Mark Manner spotlight

Tell us about your practice.

I spend most of my time with corporate boards, executives and significant shareholders helping them manage governance, disclosure and acquisition issues and strategies.

Why did you choose to pursue a career in the legal field?

I was uncertain about whether I wanted to pursue a career in medicine or research chemistry, and decided to spend a year at law school to think more about what I might like to do. I found that I enjoyed the legal method and decided to finish and prepare for a career teaching law. Family ties brought me back to Nashville, and my small firm became very active in the rapidly growing Nashville healthcare community. I found I really enjoyed working with and advising start-up healthcare companies. Being a lawyer is challenging, but it also provides a lot of flexibility, which allowed me to continue to participate in non-legal activities that were important to me.

Your lifelong passion with astronomy has led you to work with NASA and various leading academic institutions, what is one of your most exciting/proudest experiences related to your astronomy work?

I have been extremely fortunate to be involved with the inter-university KELT program and participate in the discovery of multiple exoplanets. I think having one of our discoveries featured on the cover of Nature recently was pretty exciting. Having the slightly amused approval of my daughter, a real scientist, is probably the best, however.

In anticipation of the August 21 total solar eclipse that will be visible in the United States, I am answering key questions and providing insights on what to expect during this astronomical event. Check out the firm’s special webpage dedicated to the 2017 American Total Solar Eclipse here.