Class Notes
To submit your Class Note electronically please go HERE.
Notes with an * are the most recent submissions.
Class of 2010
Philip M. Meyer II has joined the Chattanooga office of Miller & Martin PLCC in the Corporate Department, focusing primarily on mergers and acquisitions and general corporate law. Philip, who graduated first in his UT law class, was a student materials editor for the Tennessee Law Review and served as an officer in the student Environmental Law Organization.
Scott Evan Simmons has joined the Chattanooga office of Miller & Martin PLCC where he focuses his practice on business litigation in the firm’s Labor & Employment and Litigation Departments. Scott was a magna cum laude graduate from the University of Tennessee College of Law and was elected to the Order of the Coif. While in law school, heserved as editor-in-chief of Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law.
Sara Anne Thomas has joined Miller & Martin PLLC’s Nashville office after clerking with the firm during the summer of 2009. While in law school, Thomas served as Research Editor for the Tennessee Law Review and was actively involved in the Tennessee Journal of Law & Policy, the Student Bar Association, Phi Alpha Delta, the Learned Hand Bowling League and the Homeless Project. She joins Miller & Martin’s Labor & Employment Department
Class of 2009
Jade Dodds of Miller & Martin in Chattanooga has been selected as one of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Chattanooga Class of 2011-2012. Leadership Chattanooga, sponsored by the Chattanooga Chamber Foundation, and is a 10-month program meant to bring professionals from across Chattanooga together to cultivate leadership and community growth. Dodds practices in the firm's litigation department.
Class of 2008
Sam Evans has won the prestigious Philip Reed Environmental Writing Competition from the Southern Environmental Law Center for his article "Voices from the Desecrated Places: A Journey to End Mountaintop Removal Mining," which he wrote during his third year at the UT College of Law.
Aaron J. Kandel of Franklin, Tenn., is the winner of the Nathan Burkan Memorial Competition for his essay “The Ad-less Internet: Ad-Blocking Software, the Derivative Work Right, and Secondary Liability.” The competition is sponsored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and carries a cash prize.
Class of 2007
J. Scott Griswold of Paine, Tarwater and Bickers LLP in Knoxville was named the TBA's Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year Feb. 9. MORE
Class of 2006
Maha Ayesh has received a Fulbright student award for work and study and will be going to Jordan to study issues related to the country’s nascent anti-human trafficking legal reform, particularly as it relates to migrant domestic workers. She is a practicing attorney in Knoxville.
Class of 2005
Ashley Walton Beck and husband Jeffrey (along with big sister Caroline) welcomed new addition Charlotte Nov. 29, 2008.
Reagan Michelle Taylor has been promoted to senior assistant United States attorney in the Homicide Division of the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Columbia.
Class of 2003
Nathaniel Cherry has been elevated to membership in the Nashville firm of Howard, Tate, Sowell, Wilson, Leathers & Johnson, PLLC. Nathaniel devotes his practice to litigation defense representing clients in the areas of products liability, personal injury, workers’ compensation, professional negligence and insurance defense. He has been recognized as a “Rising Star” in the area of civil litigation defense by the Mid-South Super Lawyers for the past two years.
Marsha Kennedy has moved to Pohnpei, Micronesia, where she serves as Attorney for the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia.
Class of 2002
Sherman & Howard L.L.C. of Denver, Colo., announces the Jan. 27 election of Scott Dill to Membership in the firm.
Scott is a Member in the Business Department in Sherman & Howard’s Denver office. His practice focuses on general corporate matters, mergers and acquisitions and securities regulation and compliance. Scott joined Sherman & Howard in 2005. He received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2002. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina in 1996.
Class of 2001
Neil A. Brunetz has been named a member of the Chattanooga office of Miller & Martin PLLC. Neil concentrates his practice on courtroom representation of clients in civil litigation matters, including personal injury, wrongful death, workers' compensation, construction, contract, commercial disputes, and malpractice actions. He represents insurance companies and employers in defense of workers' compensation claims.
Brian M. Dobbs has been elected to membership in the Nashville office of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC. Brian's practice includes construction contracting, construction litigation, real estate litigation and general business litigation. In 2009, he earned the Green Building Certification Institute’s LEED® Green Associate designation for an individual who has demonstrated the knowledge and skill needed to understand and support green design, construction, and operations.
Class of 2000
Todd Bouldin worked as "Senate Hearing Advisor" during production of the recently-released motion picture Iron Man 2. MORE
Amy F. Dudek of Glanker Brown in memphis has bene named a Fellow of the Memphias Bar Foundation. Dudek represents clients in state and federal court in all aspects of commercial, insurance and employment litigation cases. In addition to handling a broad variety of general litigation matters, a significant portion of her practice involves representing employers and alleged violations under the ADA, FMLA, Title VII and the ADEA.
Kyle W. Eiselstein has been named a member of the Chattanooga office of Miller & Martin PLLC. Kyle concentrates his practice in the area of civil litigation with an emphasis in complex commercial disputes. He represents business clients in a wide range of federal and state court cases, including matters involving alleged misrepresentation and fraud, breach of contract, business torts, insurance coverage, and product liability.
