Bone McAllester Norton continues to earn top recognition in the 2017 edition of U.S. News & World Report & Best Lawyers “Best Law Firm” rankings—a comprehensive survey of America's top law firms—with 20 overall practice rankings. Bonelaw added several new rankings, including Healthcare, Corporate, Mergers and Acquisition, Environmental, and Securitization and Structured Finance. The survey also resulted in 14 individual rankings for Bonelaw attorneys, 10 of those ranked in more than one practice area.

Practice rankings include:

• Administrative / Regulatory Law - Learn More
• Banking and Finance Law - Learn More
• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law - Learn More
• Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) - Learn More
• Copyright Law - Learn More
• Corporate Law - Learn More
• Criminal Defense: General Practice - Learn More
• Criminal Defense: White-Collar - Learn More
• DUI/DWI Defense - Learn More
• Employment Law - Individuals - Learn More
• Employment Law - Management - Learn More
• Environmental Law - Learn More
• Health Care Law - Learn More
• Litigation - Labor & Employment - Learn More
• Mergers & Acquisitions Law - Learn More
• Non-Profit/Charities Law - Learn More
• Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs - Learn More
• Real Estate Law - Learn More
• Securitization and Structured Finance Law - Learn More
• Trademark Law - Learn More

The U.S.News – Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.

Bone McAllester Norton is also pleased to announce Anne C. Martin was named Best Lawyers© “Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation – Labor and Employment. Anne Martin has been a member of Best Lawyers since 2007 and a “Lawyer of the Year” since 2013. Only one attorney in the Nashville area is named “Lawyer of the Year” for Labor and Employment. Anne advocates for employees wrongly treated by employers and also advises employers how to comply with complex federal and state employment laws.

“We are pleased to have so many of our attorneys named to Best Lawyers in their areas of practice” said Charles W. Bone, Chairman, Bone McAllester Norton.

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. The attorneys included in the 2017 The Best Lawyers in America list are:

Trace Blankenship

• Banking and Finance Law
• Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Non-Profit / Charities Law

Charles Robert Bone

• Administrative / Regulatory Law
• Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
• Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs

Charles W. Bone

• Administrative / Regulatory Law

John P. Branham

Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs

William T. Cheek III

• Food and Beverage Law
• Non-Profit / Charities Law

Glen A. Civitts

• Corporate Law
• Healthcare Law
• Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Real Estate Law
• Securitization and Structured Finance Law

William J. Haynes III

• Employment Law – Individuals

Sharon O. Jacobs

• Environmental Law

Paul W. Kruse

• Copyright Law
• Trademark Law

Anne C. Martin

• Best Lawyers© Lawyer of the Year 2017
• Employment Law – Individuals
• Employment Law – Management
• Litigation – Labor and Employment

Sam J. McAllester III

• Banking and Finance Law
• Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Jack F. Stringham II

• Banking and Finance Law
• Real Estate Law

Edward M. Yarbrough

• Criminal Defense: General Practice
• Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• DUI/DWI Defense

Stephen J. Zralek

• Commercial Litigation
• Copyright Law
• Litigation – Intellectual Property

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Over 83,000 leading attorneys globally are eligible to vote, and we have received more than 13 million votes to date on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. For the 2017 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America, 7.3 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in almost 55,000 leading lawyers being included in the new edition. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.

Bone McAllester Norton attorney Alex Little appeared Saturday, October 29th on FOX News talking to Neil Cavuto about the legal impact of the most recent Hillary Clinton email probe by the FBI. Little, a former prosecutor and a member of Bonelaw’s Criminal Defense and Government Investigations practice, said, “I think the entire statement is unprecedented, the letter, his subsequent email to the FBI is unprecedented. It’s entirely impossible to know what led Director Comey to do this without him saying more, I think he’s going to have to say more.”

https://youtu.be/-i0_khppIAs

Stephen Zralek; Bone McAllester NortonOn December 15, 2016, Bonelaw’s Stephen Zralek will be a featured speaker at the Happy, Healthy Lawyers CLE presented by The Language of Joy.

In this 6 hour dual credit (general + ethics) CLE, attorneys will learn valuable skills and tools designed to help them improve their well-being, satisfaction and client service. 

Topics include:

• Goal Setting 

• Time Management 

• Understanding Personalities 

• Positive Psychology 

• Confidence and Client Compassion 

Although designed for attorneys, this training will help any professional stay focused and productive, communicate better with colleagues, clients and opposing counsel, and better manage stress and difficult situations. 

For more information or to register, please click this link.

