Bass, Berry & Sims has hired five new attorneys in Nashville: Laci Alsup (real estate), Theresa A. Androff (senior litigation) and associates Kristen Bokhan, R. Ethan Ward and Hunter K. Yoches.

Alsup advises clients on commercial real estate transactions with a focus on complex title and survey matters. She works with clients from a variety of industries, such as health care, manufacturing, retail and others. She previously was underwriting counsel at First American Title Insurance Company. She earned a law degree from Belmont University College of Law and an undergraduate degree from Georgia Gwinnett College (2013).

Androff represents clients facing government and internal investigations, with a particular focus on fraud and abuse matters in the health care industry. Androff previously practiced with the Florida Office of the Attorney General, including serving as an assistant attorney general in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Civil Enforcement Bureau and representing the State of Florida in all aspects of complex civil health care fraud enforcement actions. She also served as a judicial law clerk to five active District Court Judges at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa. Previously, Androff provided policy and legal advice to the Florida Senate Committee on Education as a senior attorney. Androff began her career as an associate with Miller & Chevalier Chartered in Washington, D.C.

Androff earned an LL.M in taxation and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, an MSW from Florida State University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Florida.

Bokhan practices in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice group and focuses her practice on representing clients in complex commercial litigation and compliance and government investigations. Bokhan also maintains a robust pro bono practice focused on dismantling discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+ community, advocating on behalf of children in foster care and defending voting rights and practices designed to increase eligible voter turnout. She previously practiced with Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Washington, D.C., and worked as a grant writer and legal assistant at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD).

Bokhan earned a law degree from Harvard Law School and an MPA and undergraduate degree from Clark University.

Ward counsels clients on estate planning and the administration of trusts and estates. He previously was an associate at Husch Blackwell LLP and Holton & Mayberry P.C. focused on estate planning.

Ward earned an LLM in taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, a law degree from the Belmont University College of Law and an undergraduate degree from Belmont University.

Yoches represents management in all aspects of labor and employment law and related litigation. Before joining Bass, Berry & Sims, Yoches practiced at King & Ballow in Nashville, and following law school served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Thomas E. Johnston of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

He earned a law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, an MA from the University of Memphis and an undergraduate degree from Freed-Hardeman University.

Smith earns Chambers High Net Worth honor

Chambers High Net Worth has selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Gregory D. Smith for inclusion in its 2023 guide in the category of Family/Matrimonial for USA: Tennessee. He is one of only four attorneys honored for Tennessee. Chambers High Net Worth ranks top lawyers and law firms in the international private wealth market. This is Smith’s third time earning the honor.

Smith is a member of Stites & Harbison. He is a family law lawyer whose practice focuses on complex, difficult disputes between spouses and former spouses. In addition to serving as the office executive member of the firm’s Nashville and Franklin offices since 2014, he leads a team of six attorneys, two paralegals and two staff who cover everything family law-related. His practice includes sophisticated financial issues such as valuation and distribution of businesses, business assets, real estate, retirement accounts and more; divorce and post-divorce matters involving children; and alimony and other forms of spousal support.

Entrepreneur Center announces Hall inductees

Nashville Entrepreneur Center has announced its four new inductees for the Entrepreneurs’ Hall of Fame at the 2023 NEXT Awards Oct. 23 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. This year’s class includes:

• Eddie George: A Heisman trophy winner (1995) and first-round draft choice, he earned NFL Rookie of the Year honors in 1996. He was selected to four consecutive Pro Bowls and led his team to Super Bowl XXXIV before retiring. He then earned an MBA at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, started the Edward George Wealth Management Group and played Billy Flynn in “Chicago” on Broadway, in addition to many theatrical productions, feature films and TV roles. He also helped develop The Business of Professional Sports at the Fisher School of Business at The Ohio State University, his alma mater. Since 2021, George has served as the 22nd head football coach at Tennessee State University.

