Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and Waller had seven and five, respectively, of the 32 Lawyer of the Year selections for the Nashville area as compiled by Best Lawyers in America.

Recognition is based entirely on peer review. The methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.

Lawyer of the Year is awarded to individual attorneys with the highest overall peer-feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region. Only one attorney is recognized as Lawyer of the Year for each specialty and location.

Those honored in the Nashville area are

Patrick L. Alexander, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, public finance law

R. Dale Bay, Lewis, Thomason, King, Krieg & Waldrop, P.C., product liability litigation-defendants

L. Wayne Beavers, Patterson Intellectual Property Law, P.C., patent law

J. Randolph Bibb, Jr., Lewis, Thomason, King, Krieg & Waldrop, P.C., mass tort litigation/class actions-defendants

Robert E. Boston, Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, employment law-management

Stephen T. Braun, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, health care law

Kim A. Brown, Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison, PLC, real estate law

Donald Capparella, Dodson Parker Behm & Capparella PC, appellate practice

Scott D. Carey, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, transportation law

Daniel L. Clayton, Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge, medical malpractice law-plaintiffs

David J. Deming, Manier & Herod, workers’ compensation law-employers

James M. Doran, Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, bet-the-company litigation

Kenneth P. Ezell, Jr., Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, commercial transactions/UCC law

William L. Harbison, Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison, PLC, trusts and estates

Edward D. Lanquist, Jr., Patterson Intellectual Property Law, P.C., trade secrets law

Samuel D. Lipshie, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, entertainment law-motion pictures and television

Alexandra MacKay, Stites & Harbison, PLLC, trademark law

Anne C. Martin, Bone McAllester Norton PLLC, employment law-individuals

Lynn Morrow, Adams and Reese LLP, entertainment law-music

James L. Murphy III, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, economic development law

George Nolan, Leader, Bulso & Nolan, PLC, personal injury litigation-plaintiffs

E. Andrew Norwood, Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, information technology law

Thomas H. Peebles IV, Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, eminent domain and condemnation law

Wm. Robert Pope, Jr., White & Reasor, PLC, litigation and controversy-tax

E. Todd Presnell, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, litigation-labor and employment

David L. Raybin, Raybin & Weissman, P.C., criminal defense white-collar

Michael L. Russell, Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, labor law-union

Gregory D. Smith, Stites & Harbison, PLLC, family law

Matthew J. Sweeney III, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, franchise law

David K. Taylor, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, mediation

J. Thomas Trent, Jr., Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, business Organizations (including LLCs and partnerships)

Steven K. Wood, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, non-profit/charities law

Latture honored as Executive of the Year

Latture

Paul Latture, president of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, received the 2017 Executive of the Year award recently at the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce Executives annual conference.

Under Latture’s leadership, the Rutherford County Chamber has added more than 12,000 jobs and a capital expenditure of more than $1.7 billion. Travel-related expenses have increased every year, and through his tenure have totaled over $1.4 billion. In addition, he created an emphasis on workforce development, which has gained local, regional and national attention.

Latture has led the Rutherford County Chamber since 2009, and prior to that, served as the president and chief executive officer of the Jackson Area Chamber. Additional career highlights include working as executive vice president for economic development for the Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Development Board, assistant commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and director of membership development and government affairs for the Memphis Area Chamber of Commerce.

He is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute of Organizational Management and Leadership Middle Tennessee. In addition, he is a past president of the Tennessee Economic Development Council and a member and past president of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce Executives Association, serving as president in 2007.

The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, which includes the Convention & Visitors Bureau, Destination Rutherford, Economic Development and Workforce Development, seeks to promote economic development and a quality of life to benefit all residents of Rutherford County. Programs, events and services are offered to both its nearly 1,600-member organizations and non-members. Information: www.rutherfordchamber.org.

Leadership Franklin honors Mills with Award

Mills

Mary Mills, a lifelong Franklin resident who spent 39 years as a teacher at Johnson Elementary and principal at Franklin Middle School, is the recipient of this year’s Caroline J. Cross Award, presented by Leadership Franklin.

After retiring from the school system, Mills continued to serve her community as Williamson County Commissioner for 17 years in the 11th district. Mills is an active member of the African American Heritage Society and has been affiliated with the Williamson County Chamber of Commerce, Williamson Medical Center, Community Childcare, and the Williamson County Health Council.

She is a graduate of Tennessee State University with an administrative degree, and a graduate of Franklin High School.

The Caroline J. Cross Award was established to honor Mrs. Cross, the founding executive director, and create an ongoing award that identifies a leader in the community who exemplifies the values and lessons of Leadership Franklin.

Criteria for nomination include leadership that motivates and inspires other individuals along with traits of creativity, character, dedication, and community service. Each year’s class submits nominations and selects an individual who makes a true impact in the community. Past recipients are Jimmy Gentry, Rogers Anderson, Julian Bibb III, Scott Roley, Janet Keck, Alma McLemore, Rick Warwick, Emily Magid, Paige Pitts and Dr. Joseph Willoughby.

Leadership Franklin is a non-profit organization to develop leadership and community engagement and further a vision for Franklin and Williamson County. Information: www.leadershipfranklin.org.