Waller Adds 18 New Attorneys in Second Half of 2015

NASHVILLE, TN--(Marketwired - Dec 16, 2015) - Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP has added 18 new attorneys since July 2015. Among the latest additions to Waller's roster of more than 200 attorneys are 2015 law school graduates who recently became licensed to practice.

"Waller's commitment to providing efficient and cost-effective legal services to our clients demands that we recruit high-caliber attorneys who can continue the firm's proud 110-year legacy," said Waller chairman Matt Burnstein. "The attorneys who have joined the firm in the second half of 2015 add depth and talent that ensure that our clients -- from healthcare and financial services to retail, hospitality, manufacturing and advanced technology -- will be well served for years to come."

Corporate

Mary Julia B. Hannon assists healthcare providers, private equity investors and other clients in corporate transactions including mergers, acquisitions, recapitalizations and joint ventures involving hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and laser vision correction facilities. She earned her J.D. in 2015 from Vanderbilt University Law School where she graduated Order of the Coif. Hannon earned her B.A., magna cum laude, in 2012 from Washington University in St. Louis.

Finance and Restructuring

Hannah E. Hayes assists banks, financial institutions and specialty lenders in a wide range of commercial finance transactions including asset-based loans, cash flow loans, term loans, mezzanine loans, revolving credit facilities and intercreditor arrangements. She earned her J.D. in 2015 from Cornell Law School and her B.A. in German and European Studies in 2012 from Vanderbilt University.

Healthcare Compliance and Operations

W. Casey Dunlap assists hospitals, health systems and other healthcare providers with compliance issues related to Medicare and Medicaid regulations and change of ownership filings, license applications required in healthcare mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures He earned his J.D. in 2015 from the University of Tennessee College of Law where he graduated Order of the Coif. Dunlap earned his B.A. in 2011 from Florida State University.

Alexander H. Mills advises healthcare clients on regulatory issues such as state and federal anti-kickback regulations, self-referral prohibitions and day-to-day operational concerns. Prior to joining Waller, Mills served as Judicial Clerk to the Honorable W. Neal McBrayer, Tennessee Court of Appeals. He earned his J.D., summa cum laude, in 2014 from the Belmont University College of Law. Mills earned his B.A. in 2008 from Western Kentucky University.

Jeremy A. Poynter focuses his legal practice on healthcare regulatory compliance and operations, including federal and state anti-kickback regulations and self-referral prohibitions and other regulatory and operational issues. He also assists with change of ownership filings and license applications required in healthcare mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. He earned his J.D. in 2015 from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Poynter earned his B.B.A. in 2012 in finance from Middle Tennessee State University.

Intellectual Property

Julian L. Bibb IV assists clients with intellectual property issues ranging from brand management, including trademark and copyright registration, maintenance and enforcement; to data security and data privacy and software licensing. Prior to attending law school, Bibb owned and operated a web development and brand strategy firm and served as editor-in-chief of Southern Exposure Magazine. He earned his J.D. in 2015 from the University of Alabama School of Law. He holds an M.A. in News/Editorial Sequence from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned his B.A., magna cum laude, in 1997 from Sewanee-The University of the South.

R. Charles Walker, Jr. assists both well-established and emerging companies in a wide range of intellectual property matters, including patent infringement litigation, trademark disputes, data security issues and license agreements. He earned his J.D. in 2015 from the Pepperdine University School of Law. Walker earned his B.S., cum laude, in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2008 from Harding University.

Labor and Employment

Heath H. Edwards represents employers in the healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, retail and hospitality industries regarding lawsuits and charges brought under a wide range of federal labor and employment laws. Prior to joining Waller, Edwards was a Senior Associate with FordHarrison in Atlanta. He earned his J.D. in 2009 from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. He earned his B.S. in 2005 from Vanderbilt University.

Brandon K. Thompkins assists employers in the healthcare, retail and manufacturing industries in employment law matters involving lawsuits and charges brought under a wide range of federal labor and employment laws. He earned his J.D. in 2015, with honors, from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Thompkins earned his B.S. in 2011 from Middle Tennessee State University.

