Polly

Erin Palmer Polly, a commercial litigation attorney at Butler Snow, LLP, will serve as the 2018 president of the Nashville Bar Association. In 2014, she was president of the NBA Young Lawyers Division, became a fellow of the Nashville Bar Foundation and received the Legal Aid Society Volunteer Lawyer’s Program Pro Bono Award.

Polly, who also received the NBA President’s Award in 2015, is a barrister in the Harry Phillips American Inn of Court, serves on the Board of Director’s for the Lawyer’s Association for Women, Marion Griffin Chapter, and was appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to serve on the Tennessee Lawyer’s Fund for Client Protection.

In addition, the board of directors has elected the following officers were elected for 2018:

• Laura Smith, president-elect
• Jackie Dixon, first vice president-elect
• Wendy Longmire, second vice president-elect
• Mary Taylor Gallagher, secretary
• Jeff Gibson, treasurer
• Tera Rica Murdock, YLD president
• Lela Hollabaugh, general counsel

Newly elected board of director members for 2018:

• Michael Abelow, Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison, PLC
• Daniel P. Berexa, Cornelius & Collins, LLP
• Brigid Carpenter, Baker Donelson
• Lynne T. Ingram, U.S. Attorney’s Office
• Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle, Chancery Court, Part III
• Chancellor Bill Young, Chancery Court, Part II

Nashville attorneys form Bahou Miller PLLC

Bahou

Nashville attorneys A.J. Bahou and Sam Miller are opening of Bahou Miller PLLC.

Miller

Bahou is experienced in trials and mediations, and is a registered patent attorney who practices in electrical and computer engineering technologies, Blockchain, data privacy, SaaS agreements, cryptocurrencies, and intellectual property law, including litigation of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets.

Miller, who left his positions as equity shareholder and chair of Baker Donelson’s Intellectual Property Litigation team to found Bahou Miller, has been lead counsel on behalf of a wide range of clients from individuals to Fortune 500 companies in nearly 150 patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, online defamation, right of publicity and technology-related cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States.

The new firm will have three attorneys initially, including new associate Nick Valenti. The firm plans further expansion for the new year in 2018.

Legal Aid Society welcomes Goodrich

Goodrich

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Tennessee’s largest nonprofit law firm, has added Robert C. Goodrich Jr. to the firm’s Nashville office as a staff attorney. Goodrich will represent low-income taxpayers and assist clients in insolvency and bankruptcy matters.

Goodrich has practiced as a creditors’ rights lawyer for 33 years, most recently at Burr and Forman, LLP, where he was a partner, representing financial institutions and other parties-in-interest in commercial bankruptcies and insolvencies. He previously worked at Stites & Harbison, PLLC (formerly Farris, Warfield & Kanaday).

“I have had a long legal career focused on commercial law, primarily bankruptcy- and insolvency-related matters. For everything there is a season, and I am excited about my new challenge as a tax/bankruptcy staff attorney at Legal Aid Society,” Goodrich says. “While volunteering at the firm last month, I quickly observed the amazing talent and dedication of my new associates.”

Goodrich has been repeatedly recognized in Best Lawyers in America (1997-2018). In 2016, he was among only 31 lawyers from across the country to be inducted as a fellow into the American College of Bankruptcy, based on his record of achievement in the insolvency field. In 2014, he was appointed to a four-year term as a director of the Mid-South Commercial Law Institute. He often lectures and writes on bankruptcy and insolvency issues.

Goodrich is a graduate of the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt Law School, where he was an Elliott Cheatham Scholar and the managing editor of the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law.

Threet joins Baker Donelson

Threet

Hunter Threet, a 2017 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, has been hired for Baker Donelson’s Nashville office.

Threet’s practice includes the representation of venture capital funds, investors in private equity transactions, start-up companies, and private and public companies in the mature stages of their growth cycle.

He also hold a degree in political science from UT.

Emerging Leaders announces 2018 class

Nashville Emerging Leaders, an annual leadership program that brings together some of Middle Tennessee’s most promising young professionals with the region’s top community and business leaders, has announced the members of its 2017 class.

