Following the January 24 announcement from Bass, Berry & Sims about the five attorneys recently appointed to firm leadership roles, Law360 covered the news in an in-depth article including quotes from the attorneys about their new roles.
Executive Committee – Paul G. Jennings and Michael C. Gibson
Paul Jennings and Michael Gibson have been added to the firm’s Executive Committee. Members of the Executive Committee are charged with overseeing strategic priorities of the firm, including client service, diversity and inclusion, growth, and pro bono initiatives.
“I am very excited about serving in this role. We have an awesome group of lawyers and being asked to serve in this capacity is a real honor to have the respect of my partners,” said Paul. “I hope to further the cohesiveness that already exists in our firm as we continue to grow.”
“I am honored and excited to be part of the Bass, Berry & Sims leadership team, particularly in a time where there are real challenges and opportunities facing the market for legal services,” Michael said. “These are great unknowns, but I can promise to bring commitment and discipline to the role and hopefully the hard work will bring positive results.”
Real Estate & Debt Financing Practice Group – Richard R. Spore, III
Richard Spore was selected to serve as chair of the firm’s Real Estate & Debt Financing Practice. This cross-disciplinary group represents developers, public and private companies and owners, investors, private equity firms, banks, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other entities in complex real estate and financing transactions and projects. Commenting on his appointment, Richard said “As our team continues down this path of success set by my predecessor, I am honored and excited to step into this role as we double down on our commitment to providing the best service and innovative solutions to our clients.”
Entry Level Hiring – Lauren Gaffney
Lauren Gaffney has been appointed to serve as the firm’s Entry-Level Hiring Partner. Lauren will lead the firm’s initiatives related to intern and first-year associate recruiting across the firm’s footprint, including coordinating efforts between the Executive Committee, diversity & inclusion leadership, and the firm’s law school partnership programs. Discussing her appointment, Lauren commented “I am honored to serve as the new entry-level hiring partner at Bass Berry & Sims. Having recently celebrated the firm’s centennial anniversary, I look forward to leading us into its next century with a commitment to recruiting the top diverse and innovative doers and thinkers entering the legal field.”
Working Parents Committee – Lara A. Flatau
Lara Flatau was selected to serve as the chair of the firm’s Working Parents Committee. This committee serves as a community for working parents of school-aged children within the firm and is centered around the shared experience of caregiving. Lara will lead the committee’s efforts to cultivate an environment in which parenting obligations and roles are highly valued alongside one’s professional abilities and aspirations. Lara discussed her role, saying “I’m excited to take on this role and look forward to further promoting our firm as a place in which working parents can create and sustain a sophisticated and long-term professional career while managing the demands of family life.”
The full article, “Bass Berry & Sims Taps 5 Attys For Leadership Roles,” was published by Law360 on January 27 and is available online (subscription required).