New Senior Litigation, Senior Public Policy and Labor & Employment Attorneys Join with Nine Associates to Mark 35 Hires Announced in 2022
Nashville, Tenn., (October 5, 2022) – Bass, Berry & Sims is pleased to announce its continued growth in Tennessee and Washington, D.C. with the addition of 12 new attorneys. In Nashville, Kristy J. Huber joins as a senior litigation attorney, Mallorie Kerby joins as a senior public policy attorney and Brittany F. Roberts joins as a labor & employment attorney, along with associates Claire S. Chen, Kean W. Devine, Phil Fox, Philip Kassel and Elaine C. Naughton. In Memphis, Shelby Bess and Jordan Thomas join as associates. Heather M. Pearson and Rhea Shinde join as associates in Washington, D.C.
“We are excited to welcome this excellent group of talented attorneys to provide valued counsel for our clients in several key areas,” said Todd Rolapp, managing partner of Bass, Berry & Sims. “Just as we are committed to sustained growth to better serve our clients, we look forward to working with all of these attorneys – from the junior associates to the more experienced additions – to provide the resources, opportunities, guidance and support for their ongoing growth at our firm.”
Shelby Bess (Associate, Memphis) counsels clients on corporate and securities issues, including mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions, and securities regulations matters and filings. In addition, she represents private equity firms and portfolio companies in various transactions. Bess is a member of the American Health Law Association.
After law school, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Camille McMullen of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals. During law school, Bess served as an extern for the Honorable Justice Kirby of the Tennessee Supreme Court and at the Shelby County (Memphis) District Attorney’s Office. She earned a law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (2021) and an undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (2016).
Claire S. Chen (Associate, Nashville) provides healthcare regulatory and transactional counsel as it relates to mergers and acquisitions, compliance and operational matters. She is a member of the American Health Law Association.
Chen earned a law degree from Vanderbilt Law School (2021) and an undergraduate degree from Duke University (2017).
Claire Chen is currently licensed to practice in Texas; Tennessee bar application is pending.
Kean W. Devine (Associate, Nashville) counsels clients on real estate and commercial finance transactions, including representing developers, investors and owners in the acquisition, financing, disposition, and leasing of real property, as well as negotiating and drafting office leases, retail leases, subleases and amendments for landlords and tenants. He also works with real estate development companies on private debt and equity offerings and other corporate maintenance and organizational matters. He is a member of the American Health Law Association.
Prior to joining the firm, Devine practiced in the corporate group at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP in Nashville. Devine earned a law degree from William & Mary Law School (2019) and an undergraduate degree from Miami University (2016).
Phil Fox (Associate, Nashville) counsels clients on corporate issues, including mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions, venture capital financings and other strategic transactions. In addition, he represents private equity clients and their portfolio companies in buy-side and sell-side mergers and acquisitions. Fox also advises on growth equity transactions and corporate governance matters. He is a member of the American Health Law Association and the International Association of Privacy Professionals.
Fox earned a law degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law (2021) and an undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business (2014).
Phil Fox is currently licensed to practice in California and the District of Columbia; Tennessee bar application is pending.
Kristy J. Huber (Senior Litigation Attorney, Nashville) represents clients in complex business litigation and government investigations. Huber previously practiced at Bass, Berry & Sims as an associate before becoming a law school professor, including positions at the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law, Belmont University College of Law, and Vanderbilt Law School. Most recently, she was the Spears-Gilbert Professor of Law at the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law, where she taught courses on legal research and writing skills for first-year law students and for upper-level students.
Huber earned a law degree from the Washington and Lee University School of Law (1999) and an undergraduate degree from the University of Louisville (1996).
Philip Kassel (Associate, Nashville) advises investment funds throughout all stages of a fund’s life cycle. He has extensive experience drafting private placement memorandums (PPM), operating agreements, and subscriptions agreements for various types of private equity funds and asset classes. Prior to joining the firm, Kassel served as director of compliance and in-house counsel at CMB Regional Centers, one of the oldest active regional centers in the EB-5 industry.
Following law school, Kassel served as a law clerk with the Fifth Judicial District of Iowa. He earned a law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law (2013) and an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois – Chicago (2009).
Phillip Kassel is currently licensed to practice in Illinois and Iowa; Tennessee bar application is pending.
