Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has announced that the state joined a multistate settlement with Greystar Management Services, the nation’s largest property management company, over allegations that it participated in an algorithmic pricing scheme that artificially increased rents. According to a release, a bipartisan coalition of states investigated Greystar for sharing sensitive rental supply and pricing data with competitors through RealPage revenue management software, which officials say inflated prices and reduced competition in the multi-family housing market. Greystar, which manages nearly 950,000 units nationwide and more than 6,000 in Tennessee, reached a non-monetary settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in August. Under a proposed consent decree, the company would stop using anticompetitive pricing algorithms, stop sharing competitively sensitive information, avoid RealPage-hosted meetings of competing landlords, accept a court-appointed monitor under certain conditions, and cooperate with states’ ongoing claims against RealPage.

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!

RITZ, Circuit Judge. Two Lansing, Michigan police officers fatally shot Stephen Romero while responding to a domestic disturbance call. Stephen’s wife, Ashly Romero, now appeals the district court’s dismissal of her lawsuit against the officers and the city. We reverse as to Ashly’s excessive-force claim and affirm as to the remaining claims.

This appeal concerns a detainer action. Mekey Adem, Said Moammed, and Adem Homes, LLC (“Adem”) (“Landlords,” collectively) sought to evict Alexandria Hart (“Tenant”) for non-payment of rent. The General Sessions Court for Shelby County (“the General Sessions Court”) ruled against Tenant, who then appealed to the Circuit Court for Shelby County (“the Circuit Court”). Tenant attempted to post her birth certificate as the possessory bond to allow her to remain on the premises while her appeal was pending. The Circuit Court rejected this and granted Adem a writ of possession. Ultimately, Tenant was ordered to pay rent she owed plus reasonable attorney’s fees. Tenant appeals. We affirm. Pursuant to the lease agreement, Adem is entitled to its reasonable attorney’s fees incurred on appeal, the amount of which the Circuit Court is to determine on remand.

This is an accelerated interlocutory appeal as of right. The petitioner seeks review of the trial court’s denial of her motion for recusal. Discerning no error upon our review of the petition for recusal appeal, we affirm.

In this compensation appeal, the employer challenges the trial court’s order requiring it to authorize a second opinion examination on the issue of surgery, and the employee challenges the trial court’s order denying her claim for attorney’s fees. The employee was injured when she was attacked by a patient in the employer’s parking lot in 2019, necessitating several surgeries. In 2023, the parties entered into a court-approved settlement agreement that left open the employee’s entitlement to reasonable and necessary future medical expenses as provided in the statute. In 2024, the employee’s authorized treating physician recommended additional reconstructive surgery, which the employer authorized. However, prior to agreeing to undergo this surgery, the employee asked for a second surgical opinion, which the employer declined to provide. The employee filed a petition asking the court to order the employer to authorize a second opinion examination and seeking an award of attorney’s fees. Following a hearing, the trial court ordered the employer to authorize the second opinion examination and determined the employee was entitled to attorney’s fees pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6- 226(d)(1)(B) but reserved ruling on the amount of any such award. The employer appealed that order. Before addressing the merits of the employer’s appeal, we vacated, in part, the trial court’s order and remanded the case for the court to consider and resolve all remaining issues, including the employee’s claim for attorney’s fees. Thereafter, the trial court issued an order denying the claim for attorney’s fees under section 50-6-226(d)(1)(A), which the employee appealed. Upon careful review of the record, relevant statutes, and arguments of counsel, we affirm the trial court’s orders in part, reverse them in part, modify them in part, and certify as final the modified orders for purposes of further appeal.

Large and midsized U.S. law firms enjoyed a “sharp spike” in client demand during the third quarter, setting the stage for a profitable 2025, according to a new analysis of firm financial data from the Thomson Reuters Institute. The institute also found that overall demand was up 3.9% from the third quarter of 2024 — the fourth-highest quarterly increase of the past 20 years and the highest outside of 2021’s rapid post-pandemic rebound. Read more about the latest finding in the institute’s Law Firm Financial Index from Reuters.

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently referred the cases of two Wilson County lawyers to the Board of Professional Responsibility for “whatever action” it may deem warranted. The first referral involves Christopher William Beauchamp, who was convicted of one count of driving under the influence and sentenced to seven days of incarceration and 11 months and 29 days of probation. The second referral involves Lawrence Alan Poindexter, who was convicted of one count of driving under the influence and was sentenced to 48 hours of incarceration and 11 months and 29 days of supervised probation.

The Memphis Bar Association (MBA) has announced two of the 2025 recipients of its awards. Natalie Bursi with Lewis Thomason will receive the Sam A. Myar Jr. Memorial Award, which honors an attorney under 40 years old who has shown dedication and commitment to their practice and the legal community. In addition, Shea Wellford with Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston will receive the Judge Jerome Turner Lawyer’s Lawyer Award, which recognizes a Memphis attorney who has practiced law for more than 15 years and embodies professionalism, civility and courtesy. The awards will be presented at the association’s annual meeting on Dec. 4 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. CST. Tickets for the event are available online.

Davidson County lawyer Sarah Jean Orellana was reinstated to the practice of law on Nov. 13 after being on inactive status for more than five years. She had been placed on inactive status on March 2, 2009. The Tennessee Supreme Court found that her petition for reinstatement was satisfactory.