ABOUT US

Keith Simmons
Managing Partner
"I have been fortunate to have experienced dynamic changes at Bass, Berry & Sims for more than 20 years. New practice areas, innovations in technology and changes in the business environment have changed the legal landscape and BBS has been on the leading edge of these advancements. More changes are sure to come and it is exciting for me, as the Managing Partner, to be a part of the evolution."



About Us

A commitment to the philosophy of excellence and superior client service is the foundation of Bass, Berry & Sims. Our attorneys value the importance of a personalized attorney-client relationship and are dedicated to giving the utmost attention not only to delivering prompt and efficient services to clients, but also to keeping the client informed and involved. We are committed to providing our clients with unsurpassed counseling, guidance and support. In following that goal, we constantly develop new methods, new practice areas and innovative ways to serve our clients. Amidst the changes now and the changes yet to come, we will continue to find creative solutions to each new challenge.

An integral part of serving our clients is identifying the appropriate attorneys to address the wide spectrum of legal problems encountered by each client.  We utilize a team approach, which draws on the expertise, experience and resources of all our attorneys.  Each client's legal representation is managed by a supervising member who identifies and coordinates the services of lawyers with the appropriate skills and experience.  This approach ensures that clients receive the benefits of the firm's depth and diversity of experience while maintaining a close relationship with the attorney who best understands their business.

Throughout its existence the firm has been involved with many of the major business transactions and significant business litigation matters in the Southeast and beyond. In transactional matters, we frequently deal with multi-million dollar assignments and in litigation matters our attorneys often handle cases where the vital interests of the client are at stake. Our clients range from Fortune 500 companies to regional and local businesses. Our major practice areas focus on a specific legal discipline or the needs of particular dynamic industry segments.

Firm members have held and continue to hold leadership roles and to be recognized for their leadership in community groups, political parties, civic associations, national and international law firm associations, legal reform and legal aid committees, bar associations, local governments and chambers of commerce.  Sixty-one of our attorneys were named in The Best Lawyers in America®, 2008.  This represents more than 60% of the firm's statewide partner base.  Eleven members of the firm have served as President of the Tennessee, Knoxville and Nashville Bar Associations.  Attorneys in the firm also serve or have served as chairs of sections and committees of the American, Tennessee, Nashville, Knoxville and Memphis Bar Associations.  Two of our members have served as chair of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association.  In the past 30 years, only two other firms have produced more than one chair of this Section.  In addition, a member was named as chair of the American Bar Association Task Force on Corporate Responsibility in response to corporate governance concerns emanating from Enron, WorldCom and similar cases. Several members have chaired and continue to actively serve as board members and trustees for educational institutions, and a number of our attorneys serve as Adjunct Professors of Law at various law schools.

Women and minority attorneys in the firm have been very active and maintain a high profile in the various bar associations and professional organizations. One of our attorneys received the American Bar Association Business Law Section's "Glass Cutter" award, presented for the highest level of professional achievement in the practice of business law and for efforts in the mentoring of women in the profession.  These attorneys also chair firm practice areas, and have served on the board of directors of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, the Nashville Health Care Council, the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession and its Commission on Opportunities for Minorities in the Profession, and as Director of the Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women.

Bass, Berry & Sims was formed in 1922 and has approximately 200 attorneys in our offices:  Nashville, Knoxville and Memphis, Tennessee. The firm is a founding member and the Tennessee representative of Lex Mundi, the State Capital Global Law Firm Group and the Southern Law Network.  These three organizations are associations of independent law firms located in principal business centers throughout the United States and major foreign markets. Member firms of each are selected for the significance of their practices and their reputation as a leading firm in their legal community. Bass, Berry & Sims is one of only six law firms in the United States selected for membership in both Lex Mundi and the State Capital Global Law Firm Group.

Throughout the history and growth of our firm, we have continued to maintain the values and attitudes typical of a much smaller firm. These include cohesiveness and a sense of community that fosters a personal interest in every client's challenges, a team approach to solving those challenges and the ability to integrate all of our firm's resources in achieving the best solutions for our clients.

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