Bass, Berry & Sims is pleased to announce that 107 of its attorneys were recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© 2026. This is the 32nd edition of the publication honoring lawyers from across the country.
In addition, Bass, Berry & Sims attorneys were recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2026 edition:
- 50 attorneys recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America
- 22 attorneys recognized as "Lawyer of the Year" by The Best Lawyers in America©
The following firm attorneys were included in The Best Lawyers in America© 2026 edition released on August 21, 2025.
Washington, D.C. Attorneys
- Leslie Demaree Goldsmith: Health Care Law
- William T. Mathias: Health Care Law
- Laurence B. Russell: Health Care Law
Knoxville Attorneys
- Shayne R. Clinton: Litigation – Real Estate
- Mark Mamantov: Project Finance Law; Public Finance Law; Real Estate Law
- James Polk Moneyhun, Jr. – Public Finance Law, Real Estate Law
- Russell E. Stair: Commercial Litigation, Public Finance Law
Memphis Attorneys
- Michael J. Bradshaw, Jr.: Public Finance Law
- Michael A. Brady: Arbitration; Litigation – Securities
- Al Bright, Jr.: Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
- John S. Golwen: Arbitration; Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Banking and Finance; Litigation – Securities
- Taylor Gray: Banking & Finance Law; Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law; Real Estate Law
- Cheyne W. Harris: Real Estate Law
- Michael R. Hess: Health Care Law
- Christopher G. Lazarini: Arbitration; Litigation – Securities
- Richard F. Mattern: Securities / Capital Markets Law; Securities Regulation
- Robert P. McDaniel, Jr.: Real Estate Law
- Jonathan E. Nelson: Commercial Litigation
- Scott B. Shanker: Health Care Law
- Richard R. Spore III: Banking and Finance Law; Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law; Project Finance Law; Real Estate Law
- Justin T. Starling: Real Estate Law
- David A. Thornton: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Litigation – ERISA
- Gaillard Uhlhorn V: Project Finance Law; Real Estate Law
Nashville Attorneys
- Audrey Anderson: Commercial Litigation; Education Law
- Susan K. Bilbro: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Lillian M. Blackshear: Public Finance Law
- Robert L. Brewer: Copyright Law; Information Technology Law; Privacy and Data Security Law; Technology Law; Trademark Law
- Laura R. Brothers: Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law
- Curtis Capeling: Information Technology Law
- Steele Clayton IV: Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Antitrust
- Meredith Collins: Health Care Law
- Robert E. Cooper, Jr.: Commercial Litigation
- David Cox: Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law
- Joseph B. Crace: Litigation – Securities
- Lymari Cromwell: Employment Law – Management; Health Care Law
- Matthew M. Curley: Health Care Law; Litigation – Health Care
- Page Davidson: Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law
- John W. Dawson IV: Litigation – Construction; Litigation – Environmental
- Katie Day: Banking and Finance Law
- Brian M. Dobbs: Construction Law
- Kevin H. Douglas: Corporate Law
- Felix R. Dowsley III: Banking and Finance Law; Commercial Finance Law; Commercial Transactions / UCC Law; Project Finance Law; Public Finance Law; Real Estate Law; Securitization and Structured Finance Law
- Todd Ervin: Tax Law
- David R. Esquivel: Banking and Finance Law
- Leslie Ford: Banking and Finance Law
- Mary Beth Fortugno: Health Care Law
- Davidson French: Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Craig V. Gabbert, Jr.: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Bankruptcy; Litigation – Construction; Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions; Litigation – Securities
- Tim K. Garrett: Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
- James C. Gooch: Trusts and Estates
- Thomas Gossett: Real Estate Law
- Riney Green: Corporate Law; Health Care Law; Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Anna M. Grizzle: Health Care Law; Litigation – Health Care
- Michael R. Hill: Health Care Law
- Scott Holley: Banking and Finance Law; Financial Services Regulation Law
- Michael J. Holley: Tax Law
- Robert W. Horton: Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Angela Humphreys: Corporate Law; Health Care Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Gene L. Humphreys: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy
- Stephen J. Jasper: Litigation and Controversy – Tax
- James Jenkins, Jr.: Banking and Finance Law; Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Health Care Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law
- Paul G. Jennings: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Litigation – Bankruptcy
- Michael R. Kuffner: Corporate Law