 

 

Tennessee is the home of numerous world renowned distilleries many of them turn to Bone McAllester Norton for legal guidance. In a recently released list of top Tennessee distilleries everyone should see, Will Cheek and Rob Pinson, two of the state’s premier alcohol and beverage attorneys, count nine out of ten among those they represent. Bone McAllester Norton is leading the industry in Tennessee for providing federal, state and local licensing and regulatory compliance.

• Corsair Distillery - http://www.corsairdistillery.com

• George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey - https://www.georgedickel.com

• Leiper’s Fork Distillery - http://leipersforkdistillery.com

• Nashville Craft - http://www.nashvillecraft.com

• Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery - http://www.greenbrierdistillery.com

• Popcorn Sutton - http://popcornsutton.com

• Pritchard’s Distillery at Fontanel - http://prichardsdistillery.com

• Short Mountain Distillery - http://www.shortmountaindistillery.com

• Tenn South Distillery - http://www.tennsouthdistillery.com

You can read more about Tennessee’s not to miss distillery tours, at this link http://styleblueprint.com/nashville/everyday/tennessee-distilleries

Bone McAllester Norton PLLC is pleased to announce that David M. Anthony and Mandy Strickland Floyd have been honored by the Tennessee Supreme Court in recognition of their pro bono work. 

“We are tremendously proud of our attorneys who work to make access to justice a reality,” said Chairman Charles W. Bone. “Both David and Mandy are effective, passionate advocate for their clients. We congratulate them for their dedication to the legal profession and service to the citizens of Tennessee.”

David M. Anthony concentrates his practice in the areas of bankruptcy, commercial litigation, creditors’ rights, construction and lien litigation. 

Mandy Strickland Floyd concentrates her law practice in the areas of labor and employment, victim’s rights, litigation and dispute resolution, and appellate law.

Throughout the month of October Bone McAllester Norton is partnering with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce for their Business Studio Legal Series. The series is designed to shape the legal plan for business of all sizes. 

Dates and topics include: 

October 7: Protecting your business relationships, goods and services 

Sean Kirk will teach you how to negotiate contracts that protect your business relationships with suppliers, vendors, customers and others. Register here.

Sean C. Kirk

October 13: Permitting for events and alcohol service

Learn best practices with Rob Pinson while partnering with breweries, distilleries and wineries as well as the most frequently asked questions small businesses have when working with the Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Register here.

Robert D. Pinson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 20: Benefiting from business structure

 Make sure your organization has the optimum business structure in this session with Chris Raybeck, especially as we approach the holidays and tax season. Register here.

Christopher J. Raybeck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 27: Labor and employment law for small business

Join us as Anne Martin guides small business owners and HR professionals through the labor and employment law world, covering a wide range of topics from harassment policies to maternity leave to changes in overtime. Register here.

Anne C. Martin

Bone McAllester Norton attorneys Trace Blankenship and Sarah Lodge Tally represented Brentwood-based CEP, Inc. in its sale to Oasis Outsourcing, Inc. CEP, Inc. is the controlling shareholder of Fortune Industries, Inc. (OTCMKTS: FDVF), which CEP acquired in a management-led buyout in 2013. The transaction was structured as a merger, which was effective on September 16, 2016. Blankenship, along with Charles W. Bone, also represented CEP’s management team in the 2013 acquisition transaction.

Fortune Industries is a professional employer organization (PEO) group providing full-service human resources and employment-related services to its diverse client base throughout the country through Century II, Inc., Employer Solutions Group, Inc., and Professional Staff Management, Inc. Oasis Outsourcing is the nation’s largest privately-held PEO and currently serves almost 6,000 clients and more than 200,000 worksite employees nationwide. This transaction will add over 14,000 worksite employees in 47 states to the Oasis platform.

Trace Blankenship, member and general counsel of Bone McAllester Norton, served as lead counsel on this transaction. His practice is focused on mergers and acquisitions, securities/venture funding/private placements and company governance and board strategy. Sarah Lodge Tally is an attorney at Bone McAllester Norton and assisted with the transaction. Sarah’s practice is focused on corporate matters advising in strategy and execution of complex transactions.

To read our client’s press release, click here.
To read an article about the transaction in the Nashville Post, click here.

President Barack Obama designated an historic home of the U.S. women's Suffrage movement as a national monument.  He said he looks forward to a time when girls are astonished that a female had never occupied the Oval Office.  AP (April 12)

All American women vote because 48 states ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

Today a group of Bone McAllester Norton attorneys went to Centennial Park to celebrate "Women's Equality Day."  A monument to the suffragists' victory was unveiled in Centennial Park this morning.  It was sculpted by Nashville's own Alan LeQuire and features women who were actually in Nashville at the time the bill was effecting this monumental change.

