Nashville, Tenn., (January 10, 2024) – Bass, Berry & Sims is pleased to announce the following eight attorneys have been promoted. Elaina Al-Nimri, Susan K. Bilbro, Alexandria Wood Davenport, Richard Eiler, Jeanne Marie Evans, David W. Harper, Jr. and Marc A. Rigsby were promoted to Member. Briana Sprick Schuster was promoted to Counsel.
“These eight attorneys have demonstrated a strong commitment to the firm, the broader legal industry, and our clients. Their promotion is a direct reflection of all they have accomplished thus far in their career and we look forward to working alongside each of them as we continue the firm’s 100-plus year legacy of providing excellent client service,” said Todd Rolapp, managing partner of Bass, Berry & Sims.
Elaina S. Al-Nimri (Member, Nashville) counsels clients on complex business litigation across a diverse range of areas including environmental, construction, real estate, securities, and general commercial disputes. Al-Nimri has successfully litigated and resolved matters in a variety of industries including construction, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, education, hospitality, and financial services. Al-Nimri is actively also involved in the firm’s pro bono initiatives, devoting her time to assisting with civil rights matters and adoptions. Al-Nimri earned a law degree from Emory University School of Law (2015) and a B.A. from Providence College (2012).
Susan K. Bilbro (Member, Nashville) advises clients on all aspects of employee welfare benefit and retirement plans, including design, structure, implementation, day-to-day administration and termination of retirement and health and welfare benefit plans. In her practice, Bilbro collaborates with human resources teams, in-house counsel, and other benefits professionals to navigate the myriad complex federal and state government regulations as they intersect with a variety of employee benefits plans. Prior to joining Bass, Berry & Sims in 2015, Bilbro practiced in the employee benefits groups at Holland & Knight (then Waller) in Nashville, Tennessee and at Morris, Manning & Martin in Atlanta, Georgia. Bilbro earned a law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law (2005) and a B.A. from Transylvania University (2001).
Alexandria Wood Davenport (Member, Nashville) focuses her practice on intellectual property matters to help companies leverage use of technology and data. Davenport counsels on a range of data privacy and information management issues in the context of compliance, business strategy, technology transactions, industry best practices, and regulatory strategy. Her work includes advising on data privacy and security efforts, including the development of information technology policies and compliance with U.S. and international data privacy laws. Davenport earned a law degree from Belmont University College of Law (2015) and a B.A. from the University of Tennessee (2012).
Richard Eiler (Member, Nashville) assists healthcare clients in complex operational, compliance, and transactional matters. Eiler has a depth of experience helping clients navigate regulatory issues involving alternative payment models, including accountable care organizations, bundled payment and service delivery models, and managed care arrangements. In addition, he counsels clients regarding healthcare fraud and abuse issues and compliance issues related to the federal Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute, as well as similar state laws with respect to the corporate practice of medicine and fee-splitting. Eiler received a law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law (2015) and a B.S. from the University of Tennessee (2012).
Jeanne Marie Evans (Member, Nashville) focuses on mergers and acquisitions as well as regulatory, compliance and operational issues for healthcare companies. In both her healthcare regulatory and transactional work, Evans counsels clients on federal healthcare fraud and abuse laws, such as the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law, as well as state laws related to licensure and the corporate practice of medicine. She works with a range of the firm’s healthcare clients, including hospitals and health systems, physician practice management companies, specialty pharmacies, infusion companies, private equity firms, health plan providers, and others. Prior to joining Bass, Berry & Sims in 2017, Evans was an associate at Kutak Rock LLP in Missouri. Evans earned a law degree with a Certificate of Health Law from Saint Louis University School of Law (2015) and a B.A. from Loyola University Chicago (2012).
David W. Harper, Jr. (Member, Nashville) represents borrowers, lenders and private equity funds in structuring and negotiating new credit facilities, as well as refinancings of existing credit facilities. In particular, Harper’s national practice focuses on representing private equity funds in connection with capital call facilities, acquisition facilities, and working capital facilities for their portfolio companies, and representing the credit arms of private equity funds to provide senior and/or subordinate financing, with extensive experience representing SBIC funds. He also represents clients in a variety of financings in the healthcare and real estate sectors. Harper earned a law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law (2015) and a B.A. from the University of Kentucky (2012).
Marc A. Rigsby (Member, Nashville) focuses his practice on healthcare transactions, with an emphasis on advising private equity and other investors in forming and scaling physician and dental practice management platforms, including through acquisitions, and leverages his healthcare background to navigate complex regulatory issues and compliance risks. Rigsby likewise handles buy-side and sell-side transactions and joint ventures for a range of other healthcare providers, including ambulatory surgery centers, diagnostic imaging centers, clinical research organizations, home health and hospice agencies, and behavioral health facilities. Prior to joining Bass, Berry & Sims in 2017, he practiced with Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso, PLLC in Charleston, West Virginia. Rigsby earned a law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law (2012) and a B.A. from Vanderbilt University (2009).
Briana Sprick Schuster (Counsel, Nashville) concentrates her legal practice on complex business and commercial litigation matters, helping companies achieve cost-effective, creative and favorable resolutions no matter how challenging the dispute. Sprick Schuster also counsels clients in their contract and business negotiations to help them avoid costly future disputes, advising clients related to breach of contract, fraud, misrepresentation, interference with business relations, and other business torts. Prior to joining the firm in 2020, she was an associate at Jenner & Block LLP in Chicago. Sprick Schuster earned a law degree from Harvard Law School (2012), an M.A.T. from National Louis University (2009), and a B.A. from the University of Missouri (2007). Following law school, she served for two years as a law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC is a professional limited liability company rather than a partnership. Professional limited liability companies have ‘members’ instead of ‘partners.’
About Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Bass, Berry & Sims is a national law firm with more than 350 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. For more than 100 years, our people have served as true partners to clients, working seamlessly across substantive practice disciplines, industries and geographies to deliver highly-effective legal advice and innovative, business-focused solutions. For more information, visit www.bassberry.com.