The Tennessee Justice Center has honored Nashville law firm Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, PLLC as Pro Bono Firm of the Year.

Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis was honored by the Tennessee Justice Center (TJC) for the firm’s efforts in representing families in need. In 2010, attorneys at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis were intensely involved in two cases, contributing hundreds of hours of pro bono legal services to clients of TJC.

In one case, the efforts of Waller Lansden lawyers Christopher Dunn, John Tishler, Michael Yopp, and Jason Shields prevented foreclosure on the house that had been the 20-year home of Erin Brady Worsham, a TJC client with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and her family. In another case, the pro bono work of firm attorneys Dunn and Michael Gardner allowed Julie Williamson, a quadriplegic TennCare enrollee in Jackson to stay on the program and continue to receive lifesaving nursing care in her home after the state threatened to end services unless she moved to a nursing home. The mother of three was able to stay at home with her family instead of facing institutionalization.

Fifth Third, Metros sign sponsorship deal

Fifth Third Bank is now the title sponsor of the Nashville Metros Soccer Club and Youth Academy. Sponsorship funds will help subsidize the renovation and construction of soccer fields at Ezell Park, 5135 Harding Place.

The agreement calls for Fifth Third to be the official bank of the soccer club under a three-year contract with annual renewal of $20,000 per year. Fifth Third will also participate in the Nashville Metros Youth Academy and other related events, including the Festival of America and Nashville Championship Tournament, both in July.

The sponsorship will help further introduce Fifth Third Bank to Nashville’s diverse communities through soccer matches, Youth Academy events, community leagues, clinics and product branding. The Nashville Metros organizes and manages one of the largest community soccer leagues in Nashville with more than 500 players and 3,000 spectators every weekend, and soccer is one of the country’s fastest growing sports.

Dye, Van Mol hires Moss, Wiley

Dye, Van Mol & Lawrence (DVL) public relations and advertising agency recently hired Hunter Moss and Jasmine Wiley as account service associates.

Moss comes to DVL as an account service associate following his graduation from Lipscomb University. Prior to joining DVL, he interned at local marketing firms, as well as the Office of Communication and Marketing at Lipscomb University. Moss is currently working on accounts including Logan’s Roadhouse, AmSurg Corp. and EFT Source.

Wiley comes to DVL following her graduation from Belmont University. Prior to joining DVL, she interned at the Tennessee Literacy Coalition and Bridgestone Americas, Inc. Wiley works on several accounts including Tractor Supply Company, the Complete College Tennessee Campaign and Metro Nashville Emergency Communications District (E-911) Board.

Crosslin & Associates adds new team members

Crosslin & Associates, P.C., a regional accounting and consulting firm announces the addition of Kyle Motley and Kay Wilson, CPA, to its auditing and consulting teams.

Motley joins the Crosslin business valuation team as a senior valuation analyst. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Daymar Institute in Murfreesboro. He most recently worked as a business valuation analyst for Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain. Prior to that position, he was an associate analyst at UBS Financial Services.

Wilson joins the Crosslin team as an audit senior. She most recently worked as a senior auditor for KraftCPAs. She also served as a CPA accountant for James, Hardy & Haley, CPAs and as an independent contract accountant, both in Shreveport, La. She received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Louisiana State University and a bachelor’s degree in medical technology from Louisiana Tech University.

Wilson is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Two law firms move to Terrazzo in The Gulch

Terrazzo, the LEED Silver certified, mixed-use development in The Gulch, has added two law firms to its tenant roster, announced Burgin Dossett, senior vice president of Crosland’s Tennessee division, Terrazzo’s developer.

Keller, Turner, Ruth, Andrews, Ghanem & Heller, PLLC, a new, full-service entertainment firm, has leased more than 4,700 square feet of office space. SJW Family Law, a boutique firm focusing primarily in family-related practice areas, has leased 1,150 square feet.

Keller, Turner, Ruth, Andrews, Ghanem & Heller, PLLC is starting construction of its offices and will move in later this summer. SJW Family Law recently completed the move to its new offices.

Other office tenants at Terrazzo include BB&T, Ticketmaster/Live Nation, Catapult Marketing and DVL Public Relations and Advertising. Terrazzo’s commercial space is now more than 60 percent leased.

Dentist Wiggs opens Patterson Street office

Joseph P. Wiggs, D.D.S., a family and cosmetic dentist with more than 20 years of experience, recently opened his practice in the Doctor’s Pavilion building at 1916 Patterson Street in Nashville.

Originally from Memphis, Wiggs relocated to Nashville to take over the practice of Dr. Michael Thomason, who retired.

Wiggs treats both children and adults and offers cosmetic and restorative dentistry, crowns, root canals, routine cleanings, exams and x-rays, in-office and take-home whitening, scaling and root planing (deep cleaning), bridges, dentures and dental implant restorations.

Rebel Hill florist wins ‘Designer of the Year’

Jeff S. Bradshaw, AIFD, floral designer at Rebel Hill Florist, won the title “2011 Designer of the Year” at the recent annual meeting of the Central Tennessee Professional Florist Association (CTPFA). The win marks the fourth time that Bradshaw has received the first place honor from CTPFA; he was also named “Designer of the Year” in 2002, 2004, and 2007. As CTPFA’s “Designer of the Year”, Bradshaw will represent Middle Tennessee in statewide design competition at the Tennessee State Florist Association Convention in August 2011.

Bradshaw has been associated with Rebel Hill Florist since 2000. His additional honors include designation by the Tennessee State Florist Association as “Designer of the Year” in 1999, 2003 and 2009. In 2010, he won “The Iris Cup” from the Tennessee State Florist Association (TSFA). Bradshaw holds the distinction of winning every design award presented by TSFA.

Petrie rejoins VUMC faculty

William Petrie, M.D., a geriatric psychiatrist, has returned to Vanderbilt University Medical Center after 30 years to lead the Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatient Program, which includes a senior assessment clinic for the patient with behavioral and memory problems, like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and to provide support for their families.

Stephan Heckers, M.D., William P. and Henry B. Test Professor and chair of Psychiatry, says the geriatric clinic will provide the full spectrum of service for the evaluation and treatment of dementia-related illnesses.

The addition of Petrie to the faculty and the new program will have an impact on the training of future psychiatrists, Heckers said.

Petrie is bringing his own research program to Vanderbilt – studying the antibody treatment and immune therapies used to reduce the amyloid burden in Alzheimer’s disease.

Ophthalmology group selects VUMC’s Wayman

Laura Wayman, M.D., vice chair of Education for the Vanderbilt Eye Institute, was recently elected to the Residency Program Director’s Council of the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) and to the Committee of Resident Education for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

In her seven-year term role with the AUPO, Wayman will work to provide educational opportunities for directors of accredited residency programs as well as sharing information about compliance with the various requirements for residency programs.

The AAO is the major educational resource for residency training in ophthalmology in the country. Her appointment within the AAO calls on her expertise as an educator, cataract surgeon and residency director in Ophthalmology at Vanderbilt. In addition to participating in updating and reviewing the curriculum for ophthalmology trainees, she was asked to create an online course in cataract surgery called Cataract 101.

She will serve on the AAO committee for up to three years.