Baker Donelson’s Nashville law office announces that seven of its attorneys have been named Lawyers of the Year by the 2020 edition of Best Lawyers in America.

Only one lawyer is recognized as the year’s best for each specialty and location.

Baker Donelson has practices in several cities.

The following are the firm’s Nashville-based Lawyers of Year:

• Bruce C. Doeg: information technology

• Kenneth P. “Pete “Ezell Jr.: commercial transactions/UCC

• Matthew J. Sweeney III: franchise

• Matthew T. Harris: real estate

• Robert M. Steele: environmental

• Samuel Lanier Felker: personal injury litigation – defendants

• Steve F. Wood Jr: technology

The firm, which has practices in several cities, is top-listed in the nation in four practice areas: business organizations (including LLCs and partnerships), commercial finance, non-profit/charities and personal injury litigation – defendants.

Nashville attorneys for Baker Donelson, including those who were named Lawyers of the year, were listed in the Best Lawyers edition (Lawyers of Year above were not repeated in the following list due to limited space):

• Lauren W. Anderson: business organizations (including LLCs and partnerships), corporate, mergers and acquisitions

• L. Mabel Arroyo: immigration

• Mark A. Baugh: employment – management, litigation – labor and employment

• Julie Boswell: business organizations (including LLCs and partnerships), closely held companies and family businesses, corporate, non-profit/charities law, tax, trusts and estates

• Martha L. Boyd: employment – management, litigation – ERISA, litigation – labor and employment

• W. Davidson Broemel: insurance

• Joel R. Buckberg: franchise, leisure and hospitality

• Ashby Q. Burks: corporate, health care, mergers and acquisitions

• Christopher M. Caputo: arbitration, construction litigation – construction, mediation

• Scott D. Carey: commercial litigation, personal injury litigation – defendants, transportation

• Brigid M. Carpenter: commercial litigation, mass tort litigation/class actions – defendants, personal injury litigation – defendants, product liability litigation – defendants

• Jonathan L. Cole: commercial litigation, litigation – banking and finance

• Richard G. Cowart: health care, mergers and acquisitions

• Christy T. Crider: litigation – health care

• James A. DeLanis: commercial litigation, litigation – intellectual property

• Steven J. Eisen: banking and finance law, financial services regulation, mergers and acquisitions

• Charles W. Ferguson: closely held companies and family businesses, health care, mergers and acquisitions

• Charles K. Grant: commercial litigation, employment – management, litigation – labor and employment

• Tonya M. Grindon: business organizations (including LLCs and partnerships), corporate, mergers and acquisitions, securities/capital markets

• John A. Gupton III: commercial finance, land use and zoning law, real estate

• Claire Cowart Haltom: health care

• John S. Hicks: bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation, professional malpractice law – defendants

• Darwin A. Hindman III: commercial litigation

• Mark L. Miller: banking and finance, financial services regulation

• Brett A. Oeser: construction and litigation – construction

• W. Edward Ramage: copyright

• Clarence Risin: commercial litigation, transportation

• J. Allen Roberts: business organizations (including LLCs and partnerships), corporate, mergers and acquisitions, securities/capital markets

• John H. Rowland: bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization, litigation – bankruptcy

• Elizabeth C. Sauer: real estate

• John M. Scannapieco: litigation – ERISA

• Gary C. Shockley: bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation, criminal defense – white-collar, environmental, litigation – antitrust; litigation – construction, litigation – environmental, mass tort litigation/class actions – defendants

• Christopher A. Sloan: business organizations (including LLCs and partnerships), copyright, corporate, information technology, trademark

• Christopher E. Thorsen: banking and finance, commercial litigation

• M. Kim Vance: Employment – management, litigation – labor and employment

• Nancy A. Vincent: corporate

• Kenneth A. Weber: employment – management, litigation – ERISA, litigation – labor and employment

• William H. West: health care

• Steven K. Wood: non-profit/charities, tax, trusts and estates

Patterson places 4 on annual Best Lawyers list

Four attorneys with Patterson Intellectual Property Law have been selected to be included in the latest edition of Best Lawyers in America.

They are:

• L. Wayne Beavers - copyright law, intellectual property litigation, patent litigation, patent law, trade secrets law, trademark law

• Edward Lanquist, Jr. - intellectual property litigation, patent litigation, patent law, trade secrets law, trademark law

• Ryan Levy - intellectual property litigation

• Mark J. Patterson - copyright law, intellectual property litigation, patent litigation, patent law, trade secrets law, trademark law

In addition, Lanquist was named Lawyer of the Year for his work in patent litigation. Beavers was named Lawyer of the Year in trade secrets law. Patterson was recognized for patent law in Nashville.

Only one lawyer from each practice area and community is honored with this designation.