The event was attended by several dignitaries including the mayors from Nashville, Knoxville, Clarksville and Memphis.

L to R: Andrea Perry, Mandy Floyd, Susan Neal Williams, Anne Sumpter Arney, Anne Martin, Sheri Jacobs and Raquel Bellamy 

Happy to see client Bajo Sexto Taco Lounge in The Tennessean's Taste: The Five Best Taco Joints in Nashville.

That's one thing about us Nashvillians - we like our tacos almost as much as we like our barbecue.

This is a Waxstone Group restaurant headed up by Jonathan Waxman, a nationally known culinary genius.  Bajo Sexto offers a menu of authentic Mexican cuisine.  The pato tacos are to die for!  We did not have the courage to try the chapulines.  But if you do, please let us know how they are.  We hear roasted grasshoppers are great toasted with a little lime.

(And no one says they taste like chicken...)

To read the full article in The Tennessean, click here.

 

The Pilgrimage Festival is in its second year and it already attracts world-wide talent from top musicians to the latest - this top producer, Justin Timberlake.



The buzz around this festival is electric.  We've heard it said:  If Coachella and Stagecoach got together and had a baby it would be the Pilgrimage Festival.  It's the perfect blend of rock, country, folk, bluegrass, with a bit of jazz.  And, of course, its in Tennessee so we like to add in the best food we have to offer.

The festival is in Franklin on September 24-25, 2016.  For more information about the lineup, click here.

To read The Tennessean article about Justin Timberlake joining the ranks at Pilgrimage, click here.  Or Rolling Stone.

Alan Jackson is a legend.  No, really.

Will Cheek, Bonelaw attorney and Tennessee alcoholic beverage law expert, reminds us that Mr. Jackson has long earned the respect of musicians and artists.  He's in good company - with the likes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, just a couple of other songwriters who have also written more than 20 number one songs.

And his legendary status is increasing by the minute.  Mr. Jackson is realizing another dream of his - to own a honky tonk on Lower Broadway.  The aptly named, AJ's Good Time Bar comes from his 2008 hit song, Good Time.

Look for this establishment to open later this year and don't be surprised if you see Alan himself on stage every now and then, just keepin' it country.

For the full article in The Tennessean, click here.

The Goodlettsville All-Stars - what an amazing journey of a lifetime!  But the trip to Williamsport, Pennsylvania doesn't come without a price.  It's not just the travel, but also hotel and food for the duration of the competition.

Bone McAllister-Johnny Garrett

Bone McAllester Norton attorney, Johnny Garrett, who is the president of the Goodlettsville Little League, has led an initiative at the firm to raise funds for the families of team.  Many parents are without vacation time and must take unpaid time off to travel with their children to Williamsport.

"It is up to us and the communities around us to raise funds so the parents and families can enjoy and participate in the Little League World Series," said Garrett, " otherwise some of them might miss this opportunity."

So far, Bone McAllester Norton has raised over $4000 for the family members of the Goodlettsville All-Stars.

For the full story on WKRN News 2's website, click here.

Ryman Hospitality has been planning something at the historic Broadway National Bank Building, 300 Broadway for some time.  We now know from a Metro Historic Commission filing that it will be at least a restaurant and rooftop bar.

This is exciting for tourism and us locals as well.  The location seems poised for live music and good food.  That is one of the great things about Nashville - the live music scene.  On pretty much any given day of the week you can grab dinner and hear quality live performances in many parts of the city, but definitely in downtown Music City USA.  From country and blues to rock alternative, the options abound and we are certain this latest Ryman Hospitality venture will not disappoint.

More to come as we learn more about the project.

For more detail, please see the Nashville Business Journal post on this topic.

Bone McAllester Norton is pleased to announce that 14 of its lawyers were selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America^© 2017 list including Anne C. Martin, named Best Lawyers^© “Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation – Labor and

Anne C. MartinEmployment.  Anne Martin has been a member of Best Lawyers since 2007 and a “Lawyer of the Year” since 2013.   Only one attorney in the Nashville area is named “Lawyer of the Year” for Labor and Employment.  Anne advocates for employees wrongly treated by employers and also advises employers how to comply with complex federal and state employment laws.

“We are pleased to have so many of our attorneys named to Best Lawyers in their areas of practice” said Charles W. Bone, Chairman, Bone McAllester Norton.