Jonathan Farmer and Anne-Marie Farmer welcomed their son, George Harris Farmer, on Dec. 11, 2008.
Brad Lampley, office partner in charge of the Nashville office of Adams and Reese, has been named chairman-elect of the Music City Bowl and will serve as chairman in 2011 and 2012. He will be the youngest chair in the bowl's history. MORE
Brian Molde of Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge in Grand Rapids, Mich., has been named a shareholder of the firm. Brian represents doctors, hospitals and other health care providers throughout West Michigan. While at UT, Brian was a member of the National Moot Court Team, the Speakers Series, and the Moot Court Board.
Camille Webb Steward, long time attorney and Member of the Firm, will transition in-house with firm client Nashville Electric Service (NES.) At NES, Camille will report directly to its Vice President and Interim General Counsel, Laura Smith Tidwell. While at Miller & Martin, Camille focused her practice on employment law and general litigation. She defended clients against employment claims involving race, gender, and disability discrimination as well as harassment, retaliation, and wrongful discharge. Camille also assisted clients with workplace investigations, defending discrimination charges before state and federal agencies and counseling regarding termination.
Class of 1999
Jason E. Havens of Havens & Miller, P.L.L.C. in Destin, Fla., was recently appointed as Treasurer of The Able Trust. The Able Trust was created by the Florida Legislature nearly 20 years ago as a unique nonprofit public/private partnership to assist disabled Floridians in achieving employment. Near the end of 2006, Mr. Havens was reappointed as an Able Trust board member by Governor Charlie Christ. Governor John Ellis ("Jeb") Bush originally appointed Mr. Havens to The Able Trust’s board in September 2005. The firm also announced that Jason was re-appointed as Co-Chair of the Charitable Planning Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section of Real Property, Trust, and Estate Law this fall. Mr. Havens will again serve with Co-Chair Eric Dryburgh, Esq., a principal of Adler & Colvin, San Francisco, to oversee the activities and efforts of the Charitable Planning Committee.
Chris A. Schwab has joined the Corporate Department of Miller & Martin PLLC's Atlanta office. Chris will advise clients on various corporate and business matters, including complex corporate mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, secured and unsecured loan transactions, technology and intellectual property licensing agreements, outsourcing and procurement agreements, and sales and service agreements.
Class of 1998
* Christopher Anderson has been named a shareholder in the Nashville office of Littler Mendelson, P.C. Anderson has extensive experience representing employers in a broad range of labor and employment law matters, particularly wage and hour, discrimination and workplace safety. He served as chair of Miller & Martin’s Workplace Safety Practice Group prior to joining Littler.
Class of 1996
L. Eric Ebbert has been elected a shareholder in the Knoxville office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC. Ebbert concentrates his practice in the areas of labor and employment, commercial litigation, medical malpractice defense and appellate advocacy. He was voted a Top Attorney by his peers in CityView magazine in 2010 and was named the Baker Donelson Knoxville Pro Bono Attorney of the Year in 2008. Mr. Ebbert serves on the 9th Regional Investigating Committee for the Board of Law Examiners and on the Tennessee Bar Association's Continuing Legal Education Committee, and has served as a board member for a number of not-for-profit organizations.
Jennifer P. Keller, a shareholder in the Tri-Cities office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC and chair of the firm's Labor & Employment Department, has been named to Lawdragon's list of "40 Up and Coming Corporate Employment Lawyers."She has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® as a leading attorney in the practice areas of workers' compensation law and labor and employment law and by Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers as a leading labor and employment lawyer. She has also been named a "Rising Star" by Mid-South Super Lawyers.
Class of 1995
Todd Presnell has been appointed Chairman of Miller & Martin's Litigation Department. He represents major corporations, small businesses, tax-exempt organizations and individuals in their litigation-related needs. He has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for his commercial litigation experience.
Class of 1994
Jason P. Hood has been appointed executive vice president and chief legal counsel for Sedgwick Claims Management services in Memphis. As CLO, Hood is the company’s senior attorney with strategic and management responsibility for all legal and compliance matters of the firm. He is also a member of the Sedgwick CMS Executive Committee.
Class of 1992
Mandy Haynes Young of Miller & Martin in Nashville has been selected for inclusion in Nashville Post Magazine's "Nashville's 101 Top Lawyers Listing" for 2011. Young regularly lobbies the Tennessee General Assembly on behalf of various clients, including hospitals, insurance companies, telecommunications companies, and professional groups. She has represented licensees before regulatory boards regarding licensure violations and regarding interpretation of rules.
Class of 1990
Colonel Martin L. Sims of the United States Army Court of Criminal Appeals was appointed to the United States Court of Military Commissions Review by the Secretary of Defense on Sept. 29, 2010.