Mallorie Kerby (Senior Public Policy Attorney, Nashville) represents clients before the Tennessee General Assembly and the various departments, agencies and commissions of state government. In this capacity, she works with clients to advocate for their business interests related to new legislation and policies within the state. Kerby also advises clients on range of compliance, litigation, and regulatory issues related to state and federal environmental laws.
She was previously the associate vice president for environment & energy affairs at the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry where she represented businesses and industry groups as a registered lobbyist before the Tennessee General Assembly and state regulators. Kerby also previously served as a legislative liaison at both the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and at the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance.
During law school, she served as an intern at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and for the Honorable L. Scott Coogler of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Kerby earned a law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law (2014) and an undergraduate degree from Indiana University (2006).
Elaine C. Naughton (Associate, Nashville) rejoins the firm, providing healthcare regulatory counsel to a wide range of clients in the healthcare industry. She routinely advises clients with respect to compliance, operational, and fraud and abuse matters, as well as mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions. Naughton is a member of the American Health Law Association.
Following law school, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable David J. Hale of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. She earned a law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law (2016) and an undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago (2013).
Heather M. Pearson (Associate, Washington, D.C.) provides healthcare regulatory and transactional counsel as it relates to compliance, operational matters, and mergers and acquisitions. She brings experience working within the healthcare industry prior to law school as a public health analyst at RTI International, where she focused on program evaluation and health system financing for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). She is a member of the American Health Law Association.
During law school, Pearson worked at the Center for Health Law & Policy Innovation at Harvard Law School and in the Office of the Chief Counsel at the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Pearson previously served as a term law clerk for the Honorable Damon R. Leichty of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana and the Honorable Carol Hooten of the Minnesota Court of Appeals. She earned a law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School (2019) and an undergraduate degree from Wellesley College (2014).
Heather Pearson is currently admitted in Minnesota; her practice is supervised by D.C. Bar members.
Brittany F. Roberts (Labor & Employment Attorney, Nashville) counsels clients on aspects of labor and employment laws, focusing on issues arising in the context of mergers and acquisitions. In this capacity, she performs employment-related due diligence involving the review of contracts and policies to ensure compliance and identify potential areas of risk within a transaction. Roberts also advises companies on non-compete laws, employment agreements, and other matters related to the M&A process. Roberts is a member of the American Health Law Association.
Prior to joining the firm, she served as associate general counsel at American Physician Partners. After law school, she served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Diane K. Vescovo of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. During law school, Roberts served as an intern to the Honorable Julia S. Gibbons of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and to the Honorable Roger A. Page, who at that time presided over the Tennessee Court of Appeals at Jackson. She earned a law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (2016) and an undergraduate degree from Centre College (2013).
Rhea Shinde (Associate, Washington, D.C.) provides healthcare regulatory and transactional counsel as it relates to mergers, acquisitions, compliance and operational matters. Prior to joining the firm, she served as a health law fellow in the office of general counsel at a nonprofit health system where she reviewed and advised clients on contracts with providers, suppliers, and research sponsors; she also investigated and analyzed relationships with providers and partners for compliance with the Anti-Kickback Statute. Shinde is a member of the American Health Law Association.
She earned a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center (2021) and an undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester (2018).
Jordan Thomas (Associate, Memphis) represents clients in complex business litigation and government investigations. Before joining the firm, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Rhesa H. Barksdale of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. During law school, Thomas served as an intern to the Honorable Michael P. Mills of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi.
Thomas earned a law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law (2021), a master’s of education degree in English from Delta State University (2011), and an undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi (2009).
About Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Bass, Berry & Sims is a national law firm with over 300 attorneys dedicated to delivering exceptional service to numerous publicly traded companies and Fortune 500 businesses in significant litigation and investigations, complex business transactions, and international regulatory matters. Our people are true partners who work seamlessly across substantive practice disciplines, industries and geographies to deliver highly-effective legal advice and innovative, business-focused solutions. In 2022 the firm celebrates its centennial anniversary and continues to build on our foundational attributes of agility, tenacity and collaboration. For more information, visit bassberry2022.wpengine.com.
Media Coverage
The announcement was covered in several media outlets, including:
- “Bass Berry Grows Tenn., DC Offices With 12 Attys,” Law360 (October 5, 2022)
- “Bass, Berry & Sims Adds Eight in Nashville,” Nashville Post (October 6, 2022)