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession.  The attorneys included in the 2017 The Best Lawyers in America list are:

Trace Blankenship	Banking and Finance Law Mergers and Acquisitions Law Non-Profit / Charities Law
Charles Robert Bone	Administrative / Regulatory Law Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
Charles W. Bone	Administrative / Regulatory Law
John P. Branham	Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
William T. Cheek III	Food and Beverage Law Non-Profit / Charities Law
Glen A. Civitts	Corporate Law Healthcare Law Mergers and Acquisitions Law Real Estate Law Securitization and Structured Finance Law
William J. Haynes III	Employment Law - Individuals
Sharon O. Jacobs	Environmental Law
Paul W. Kruse	Copyright Law Trademark Law
Anne C. Martin Best Lawyers© Lawyer of the Year 2017	Employment Law – Individuals Employment Law – Management Litigation – Labor and Employment
Sam J. McAllester III	Banking and Finance Law Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Jack F. Stringham II	Banking and Finance Law Real Estate Law
Edward M. Yarbrough	Criminal Defense: General Practice Criminal Defense: White-Collar DUI/DWI Defense
Stephen J. Zralek	Commercial Litigation Copyright Law Litigation – Intellectual Property

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Over 83,000 leading attorneys globally are eligible to vote, and we have received more than 13 million votes to date on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. For the 2017 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America, 7.3 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in almost 55,000 leading lawyers being included in the new edition. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.

[caption id="attachment_11376" align="alignleft" width="200"] Jonathan R. Burns


Bone McAllester Norton PLLC is pleased to announce that Jonathan R. Burns has joined the firm.

Jonathan concentrates his law practice in the areas of estate planning, probate, elder law, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and taxation.

“Adding Jonathan contributes to our strategic growth plan for the firm,” said Chairman Charles W. Bone. “He brings significant experience in the estate planning and taxation areas of law which is increasingly important to our clients.  He’s a welcome new member of our dynamic group of highly skilled attorneys.”

Jonathan received his J.D. from the University of Mississippi in 2010 and received his L.L.M. in Taxation from Washington University in St. Louis in 2011.  He graduated cum laude from Middle Tennessee State University in 2006 with a Bachelor in Business Administration degree.  Jonathan is licensed to practice in both Tennessee and Mississippi.

Before joining Bone McAllester Norton, Jonathan practiced law with Watkins & McNeilly where he was able to develop his skills in the areas of business law and estate planning.

Jonathan has prepared the following information about Tennessee Community Property Trusts that might be of interest to our clients and friends. - Charles W. Bone

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TENNESSEE COMMUNITY PROPERTY TRUSTS

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I have been honored by many clients who have entrusted their assets earned and retained over many years to my skills and advice.  We have many options to consider as we help clients with their important decisions, so we look for all possible ways to be of assistance.

In addition to having a proper estate plan in place that will minimize or eliminate federal estate taxes, a married couple can also incorporate into their estate plan an income tax savings mechanism that is unknown to most clients.

The Tennessee Community Property Trust Act of 2010 allows a married couple to establish a trust to hold property that will be treated as "community property."  The Internal Revenue Code provides for a step up in cost basis to fair market value for the entire amount of community property owned by a married couple upon the death of the first spouse.

In contrast, for a married couple that has joint property but does not live in a community property state or does not hold such property in a Tennessee Community Property Trust, at the death of the first spouse, only one-half of the joint property will receive a step up in cost basis to fair market value.

The benefit of a Tennessee Community Property Trust can be easily shown through example.  If a married couple in Tennessee jointly owns, not within a Tennessee Community Property Trust, stock worth $1,000,000 with a cost basis of $100,000, at the death of the first spouse, half of the stock will get a step-up in basis to fair market value for income tax purposes leaving the surviving spouse with a total cost basis in the stock of $550,000 ($500,000 for the step-up in basis to fair market value at the first spouse's death and $50,000 for the surviving spouse's half of the original cost basis).  If the surviving spouse sells the stock the day after the first spouse's death when the stock presumably still has a fair market value of $1,000,000, the surviving spouse will recognize gain upon the sale in the amount of $450,000 ($1,000,000 - $550,000), and with a potential capital gains tax rate of 20%, the surviving spouse would owe $90,000 in tax.

