Legal research tool Fastcase, now owned by TBA member benefit partner Clio, has filed a federal lawsuit accusing Canadian legal research startup Alexi of breaching a data-licensing agreement, infringing its trademarks and misappropriating trade secrets. The suit alleges that Alexi used Fastcase’s proprietary legal database — licensed only for internal lawyer research — to build and commercialize an AI legal research platform that directly competes with Fastcase, including training its AI models on Fastcase data and displaying Fastcase-sourced case law to users. Alexi's CEO denies any wrongdoing, calling the dispute a “massive miscommunication” that surfaced only after Clio’s recent acquisition of vLex, and says Alexi always operated within the agreement’s intended scope. After issuing a notice of breach in October and receiving a denial from Alexi, Fastcase terminated the agreement and filed suit, seeking injunctions, damages and disgorgement of profits. Reuters reports on the developments.

The Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women (TLAW) will host its 8th Annual Empowerment Conference on Dec. 12 at Holland & Knight's downtown Nashville office. A mediator/ADR panel will be moderated by retired Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee, and will feature Germantown attorney Anne Davis with the Gill Law Firm, retired Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Janice Holder and Brentwood attorney Anne Hunter. The session will explore best practices in mediation, alternative dispute resolution and ethical considerations, offering practical strategies for navigating complex legal matters. The luncheon keynote speaker will be Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Mary Wagner. To see the full agenda and register, visit TLAW's website.

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The Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) is aware of a phishing email circulating that falsely appears to come from Executive Director Sheree Wright and asks recipients to confirm a phone number. The TBA has confirmed that (1) the message is fraudulent, (2) no TBA systems or member data have been compromised, and (3) the attackers obtained email addresses from sources outside the organization. Several other state bar associations nationwide reported the same scam today. Please delete the message if you receive it and consider reporting it to your IT contact or security team, and be assured that the TBA does not request unsolicited personal or contact information by email. Thank you to those members whose quick reports helped TBA staff identify the issue. Learn more about phishing scams affecting the TBA and how to protect yourself.

TBA's Administrative Law Section is hosting its annual forum virtually on Dec. 11 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST. This year's program includes a discussion about warrantless searches by administrative agents, an ethics update and more. Speakers include Laura Chastain, Chief Administrative Judge Phillip Hilliard, Administrative Judge Mary Collier, Bill Penny and Jerry Taylor. Register now!

Memphis attorney William Carey Bateman Jr. died Nov. 26 at age 87. He graduated from East High School in 1956 and after a year at the University of Tennessee, enlisted in the U.S. Army. Batemen went on to graduate from Memphis State Law in its first graduating class of 1965. In his more than 40 years of practice, he was a partner at Johnson & Bateman, Bateman & Childers, and Bateman Gibson. He also served as an assistant city attorney during two mayoral administrations and as a JAG in the Navy reserves. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. CST on Dec. 5 at Memorial Park Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38119. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Dec. 6 at First Evangelical Church, 735 Ridge Lake Blvd., Memphis 38120. A private burial will occur at Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Judge and Mrs. William Carey Bateman Memorial Scholarship at Union University.

The TBA's Year End CLE event is now underway with a range of packages that make getting your hours easy. The 15-hour package offers a mix of ethics, AI, law practice management, professional skills, attorney wellness and a 2025 legislative update. Check out the courses included in this package on the TBA website. Looking for something else? TBA also has six, eight, 10 and 12-hour packages, packages based on specific topics or practice areas, live webcasts and on-demand video all month long. Explore all the options to complete your CLE requirement by Dec. 31.

On Nov. 26, the Tennessee Supreme Court imposed censures on Shelby County lawyers John Michael Bailey and Mark Anthony Lambert, both with the law firm of John Michael Bailey Injury Lawyers. The court found that the law firm was hired by a client for a personal injury matter. Lambert filed a complaint in federal court and included his law partner’s name when Bailey was not admitted to practice in that court. Neither Bailey nor Lambert filed a motion for pro hac vice admission and neither attended the initial case management conference or responded to a show cause order why the matter should not be dismissed. Their actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 3.2, 3.4 and 8.4(d).

In this termination of parental rights case, the trial court denied Appellant’s multiple motions to recuse. Appellant filed this interlocutory appeal as of right pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 10B. Discerning no error, we affirm.

The trial court denied Appellant’s seventh and eighth motions to recuse. Appellant filed this interlocutory appeal as of right pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 10B. Discerning no error, we affirm.