Endo International has agreed to pay $35 million to settle a lawsuit brought by nine counties and 18 cities in Tennessee on behalf of "Baby Doe," who was allegedly born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, a condition caused by withdrawal after in-utero opioid exposure. The settlement offer came just days before the case was set to go to trial, the Times News reports. Plaintiffs were expected to seek $2.4 billion in damages. Sullivan County Chancellor E.G. Moody ruled in April that Endo and its lawyers engaged in a "coordinated strategy" to withhold evidence and entered a default judgment of liability against the company as a sanction. Only damages were left to be decided at trial. The deal must still be approved by some of the plaintiffs, Reuters reports.

The National Bar Association will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to Judge Bernice Donald during its 96th Annual Virtual Convention, which begins tomorrow and runs through July 27. A former judge in Memphis, Donald now serves on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. The group also will present The C. Francis Stradford Award to Benjamin Crump, one of its past presidents. Crump is founder of Ben Crump Law PLLC in Tallahassee, Florida, where he focuses on civil rights cases, and a TBA member. He has represented a number of high-profile clients including the families of George Floyd and Trayvon Martin. Earlier this year he agreed to represent the family of a Knoxville high school student who was killed by police.

Christie M. Hayes has been named managing shareholder of Baker Donelson's Tri-Cities office in Johnson City. She replaces Steven H. Trent, who has served in the role since 2012 and now will return to a full-time focus on his labor and employment practice. Hayes will maintain her legal practice handling employment law issues, breach of contract and loan recovery matters. She was named a past Pro Bono Attorney of the Year by Legal Aid of East Tennessee and the firm’s Tri-Cities Pro Bono Attorney of the Year in 2020 and 2011.

The Legal Aid Society will hold two legal advice clinics next week for those with questions about housing and renters’ rights, bankruptcy, medical bills, debt collection, domestic violence, and SNAP and unemployment benefits. A phone clinic will take place Monday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. CDT. An in-person clinic for veterans will be held Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT at Operation Stand Down, 1125 12th Ave. S., Nashville 37203. To volunteer, contact Andrae Crismon or Kendra Cheek or call 615-780-7131.

The TBA General-Solo Section will hold its annual Fall FastTrack program virtually on Friday. A favorite for general practitioners, the program will feature federal court best practices, tips for how to run your practice, ethical considerations regarding non-lawyer ownership of law firms and more. Registrants will have access to three webinars custom-tailored to the needs of general-solo practitioners and then receive eight hours of prepaid credits to use on any of TBA’s online or virtual CLE offerings.

The TBA General-Solo Section will hold its annual Fall FastTrack program virtually on Sept. 17. A favorite for general practitioners, the program will feature federal court best practices, tips for how to run your practice, ethical considerations regarding non-lawyer ownership of law firms and more. Registrants will have access to three webinars custom-tailored to the needs of general-solo practitioners and then receive eight hours of prepaid credits to use on any of TBA’s online or virtual CLE offerings.

With the nationwide eviction ban set to expire on July 31, organizations are gearing up to help tenants and landlords prepare for the change, WSMV in Nashville reports. The ban, put in place to help those unable to pay their rent during the pandemic, has been extended several times but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it will not be extended again. The Legal Aid Society for Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands has put together a guide for what renters need to know. Authored by Zac Oswald from the Legal Aid Society’s Gallatin office, the guide outlines the eviction process and options available to renters.

Volunteer attorneys are needed for the Shelby County Expungement & Court Costs Clinic on Aug. 7. The clinic will offer help with dismissal, diversion and conviction expungements, voter restoration and court cost waivers and covers charges filed in Shelby County only. Attendees must schedule an appointment with volunteer attorneys to reduce wait time and mass gatherings at the clinic. To volunteer for the clinic, contact Amber Floyd.

Organize Tennessee, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to voter protection and education, will host a series of virtual poll observer trainings throughout the year. The trainings will provide information on up-to-date election laws, common poll-watching incidents and details on how to protect the vote on election day. The next training will take place on July 27 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. CDT. Find a list of all training dates and register for the program here.

The Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday issued a public censure of Blount County attorney Jacob Edward Erwin. Erwin utilized trust account funds for fulfillment of a personal financial obligation. While no clients or third parties were harmed, Erwin’s conduct constitutes a breach of his fiduciary obligation regarding client funds and property. A public censure is a rebuke and warning to the attorney, but it does not affect the attorney’s ability to practice law.