This year’s 31-member class members will participate in an 11-week program discussing critical issues facing our city and explore their own leadership styles and capacities. Class members include:

• Alicia Cottrell, MBA, Esq., Tenet Healthcare Corporation
• Amanda Frick Keiser, Rebuilding Together Nashville
• Amy Willoughby Bryant, State of TN - Division of TennCare
• Betsega Bekele, Opry Entertainment Group
• Brad A. Palmertree, MSW / The Family Center
• Carnell Elliott, Dell Nashville
• Crystal Churchwell, The Frist Center for the Visual Arts
• Daveisha Moore, Susan G. Komen Central Tennessee
• David Jones, Office of the District Attorney General – Nashville
• Dr. Emerald Mitchell, Moves & Grooves Inc.
• Eric Capehart, The Ross Behavioral Group
• Eric Holder, SunTrust
• Eric S. Deems, CBRE
• Gicola Lane, Just City/Nashville Community Bail Fund
• Hannah Benjamin, office of Senator Jeff Yarbro, Tennessee General Assembly
• Jamaal Oldham, Dell Nashville
• Jenn Brinn, Premise Health
• Julia Bonner, Pierce Public Relations
• Karla Coleman García, Conexión Américas
• Katie Evans Moss, Division of TennCare
• Kevin Foster, Parnassus Books & Enriched Schools
• Kirby Lewis, Tenn. Dept. of Economic and Community Development
• Lauren Comet, Centric Architecture
• Lauren Elysse Fitzgerald, Metro Nashville Arts Commission
• Mariah L. Cole, Meharry Medical College
• Megan Godbey, Nashville Public Library
• Meredith Eason, Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP
• Pragati Singh, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Sarah Bandy, Youth Empowerment through Arts and Humanities
• Zach Lykins, Lucro
• Zach Skipper, State of TN, Dept. of Economic and Community Development

Cherry Bekaert names Patrick managing partner

Patrick

Cherry Bekaert LLP has selected Dawn G. Patrick, CPA, as managing partner of the firm’s practice in Nashville. In this capacity, she will oversee the execution of the firm’s growth strategy and ensure a coordinated and seamless service experience for clients throughout the Nashville market.

Cherry Bekaert recently entered the Nashville market via an acquisition of the CPA and consulting firm Frasier, Dean & Howard, PPLC. Nashville was a strategic expansion target of Cherry Bekaert due to its growing economy and innovative business climate that nurtures and attracts companies in the technology, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, healthcare and transportation/logistics sectors.

Patrick is a tax partner with Cherry Bekaert and serves as the leader of THInc, the firm’s specialty practice focused on the innovation needs of clients in the technology, health and life sciences, and industrial sectors.

Patrick earned a degree in accounting at Auburn University. She has held numerous leadership positions and been involved with technology-oriented organizations such as the Technology Association of Georgia, Women in Technology, Venture Atlanta and Launch Tennessee’s 36|86 conference.

Cash wins Tennessee auctioneer championship

Cash

Jay Cash of Murfreesboro recently won the title of 2018 Tennessee State Champion Auctioneer during the Winter Convention in Murfreesboro.

Top auctioneers from across the state of Tennessee gathered in Murfreesboro this December to showcase their skills and vie for a $1,000 cash prize. The contest consisted of selling three items in a preliminary round.

The top three were selected to advance to a final round, which included both an interview and live selling portion.

Cash is a second-generation auctioneer who owns and operates a branch of his family’s auction business, James R. Cash Auctions in Murfreesboro, with his wife Lisa.

CoreCivic appoints Lappin to board of directors

Lappin

Harley G. Lappin has been appointed to the CoreCivic board of directors, which is expanding from nine to 10 directors.

Prior to his appointment, Lappin, 61, served as the company’s executive vice president and chief corrections officer since 2011.

On October 30, the company announced Lappin intention to retire from that position.

Kennedy is promotion VP for Stoney Creek Records

Kennedy

BBR Music Group has named Byron Kennedy as vice president of promotion for label imprint Stoney Creek Records, which includes artists Randy Houser and Parmalee, Lindsay Ell, Adam Craig and emerging act Jimmie Allen.

Previously, Kennedy served as director of west coast regional promotion for BBR label imprint Wheelhouse Records. He joined the BBR Music Group’s team in July of 2016.

Kennedy spent 15 years at CBS Radio working his way up and overseeing a variety of formats as VP of programming for the Sacramento cluster, as well as program director of country KNCI.

He launched several CBS Radio stations in Sacramento and Phoenix and worked previous stints in Honolulu and Fresno radio markets.

Kennedy will report directly to Carson James, senior vice president of promotion, BBR Music Group.