A.J. Bahou and Blake Bernard have joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as partners in its intellectual property practice group.

Bahou, who previously was with Holland & Knight LLP and Waller, is a registered patent attorney, trial lawyer, mediator and arbitrator with more than 20 years of experience in the areas of electrical and computer engineering technologies, including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, medical devices, blockchain, computer hardware, software and internet security systems.

He regularly serves as outside general counsel for technology companies and has served on the board of directors for LaunchTN since 2011, the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Information Systems Security Association 2017-2019 (president 2014-2015) and the Tennessee Intellectual Property Law Association since 2010.

He earned his J.D. and LL.M. in intellectual property from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law and has a degree in electrical and computer engineering from Johns Hopkins University, an MBA from Middle Tennessee State University and a B.S.C.E. from Tennessee Tech University.

Bernard, who previously practiced at Waller and Waddey Patterson, concentrates his practice on patent and trademark prosecution and enforcement of intellectual property rights in the areas of patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret law.

He serves on the Nashville Bar Association board of directors for the Young Lawyers Division and as co-chair of the Race Judicata Committee. He also is a member of the Tennessee Intellectual Property Law Association.

He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and is a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law.

Patterson adds pair of engineers/attorneys

Patterson Intellectual Property Law has hired two new attorneys, Wesley Barbee and John Willis Stevens.

Barbee earned a degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Alabama and J.D. from Belmont University College of Law. He is a registered patent attorney whose practice areas will include patent prosecution, portfolio management and intellectual property litigation.

Barbee previously was a product development engineer and gained experience in a wide range of technologies, including fixed-wing aviation platforms and manufacturing. He is a member of the Nashville Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, American Bar Association, Nashville Intellectual Property Inn of Court and American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Stevens also holds a degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Alabama and a J.D. from Belmont University College of Law. His areas of concentration will be trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets.

Stevens is a member of the American Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, Nashville Bar Association and Tennessee Intellectual Property Law Association.

GSRM adds 3 from Goodman Callahan

Attorneys Joe M. Goodman, William E. Blackstone and Michael R. Griffin have moved to Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin PLLC from Goodman Callahan Blackstone PLLC and will practice in the firm’s wills, trusts and estates and tax sections.

Goodman has provided multidisciplinary professional services to high-net-worth families and family owned businesses for more than 30 years. He earned his law degree from University of Tennessee College of Law and an LL.M. in taxation from New York University School of Law.

Blackstone has counseled high-net-worth individuals and families in the areas of business and tax planning, including estate planning, asset protection and charitable giving, for more than 30 years. He earned his law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law and an LL.M in taxation from Georgetown University.

Griffin focuses his practice on counseling individuals and families on estate planning, tax planning for trusts and estates, formation, governance and succession of closely held businesses, asset protection and charitable giving. He earned his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law and an LL.M in taxation from Northwestern University.

Goodman and Blackstone will continue to operate out of their Franklin office, while Griffin will move to GSRM’s downtown Nashville office.

Allen sets year-end exit as Entrepreneur Center CEO

Nashville Entrepreneur Center CEO Jane Allen will step down as the organization’s CEO as her previously announced service commitment nears completion.

The founder of Counsel on Call and Hanner Clarke will remain as CEO throughout the search process, supporting the EC board of directors’ efforts and the subsequent transition to her successor.

She moved to Nashville in 1994 as an attorney at Doramus & Trauger (now Trauger & Tuke). In 2000, she left to start Counsel on Call, an on-demand legal services company, known today as Legility. Hanner Clark is a handbag company she co-founded with her sister, Rebecca White.

Annually, the NEC serves 2000+ founders through membership, networking events, and dedicated programs that serve founders from idea stage to high growth businesses that are ready to scale, such as the new launch of Project FinTech this year.

VU names Churchwell senior adviser to chancellor

Dr. André L. Churchwell, a renowned cardiologist and health care leader who has advanced equity, diversity and inclusion at both Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, will step down as vice chancellor for outreach, inclusion and belonging and chief diversity officer at the university effective June 30 and transition to a new role within the Office of the Chancellor as senior adviser on inclusion and community outreach.

Churchwell, who holds the Levi Watkins Jr., M.D., Chair and is a professor of medicine, biomedical engineering and radiology and radiological sciences, will continue in his role as a faculty member. He also will continue his responsibilities on the Medical Center’s clinical staff, caring for patients of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute, as well as his roles on numerous boards and committees both on the Vanderbilt campus and across the nation.

Churchwell graduated Vanderbilt in 1975 with a degree in biomedical engineering. He then earned his doctor of medicine from Harvard Medical School and completed his internship, residency and cardiology fellowship at Emory University. In 1984, he became the first African American chief resident of medicine at Grady Memorial Hospital.

Churchwell returned to Vanderbilt in 1991 as associate dean for diversity in graduate medical education and faculty affairs. In 2011, he was named dean of diversity for undergraduate medical education in addition to his GME and faculty affairs roles. In 2015, he was appointed to the Chancellor’s Diversity, Inclusion and Community Committee, which in 2016 researched and presented to the chancellor recommendations for making Vanderbilt a more diverse and inclusive community.

Cowart elected chair of Lipscomb board

Richard G. Cowart, chair of the health law and public policy department at Baker Donelson, has been elected chair of Lipscomb University’s board of trustees.

Cowart, who has served on the board since 2011, was seated as board chair at the University’s quarterly board meeting April 29. He will serve a two-year term with the possibility of serving up to two additional terms.

Cowart succeeds David Solomon, co-founder and managing director of Meritage Funds. Solomon is concluding a six-year tenure as board chair.

Cowart holds a professional accountancy degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and a juris doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Ashton Woods expands into Tennessee market

National Homebuilder Ashton Woods has announced its expansion into the greater Nashville area, naming building industry veteran David Bracht as Nashville division president.

The homebuilder currently has two new communities slated for opening in Smyrna by late summer with several others to follow.

Bracht is familiar with the Nashville market, having served as national president of homebuilding and acquisitions for The Southern Land Company. He helped grow that company’s homebuilding operation in Nashville while simultaneously establishing its Denver division.

He has served as division president for Lennar, Oakwood Homes, Pulte Home Corporation and Neumann Homes, was regional president for Drees Homes, held various leadership positions with Richmond American Homes and was most recently the chief operating officer for Lokal Homes, the largest private homebuilder in Denver and Colorado Springs.

Lovecchio named VP at Nashville Public Radio

Kenda Lovecchio has joined Nashville Public Radio as vice president of development for the organization’s news and cultural public services WPLN News and 91.1 WNXP.

Lovecchio will lead and oversee the nonprofit’s advancement functions including institutional and planned giving, individual philanthropy and donor events.

Lovecchio most recently led a boutique consulting firm helping nonprofit organizations ensure financial viability and future growth. Previously, she was chief development & communications officer for Bat Conservation International in Austin.

She graduated from Northwestern College with a degree in theater.