Adams and Reese has launched an HBCU/MSI practice, providing support specifically tailored to institutions educating minority populations while expanding on its education practice and representation of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutes.

Adams and Reese has for more than 40 years advised more than 100 schools, colleges and universities throughout the nation, including HBCUs and MSIs, addressing the full range of legal issues facing these educational institutions, including federal funding, grant acquisition and administration, student housing, campus construction projects, Title IX services, cybersecurity and data privacy, IP acquisition and licensing, among other business law matters unique to the education sector.

Adams and Reese’s HBCU-focused attorneys, many of whom are graduates of HBCUs, hold leadership positions in national, state, and local organizations in the education field and frequently speak on issues of school administration and education law to audiences throughout the United States.

The HBCU team leverages the firm’s government relations practice to assist clients with governmental programs and funding, including COVID relief funds, to help bolster Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions, their infrastructure, capital needs and programming.

“While we have a newly dedicated team, we have worked with HBCUs and other higher educational institutions for decades,” says B. Jeffrey Brooks, co-leader of the HBCU/MSI practice team and the Adams and Reese executive committee chair. “We are excited to bring this team’s diverse skillset to the table and reinforce our support of HBCUs.”

State unemployment rate up slightly in August

After three consecutive months of steady, near record-low unemployment across the state, Tennessee’s jobless rate inched up slightly in August, according to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the month is 3.4%, up just 0.1 of a percentage point from July’s rate of 3.3%. The all-time low rate in Tennessee is 3.2%.

One year ago, Tennessee’s jobless number stood at 4%. The current rate is down 0.6 of a percentage point in a year-to-year comparison.

The number of nonfarm jobs in Tennessee increased by 3,100 between July and August. The financial activities sector created the most positions, followed by the manufacturing sector, and then the education and health services sector.

During the last 12 months, Tennessee employers added 114,500 nonfarm jobs to their payrolls. The leisure and hospitality sector saw the most year-to-year growth. The trade, transportation and utilities sector, along with the education and health services sector, accounted for the next highest job gains.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the nation also increased in August. When compared to July’s revised rate, the statistic rose by 0.2% to 3.7%.

Bradley selects Gulch high-rise for new office

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP has signed a long-term lease to move its Nashville office to ONE 22 ONE, a new high-rise office building located in the Gulch, with a targeted occupancy of late 2023.

Bradley will occupy the top four floors of the 24-story building, utilizing approximately 100,000 square feet of office space with future space allowance. Situated at the corner of Broadway and 13th Avenue, ONE 22 ONE was developed by GBT Realty. Featured amenities include outdoor space for business and social gatherings, a fitness center and retail space.

The firm’s Nashville office is composed of more than 165 attorneys, making it the third-largest law firm in the city.

Ground broken for Century Farms homes

Madison Communities, an affiliate of Madison Capital Group, has recently broken ground on 266 units located in Century Farms, a mixed-use master- planned development located in Antioch.

Located within Century Farms, the community will be called Madison Century Farms and construction will begin in September.

Madison Century Farms will feature 266 units with surface parking. Project amenities will include luxury unit finishes, integrated clubhouse with fitness center, outdoor lounge with summer kitchen, a resort style pool and pool deck with grilling stations and cabanas. The project will be delivered by Benco Construction, Madison’s affiliate general contracting group.

Equity group acquires part of FGL catalog

HarbourView Equity Partners, the global alternative asset management company founded by Sherrese Clarke Soares, has acquired Big Loud Mountain Music’s publisher share of select songs from country music duo Florida Georgia Line’s catalog.

Country duo Florida Georgia Line, formed in 2010 by Florida native Brian Kelley and Georgia native Tyler Hubbard, has more than left its mark on the American Country music space. With hit songs like “Meant To Be,” “You’re Country,” and “Simple,” the Grammy-nominated pair has sold over 26 million tracks and 3.5 million albums.

Big Loud Mountain Music, an independent publishing, management, and production company located in Nashville is credited as a key player in helping to successfully launch Florida Georgia Line’s career.

