Bob concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial litigation, business bankruptcy and business planning. He represents businesses and business owners in a diverse range of matters including directors’ and officers’ liability, contract disputes, and general business disputes. Bob is one of Nashville’s “go to” lawyers for bet-the-company litigation. When everything is on the line, Bob can lead your team to success.
A portion of Bob’s practice is devoted to representing debtors, creditors, creditors’ committees, trustees, and purchasers of assets in Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. He appears in Bankruptcy Court on matters including stay relief motions, cash collateral litigation, valuation litigation, preference and fraudulent conveyance actions, discharge and dischargeability actions, lease disputes, and contested confirmation hearings.
Bob also acts as outside general counsel for a number of companies. He counsels clients in forming and operating businesses and participates in clients’ management teams to formulate policy and strategy. Bob also provides guidance to help clients avoid and resolve disputes and navigate through change management challenges.
Bob graduated from University of Illinois and University of Chicago Law School and is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Illinois. In addition to his law practice, since September 2015, Bob has represented all of Nashville as a Councilmember-At-Large in Nashville’s Metro Council.
Education
- University of Chicago Law School, 1991
- University of Illinois, B.A., 1988
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee
- Illinois
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, M.D. Tenn.
- U.S. District Court, W.D. Tenn.
- U.S. District Court, E.D. Tenn.
- U.S. District Court, N.D. Fla.
- U.S. District Court, N.D. Ill.
Honors
- Woodward/White: The Best Lawyers in America 2007-Present (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Litigation-Bankruptcy)
- Woodward/White: The Best Lawyers In America Lawyer of the Year 2021 (Bet-the-Company Litigation)
- Woodward/White: The Best Lawyers In America Lawyer of the Year 2016, 2018 (Litigation-Bankruptcy)
- Nashville Business Journal Best of the Bar 2020, 2021 (Bankruptcy; Litigation & Dispute)
- 2020 Nashville Post’s “In Charge” Government/Politics
- Selected for inclusion in Mid-South Super Lawyers 2008-Present
- AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Publications
February 2013
Ethics I – E-discovery, The Cloud and Related Ethical Rules.
TVPPA Legal Conference
December 2012
Forecast for E-Discovery: Mostly Cloudy?
Tennessee Business Litigation Newsletter
November 2012
Differences Between the Federal and Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure
Nashville Bar Association
September 2012
The Future of the Practice of Law
Harry Phillips American Inn of Court
June 16, 2012
Recognizing the Warning Signs of Financial Distress
Content originally posted on MGLAW.net
January 2012
The Lost Art of Negotiation
Harry Phillips American Inn of Court
July 18, 2011
What Are We Seeing In The Economy?
Content originally posted on MGLAW.net
January 9, 2011
Creditors Can’t Directly Sue Officers and Directors of an Insolvent Corporation in Tennessee
Content originally posted on MGLAW.net
November 16, 2010
Cultural Cognition and Its Influence on Lawyers and Judges
Harry Phillips American Inn of Court
July 20, 2010
Does Hamilton v. Lanning Impact Individual Chapter 11 Cases?
Content originally posted on MGLAW.net
January 20, 2010
Examining Tennessee’s Traditional Toolkit as the Deepening Insolvency Debate Subsides
Content originally posted on MGLAW.net
Spring 2009
Bankruptcy Practice in Tennessee: A Collection of Essays
The Tennessee Journal of Business Law (Transactions, Spring 2009, No.2), 239-258.
January 27, 2009
Cramming Down in a Credit Crunch
Content originally posted on MGLAW.net
February 19, 2008
Internet Litigation: The Legalities of Lead Aggregation
Content originally posted on MGLAW.net
November 6, 2007
Is Deepening Insolvency a Recognized Tort in Tennessee?
Content originally posted on MGLAW.net
February 23, 2006
Buy-Sell Agreements: What They Are And Why They Are Important
Content originally posted on MGLAW.net
August 8, 2005
Electronic Discovery Update
Content originally posted on MGLAW.net
August 8, 2005
New SEC Rule Regarding Broker-Dealer Registration May Impact Claims for Mishandling Accounts
Content originally posted on MGLAW.net
August 26, 2004
The Supreme Court’s Till Decision and Its Impact on Chapter 11
Content originally posted on MGLAW.net
March 4, 2004
Is Your Handwriting Expert’s Testimony Admissible?
Content originally posted on MGLAW.net
Professional Activities
- Member, Nashville Bar Association
- Member, Tennessee Bar Association
- Fellow, Tennessee Bar Foundation
Civic Activities
- Councilmember-At-Large in Nashville’s Metro Council (9/2015 – present)
- Nashville Electric Service (Board Chair (8/2014 – 7/2015), Audit & Ethics Committee Chair (8/2012 – 7/2014), Board (8/2011 – 8/2015))
- New Level Community Development Corporation (Board of Directors (6/2016 – present))
- Park Center (Board of Directors (3/2017 – present))
Practice Areas
Blog Posts
