Moreton
Butler Snow has hired Elizabeth W. Moreton, Matthew P. Smith and Benjamin A. Whitehouse for the firm’s Nashville office. Moreton will practice with the firm’s commercial litigation group, Smith with the firm’s pharmaceutical, medical device and health care litigation group, and Whitehouse with the firm’s regulatory and business group.
Prior to joining Butler Snow, Moreton worked in general civil and commercial litigation, handling matters from pre-suit through trial. She also served as a judicial law clerk for U.S. Magistrate Judge M. Stephen Hyles, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia, where she gained experience in immigration, Social Security and Section 1983 law.
Smith
Whitehouse
Moreton is a member of the American, Tennessee and Nashville Bar Associations and the Belmont University College of Law American Inn of Court. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia and earned her Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School.
Smith is a member of the American Bar Association and the Defense Research Institute. He earned both his undergraduate and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of California at Berkeley.
Whitehouse was previously a supervising attorney and assistant general counsel for the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance. He also served as an assistant attorney general for the state, serving as a trial attorney in the law enforcement and special prosecutions division. He also served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
Whitehouse earned his undergraduate degree from Wabash College and his Juris Doctor from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Whitehouse also holds a master of laws in taxation from Boston University School of Law.
Hardin honored by trio of organizations
Hardin
Nashville attorney Hal Hardin has recently been recognized by the Nashville Bar Association, the National Association of Former United States Attorneys, and the Tennessee Supreme Court Historical Society at recent events.
The Nashville Bar Association presented Hardin the John C. Tune Public Service Award, awarded to a member who “makes outstanding contributions to the greater Nashville area community while distinguishing themselves as practicing attorneys.” The award is the highest award which can be bestowed upon a member by the Bar. Hardin has been previously honored with the Jack Norman, Sr. Award for Criminal Law Excellence by the Nashville Bar. He was also honored by the Nashville Bar Foundation in 2017 with the Rutherford Award for highest professionalism and civility.
During its annual meeting, the National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys presented Hardin with a painting of downtown Nashville in honor of his service as president from 2017-2018.
At the Tennessee Supreme Court Historical Society’s (TSCHS) annual banquet in Memphis, Hardin was presented a leadership plaque for his service as past president of the society. He was president of the organization in 2015-2016 and remains an active member. THCHS is dedicated to honoring the Judiciary and to preserving the history and records of the Supreme Court. The organization works to promote better understanding of the role of the Tennessee Judiciary in society.
A 7th generation Tennessean, Hardin started practicing law in 1969. He served in the District Attorney’s office from 1967-1970; Circuit Court Judge, 1975-1977; Presiding Judge of Trial Courts, 1977; Special Judge, Court of Appeal, 1977; and Presidential-appointed U.S. Attorney, 1977-1981. While judge, Hardin earned the highest favorable rating ever given to a Circuit Judge by the Nashville Bar.
He is a member of Tennessee Bar Association, was general counsel, 1983-1990, and is a recipient of its Award of Merit. He is a member of Kentucky, District of Columbia and Texas Bar Associations. He served as president, 1989, and charter member of the Tennessee Chapter of American Board of Trial Advocates and served on its national board; Life Member, Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference; Fellow of the Tennessee and Nashville Bar Foundations; emeritus board member of the National Association of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and professor emeritus at Nashville School of Law, where he was honored with the Distinguished Faculty Award in 2016.
Hardin has taught at Nashville School of Law, Aquinas College and abroad.
Moskal named chancellor for 20th Judicial District
Moskal
Patricia Head Moskal, a partner in Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP’s Nashville office, has been appointed to be Chancellor of the Chancery Court for the 20th Judicial District, Davidson County. Moskal replaces retired Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman.
A member of Bradley’s Litigation Practice Group, Moskal has more than 30 years of experience as a trial and appellate lawyer handling business and commercial disputes. She has had a particular focus in state and local tax litigation, appellate litigation, and government contracts and bid protests.
Moskal also has significant experience with all types of business disputes, insurance litigation, real estate litigation and municipal law matters. She has successfully represented clients at every level of the state and federal courts and before various administrative tribunals and agencies.
Moskal is active with the Nashville Bar Foundation, currently serving on its board of trustees, and the Nashville Bar Association, for which she formerly served as first vice president and board member. She also serves as chair of the Tennessee Business Court Docket Advisory Commission. She is a past president of the Lawyers’ Association for Women, Marion Griffin Chapter.
Children’s Hospital adds 11 new volunteer leaders
Eleven new volunteer leaders have been named to fill positions on the advisory board for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. They are:
New board members
• Caroline Bryan, community volunteer
• Dan Endom, region president (Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi) iHeart Media
• Kevin M. Fee, co-founder and managing partner, Castlerock Asset Management
• Caren Carden Gabriel, president and chief executive officer, Ascend Federal Credit Union
• Tony Giarratana, president, Giarratana LLC
• Tyson Moore, president, Bank of America Nashville
• R. Jeffrey Williams, chief financial officer, Tri Star Energy
New board members by appointment
• Leigh Rogers, president-elect of the Friends of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
• Elizabeth Miller Piercy, executive director, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville
• Kim McRae and Eleanor Nahley, 2018 Eve of Janus co-chairs
• Nahed Zehr, president-elect of the Junior League of Nashville
DevDigital hires duo for CTO, CBO positions
Barnhill
DevDigital has hired Neal Barnhill has been named chief technology officer and Stephen Davis as chief business officer.
Barnhill brings with him more than three decades of IT experience and has been in software development for many years, first as a programmer and later in management.
He was formerly the CTO at Essex Technology Group for 18 years and worked with Peter Marcum, DevDigital co-founder and managing partner, at Bargain Hunt and Nashville Computer Liquidators for more than two decades, with both companies being sold.
Davis
Davis provides more than 20 years of experience in the field of technology market development via custom software and mobile apps, SaaS, both Cisco and Microsoft managed services and remote data hosting. He will be responsible for all business and partnership development activities across DevDigital’s 130-member custom software and app development teams. He holds two U.S. audio technology patents.
Hardaway Construction expands leadership team
Murdock
Hardaway Construction Corporation has added two veteran executives to its leadership team with Brian Murdock joining as executive vice president and Tracy Cothran as senior vice president of field operations. These key additions come on the heels of David Frazier, Hardaway’s owner and CEO, acquiring the company in July of 2018.
Cothran
Murdock is an accomplished construction executive with significant experience in all facets of construction management and general contracting spanning commercial, institutional, multi-family, and hospitality markets. Prior to joining Hardaway, Murdock was with D.F. Chase, Inc. for seven years where he served as director of preconstruction.
Cothran has been leading projects in the Nashville market since 1987. Most recently, he was with D.F. Chase where, as senior project superintendent, he oversaw construction on numerous high-profile commercial and hospitality projects such as the Nashville Westin and the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. Cothran’s focus will be on overseeing all aspects of field operations for the company.
Cumberland Trust adds to trust and estates team
Mitchell
Cumberland Trust, a Nashville-based independent corporate trustee, has added Caroline Mitchell to its Estate Administration Division as a trust officer. In this role, Mitchell will work with families and advisors in the administration of estates and administrative trusts. Mitchell joins Cumberland Trust from SunTrust Bank, where she served as an assistant vice president and trust advisor.