Real Estate

Christopher R. Menerick assists hospitals and health systems with all aspects of commercial real estate and leasing transactions related to medical office buildings, ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices and other healthcare facilities. Prior to joining Waller, he was a Site Acquisition/Real Estate Analyst with Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., in Nashville, Tenn. and an attorney with the Wooden Law Firm in Chattanooga. Menerick earned his J.D. in 2011 from the Appalachian School of Law. He earned his B.S. in 2005 from Middle Tennessee State University.

Christy L. Pennington assists publicly traded and privately held hospital companies and other healthcare providers with leasing transactions involving medical office buildings, ambulatory surgery centers and physician practices and other healthcare facilities. Additionally, her experience includes representing both landlords and tenants in connection with leasing industrial, office, retail, restaurant, and multi-family properties. Prior to joining Waller, she gained experience with a number of law firms based in Dallas. Pennington earned her J.D. in 2003 from the Southern Methodist University School of Law. She earned her B.B.A., cum laude, in 1997 from Austin Peay State University. Pennington is based in Waller's Austin, Tex. office.

Alex J. Porter assists publicly traded and privately held companies in the healthcare and financial services industries in transactional matters involving the acquisition and disposition of real estate assets. He also provides counsel to real estate developers and owners in the development of mixed-use and multi-tenant office properties. He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, in 2015 from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Porter earned his B.S., magna cum laude, in Finance in 2011 from the University of Tennessee.

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Katherine H. Blankenship assists clients ranging from individuals to publicly traded corporations in civil litigation, internal corporate investigations and government enforcement actions. Her experience includes the representation of clients in the healthcare and financial services industries. Prior to joining Waller, Blankenship served as Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable H. Bruce Guyton and the Honorable C. Clifford Shirley in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. She earned her J.D., magna cum laude, in 2014 from the Belmont University College of Law. Blankenship holds an M.A. in Humanities from New York University, and she earned her B.A. in 2004 from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Robert "Jaz" Boon assists clients in the healthcare, financial services, construction and other industries in a wide range of commercial disputes, government enforcement actions and civil litigation matters. Prior to joining Waller, Boon served as Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Richard H. Dinkins, Tennessee Court of Appeals. He earned his J.D. in 2014 from the Belmont University College of Law. Boon earned his B.A., cum laude, in 2003 from Lipscomb University.

Jeremy A. Oliver assists clients in complex business and commercial litigation involving contract disputes, partnership disputes, business torts, claims of tortious interference, products liability matters and debtor-creditor disputes. Prior to joining Waller, Oliver gained experience with Pepper & Brothers, PLLC and Todd, Floyd & Hammet, PLC, Nashville, Tenn. He earned his J.D., cum laude, in 2010 from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Oliver earned his B.A., cum laude, in 2007 from the University of Michigan.

Andrew A. Warth assists a wide range of corporate entities and individuals, including hospitals and other healthcare providers, with litigation matters, internal investigations and government investigations. His broad experience includes defending large healthcare companies and other businesses in False Claims Act cases. Prior to joining Waller, Warth was an Associate with Neal & Harwell, PLC in Nashville, Tenn. He also served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Aleta A. Trauger, United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. Warth earned his J.D. in 2006 from Vanderbilt University Law School where he graduated Order of the Coif. He earned his B.A. in 2002 from Northwestern University.

Tax

Leslie A. Nash assists privately held and publicly traded companies with employee benefit and executive compensation matters, including Pension Plans, Profit Sharing Plans, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), 401(k) Plans and Health and Welfare Plans. She earned her J.D., cum laude, in 2014 from the Saint Louis University School of Law. Nash holds an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law, and she earned her B.A. in 2009 from Vanderbilt University.

Sarah Thornsberry assists healthcare clients with strategic tax planning and transactional structuring related to mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures. Her experience includes advising privately held and publicly traded companies. She earned her J.D., cum laude, in 2014 from the Pepperdine University School of Law. Thornsberry holds an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, and she earned her B.S. in 2010 from Washington and Lee University.

About Waller
With more than 200 attorneys in Nashville and Memphis, Tenn., Birmingham, Ala., and Austin, Tex., Waller assists clients in complex transactional, regulatory and litigation matters. The firm has built a national reputation for its work in healthcare, financial services, retail and hospitality, and has extensive experience in manufacturing, real estate, technology and other industries. For more information, please visit www.wallerlaw.com.