egelston was named 2022 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, Tenaya Winkelman was named 2022 Pro Bono Law Student of the Year, and the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law was named 2022 Community Partner of the Year. In addition, Knoxville Bar Association President-elect Loretta Cravens recognized area lawyers who completed a certain number of pro bono hours during the year. Finally, Amy Morris Hess was named a new member of the Donald F. Paine Memorial Hall of Fame. TBA President Tasha Blakney was on hand to congratulate all the honorees and present the award to Egelston.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced today that a settlement with three national pharmaceutical companies — CVS, Walgreens and Walmart — and opioid manufacturer Janssen will provide $84 million to help abate the opioid crisis in Tennessee. The funds now bring Tennessee’s total payout to more than $128 million. That amount includes more than $90 million for the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Trust Fund, which is disbursed throughout the state to address the opioid crisis. Tennessee was a lead state in the negotiations that secured the funds. More than 150 counties and municipalities also are participating. Nationwide, the companies agreed to pay about $13.8 billion. Reuters has more on the overall settlement.

The 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court decision to strip Knoxville Police Officer Dylan Williams of immunity in a wrongful death lawsuit, Tennessee Lookout reports. The decision came in a case brought against Williams after he shot Channara Tom “Philly” Pheap in August 2019 in the parking lot of a Knoxville apartment complex. Williams argued that Pheap grabbed his taser and fired it at him. Eye witnesses said Pheap was running away when he was shot. The court said that because Pheap was unarmed and shot in the back, the situation justified removal of immunity protection.

Today was Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson’s last day at the Tennessee Bar Association. She plans to take some time off before beginning her new position as managing shareholder of Littler’s Nashville office in December. TBA staff gathered last week to honor (and roast) Stevenson at a going away dinner. Moving forward, TBA Assistant Executive Director Barry Kolar has been named interim executive director and will serve in that capacity until a new director is hired. A search committee led by former TBA President and Knoxville lawyer Jason Long has been formed and is working to identify the association’s next leader. Those interested in learning more about the opening should contact Long at jlong@lewisthomason.com.

When Joycelyn Stevenson saw a posting for executive director of the Tennessee Bar Association in 2017, she set it aside and went back to work. “I felt like, I’m not going to get that job. That’s a job that somebody else is already in line for,” she said. Flash forward to today, Stevenson has successfully headed up the bar association for more than five years and is now leaving the TBA to return to private practice. In a new episode of the TBA’s Sidebar podcast, Stevenson engages in an honest discussion on lessons learned from the TBA, thoughts on her leadership style, overcoming self-doubt, advice for fellow leaders and more. “That’s the big leadership advice from me: everybody’s role is important and bring people along with you.” Sidebar is part of the TBA Podcast Network and can be found on the TBA’s website or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Two advocacy groups are asking Gov. Bill Lee to appoint a special investigator to look at possible “failings” by law enforcement and state prison officials leading up to the kidnapping and murder of Eliza Fletcher in Memphis. In the letter, the People for the Enforcement of Rape Laws (PERL), and Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) question the culpability of the Memphis Police Department and the Tennessee Department of Corrections. It specifically cites a 2021 rape kit that could have led to the arrest of Cleotha Henderson, who is now charged in Fletcher’s death. The kit was left untested for nearly one year. "We think an investigation into this grave lapse must take place if state leaders truly want to prevent future tragedies,” the letter states. Read more from the Commercial Appeal.