- Howard H. Lamar III: Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Health Care Law; Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law; Securities Regulation; Venture Capital Law
- Britt K. Latham: Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Securities
- Jason Lewallen: Real Estate Law
- Travis G. Lloyd: Health Care Law
- Mark Manner: Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Health Care Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law
- Bryan W. Metcalf: Tax Law
- Russell A. Miller: Public Finance Law
- Sarah B. Miller: Commercial Litigation
- Paige Waldrop Mills: Advertising Law; Copyright Law; Entertainment Law – Music; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Trademark Law
- Lori B. Morgan: Corporate Governance Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law
- Jennifer H. Noonan: Corporate Law
- Jeffrey A. Oldham: Public Finance Law
- Allen Overby II: Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities Regulation
- Tatjana Paterno: Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Frank M. Pellegrino: Corporate Law
- Erica V. Penley: Government Relations Practice
- W. Brantley Phillips, Jr.: Administrative / Regulatory Law; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Government Relations Practice; Litigation – Health Care; Litigation – Securities
- Mary Leigh Pirtle: Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Cynthia Y. Reisz: Corporate Law; Health Care Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Lisa S. Rivera: Criminal Defense – White Collar; Litigation – Health Care Law; Privacy and Data Security Law
- Brian D. Roark: Health Care Law; Litigation – Health Care
- Todd J. Rolapp: Corporate Compliance Law; Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law; Securities Regulation
- Glenn B. Rose: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Commercial Litigation; Corporate Governance Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy; Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions; Litigation – Securities
- John S. Seehorn: Banking and Finance Law; Commercial Finance Law; Real Estate Law
- Cynthia N. Sellers: Banking and Finance Law; Commercial Finance Law; Commercial Transactions / UCC Law; Real Estate Law
- Mark Sheets: Real Estate Law
- Danielle M. Sloane: Health Care Law
- Blaine H. Smith: Litigation – Trusts and Estates; Trusts and Estates
- David W. Smith: Real Estate Law
- Michael D. Sontag: Administrative / Regulatory Law; Litigation – Trusts and Estates; Litigation and Controversy – Tax; Trusts and Estates
- Amanda E. Stanley: Banking and Finance Law; Commercial Finance Law
- Michael A. Stewart: Real Estate Law
- James S. Tate, Jr.: Banking and Finance Law; Commercial Finance Law; Commercial Transactions / UCC Law; Real Estate Law; Securitization and Structured Finance Law
- Stephen C. Taylor: Banking and Finance Law; Financial Services Regulation Law; Insurance Law
- Scott Thomas: Environmental Law; Information Technology Law; Litigation – Environmental; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Natural Resources Law; Technology Law
- Ryan D. Thomas: Corporate Law
- Shelley R. Thomas: Copyright Law
- Overton Thompson III: Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions; Litigation – Securities
- Nesrin Tift: Health Care Law
- Mitchell Walker, Jr.: Corporate Compliance Law; Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Mutual Funds Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law; Securities Regulation
- Kathryn Hannen Walker: Commercial Litigation
- Leigh Walton: Corporate Governance Law; Corporate Law; Health Care Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law; Securities Regulation
- Elizabeth S. Warren: Health Care Law
- Jessalyn H. Zeigler: Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental; Natural Resources Law; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
About Best Lawyers®
Best Lawyers® is an elite global network of legal professionals recognized through trusted, peer-reviewed distinction. For over four decades, the Purely Peer Review® methodology has upheld the principle that recognition should be earned through the opinions of fellow attorneys, not marketing influence or paid listings.
Each year, more than 13 million confidential evaluations are collected worldwide, contributing to one of the legal industry's most rigorous and trusted vetting processes. Only about 5% of lawyers in the United States and 3% globally are recognized, reflecting the selectivity and credibility of the results. Proprietary safeguards are in place to reduce bias and uphold the accuracy of the peer feedback.
For the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, more than 26 million evaluations were analyzed. The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America recognitions were determined based on more than 5.4 million evaluations.
More information can be found on the Best Lawyers website.