In the early days, our founders developed a reputation for excellence; F.M. Bass, Frank Berry and Cecil Sims were fastidious, intellectually curious and highly sought after. They pioneered our now robust mergers and acquisitions practice by participating in notable transactions such as the Cheek-Neal Coffee Company, known for Maxwell House Coffee, in its sale to Postum in 1928 for $20 million and by representing Fourth and First National Bank in its merger with American National Bank in 1930. A few years later, Cecil Sims initiated one of the firm’s first alternative fee arrangements, which lasted from 1934 until the late 1960’s, with Vanderbilt University’s Chancellor Kirkland.
Ninety years after its inception, Bass, Berry & Sims continues to lead clients through increasingly complex legal challenges. Our highly skilled attorney teams aim to provide a profound understanding of our clients’ businesses and perspective, sound judgment, efficiency and responsiveness to every matter. Recently, we represented a Nashville-based, leading provider of healthcare services in its leveraged buyout (LBO), which was, at the time, the largest LBO in history; we were engaged as the New York Stock Exchange’s Regulatory Auditor; and we successfully tried the largest case in Tennessee involving the breach of a $1.4 billion merger agreement. We advance opportunities and deliver results.
Our Numbers
- Primary outside counsel to more than 35 public companies
- More than 75 practice groups
- Long-term client relationships: 54% of our clients have been with the firm for 10 or more years
- 4 offices: Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis and Washington, D.C.
Our Awards
- Firm recognized by Law360 as a Practice Group of the Year winner in the Health Care category for 2020 and in 2016.
- 46 attorneys listed as leaders in Chambers USA 2021.
- 8 practices ranked #1 for Tennessee in Chambers USA 2021.
- For the sixth year in a row, the firm received a Nationwide ranking in the Healthcare: The Elite category in Chambers USA 2021, earning a Band 4 national recognition. In addition, the Healthcare Practice was ranked in Tennessee (Band 1) and the District of Columbia (Band 5) in 2021. Chambers research indicates the firm has “Deep bench with varied expertise across both regulatory and transactional healthcare matters. Well equipped to handle significant multistate M&A deals, recapitalizations and dispositions. Regularly mandated on joint ventures and syndications, in addition to compliance matters and government investigations. Clients include healthcare companies, pharmacy groups, private equity investors and long-term care centers. A source comments that ‘their healthcare practice is excellent – they have some excellent practitioners there.’ ‘The client service is very good and very solicitous. They are not heavy-handed, but provide fast and thorough responses,’ adds another client. A source says ‘They have built a really good group. They do top-quality work at very competitive rates.'” (from Chambers USA 2021).
- M&A Advisor named Bass, Berry & Sims its Law Firm of the Year for 2021 at the 20th Annual M&A Advisor Awards.
- M&A Advisor’s Annual M&A Advisor Awards:
- 2021: “Healthcare/Life Sciences Deal of the Year (Over $100MM)” and “M&A Deal of the Year ($50MM to $75MM)”
- 2020: “Healthcare and Life Sciences Deal of the Year (Over $1B)” and “Corporate/Strategic Deal of the Year (Over $1B)”
- 2019: “Healthcare & Life Sciences Deal of the Year ($100MM-$1B)” and “Industrials Deal of the Year (Over $1B)”
- 2018: “M&A Deal of the Year ($10MM-$25MM)” and “Healthcare and Life Sciences Deal of the Year (Over $100MM-$1B)“
- 2017: “M&A Deal of the Year (From $1B-$5B)” and “Corporate/Strategic Deal of the Year (Over $1B)”
- 2016: “Corporate & Strategic Deal of the Year (Over $500MM)”
- 2014: “Healthcare/Life Sciences Deal of the Year (Over $250MM)”
- Named “Tennessee Firm of the Year” by Benchmark Litigation (2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2012).
- 88 attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2022; 34 attorneys listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2022.
- Ranked 5th largest healthcare practice in nation by Modern Healthcare (2021).
- Recommended as a United States firm for “M&A – Middle-Market (sub-$500M)” by The Legal 500 United States 2021.
- For five years in a row, Bass, Berry & Sims received a perfect score of 100% on the Corporate Equality Index (CEI) administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the nation’s premier benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality (2018-2022).
- For the third consecutive year (2019-2021), Bass, Berry & Sims was named one of the “Best Law Firms for Women” by Seramount (former Working Mother Media). Read about the 2021 honor here.
“In this age of consolidation in the legal market and the quest to become larger, we remain committed to being as large as our clients need us to be, committed to being an extraordinary law firm that delivers value and results to our clients.” Todd Rolapp, Managing Partner