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.

Marshall T. “Marty” CookHendersonville's popular Indian Lake area is getting a $40 million senior living community.  The development, Clarendale of Hendersonville will be at the corner of Indian Lake Boulevard   and Maple Drive housing 184 units with several amenities including dining, a crafts room, a library and a billiards room.

The development is a joint venture between Ryan Companies and LCS.  Marty Cook of Bone McAllester Norton is serving as legal counsel for the project.

For more information, the original press release is here.

The article has been featured in the Nashville Post and REJournals.com.

It is hard not to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of this day.  Even as I left for work this morning the traffic at my local Kroger was heavier.  We've heard several reports from our co-workers that there wasn't even parking available at Trader Joes this morning in Green Hills!

 Two Buck ChuckRumor has it that if you're looking for some Two Buck Chuck, you might be out of luck today.

Looks like The Tennessean has done a great job regaling the timeline of this morning's sales across the mid-state.  To read the article, click here.

Drink responsibly of course, and enjoy this historic day!

From all the attorneys, legal assistants and paralegals here at Bone McAllester Norton who have worked tirelessly through the licensing process we wish you a happy and safe Fourth of July!

William T. Cheek IIIThe NBJ recently published an article about the future of alcohol law in Tennessee.  After an historic few years, July 1 marked the day that WIGS went live.  (To those of us in the industry, we refer to Wine In Grocery Stores as, WIGS.)

Nashville Business Journal reporter, Jacob Steimer, sat down with liquor law expert and BoneLaw attorney, Will Cheek, to discuss what's next.

Cheek offered some interesting insight into the Jan. 1 availability of high-gravity beer in grocery stores and discussed the pitfalls of wine on Sundays.

To read the full article, click here.

In summary, the next big battle will be liquor. At this time, you can go to the grocery store and buy wine, but you cannot purchase liquor.

Attorney Will Cheek has been quoted in a great article about the future of alcohol in Tennessee in the Nashville Scene.  To read the entire article, click here.

Nashville Scene Cover – 6/30/16We are hours away from 8 am, July 1, 2016 - the moment when nearly 500 retail stores across the state will be able to legally sell wine.

[iframe src="https://t.e2ma.net/message/nb027/fhnavi" width="100%" height="5000"]

I get asked a lot to serve as local counsel on cases for lawyers from LA, New York, Chicago and DC.  (I also end up hiring lawyers in those cities.)  Sometimes we’re asked to play a minor role – some call this “elbow counsel,” where we’re really just on the case in name only.  Generally, though, lead counsel sees that we can offer valuable insight into not just the substantive law but also the local landscape.  And I assure you the landscape here in Nashville is much different than it is in larger cities.

Given the sheer size of bigger cities, lawyers there often never appear more than once in front of the same judge and often never interact with the same opposing counsel.  With the virtual anonymity that comes with the territory in those jurisdictions, lawyers have every reason to practice scorched-earth litigation.  They can be as ruthless as they want – no one knows who they are and, very likely, no one will ever see them again.

Practice here in Nashville is completely different.  Although our city is booming, we have only four active U.S. District Judges and only four chancellors at the state court level.  In this big small town, everyone knows everyone. And how you conduct yourself in a single case can be remembered for the rest of your career.  Although we advocate zealously, we refuse to stab each other in the back.   And we know how easy it is to be short-sighted.  Given the close-knit relationships here, we still litigate with a Southern gentility, or what the profession calls “civility.”  I hope it always stays this way, even as we grow and welcome newcomers from other jurisdictions.

We're honored to have made the list of The Tennessean's Top Workplaces!

Bone McAllester Norton has been awarded a 2016 Top Workplace honor by The Tennessean.  The Top Workplaces lists are based solely on the results of an employee feedback survey administered by Workplace Dynamics, LLC.  Several aspects of workplace culture were measured with rankings and essay questions where data was compiled, compared and provided back to the firm for process improvement as well as training and retention programs.

“The Top Workplaces award is not a popularity contest. And oftentimes, people assume it’s all about fancy perks and benefits.” says Doug Claffey, CEO of WorkplaceDynamics. “But to be a Top Workplace, organizations must meet our strict standards for organizational health. And who better to ask about work life than the people who live the culture every day—the employees. Time and time again, our research has proven that what’s most important to them is a strong belief in where the organization is headed, how it’s going to get there, and the feeling that everyone is in it together. Claffey adds, “Without this sense of connection, an organization doesn’t have a shot at being named a Top Workplace.”

For the full article, click here.

Stacey Garrett KojuStacey Garrett Koju, founding member of Bone McAllester Norton held an employment law workshop for the members of NACE, the National Association for Catering and Events.  This event was held to offer the latest and best practical information in today's world of employment law.

On Wednesday, June 22, 2016, Stacey put together a team of  lawyers specializing in the different areas of liability, estate planning, salary regulations, negligence and the latest in liquor licensing for the members of NACE.  The agenda included:

Anne C. Martin - Employment Law Trends

C. Davild Briley - Employee Liability 

David M. Anthony - Contract Essentials, Unpaid Accounts, Third Party Claims and Equipment Recover 

Jonathan R. Burns - Estate and Succession Planning

Will T. Cheek, III and Olatayo O. Atanda - Front Line Stories and Professional Tips with Liquor Licensing