Frost Brown Todd LLP, with offices in Nashville, and Gibbons PC have finalized their combination, effective Jan. 1, according to the new firm FBT Gibbons LLP. The combination unites two full-service firms to create a mid-market legal entity with approximately 800 attorneys in 25 offices nationwide. The move adds a significant East Coast presence to Frost Brown Todd’s footprint with offices in New York and New Jersey. The firm also announced that it is launching a new Life Sciences Industry Team and expanding its White Collar & Investigations Group. Read more in a press release from the firm.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments met in Knoxville to select nominees for an upcoming vacancy on the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Eastern Section. The vacancy will be created with the retirement of Judge D. Michael Swiney on Jan. 12. After holding a public hearing and conducting public interviews, the council selected the following three nominees: Rachel Park Hurt, a partner with Arnett Baker Draper & Hagood in Knoxville and president of the Knoxville Bar Association; 3rd Judicial District Circuit Court Judge William Erwin Phillips II in Rogersville; and 12th Judicial District Chancellor Melissa Thomas Willis in Jasper. Learn more about the nominees in the applications they submitted for consideration.

The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar recently released its annual law school report, documenting 2025 statistics such as enrollment numbers and demographics, tuition and living costs, financial aid, faculty demographics, and entrance tests being used to screen students. The data shows a 4% increase over 2024 in law student enrollment at ABA-accredited schools, a 7.9% increase in first-year students, and a 6.3% increase in students enrolled in LLM, master’s and certificate programs. For the first-year class of 2025, 55.1% were women, 42.5% were men and 1% cited another gender identity. Read more about the latest statistics in this ABA news release, view a one-page overview or search all data.

Army veteran and former Sumner County Commissioner Chris Hughes has announced his campaign for Tennessee House District 45, the Nashville Banner reports. The seat is being vacated by Republican Johnny Garrett, who is running for Congress. Hughes says he is an “America First” conservative, who, if elected, would work to grow small businesses, eliminate property taxes, cut unnecessary licenses and fees, protect natural resources, and incentivize teachers who graduate from Tennessee colleges to teach in the state. The race will be on the ballot for the August primary and November general election.

The city of Johnson City will pay more than $30.6 million to sexual assault survivors to settle a class action lawsuit accusing the police department of failing to properly investigate rape cases. Of that total, $4.2 million will go to nearly 400 women and minors who reported sexual assault cases between 2018 and 2022 and have claimed the police ignored those reports in exchange for bribes. The lawsuit, along with others, are tied to alleged serial rapist Sean Williams, who is accused of drugging and assaulting more than 50 women and children in his Johnson City condo. The city has acknowledged some failures but says investigations found no credible evidence of police corruption or criminal misconduct. Last year, Williams was sentenced to 95 years for producing child pornography and escaping from jail. He faces additional charges of drug trafficking and child pornography in North Carolina. Federal Judge Travis R. McDonough, who approved the settlement this week, called the settlement an “incredible resolution.” The Tennessean has more on the case.

State Rep. Gabby Salinas, D-Memphis, has introduced legislation to allow people to shelter from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in schools and churches. HB1482 would bar ICE personnel from all pre-K through 12 school grounds and all religious institution properties without first providing notice. Last year, the Department of Homeland Security said it was ending Biden-era restrictions on ICE and Border Patrol activities near churches, schools and other “sensitive” areas. Salinas says she is filing the bill now in response to a fatal shooting this week in Minneapolis by an ICE officer. The Daily Memphian has more.

Metro Nashville Legal Director Wally Dietz said Wednesday that his office will file its final brief to the Tennessee Supreme Court by Jan. 16 in the city’s challenge to a state law that would reduce by half the number of councilmembers. A hearing on the matter — and another Metro challenge to state law — is expected on Feb. 12. Dietz provided the update to the council’s Charter Revision Committee. “We think we’re going to win, but if we don’t win we have to be prepared for having an election in 2027 with a vastly different landscape,” he told the group, according to the Nashville Banner.

The TBA YLD has announced the opening of the 2026-2027 leadership appointment and election filing process. Those interested in an appointed position on the division's board should review available positions and complete the online application by Feb. 15. For positions subject to election, petitions should be filed with YLD Secretary Zack Walden no later than Feb. 15. Candidates for vice president, secretary, treasurer, East Tennessee governor, Middle Tennessee governor and West Tennessee governor must submit a written petition with 25 or more signatures from TBA members in good standing. During this election cycle, the vice president must reside in the Eastern Grand Division of Tennessee. Candidates for district representatives in even-numbered districts (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14) require a self-nominating petition (additional signatures are not required). For more information or to download the appropriate petition visit the YLD Election Guidelines webpage. Elections for contested races will take place between Feb. 23 and March 8 by electronic voting. 

Are you interested in serving with the TBA in 2026? Several positions will be voted on this spring. Available opportunities include a new vice president from the Eastern Grand Division, three district governors and six grand division governors (two from each division) on the TBA Board of Governors, and four positions representing Tennessee in the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates. Learn more about these positions in the 2026 Election Notice published in the November/December 2025 issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal or download a nominating petition. Nominating petitions should be submitted no later than Jan. 15 to barED@tnbar.org. Questions? Visit the TBA’s election webpage for more information.

NALBANDIAN, Circuit Judge. Nationwide Recovery had a towing permit with the City of Detroit. Under that permit, Nationwide could charge for recovering stolen vehicles. So it was to the company’s economic advantage to know where car thieves would stash vehicles after stripping them for parts. But the City suspected that at least one of Nationwide’s tow operators was bribing car-theft gangs for tips. Based on these suspicions, the City suspended the company’s tow permit without a hearing. In response, Nationwide sued the City, alleging a procedural due process violation. The district court held that the company had been deprived of its property interest without the required hearing, and it allowed additional discovery and briefing on damages. After almost five more years of litigation, the district court concluded that Nationwide was only entitled to nominal damages. Because the termination of Nationwide’s permit was justified, we affirm.