Shelby County lawyer Stephen R. Yoder was reinstated to the active practice of law yesterday after being on inactive status since Aug. 18, 2015. The Tennessee Supreme Court accepted the Board of Professional Responsibility’s recommendation that reinstatement was satisfactory and Yoder had met the requirements of the rules. He was reinstated retroactively to Oct. 31.

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently directed Alabama lawyer Larry Wayne Brantley to inform the court within 30 days why the imposition of reciprocal discipline would be unwarranted. Brantley entered into an agreement to resolve disciplinary action brought against him by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) regarding his representation of private clients while employed as a federal employee. The USPTO issued a public reprimand and subjected Brantley to a 36-rnonth probationary period.

A reminder that the deadline for applying to be part of the Tennessee Bar Association’s Leadership Law 2024 class has been extended to Friday. Contact Paul Burch if you have questions about the program or the application process.

Shelby County lawyer Monica Aislynn Timmerman was reinstated to the practice of law yesterday. The Tennessee Supreme Court took the action after a panel of the Board of Professional Responsibility determined that Timmerman was in compliance with her Tennessee Lawyer Assistance Program Monitoring Agreement. Timmerman was suspended in September for not complying with the agreement and posing a threat of substantial harm to the public.

Egos have been plaguing the legal profession for decades. Brad Bald explores the benefits of meditation and mindfulness in relation to regulating the ego.

Most of Metro Nashville's chosen members reacquainted themselves with the Nashville Airport Authority at a special-called meeting on Monday, according to the Nashville Business Journal. The locally appointed board was reinstated by the courts at the end of October. Members, under the leadership of Nashville attorney Joycelyn Stevenson, re-examined nearly 20 votes that the state board took during its four months in power but did not make any final decisions to ratify or undo any of them. The board will meet again on Nov. 15 for its regularly scheduled meeting. Stevenson, former executive director at the Tennessee Bar Association, is managing shareholder for the Nashville office of Littler Mendelson.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general have joined the United States’ civil antitrust lawsuit against Agri Stats Inc. for organizing and managing anticompetitive information exchanges among broiler chicken, pork and turkey processors. The suit alleges that Agri Stats collected and distributed competitively sensitive information related to price, cost and output among competing meat processors, which resulted in higher prices for American consumers. Read more in a news release.

The city of Chattanooga has entered into a three-year consent decree with the federal government following allegations that public officials discriminated against people with disabilities, and violated federal civil rights law and the federal Fair Housing Act. Under the agreement, city staff will undergo training and the city will pay a penalty and a payout to a nonprofit that sought to open a house for four individuals with disabilities, Tennessee Lookout reports. The city denied it discriminated against the individuals or violated laws, but agreed to the consent decree to avoid litigation. A judge still must approve the agreement.

For the first time since 1986, Knoxville will have a new municipal judge with the election of Tyler Caviness, KnoxNew reports. Incumbent John Rosson, age 76, ran on his record of experience. Caviness, a 32-year-old attorney, advocated for change throughout the campaign. He won 61.5% of the vote, promising to update the city court website and offer more accessibility in the courtroom. “I believe that treating people equally matters, and that we should prioritize that in our government offices. That is really what started this campaign,” Caviness said in his victory speech. Caviness served as a Knox County public defender before moving to the private sector and eventually starting his own practice. In a statement after conceding, Rosson said he would return to representing personal injury clients in his law practice.

This appeal concerns a petition to modify alimony. Gerald Edward Baker (“Petitioner”) filed a petition in the Circuit Court for Knox County (“the Trial Court”) against his ex-wife Kim Covarrubias (“Respondent”) seeking to modify his alimony obligation as a result of a massive post-retirement drop in his income. After a hearing, the Trial Court entered an order declining to modify Petitioner’s alimony obligation despite having found that Petitioner was credible; that his decision to retire was objectively reasonable; and that a substantial and material change in circumstances had occurred. Petitioner appeals. We find, inter alia, that the Trial Court erred by failing to account for Petitioner’s ability to pay in light of all of his expenses. The Trial Court’s decision lacked a factual basis properly supported by evidence in the record; was not based on the most appropriate legal principles applicable to the decision; and was not within the range of acceptable alternative dispositions. Thus, the Trial Court abused its discretion. We reverse the judgment of the Trial Court and remand for the Trial Court to modify Petitioner’s alimony obligation.