• Shirley Zeitlin: As a second-generation Nashvillian, Zeitlin is a real estate entrepreneur and community activist who founded the residential brokerage company, Shirley Zeitlin & Co. Realtors, in 1979. She became a prominent figure in the world of real estate and community leadership with a lifetime of achievements and contributions that have left a lasting impact on Nashville and its real estate industry. In 2018, the company affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, ushering in a new era as Zeitlin Sotheby’s International Realty. Locally rooted and globally connected, the firm now services clients in 20 Middle Tennessee counties and around the globe through the firm’s outstanding partners.

• Jim Ayers’ entrepreneurial journey has spanned various sectors, including health care and real estate. However, it was in the banking industry that he would leave an enduring legacy. In 1984, alongside a business partner, Ayers acquired Farmers State Bank in Scotts Hill, which marked the inception of what would eventually become FirstBank. Through strategic acquisitions and a steadfast commitment to personalized service, FirstBank’s assets skyrocketed from a modest $14 million to a staggering $13 billion, solidifying its position as Tennessee’s third-largest bank. Ayers’ commitment to community involvement and social responsibility is evident through the establishment of The Ayers Foundation, providing scholarships and educational support, and his significant contributions to health care initiatives, including the Jim Ayers Institute for Precancer Detection and Diagnosis.

• Saurabh Sinha is the Founder of Emids Technologies, Inc., a global health care technology company. Sinha started his business in 1999 in Silicon Valley and moved to Nashville six years later. Under his leadership, Emids evolved from a web-development services company to a health care-focused technology company with 3,500-plus employees worldwide.

The Nashville Entrepreneurs’ Hall of Fame honors individuals who have built long-standing and meaningful careers in Nashville. Previous inductees include Dolly Parton, Darrell Freeman, Trisha Yearwood, Cordia Harrington, Leatrice McKissack, Phil Bredesen, Jon Yarbrough, Andre Prince, Mike Shmerling, Steve Turner and Amy Kurland.

Graham Healthcare expands with senior-level hires

Graham Healthcare Capital has added Tiffany Smiley as senior vice president of finance and Lucas Hall as senior director of business intelligence for the Nashville-based health care capital firm.

Smiley brings more than 15 years of experience in the health care industry working in both accounting and finance roles to support financial reporting, budgeting, acquisitions and financial analysis. Hall is responsible for working across the portfolio to report, analyze, integrate and automate business-critical data assets.

Smiley was recently vice president of finance at U.S. Urology Partners, a provider of operational support, management expertise and financial resources for urology practices. Before that, she was executive director of FP&A at Tivity Health

Smiley earned both her MBA and bachelor’s degrees from Middle Tennessee State University.

Hall comes to GHCC from Hugg & Hall Equipment Company, an industrial and construction equipment sales, rental, parts and service company in the Southeast, where he served as director of business systems and built strategic business intelligence tools. Before Hugg & Hall, he worked in a critical strategic position in the engineering department for Walmart.

Lucas served in the Marine Corps as a SATCOM operator and tactical air controller providing combined arms support for forward deployed troops. He earned a degree in information technology from Kaplan University.

Andrews honored with Byrd Character Award

Belmont University today named Al Andrews as the 2023 recipient of the university’s Rick Byrd Character Award. Named in honor of retired legendary Belmont men’s basketball coach Rick Byrd, the award is presented annually to community members who demonstrate a steadfast commitment to principled performance in their field.

Andrews is the founder and executive director of Porter’s Call, a nonprofit he founded in 2001. Since its inception, Porter’s Call has been offering its services to recording artists at no charge, providing a safe and confidential space for artists to be offstage and deal with the issues they face.

The award will be presented during Belmont’s Night of Hope Oct. 2 as part of The Hope Summit, a multiday event focused on Belmont’s convening leaders across the count who are interested in making change in the world.

Two Northwestern Mutual feted for charitable Work

Two Northwestern Mutual-Nashville wealth management advisers have been recognized by the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation for their individual leadership with a $2,000 grant to each of their organizations.

Roy Jordan received a lifetime achievement honorable mention for his 23-year volunteer leadership at Green Hills Family YMCA. Chad Greer received a Community Service honorable mention for his 15-year volunteer leadership at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee.