The trial court entered an agreed order dismissing some of Appellant’s claims with prejudice, an order granting Appellant’s voluntary dismissal of all of his claims in two consolidated cases without prejudice, and an order awarding discretionary costs to Appellees. Appellant later sought relief from each of these orders pursuant to Rule 60 of the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure. In litigating the Rule 60 motion, Appellant filed a motion to disqualify Appellees’ counsel and a motion to compel compliance with subpoenas he issued against his own prior counsel, and the parties filed cross-motions for sanctions. The trial court denied Appellant’s Rule 60 motion, motion to disqualify, and motion to compel. The trial court also denied both motions for sanctions; however, Appellant was awarded his attorney’s fees in opposing Appellees’ motion. Discerning no reversible error, we affirm the trial court’s ruling in all respects. Appellees are also awarded their attorney’s fees for defending this frivolous appeal.

Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti has joined a coalition of state attorneys general urging the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct a thorough antitrust review of the proposed merger between Netflix and Warner Bros., warning that the deal could harm consumers, creators and the broader film industry. In a statement, Skrmetti emphasized the potential harm to creative professionals: “This merger threatens to devastate movie and television production and abandon America’s enduring legacy as the dominant force in global cinema. We are exploring options to protect Tennessee consumers and creators.”

On Feb. 24, the Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Sullivan County lawyer Ricky A.W. Curtis to the active practice of law. Curtis was temporarily suspended on Jan. 22 for failing to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility concerning a complaint of misconduct. The board confirmed that the petition for reinstatement was satisfactory.

Memphis lawyer Byrd Douglas Earthman died Feb. 19 at the age of 76. Originally from Kingsport, Earthman moved to Nashville as a child when his father, an attorney, took a job with the Gov. Frank Clement administration. After receiving his law degree in 1973 from Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, Earthman began a 20-year career with the Waring Cox law firm. He later served as a senior vice president at ServiceMaster Diversified Health Services. He returned to private practice at Armstrong Allen and finished his legal career at Glankler Brown. Earthman focused his private practice on municipal bonds and real estate matters. Memorial donations may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice or the Earthman-Lambeth Family Fund with the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly (choose "Make a Gift" at the bottom of the page and then click on "use this donation as a memorial gift" and specify the fund name in the special instructions field).

After more than a week of conflicting reports about whether the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was planning to open an immigration detention facility in Lebanon, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn announced yesterday that DHS will not move forward with the facility. Though supportive of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) mission, the Tennessee Lookout reports that Blackburn opposed the location for a proposed detention center. Local officials and at least one Republican state lawmaker also spoke against the location, citing the strains it would place on local safety and law enforcement resources. The Lookout also reports that Blackburn is working with state, local and federal leaders to “find a proper placement” for the detention center. In related news, ICE will open a new legal office in Nashville’s MetroCenter. The Nashville Business Journal has details on those plans.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally announced on the floor of the state Senate that he would not seek reelection later this year, ending a nearly five-decade career in the legislature. According to the Nashville Banner, the Oak Ridge Republican was first elected to the House in 1978 and to the Senate in 1986. He succeeded Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey in the top job in 2017. McNally, who is 82 years old, cited health considerations for his decision.

SCOTUSblog founder and appellate attorney Tom Goldstein has been found guilty on 12 of 16 counts of tax crimes and mortgage fraud, Bloomberg Law reports. During the trial, Goldstein denied that he ever willfully cheated on his taxes, blaming any errors on his returns on his staff and outside accountants. The jury phase of the trial is not over yet. Goldstein has asked the jury to decide whether he must forfeit his Washington, D.C., home. In a separate article, the news source looks at the potential grounds for appealing the verdict.

The federal judiciary is urging Congress to shift courthouse management away from the executive branch, citing mounting risks and longstanding neglect, according to Reuters. The judiciary argues urgent action is needed to address critical system failures, underfunded repairs, security concerns and worsening costs. Judicial leaders say courthouses are in “crisis,” pointing to an $8.3 billion repair backlog and decades of inadequate oversight by the General Services Administration (GSA). Lawmakers reportedly are working on legislation to gradually transfer control of courthouse facilities from the GSA to the judiciary, starting with up to 10 districts.

The American Bar Association (ABA) reportedly is in settlement talks with the American Alliance for Equal Rights over settling the group’s lawsuit challenging ABA law school scholarships. In a recent court filing, the parties asked for more time to engage in settlement discussions, according to Bloomberg News. The alliance sued the ABA in April 2025, alleging its Legal Opportunity Scholarship violates civil rights law. The scholarship offers $15,000 to about 25 first-year law students. Last year, the ABA widened eligibility to students who “have demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.” That change reversed the previous guidelines, which limited applications to students who were members of underrepresented racial or ethnic minority groups.

The Tennessee Attorney General's (AG) Office plans to settle a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union-Tennessee (ACLU), which challenged a state law penalizing local officials who support sanctuary city policies. According to WPLN, the state concedes it cannot support the law’s constitutionality, saying it “infringes[s] on principles of legislative immunity and independence.” It thus has agreed not to enforce the law. Last year, the AG's office said it was open to a settlement. In a recent statement to the news outlet, AG Jonathan Skrmetti said: “Sanctuary policies remain illegal in Tennessee, but city and county officials cannot be imprisoned for voting for such policies. As a result, we agreed that dismissal of this case was the appropriate outcome.” According to Tennessee Lookout, the settlement must be approved by the courts before it takes effect. Read more from the ACLU.