HarbourView Equity Partners has been extremely active since launching just nine months ago, acquiring nearly 40 catalogs to date. The firm’s distinctly diverse portfolio features thousands of titles spanning numerous genres and decades. Most recently the company acquired the catalogs of Brad Paisley, Lady A, Hollywood Undead, Dre & Vidal, and Luis Fonsi.

Tennessee Brew Works expands to Lenoir City

Tennessee Brew Works has announced the expansion of their brand with a new Tennessee location, Lenoir City Barrel House, boasting a second manufacturing facility and a community focused, family friendly taproom.

Tennessee Brew Works’ Lenoir City Barrel House is projected to open spring 2024. Situated 30 minutes outside Knoxville, the city is informally known as the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains. The future home of Tennessee Brew Works is a 21,000 square foot, former fire station located at 200 East Depot Street in the center of Lenoir City.

Lenoir City Barrel House’s primary focus will be brewing and sharing old world and contemporary mixed fermentation beer styles, fermented in a range of wood tanks, stainless steel vessels and oak barrels. The brewery also will showcase experimental, historical and small-batch specialty beers as a significant part of annual production.

TN State Parks earn sustainability award

Tennessee State Parks have received the President’s Award from the National Association of State Park Directors recognizing the parks for their work in sustainability with their Go Green With Us initiative.

Greer Tidwell, deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and Mike Robertson, director of operations for Tennessee State Parks, accepted the award at the NASPD national conference in Sunriver, Oregon.

The award is given to an individual or organization that has made an extraordinary contribution, innovation and/or best practice at a state, regional or national level, furthering the goal of a state parks system.

Go Green With Us was created in 2015 as a partnership between Tennessee State Parks and citizens to help protect and preserve the parks through conservation, sustainable operations and recycling.

The program not only implements sustainable practices throughout park operations, but also provides sustainable options for park guests such as recycling, water bottle filling stations, earth-friendly merchandise, and environmentally friendly lodging and recreational opportunities.

Each of the state parks has a designated Go Green representative who works to incorporate Go Green initiatives such as education and outreach, water conservation and waste reduction.

Robin Peeler, East Tennessee park area manager, and Kelsey Davis, environmental consultant for the Office of Sustainable Practices at TDEC, are co-managers of the Go Green With Us program.

SavvyFi completes $4.9M Series A funding

SavvyFi, the fintech platform that is making college savings and student loan repayment plans an accessible and popular benefit for employees, announced the completion of a $4.9M Series A funding round.

The company raised its Series A to address the growing demand for its platform from employers, who are discovering the advantage of providing solutions to student loan debt at a time of unprecedented attention around this national crisis.

The funding round was led by Aligned Partners, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm whose founders have a long track record of building successful companies.

SavvyFi will use this raise to expand its education financing platform to accommodate interest from global partners in joint partnerships that will position them favorably to customers.

The product includes cashback and crowdfunding features that have captured the attention of major financial institutions, corporations, universities, media leaders and other sponsors.

OGA opens new Mt. Juliet building

Oman-Gibson Associates, a full-service health care real estate firm based in Nashville, recently completed construction on a medical office building in partnership with Heritage Medical Associates.

The 87,000-square-foot building, home to more than 25 physicians representing multiple specialties, is located at 325 Old Pleasant Grove Road in Mt. Juliet.

The $30.6 million, three-story facility opened last month and features three procedure rooms, an imaging suite, infusion chairs, allergy shot stations, an impressive two-story entrance, an all-glass waiting area, window-filled corridors and a dedicated parking area. Heritage Medical Associates combined its previous Mt. Juliet office and Summit Medical Center offices into this one convenient location.

The new building provides patients with access to a multitude of services including primary care, allergy, dermatology, ear, nose and throat, endocrinology/diabetes, gastroenterology, laboratory and rheumatology/arthritis. Diagnostic imaging will also be offered including bone density, CT scan, mammogram, ultrasound and X-ray technologies.