Bass, Berry & Sims PLC has elected eight new members in the firm. They are:
Taylor J. Ashley, who counsels clients on mergers, acquisitions, financings and other strategic transactions. Before joining Bass, Berry & Sims, Ashley was an associate at the Dallas office of Jones Day. Ashley earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.S. from the University of Kentucky.
Jaime L. Barwig, who works with companies to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of new technologies and media to support and leverage their use of technology and data. Before launching her legal career, Barwig was a member of the Teach For America corps, where she taught seventh grade in Chicago. She also worked for a health care consulting company before joining the firm. Barwig earned a J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and a B.A. and B.S. from the University of Florida.
John C. Eason, who represents clients in government enforcement actions, investigations and related litigation, particularly involving the False Claims Act. He previously served a one-year clerkship with the Hon. Anita B. Brody on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Eason earned a J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School and a B.A. from Georgetown University.
Lauren M. Gaffney, who helps health care clients address enforcement and compliance issues and respond to legal and regulatory violations. Her prior experience includes positions as operations counsel intern for Hospital Corporation of America and as an intern for Vanderbilt University Risk and Insurance Management. Gaffney earned a J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School and a B.S. from Vanderbilt University.
S. Ryan Hoffman, who represents public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, Securities and Exchange Act reporting and compliance, and corporate finance matters. Hoffman earned an MBA from the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business, a J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law and a B.A. from Clemson University.
Mary Leigh Pirtle, who has extensive experience in both traditional labor and employment litigation, helping clients navigate complicated and evolving employment state and federal law issues. Before joining the firm, Pirtle practiced at the Nashville office of King & Ballow and also was an assistant attorney general for the state of Tennessee. Pirtle earned a J.D. from Stetson University College of Law, an MBA from Stetson University (2007) and a B.B.A. from Middle Tennessee State University.
Brian L. Sims, who counsels clients on matters relating to corporate governance, securities regulation and mergers and acquisitions. Sims earned a J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School and a B.A. from the University of South Carolina.
Julia Tamulis, who is based in Washington, D.C., and advises companies on complex health care regulatory matters related to operations and compliance. Before joining the firm, Tamulis was an attorney-adviser for the Department of Health and Human Services Departmental Appeals Board, the highest level of appeal within HHS. Tamulis earned a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ferguson elected member of Dickinson Wright
Dickinson Wright PLLC has elected Colin Ferguson as a new member attorney of the firm’s Nashville office.
Ferguson provides counsel to business entities and individuals in corporate, real estate and financing transactions. His clients range from startups to higher education institutions and publicly-traded companies.
Ferguson received his B.B.A. from the University of Georgia and his J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School.
Crider elected to board of Baker Donelson
Christy Tosh Crider, a shareholder in Baker Donelson’s Nashville office, has been elected a member of the firm’s board of directors.
She was elected by Baker Donelson’s shareholders to a three-year term on the board.
Crider is chair of the firm’s Health Care Litigation Group and the Women’s Initiative. She also founded the firm’s Long Term Care Team and served as its leader for more than a decade.
She concentrates her practice in health care litigation, managing the litigation of numerous health care facilities around the country, as well as serving as outside general counsel.
In 2019, Crider was named by Corporate Counsel as one of its 2019 Women, Influence & Power in Law honorees, earning recognition in the Innovative Leadership category, which highlights women attorneys who are impacting change and developing new strategies for better solutions.
Waller adds finance, restructuring attorney
Abbey Mansfield Ruby has joined Waller’s Nashville office.
Ruby has extensive experience in finance transactions spanning a wide range of industries, with a particular focus on health care, including loans to owners and operators of skilled nursing and other senior living facilities.
Ruby was a principal in the Washington, D.C., office of Miles & Stockbridge P.C., after beginning her legal career in the New York offices of international law firms.
Ruby earned her J.D. in 2008 from Vanderbilt University Law School, where she served as executive editor of the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law.
She also holds a degree from Michigan State University.
Brocklebank appointed dean of Lipscomb college
Industry executive John Brocklebank has been appointed dean of Lipscomb University’s College of Computing & Technology.
Brocklebank was executive vice president and chief hosting officer for global hosting and U.S. professional services for SAS Institute Inc., a multinational firm located in Cary, North Carolina. He succeeds Fortune Mhlanga who will be returning to the classroom as a professor in the College of Computing & Technology. He will officially begin his work with Lipscomb in February.
Brocklebank has more than 40 years of programming and statistical experience. He holds 16 patents and directed the SAS Advanced Analytics Lab for State and Local Government, which devotes the resources of nearly 300 mostly doctoral-level SAS experts to devising technology solutions to critical state and local government issues.
Brocklebank also served on the board of directors for the North Carolina State College of Sciences Foundation. He holds a Ph.D. in statistics and mathematics from North Carolina State University, where he served as a Physical and Mathematical Sciences Foundation board member and an adjunct professor of statistics, an M.S. in biostatistics from Vanderbilt University and a degree in math from Lipscomb University.
Cooper creates performance management team
Mayor John Cooper has created a performance management team within the Mayor’s Office to improve accountability and transparency at all levels of Metro Government.
Cooper also announced his appointment of Diego Eguiarte as director of the Office of Performance Management. Eguiarte will report to the Kristin Wilson, chief operations officer, and will be responsible for collaborating closely with Metro department heads to develop a comprehensive set of system and department-specific level performance metrics and goals.
He also is developing comprehensive data dashboards aligned with the Mayor’s office strategic priorities and deliver reports on a recurring basis.
Previously, Eguiarte worked with financial services firms Scotiabank and Santander Bank, N.A. before shifting into business operations and international business consultancy. Most recently, he was the associate director of managed services of IHS Markit, a UK-based information services firm.
Eguiarte earned a degree from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and an MBA from Loyola University. He teaches finance and business strategy to immigrant entrepreneurs through the Negocio Próspero business course at Conexión Américas.
Burr & Forman hires Puryear in Nashville
Burr & Forman LLP has hired Jordan Puryear for its Nashville office.
Puryear provides services to producers, suppliers, product manufacturers, wholesalers and retail CBD locations, as well as lenders, funds and other financial institutions.
Puryear earned his undergraduate degree from Samford University and his law degree from Belmont University College of Law.
Dwyer named president of Vanderbilt Adult Hospital
Shon Dwyer, MBA, RN, executive director of Michigan Medicine’s (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) University Hospital and Frankel Cardiovascular Center, has been named president of Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital. She will join Vanderbilt University Medical Center on March 2.
As president of VUAH, Dwyer will report to C. Wright Pinson, MBA, M.D., deputy chief executive officer and chief health system officer for VUMC, and will be responsible for all aspects of the hospital’s operational performance.
Dwyer, a 30-year veteran at Michigan Medicine, has held positions in education, quality, compliance, information technology and operations and is responsible for more than 6,000 employees. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Nursing and earned an MBA from the University of Michigan’s School of Business Administration. She was a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow and is also a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.