If instead the married couple transfers the stock worth $1,000,000 with a cost basis of $100,000 to a Tennessee Community Property Trust, at the death of the first spouse, all of the stock will get a step-up in basis to fair market value for income tax purposes.  If the surviving spouse sells the stock the day after the first spouse's death when the stock presumably still has a fair market value of $1,000,000, the surviving spouse will not have any gain to recognize as the surviving spouse's cost basis is equal to the stock's fair market value and therefore no tax will be owed.

We have found this relatively new concept to be very beneficial to many families in Tennessee.

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Jonathan's Impact on the Middle Tennessee Community
"Jonathan has been a great legal adviser over the last few years.  I use his advice on everything and trust his opinion."
“Jonathan’s expertise and dedication to our Families' legal concerns and overall goals is truly exceptional based on my experiences as a Financial Advisor and individual.  Jonathan has taken the time to be there at the Hospital when an urgent change needed to be made, has provided exceptionally prompt answers to any and all legal questions we have ever had, and has served my family and Client’s with absolute integrity.
Jonathan has shown absolute dedication to our needs, incredible expertise in estate & trust planning, and above all Jonathan possesses a unique level of integrity like no attorney I have ever worked with.”

The Tennessean has a great article about the latest developments at Graceland, Elvis Presley's former home in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Guest House at Graceland is planned to open this fall - just in time for Elvis' birthday celebration in January.  We were excited to be involved in this process early on and wish our clients every success.  The hotel will be over 380,000 square feet with 450 hotel rooms, conference and meeting space as well as a 464-seat theater for live performances.

This is going to be a lovely addition to the Graceland community as well as a boost to the economy of the Whitehaven neighborhood in South Memphis.

To learn more about the hotel, click here.

To read the article in The Tennessean, click here.

Bone McAllester Norton attorney Rob Pinson discusses general tax-exempt status of nonprofits and the rules and regulations associated with such organizations.

If you are a nonprofit with a 501(c)(3) tax exempt status you are not allowed to endorse candidates or participate in any campaigns for elective public office.  This includes not sharing opinions or offering voting suggestions or advice.

To watch/read News 2's Nick Caloway's story, click here.

Rob Pinson is an attorney with Bone McAllester Norton. He concentrates his practice in the field of alcoholic beverage law, with an emphasis on the manufacturing tier. Rob represents numerous distilleries, wineries and breweries across the United States and is pro bono counsel to the Tennessee Distillers’ Guild. Rob also represents clients in business law, tax law, and campaign finance law. Rob offers an impressive track record when it comes to navigating the complexities of the alcoholic beverage laws as well as state and federal taxes.

Who knew as Nashville becomes more and more the "IT" city that we'd actually develop our own distillery district?  With the influx of distillers into the area called the Wedgewood-Houston Neighborhood, this location is becoming known as the distillery district of Nashville.

The Wedgewood-Houston Neighborhood is a growing, trendy area a few blocks south of downtown.  For anyone who has ever sat in rush-hour traffic, this is a welcome residential area.  For vendors wanting a convenient location, the area is equally as attractive.

The Tennessean is reporting the sale of a building to our clients who will soon be opening Diskin Cider.

To read the full article, click here.

The Nashville Business Journal has talked to several industries within Nashville regarding the growth of the city and how to protect your top employees, including our own CEO, Charles Robert Bone.

To read all articles related to Talent War:  How to protect your top employees, check out this week's Nashville Business Journal, here.

"Non-compete contracts aren't commonplace in the legal field," Bone said.  "We take a proactive approach to retention.  Every attorney is a member.  We have no partners, and everyone is compensated by the same formula.  We've tried to be very intentional creating a structure where every member is equal and has ownership in the firm."

Jonathan R. BurnsNASHVILLE, TN -  July 12, 2016 - Bone McAllester Norton PLLC is pleased to announce that Jonathan R. Burns has joined the firm.

Jonathan R. Burns concentrates his law practice in the areas of estate planning, probate, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and taxation.

“Adding Jonathan contributes to our strategic growth plan for the firm,” said Chairman Charles W. Bone. “He brings significant experience in the estate planning and taxation areas of law which is especially important to our clients.  He’s a welcome new member of our dynamic group of highly skilled attorneys.”

Jonathan received his J.D. from the University of Mississippi in 2010 and received his L.L.M. in Taxation from Washington University in St. Louis in 2011.  He graduated cum laude from Middle Tennessee State University in 2006 with a Bachelor in Business Administration degree.  Jonathan is licensed to practice in both Tennessee and Mississippi.

Before joining Bone McAllester Norton, Jonathan practiced law with Watkins & McNeilly where he was able to develop his skills in the areas of business law and estate planning.

For the full release, please click here.