Baker Donelson has grown its Intellectual Property Group with the hiring of David Franklin Sawrie, Ph.D., in its Nashville office.

Sawrie practices patent law in the electrical arts, mathematics and medical devices. He uses this knowledge to help clients design and execute patent portfolio strategy and management. He handles all aspects of patent procurement from invention disclosure meetings and claim drafting through advanced stages of prosecution.

Sawrie earned his B.A. from the University of Virginia, his M.A. from Stanford University, his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and his Ph.D. and B.S.E.E. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

During his doctoral training, he worked as a scientist in the area of health care outcomes research, conducting statistical analyses and providing data management support in clinical trials ranging from small sample studies to a large multicenter phase III clinical trial.

Sawrie also holds a master’s degree in German studies from Stanford University.

Ogletree Deakins hires for Cybersecurity, Data Privacy

Benjamin (Ben) Perry has joined Ogletree Deakins’ Nashville office as of counsel. Perry was previously with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, where he focused his practice on cybersecurity and data privacy matters.

Perry has extensive experience representing clients across myriad industries on both regulatory compliance and litigation matters. He regularly advises clients on compliance with state, federal and international data privacy and security laws, data breach notification laws and other U.S. and international privacy and data security requirements.

Perry is a designated Certified Information Privacy Professional for Europe (CIPP/E) and the United States (CIPP/US) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He regularly speaks at conferences on the ever-changing privacy and data security landscape and has served as an adviser to various fintech companies through a startup company accelerator program.

Perry earned his J.D. from Samford University, M.S. from the University of Alabama and B.S. from Birmingham-Southern College.

GEODIS names Moore U.S. brand ambassador

GEODIS, a worldwide provider of transport and logistics, has named Nashville Soccer Club player Shaq Moore as the company’s first U.S. brand ambassador.

Moore, a 26-year-old from Powder Springs, Georgia, plays right back for Nashville SC. He signed with Nashville SC in July 2022 and has made 17 total appearances with the team.

Moore joined Nashville SC from CD Tenerife in Spain’s second division, where he made 101 appearances throughout his three-year tenure. He also played professionally in Spain at CF Huracán Moncada, Real Oviedo Vetusta, Atlético Levante UD and CF Reus Deportiu. Moore debuted on the U.S. Men’s National Team in 2018 and was part of the team winning the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He also played for the U.S. team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

As brand ambassador, Moore will collaborate with GEODIS at community volunteer days, teammate appreciation events and client engagements in both Nashville and when on the road at Nashville SC away matches.

With its Americas operations headquartered in Brentwood, GEODIS has expanded its local community impact efforts through its naming rights deal with Nashville SC. For example, for the past two years, GEODIS and Nashville SC have teamed up with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee to help families in need. In 2023, teammates prepared more than 1,500 relief boxes, equaling over 26,500 meals, for tornado victims in Arkansas through Second Harvest.

41 graduates complete Leadership Middle TN

Leadership Middle Tennessee recently celebrated the Class of 2023 after graduates completed an 11-month experiential journey to learn more about the 10 counties in Middle Tennessee.

The 2022 graduates are listed below:

• Virginia Gray, Tennessee Valley Authority, at large

• Gina Anzaldua, Cheatham County Economic Development, Cheatham

• Allen Nicholson, Town of Ashland City, Cheatham

• Sydney Ball, NFP, Executive Benefits, Davidson

• Ben Gramling, S&ME, Inc., Davidson

• Monchiére Holmes-Jones, MOJO MKTG + PR, Davidson

• Karen Johnson, Nashville Davidson County Register of Deeds Office, Davidson

• Abe Mbow, Trade on Demand Inc. dba Skilled workforce, Davidson

• Jorge Moscoso Jr., AMSURG, Davidson

• Karen Simo, TN Dept. of Environment & Conservation, Davidson

• Lisa Spencer, WSMV News4, Davidson

• Bridget Winstead, Vanderbilt Health, Davidson

• Michelle Balsley, Blankenship CPA Group, PLLC, Dickson

• Ted Williams, TriStar Bank, Dickson

• Deysi Cook, Caledonian Financial, Inc., Maury

• Thad Jablonski, City of Columbia, Maury

• Missy Stahl, City of Spring Hill, Maury

• James (Jay) Albertia, Progressive Directions Inc., Montgomery

• Ken Goble, Montgomery County Government, Montgomery

• Mickey Hepner, Austin Peay State University, Montgomery

• Angela Huff, Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, Montgomery

• Wendy (Danielle) Stack, The Stack Agency, Farmers Insurance, Montgomery

• Emily Hollingsworth, Robertson County Board of Education, Robertson

• Kathyrn (Katy) Olita, State of Tennessee, Robertson

• Candice Tillman, City of Springfield, Robertson

• Buffy Bundshuh, BancorpSouth, Rutherford

• Dale McCreedy, Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, Rutherford

