Charlotte-based Viking Mergers & Acquisitions has announced the opening of a Nashville office to be led by managing partner Kyle Kerrigan, the Nashville Post reports. Viking was founded in 1996 and, in addition to Charlotte and Nashville, has offices in Knoxville, Florida and South Carolina. 

Services were held earlier this month for Susan Gail Sisson, who died Aug. 18 at 67. Sisson had spent three months in the hospital after having been diagnosed for the third time with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a disease she fought for seven years. Sisson earned her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center and her Master of Library Science degree from the University of Tennessee. In her last position, she served as director of library services for the Chattanooga office of Miller & Martin. Memorial donations may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Heifer International or Smile Train.

The YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee will hold the next installment in its Stand Against Racism series next Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The session will focus on inadequacies of funding for K-12 and higher education and the impact on students who are poor, Black and brown, English-language learners and those with disabilities. Register here to attend this virtual program. Charles Grant, an attorney with Baker Donelson, will moderate the program. Questions can be directed to Amber Hale, 615-983-5129.

This year's annual Creditors Practice Forum will be offered as a live virtual program on Oct. 6 from 12:30 to 3:45 p.m. CDT. The program will feature Patty Whitehead of Rubin Lublin, who will address the enforcement of judgment liens on real property; John Bedard of Bedard Law Group, who will discuss the Hunstein case; and Lewis Borsellino of DefendEdge, who will discuss cybersecurity issues. The forum will offer two general and one dual CLE credits.

The TBA is offering a free virtual webinar Oct. 6 from 3-4 p.m. CDT on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s recent decision in Milan v. Navistar. The case looked at changes to the economic loss doctrine, which precludes recovery for purely economic losses in tort actions. The Court of Appeals held that the economic loss doctrine bars a plaintiff’s fraudulent inducement claim. The Supreme Court agreed. University of Tennessee College of Law professor Lucy Jewel and retired professor John Sobieski will lead a discussion about the decision. One hour of CLE is available for TBA members for a $45 fee.

Gov. Bill Lee joined 25 Republican governors this week in sending a letter to President Joe Biden seeking a meeting within 15 days to resolve the situation at the Southern border, where tens of thousands of Haitians and people of other nations are gathered to enter the United States. The letter states that border arrests have increased nearly 500% since 2020 and that federal action is needed immediately to stem the surge, Tennessee Lookout reports. Gov. Lee has expressed frustration with the border situation in the past, while also declining to accept unaccompanied minor children in the state temporarily until they can be placed with friends, family or sponsors.

Knoxville area legal organizations will hold an in-person veterans’ legal advice clinic on Oct. 13 from noon to 2 p.m. EDT at the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St. Those seeking advice should preregister at 865-637-0484. Lawyers who would like to volunteer can sign up online. Masks are required. Volunteers also must accept the terms of the KBA COVID-19 safety acknowledgement and liability waiver. Volunteers may choose to continue volunteering by telephone.

The TBA has announced that Ateia Aldridge joined the staff this week as the new Young Lawyers Division & Law Student Development Coordinator. In her new role, Aldridge will be responsible for supporting the activities of the YLD, managing the TBA’s law student membership program and staffing the TBA Mentoring Committee. Aldridge previously served as an ELL Coordinator for LEAD Public Schools in Nashville managing the operations, planning and coordination of special populations programs. She also was responsible for planning and research related to teacher development and continuing education. Prior to her work at LEAD, Aldridge worked on the development and marketing team of the PENCIL Foundation handling grant-writing projects, while providing marketing and event support. She also previously worked in both the Metro Nashville and Sumner County school systems. Aldridge received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Belmont University and her Master of Education degree from Vanderbilt University. She can be reached at 615-277-3217 or aaldridge@tnbar.org.

The Tennessee Justice Center (TJC) will celebrate its 25th anniversary next month by honoring a group of Tennesseans who have championed health equity and access in the state. Marvin Berry Jr., Judge Richard Dinkins, Frank and Amy Garrison and Dr. Robert Mille will all be inducted into the TJC Hall of Fame. The virtual gala will be held on Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. CDT. Since its founding in 1996, TJC has represented nearly 15,000 children and adults and has worked to advocate for policy reforms that benefit low-income Tennesseans. Register for the 25th Anniversary Gala.  

Rutherford County has agreed to pay up to $11 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of juveniles wrongly detained by the county, News Channel 5 reports. Attorney Kyle Mothershead said that, since the county’s detention center was opened 25 years ago, thousands of juveniles have been routinely kept in jail when they should have only received a ticket and a court date. Many of those juveniles are now eligible to receive up to $4,800 for each time they were illegally detained. Mothershead wants the county to pay the full amount of the settlement but is having a hard time locating those who might be eligible. In collaboration with attorney Mark Downton and Brazil Clark PLLC, Mothershead is hoping to locate anyone eligible and is offering to help them fill out the paperwork for free. "We just have to find them. And they're not kids anymore. They're young adults 18, 19 20, 21 years old," Mothershead said. Brazil Clark can be contacted at 615-730-8619 or info@brazilclark.com.