Firm Continues Growth with 20 New Attorneys Announced in 2022
Knoxville / Nashville, Tenn., (May 19, 2022) – Bass, Berry & Sims is pleased to announce the addition of four new attorneys in Tennessee. In Nashville, Joelle L. Hupp and Liat Sanz Martinez join as associates in the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology Practice. In Knoxville, McKeehanon C. Rue joins as an associate with the firm’s Commercial Real Estate Practice and Heather G. Ferguson joins as a public finance attorney.
“We are excited to welcome these four attorneys as we continue to grow our firm to meet our clients’ evolving needs,” said Todd Rolapp, managing partner of Bass, Berry & Sims. “We have had the opportunity to welcome 20 attorneys already this year, and we will continue to deepen our bench strength with extraordinary lawyers to ensure we continue to serve our clients with excellence.”
Heather G. Ferguson (Attorney, Knoxville) assists clients with a variety of transactional matters related to public finance, including economic incentive matters, affordable housing transactions and related real estate matters. She has extensive experience working with corporate and healthcare clients, advising them on operational, compliance and transactional issues and assisting with obtaining tax-exempt status and financings within that industry. Prior to joining the firm, she practiced with Egerton, McAfee, Armistead & Davis, P.C. and she previously served as an intern with the Honorable J. Steven Stafford of the Tennessee Court of Appeals in Dyersburg, Tennessee. Ferguson earned a law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law (2013) and an undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin (2010).
Joelle L. Hupp (Associate, Nashville) counsels clients on a range of information management issues, including data privacy compliance and information governance. Her practice involves advising on compliance with domestic and international privacy regulations, including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and additional surfacing domestic privacy frameworks. She is active with several leading industry organizations, including the Defense Research Institute’s (DRI) Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Committee on Publications, the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), Women in E-Discovery and the Sedona Conference, a nonprofit research and educational institute dedicated to the advanced study of law and policy in multiple legal disciplines, including intellectual property and data security and privacy. Prior to joining the firm, she was an associate with Nelson Mullins LLP. Hupp earned a law degree from Indiana University Maurer School of Law (2013) and an undergraduate degree from Washington College (2008).
Liat Sanz Martinez (Associate, Nashville) focuses her practice on the development and protection of clients’ intellectual property assets with an emphasis on trademark law and brand development and protection. She advises clients across a broad range of industries to develop trademark filing, protection and enforcement strategies. Martinez is a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association and the American Bar Association’s Section of Intellectual Property Law. Prior to joining the firm, she practiced with a nationally recognized firm in Washington, D.C. and she previously served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Anna H. Demacopoulos with the Circuit Court of Cook County in Illinois. Martinez earned a law degree and an LL.M. in intellectual property from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (2020) and she earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Florida (2015).
Liat Martinez is licensed only in D.C.; Tennessee bar application pending.
McKeehanon C. Rue (Associate, Knoxville) counsels clients with commercial real estate transactions, representing developers, investors and owners in the acquisition, financing, disposition and leasing of real property. He also represents landlords and tenants in drafting and negotiating leases for general office, industrial and retail spaces in both single and multi-tenant locations. Prior to joining the firm, he was an associate with Chambliss, Bahner and Stophel PC. Rue earned a law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law (2018) and undergraduate degrees from Tennessee Wesleyan University (2015, 2014).
About Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
With more than 300 attorneys in offices in Washington, D.C. and Tennessee, Bass, Berry & Sims represents numerous publicly traded companies and Fortune 500 businesses in significant litigation, investigations, international regulatory matters, and business transactions. Our attorneys work seamlessly across substantive practice disciplines, industries and geographies to deliver highly effective service and business-focused solutions. For more information, visit bassberry2022.wpengine.com.