• David Edwards, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle TN, Rutherford

• Fred Halfpap, First United Methodist Church, Murfreesboro, Rutherford

• Edieth (Edie) Langston, Redstone Federal Credit Union, Rutherford

• John (Doug) Gold, Wilson Bank & Trust, Sumner

• Michael Lajoie, Farmers Insurance and Investments-Michael Lajoie Agency, Sumner

• Katherine Stark, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Sumner

• Patti Carroll, Congressman Mark Green, Williamson

• Bryan Doleshel, Williamson, Inc., Williamson

• Chris Henson, Logic Cadence, Williamson

• Kim Randell, Habitat for Humanity Williamson-Maury, Williamson

• Ja’Rob Coggins, Genesco, Wilson

• Russell Fast, GSF Media, Wilson

• Brody Kane, State of Tennessee, Wilson

• Susan Shaw, Wilson County Office of the Mayor, Wilson

Leadership Middle Tennessee is a regional leadership program founded to engage community and business leaders in the 10-county region of Middle Tennessee. The program starts with a series of 10 monthly day-and-a-half issues-focused sessions designed to give participants a greater understanding of the critical issues in the region, motivating them to use their skills to become regionally engaged.

Participating counties are Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson. One class of approximately 40 members is selected each year.

Wealth Strategy Partners hires client concierge

Wealth Strategies Partners, a boutique total wealth management practice, has hired Matthew Davis as a client concierge in its Nashville office.

Davis will act as a key liaison between clients and team members, ensuring all needs are met in each area of client services, including branch administration and client communications.

Davis previously held diverse operational roles across the hospitality industry for 12 years.

Cumberland University selects Hatcher as chairman

After serving three terms as the Cumberland University chairman of the board since 2017, W.P. Bone III has passed the gavel to Sam Hatcher. The Cumberland University Board of Trust unanimously elected Hatcher as the new chairman during its June meeting.

Hatcher, longtime Lebanon resident and community leader, graduated from Cumberland University in 1973 before pursuing a career as a journalist for the Lebanon Democrat and MainStreet Media. He has served as a Cumberland University trustee since 1980.

Hatcher served in the Tennessee National Guard for more than 35 years. He is a director and serves as treasurer of the Nashville and Eastern Railroad Authority and serves or has served on the boards of Cumberland Region Tomorrow, Equal Chance for Education, Alive Hospice, The Community Foundation of Wilson County, the Lebanon-Wilson County Chamber of Commerce and Lebanon’s University Medical Center Hospital (now Vanderbilt Wilson County). He is a former member of the faculty of Cumberland and Lipscomb Universities.

The university presented Bone with the first-ever Labry School of Science, Technology and Business Professorship in celebration of his service and numerous contributions to the university and Middle Tennessee. The Labry School Professorship will provide a faculty member the funding to support projects such as course upgrades, research opportunities, experiential learning and teaching enhancements.

Absolutely Ridiculous selects Culley for COO

Culley

Sporting goods industry veteran Kevin Culley has been named chief operating officer of Absolutely Ridiculous, a creative endeavor that aims to inspire self-expression in sports through art and collaboration.

In his role, Culley will be responsible for scaling the business and will oversee the majority of the burgeoning brand’s operations and overall strategy. Culley’s addition comes as Absolutely Ridiculous continues to grow its core baseball and softball product lines and is developing new concepts and designs for its expansion into basketball, golf and other sports, while also building out its team and readying for the launch of the “Studio X” creative space at its headquarters in Nashville later this summer.

Culley joins Absolutely Ridiculous after 23 years at Under Armour, where he rose to vice president of strategic innovation partnerships and forged deals with Major League Baseball, USA Baseball, collegiate baseball teams and players.

Culley worked briefly for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens before joining Under Armour.

He holds a degree in communications from Western Maryland College, where he was a pitcher on the baseball team. Culley has been on the board of directors for Cleveland-based laundry solutions provider Renegade Brands since 2015.