Baker Donelson has been named by Working Mother to its 12th annual “Best Law Firms for Women” list. This is the third consecutive year the firm has been included in this prominent list, which recognizes firms that utilize best practices in recruiting, retaining, promoting and developing women lawyers.

The 2019 list highlights law firms that averaged 37 percent women among new equity partners, compared with only 27 percent five years ago. The percentage of women lawyers in the ranks of the Best Law Firms’ most highly compensated partners also jumped from 11% to 15% in five years. These firms additionally offer more extended parental leave benefits and encourage more lawyers to work remotely and use flexible hours.

Through its Women’s Initiative, Baker Donelson has implemented numerous key programs designed to create an environment where female attorneys thrive, including an industry-leading parental leave policy, a firm-wide mentoring program for women, a program that awards business development grants to women attorneys, and a training program designed to help women attorneys achieve equity shareholder status.

$6M donation to museum honors Guess

The Convention Center Authority will donate $6 million to the National Museum of African American Music, including the Francis S. Guess Roots Theater presented by Music City Center.

Guess, a dedicated business leader and civil rights activist, was a trailblazer for the museum. He joined the CCA in 2011 and remained on the board until his death in 2015.

“Francis S. Guess was a tireless advocate for the museum knowing it would be a worldwide monumental addition to Music City,” says Charles Starks, president and CEO of Music City Center. “As we invest in the National Museum of African American Music and therefore our city, we commemorate his vision and recognize music is a powerful connector of diverse groups.”

The museum is located at the former site of the Nashville Convention Center.

Hub International buys Crichton Group

Nashville’s Crichton, Brandon, Jackson & Ward, also known as The Crichton Group, has been acquired by Hub International Limited, a global insurance brokerage.

Hub is creating a new regional Hub to be called Hub Mid-South, which will include Hub’s existing operations in Tennessee. Hub Mid-South will cover Tennessee and Kentucky, with the goal of finding other strong partners in those states.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Hub has more than 800 employees in 38 locations throughout the U.S. South Region, which includes Tennessee.

PMC adds Integrated Telehealth Partners

Integrated Telehealth Partners announces it has joined with Nashville-based Psychiatric Medical Care LLC, a behavioral health care management company.

ITP leverages telehealth to provide access to psychiatric services in underserved communities across a variety of clinical settings. The company offers both outpatient telepsychiatry services in community mental health clinics as well as 24/7 emergency telepsychiatry consultation services in hospital emergency rooms.

PMC manages both inpatient psychiatry units and intensive outpatient psychiatry programs within hospitals. In December 2018, Consonance Capital Partners recapitalized PMC in partnership with the company’s management team.

Renewable energy company expanding

Enexor BioEnergy LLC has announced an expansion of operations in Franklin, including a move to a new manufacturing facility.

The company will invest $5 million and create approximately 50 jobs in Williamson County over the next two years. Enexor will locate its operations in a 40,000-square-foot facility at 1 Enterprise Court in Franklin, where it will conduct prototyping, testing and manufacturing.

Founded in 2015, the Franklin-based startup has developed a small-scale, renewable energy system that converts organic and biomass waste into clean electricity as well as hot and chilled water. This combined heating and power system has broad applications for commercial, industrial and institutional use.

Enexor anticipates it will begin manufacturing its renewable bioenergy system in late 2019. The company plans to export its systems to countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

“Enexor is very excited to move into our new 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility,’’ says Lee Jestings, founder and CEO.

National firm buys Novel Bellevue

The Praedium Group, a New York City-based national real estate investment firm, has acquired Novel Bellevue, a community within the new One Bellevue Place Lifestyle Center.

Constructed in 2018, Novel Bellevue has one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes ranging from 611 square feet to 1,478 square feet, with an average unit size of 1,020 square feet.

Unit interiors feature granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, gray or white cabinetry, subway tile backsplash, hardwood-style flooring throughout living and wet areas, full size washer/dryers, and 9’ ceilings. Community amenities include a clubhouse, resort-style pool, 2-story fitness center with spin bike studio, outdoor kitchen with pizza oven and grills, fire pit and dog park.