Class of 1989
Miller & Martin PLLC firm Chairman Melvin J. Malone has been honored as a Fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation. The Foundation is a statewide, law-related, philanthropic organization dedicated to furthering the integrity and highest ideals of the legal profession. With currently 700 members, the Foundation serves to honor attorneys who have distinguished themselves in the profession as well as to administer the IOLTA program (Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts). Malone has also been selected for inclusion in Nashville Post Magazine's "Nashville's 101 Top Lawyers Listing" for 2011.
Kelli L. Thompson, a shareholder in the Knoxville office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, has been named a member of the regional board of directors of the Arthritis Foundation, Southeast Region.
Class of 1983
Thomas Slagle has just published his first novel, Death By Innocence, which is available on Amazon.com and other internet booksellers.
Class of 1982
Kelly L. Frey has joined Dickinson Wright LLP as a member in its Corporate Practice Group in the firm’s Nashville office. Frey regularly counsels large companies across the United States, and the vendors to those companies, with respect to corporate transactions and corporate compliance. He is the author of the legal practice guide, Frey on Intellectual Property and Technology Transactions, and has been named as co-inventor on patent applications filed by his clients. Mr. Frey also assists clients in developing, protecting, buying and selling information technology products, services and new media/content.
Class of 1980
William E. Robinson and his wife, Tura, welcomed their new daughter, Zoe, born on Feb. 5, 2010.
Class of 1979
Linda Thomas Woolsey practices in Greenville, Tenn., at the firm of Woolsey & Woolsey with her husband Roger, who was also a member of the class of 1979. She has also been the Municipal Judge in Greenville for 20 years. They have a son who is a rising 3L at UT College of Law and a daughter at Carson Newman College.
Kathy Vines Trumbull is Senior Vice President and Legal Counsel for Webster Financial Corp., the parent company for Webster Bank N.A. in Simsbury, Conn. She has a son who is an engineer in North Carolina and a daughter who is working for Teach America in Houston. Kathy is married to Peter Trumbull.
Suellen Wideman is a Senior Assistant Attorney General for the state of Maryland, where she is counsel to the Maryland Health Commission. She lives in Baltimore and has two daughters, one of whom is starting at Sewanee this fall. The other graduated from St. Mary’s College and will be joining the Peace Corps.
June Lee Boothby, now known as Lee, has a litigation firm called the New Mexico Legal Center in Taos, New Mexico. The two boys she was raising while in law school are now living in Florida and are fathers themselves.
Mary Walker is Vice-President of Programs for Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee in Nashville. She has a daughter who recently graduated from Tulane University.
Pam Reeves lives in Knoxville with her husband Charles Swanson, also a 1979 graduate. They have a son and daughter who will both be at the University of Virginia this fall. Pam practices at the firm of Reeves, Herbert & Murrian P.A.
Class of 1977
E. Thomas McCarthy, Jr. has rejoined Haughey Rice & Roegge as a shareholder in the Grand Rapids, Mich., office. Tom originally joined Smith Haughey in 1978 and, with the exception of three years during which he worked with a small plaintiff firm, has been an important part of Smith Haughey’s litigation team ever since. The focus of Tom’s trial practice is the representation of catastrophically injured people.
Class of 1975
James R. Mulroy II, managing partner of Jackson Lewis LLP’s Memphis office, was recently recognized as a “Leader in His Field” by the 2010 Chambers USA Legal Guide. Mulroy, who has been listed in the guide since 2009, has more than 30 years of trial and litigation experience in federal and state trial and appellate courts as well as before administrative judges and tribunals. He has represented clients in dozens of labor and employment, civil rights and public accommodation cases as well as a variety of class actions and multi-party lawsuits.
Class of 1974
W. David Sumpter III of Murphy, N.C., is the 2011 recipient of the North Carolina Bar Association Citizen Lawyer Award. The NCBA Citizen Lawyer Award was established in 2007 to recognize lawyers who provide exemplary public service to their communities. Sumpter is a private practitioner.
Class of 1971
Roger Dickson of Miller & Martin PLLC in Chattanooga was recently honored for his work as co-chair of the East Tennessee chapter of the United States Supreme Court Historical Society. Specifically, Dickson was recognized for recruiting new members to the society. Dickson is a member of Miller & martin concentrating on litigation with an emphasis on complex commercial disputes, white collar crime, personal injury, and products liability.
Class of 1967
TBA President-Elect Al Harvey of Memphis was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Nashville attorney Tom Binkley as one of four Tennessee Bar Association delegates to the American Bar Association House of Delegates. Binkley, a former TBA president, died Dec. 3. Harvey will serve through the 2001 ABA Annual Meeting, when the term ends.
Class of 1966
Chancellor Howell N. Peoples has joined Miller & Martin PLLC's Chattanooga office in an Of Counsel position in the Litigation Department. Chancellor Peoples comes to Miller & Martin after his 32-year tenure as a Chattanooga Chancery Court judge presiding over every type and aspect of civil litigation. He will focus his practice on mediation and alternative dispute resolution.
Updated February 9, 2012