Neal & Harwell garners Best Lawyers distinction

Five attorneys at Neal & Harwell are listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2020 edition.

The Neal & Harwell attorneys selected for inclusion are:

• Aubrey B. Harwell, Jr. – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and Criminal Defense: White Collar

• James R. Kelley – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

• Marc T. McNamee - Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Bankruptcy Litigation

• James F. Sanders – Criminal Defense: White Collar

• James G. Thomas – Commercial Litigation.

• Harwell has been included in Best Lawyers for more than 35 years. Sanders, Kelley and McNamee have been listed for 30 years or more.

Belmont University promotes Carney

Carney

Belmont University’s John Carney has been promoted to vice president of marketing and communications.

Previously, he was senior director of marketing and public relations.

In his new role, Carney is responsible for leading Belmont’s marketing, branding, PR and communications efforts as well as countless institutional special projects. In addition, he will serve as a member of the president’s senior leadership cabinet.

Carney, who joined Belmont as a senior director in April 2014, leads the University’s marketing and strategic initiatives. In addition, Carney is responsible for providing direction to significant Belmont special events including the hosting of mayoral and gubernatorial debates, Davis Cup and the 125th Anniversary celebration, as well as the University’s sponsorship of the upcoming Ken Burns’s “Country Music” documentary and the application to host a presidential debate.

Carney came to Belmont following 19 successful years with Nashville’s The Buntin Group. He holds a bachelor’s in marketing and communications from the University of Memphis.

NMAAM adds new members

Smith

The National Museum of African American Music has added four new members to the organization.

Dasha Smith and Jeff Harleston will join as board members.

Harleston

Claire Tucker and Gail Williams will serve as co-chairs of the Capital Campaign Steering Committee.

Smith and Harleston hosted an evening reception in Los Angeles in June, where approximately 80 music industry professionals were in attendance to learn about NMAAM.

Smith serves as the executive vice president and global chief human resources officer for Sony Music Entertainment. She is responsible for talent acquisition, talent management, employee relations and organizational development.

Harleston serves as the general counsel and executive vice president of Business and Legal Affairs for Universal Music Group Worldwide. In this position, he is responsible for the development of corporate policies including the coordination of the company’s government relations, trade and anti-piracy activities to construct a unified strategy across all of the company’s divisions.

Tucker and Williams were instrumental in raising $11.5 million for the museum in June and July of this year. The investments were given by entities such as R.H. Boyd Publishing, Vanderbilt University, Bank of America, Belmont University, Clearbrook Hospitality and Music City Center.

Harrison promoted to SVP at First Tennessee

Harrison

First Tennessee Bank has promoted Matthew Harrison to senior vice president, team lead, private client relationship manager for the company’s Medical Private Banking office in Nashville. Harrison will continue reporting to Andrew Kintz, executive vice president of First Tennessee’s Music Industry Group and Private Client Services division in Middle Tennessee.

Harrison, who has 15 years of experience in the banking industry, will be responsible for managing the continued expansion of the Medical Private Banking.

Harrison joined First Tennessee 11 years ago as vice president of Medical Private Banking.

He earned both his bachelor’s degree in business administration and MBA from Mississippi State University.

In addition to Kintz and Harrison, the core team of bankers for the Medical Private Banking Group also includes Glenn Bradley, senior vice president, private client relationship manager, who has worked in the financial services industry since 1985.

EXIT Realty welcomes new staffers

EXIT Realty affiliated offices have added new staff members to its Nashville locations.

They are: Tiffany Burton, Amber Stancer, Stephani Walker, Rosemary Sumner, Amy Buck and Glyn Patterson have joined EXIT Realty Elite, 1000 Division St.

Kelly Galyon has joined EXIT Realty Music Row, 1217 16th Ave South, Suite 1.

Greg Pendleton has joined EXIT Realty Riverside, 131 Donelson Pike.

Christina Hale , Kesha Rushing and Kelly Easter have joined EXIT Realty East Nashville, 5003 Gallatin Pike.

Jones appointed CEO of Franklin Financial

J. Myers Jones, III has been named chief executive officer of Franklin Financial Network, Inc., the parent company of Franklin Synergy Bank.

Jones has been with the bank since 2009, serving as its chief credit officer and, since March 2019, as interim chief executive officer. He has over 40 years of experience in banking.

Also, Lee M. Moss has been named president of Franklin Financial Network, a title he also holds with the bank.

The company has signed new three-year employment agreements with other members of its executive management team, including veteran bankers Christopher J. Black, chief financial officer; David J. McDaniel, IV, chief lending officer; Eddie A. Maynard, Jr., chief credit officer; Terry R. Howell, corporate risk officer and interim chief operating officer; and Ashley P. Hill, III, chief banking officer.