One Bellevue Place Lifestyle Center offers residents walkable retail, dining, and entertainment venues and is the future site for the Nashville Predators Sports Center, a new skating facility that will include two indoor ice rinks.

Novel Belleuve is at the intersection of Highway 70 and Interstate 40.

FiftyForward joins Alzheimer’s Foundation

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America has added FiftyForward in Nashville as its newest member organization.

FiftyForward joins AFA’s network of more than 2,800 member organizations nationwide with the goal of providing support services and education to individuals, families and caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia nationwide.

FiftyForward provides adult day services for seniors, age 50 and over, in Middle Tennessee, touching more than 20,000 lives annually. Its goal is to help seniors live a longer, more meaningful life, utilizing their innovative programs and services.

AFA works hand in hand with its member organizations to provide resources to families affected by Alzheimer’s, especially through its National Toll-Free Helpline (866-232-8484) where licensed social workers can connect callers with services in their area.

Nashville’s SaVida expands in Virginia

SaVida Health, an outpatient medication-assisted treatment for opioid and alcohol addiction headquartered in Nashville, will open a new treatment center in Culpeper, Virginia.

SaVida Health Culpeper joins the practice’s Front Royal and Woodbridge locations as part of an expanding network in Virginia.

“The opioid epidemic has affected families all over the country,” says Tom Purkins, vice president and general manager at SaVida Health. “Unfortunately, patients and families often lack information about effective treatment options for this chronic disease. We help educate patients and their families.’’

Founded in 2010, SaVida has outpatient treatment centers in Massachusetts, Vermont, Virginia and Delaware.

Nashville Oncology brings Verdi on board

Nashville Oncology Associates is forming a partnership with Verdi Oncology Inc., a practice and clinical research management company, headquartered in Brentwood.

Verdi provides the resources, management expertise and economies of scale to build out the infrastructure necessary for community oncology practices to thrive in an evolving health care and value-based care environment.

Verdi Oncology is backed by Pharos Capital Group, a physician-founded private equity group with more than $825 million in assets under management.

Reich purchases Spence Lane facility

Reich Brothers, a national industrial real estate firm which specializes in the acquisition, repurposing and management of manufacturing and distribution facilities, has acquired a 182,200-square-foot production and warehouse facility in Nashville.

The facility, located at 707 Spence Lane on 9.57 acres, served as Wright Industries main production and warehousing location in the Nashville market with proximity to major highways I-65, I-40 and I-24 and only 4 miles from Nashville International Airport.

The site’s heavy power and floor load capacity lends itself to light or heavy manufacturing. There are multiple buildings that can be repurposed for a single user or subdivided into multiple sections, accommodating a variety of tenants.

Nashville 9th in study of profitable businesses

LendingTree, the nation’s leading online loan marketplace, has released its study on the metro areas with the most profitable businesses.

Seattle has the highest share of profitable businesses with 71 percent of firms reporting profits.

Louisville took the second spot with 69.98 percent of businesses or 9,380 out of 13,404 recorded profits. Indianapolis took the third spot with 69.92 percent of businesses or 15,001 of 21,455 businesses reported profits.

Nashville placed ninth in its Top 10 with 68.21 percent.

LendingTree compared the total number of firms with employees in a metro area to the number of firms in a metro area reporting profits. This gave the share of profit-making firms by metro area.

Belmont adds tourism, hospitality major

Belmont University is adding a new Hospitality and Tourism Management major into the Jack C. Massey College of Business.

Belmont Provost Thomas Burns says the new major is good for both students and the community. “We are excited to offer our students new opportunities for innovative learning experiences through the Hospitality and Tourism Management major,’’ he says.

“We are essentially creating a pipeline of high-quality employees that will benefit the local business community, as well.”

The new major will integrate business, liberal arts and public relations courses to create a unique program and professional degree, giving students an in-depth curriculum that also tackles the legal, financial and marketing tools needed to be successful in the field.