Bass, Berry & Sims PLC Expands Business Litigation Practice in Memphis With Addition of Leading Litigation and Trial Practitioner J. Brook Lathram

MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Bass, Berry & Sims PLC, a blue-chip law firm based in Tennessee, is pleased to announce the addition of J. Brook Lathram as a new partner in the firm's Memphis office.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110531/PH10442 )

Lathram joins Bass, Berry & Sims' Commercial Litigation Practice after a distinguished 38 years at Memphis' Burch, Porter & Johnson PLLC. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Lathram is widely considered one of the leading litigation and trial practitioners in Tennessee.  He plans to focus his work at Bass, Berry & Sims on high-stakes commercial litigation, white collar crime, antitrust, and internal investigations.  He will provide Bass, Berry & Sims clients with a wealth of experience in these client critical areas.

"The addition of Brook to our litigation team will have direct benefits for the business and legal community of Memphis," said Shepherd D. Tate, Memphis-based head of the firm's Broker-Dealer and Financial Products Litigation Group.  "The impact on the local market will be considerable as Bass, Berry & Sims expands and further strengthens our commercial litigation practice with his specialized knowledge. We are honored to welcome Brook to the Bass, Berry & Sims family."

An established trial attorney in both federal and state courts, Lathram is the recipient of numerous honors including Best Lawyers' 2009 Memphis Bet-the-Company Litigator of the Year.

"Bass, Berry & Sims is one of the best law firms in the country, especially in the field of sophisticated and complex litigation. It is an ideal fit for me at this point in my career," said Lathram. "The firm's conspicuous growth in recent years and experienced litigation group means that I will have an expanded platform to try bigger cases involving cutting-edge issues that affect business and law."  

A prominent figure in professional legal circles, Lathram is Chair of the Tennessee Supreme Court Advisory Commission on Tennessee Rules of Evidence and Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure. He is a sought-after speaker for continuing legal education programs on civil procedure and evidence, and he has in the past taught antitrust and discovery courses at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis. For his discovery course, Lathram prepared his own legal case book, Cases and Materials on Discovery in Federal Civil Litigation (©2005, 2007).

Lathram began his legal career as a clerk with the Hon. Bailey Brown, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, in 1973. He earned his Juris Doctor from Columbia University in 1972, where he was twice honored as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and received his Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University in 1969.

About Bass, Berry & Sims

With more than 200 attorneys representing numerous publicly traded companies and Fortune 500 businesses, Bass, Berry & Sims has been involved in some of the largest and most significant litigation matters and business transactions in the country. For more information, visit www.bassberry.com.

CONTACTS:

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Jennifer Phillips
615-259-6136 (office)
615-417-7811 (cell)
[email protected]  

Levick Strategic Communications
Kelly Cross
202-973-5301 (office)
202-591-6342 (cell)
[email protected]

SOURCE Bass, Berry & Sims PLC