Nashville business leader Phil Pfeffer received the first “Entrepreneur of the Year” award by Lipscomb University’s Center for Entrepreneurship this week.

Pfeffer was honored at a luncheon, part of Entrepreneurship Week activities at Lipscomb. The Lipscomb University College of Business celebrated the launch of its Center for Entrepreneurship with four days of activities promoting the entrepreneurial spirit among students and the community. Events include the luncheon honoring Pfeffer, a public lecture by Pfeffer and an elevator pitch competition.

Pfeffer is president and CEO of Treemont Capital Inc. a private equity investment company. The company’s activities, through its investments, include specialized newspaper and magazine publishing; web-based data management; data intelligence and data delivery; web-based training; occupational health management; reverse logistics; brick and mortar retailing; internet retailing; outdoor furniture manufacturing, repair and sales; and real estate.

Prior to his semi retirement, Pfeffer served as president and CEO, director and member of the executive committee of Random House Inc., the world’s largest English-language general trade book publisher until the sale of the company to Bertelsmann A.G.

Prior to joining Random House, Pfeffer served as chairman of the board and CEO of Ingram Distribution Group Inc. headquartered in Nashville, serving as executive vice president and as a member of the board of directors and the executive committee.

Akrawi joins Neal & Harwell Blind Akrawi, former Tennessee assistant attorney general, Civil Litigation & Staff Services Division, has joined Neal & Harwell, PLC.

Akrawi, who was associated with the Tennessee attorney general’s office for more than six years, will concentrate his practice on civil litigation at Neal & Harwell.

As Assistant Attorney General, Akrawi represented state agencies in employment-related litigation. Prior to joining the office of the Attorney General, he was Assistant Public Defender, 22nd Judicial District, in Columbia, Tennessee. He is admitted to the United States District Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, and the United States District Courts in the Middle, Eastern, and Western districts of Tennessee.

Akrawi received his J.D. in 2003 from Vanderbilt University School of Law. He earned a B.A. degree in Political Science in 1999 from the University of Tennessee.

McNeely Pigott & Fox welcomes RydbergMcNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations has hired Ashley Rydberg as a staff associate.

Rydberg is a Nashville native and a graduate of Wheaton (Ill.) College. She graduated in 2010 with degrees in Spanish and English with an emphasis in writing. Prior to joining MP&F, she interned with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce in writing and communications, and worked as the communications assistant at the Nashville Downtown Partnership.

While at Wheaton, Rydberg served as the news editor for The Wheaton Record and as the narrative essays editor for the campus’s journal of cultural and critical thought, The Pub.

Sweeney is named Distinguished NeutralBaker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC is pleased to announce that Matt Sweeney, a shareholder in the Firm’s Nashville office, has been named a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN), a professional association of attorneys distinguished by their experience in civil and commercial conflict resolution and by their commitment to methods of alternative dispute resolution.

Mr. Sweeney is a business trial and appellate attorney, mediator and arbitrator. Formerly a Circuit Court Judge in Nashville and Presiding Judge of the district’s Trial Courts, Mr. Sweeney has mediated or arbitrated hundreds of cases in the southeastern United States. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 2005. He has also been recognized by Mid-South Super Lawyers as a leading business litigation attorney.

Mr. Sweeney has taught trial practice as an adjunct faculty member at Vanderbilt Law School and civil procedure as a lecturer at the Nashville School of Law. He is a regular speaker and panelist in continuing legal education programs on trial practice, alternative dispute resolution, and ethics and professionalism.

Bass, Berry & Sims adds seven associatesBass, Berry & Sims PLC has added seven associates to the firm’s Nashville office:

Ashley N. Bassel joins the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. She earned her law degree from Vanderbilt. In addition, she worked as a legal clerk at the Federal Public Defender’s Office of Middle Tennessee and the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee. Prior to law school, Ashley graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt with a B.A. in American studies.

Ethan G. Flatt joins the Corporate and Securities Practice at the firm. A native of Nashville, Ethan earned his law degree from Vanderbilt. While there, he completed the Vanderbilt Law & Business Program. Prior to law school, Ethan received his M.B.A. and B.B.A. in management from the University of Mississippi.

John A. Greer joins the Intellectual Property and Technology Practice at the firm. John earned his law degree from Vanderbilt. He received his M.A. in theatre studies from Florida State University and earned a B.S. in English from Vanderbilt.

Alison K. Grippo joins the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice at the firm. She earned her law degree from Vanderbilt. While in law school, Alison worked at the FTC and FCC. Before attending Vanderbilt, Alison worked in public relations in London and Atlanta. She received a B.A. in journalism and mass communication, public relations sequence from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Daniel R. Kuninsky joins the firm’s Healthcare Practice. He earned his law degree from Vanderbilt, where he also completed the Law & Business Program. Dan also worked at VUMC as a program coordinator for its HIV vaccine research unit. As an undergraduate at Vanderbilt, Dan earned a B.A. in sociology.

A. Paige Reber joins the firm’s Corporate and Securities Practice. Paige earned her law degree from the University of Kentucky and earned a B.S.B.E. in economics, summa cum laude, and a B.A. in political science, summa cum laude, from the University of Kentucky.

Cecil VanDevender joins the firm’s Litigation Practice. Prior to joining the firm, Cecil served as clerk to the Honorable Richard J. Sullivan on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and to the Honorable Gilbert S. Merritt, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He earned his law degree from Georgetown, magna cum laude, where he served as editor-in-chief of The Georgetown Law Journal. He earned his B.A. in English, cum laude, from Princeton.