Bass, Berry & Sims Attorneys Named to LCLD Leadership Programs

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

Bass, Berry & Sims is pleased to announce that two attorneys were chosen to participate in separate leadership programs created by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD). Member Lauren Gaffney will be a member of the 2021 class of Fellows and associate Taylor Wirth will be a member of the 2021 class of Pathfinders.

LCLD Fellows Program

The LCLD Fellows Program was created to identify, train, and advance the next generation of leaders in the legal profession. Lauren is one of 418 Fellows in this year’s class who will complete the LCLD’s exclusive leadership and professional-development curriculum and engage in small-group interaction and relationship building with their peers throughout the course of the one-year program.

Celebrating 10 years, the LCLD Fellows Program has built a reputation for helping to launch participants into chief legal positions. Bass, Berry & Sims has long supported the LCLD organization and the Fellows Program. Several firm attorneys have previously completed the program, including:

Lauren is a member of the firm’s healthcare and healthcare fraud groups and counsels healthcare clients on the regulatory requirements and operational impacts related to day-to-day operations, including those related to fraud and abuse. She also focuses on internal investigations, payor audits, and responding to governmental inquiries regarding potential regulatory, compliance and clinical issues. Lauren has experience leading clients through administrative and enforcement proceedings before government boards and commissions, with a special focus on obtaining certificates of need and regulatory approvals for establishment and operation of healthcare facilities and services. In 2020, Lauren was named a Mid-South Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in healthcare and is a member of the of the 2014 class of Nashville Emerging Leaders. Lauren also is an active participant in the firm’s pro bono initiatives with a focus on serving those in need in the LGBTQ+ community.

LCLD Pathfinder Program

The LCLD Pathfinder Program was created in 2015 to train high-performing, early-career attorneys in critical career development strategies including leadership and the building of professional networks. Taylor is one of 404 individuals in this year’s class; 2021 marks the first time Bass, Berry & Sims will have a participant in the Pathfinder program.

The Pathfinder Program provides participants with practical tools for developing and leveraging internal professional networks, foundational leadership skills, and an understanding of career development strategies. Further, each Pathfinder is matched with a Program Facilitator, a mentor who plays a key role in helping Pathfinders connect what they learn in the program to the organization in which they work.

Taylor advises both public and private clients in a variety of corporate and securities law matters, including securities regulation, public offerings and corporate governance matters. In addition, he regularly works with both public and private companies on mergers and acquisitions and other corporate reorganizations. Taylor also regularly assists pro bono and nonprofit clients through all stages of development. Since 2019, Taylor has led two pro bono teams to success — The Invisible Histories Project, an Alabama-based nonprofit focused on the collection and preservation of Southern LGBTQ stories and artifacts, and Mosaic Changemakers, a Tennessee-based nonprofit that incubates leaders of color in the Southeast. Taylor recently concluded over six years of service with the board of directors of the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce and Foundation. In 2020, Taylor was named by the National LGBT Bar Association as a “40 Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40.”

About LCLD

Founded in 2009, LCLD is a growing organization of more than 350 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners who are personally committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive legal profession. Combined, the LCLD Fellows and Pathfinder Programs have trained nearly 3,000 attorneys to become future leaders in the legal industry. For more information, visit www.lcldnet.org.

Related Professionals
Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

Bass, Berry & Sims is pleased to announce that two attorneys were chosen to participate in separate leadership programs created by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD). Member Lauren Gaffney will be a member of the 2021 class of Fellows and associate Taylor Wirth will be a member of the 2021 class of Pathfinders.

LCLD Fellows Program

The LCLD Fellows Program was created to identify, train, and advance the next generation of leaders in the legal profession. Lauren is one of 418 Fellows in this year’s class who will complete the LCLD’s exclusive leadership and professional-development curriculum and engage in small-group interaction and relationship building with their peers throughout the course of the one-year program.

Celebrating 10 years, the LCLD Fellows Program has built a reputation for helping to launch participants into chief legal positions. Bass, Berry & Sims has long supported the LCLD organization and the Fellows Program. Several firm attorneys have previously completed the program, including:

Lauren is a member of the firm’s healthcare and healthcare fraud groups and counsels healthcare clients on the regulatory requirements and operational impacts related to day-to-day operations, including those related to fraud and abuse. She also focuses on internal investigations, payor audits, and responding to governmental inquiries regarding potential regulatory, compliance and clinical issues. Lauren has experience leading clients through administrative and enforcement proceedings before government boards and commissions, with a special focus on obtaining certificates of need and regulatory approvals for establishment and operation of healthcare facilities and services. In 2020, Lauren was named a Mid-South Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in healthcare and is a member of the of the 2014 class of Nashville Emerging Leaders. Lauren also is an active participant in the firm’s pro bono initiatives with a focus on serving those in need in the LGBTQ+ community.

LCLD Pathfinder Program

The LCLD Pathfinder Program was created in 2015 to train high-performing, early-career attorneys in critical career development strategies including leadership and the building of professional networks. Taylor is one of 404 individuals in this year’s class; 2021 marks the first time Bass, Berry & Sims will have a participant in the Pathfinder program.

The Pathfinder Program provides participants with practical tools for developing and leveraging internal professional networks, foundational leadership skills, and an understanding of career development strategies. Further, each Pathfinder is matched with a Program Facilitator, a mentor who plays a key role in helping Pathfinders connect what they learn in the program to the organization in which they work.

Taylor advises both public and private clients in a variety of corporate and securities law matters, including securities regulation, public offerings and corporate governance matters. In addition, he regularly works with both public and private companies on mergers and acquisitions and other corporate reorganizations. Taylor also regularly assists pro bono and nonprofit clients through all stages of development. Since 2019, Taylor has led two pro bono teams to success — The Invisible Histories Project, an Alabama-based nonprofit focused on the collection and preservation of Southern LGBTQ stories and artifacts, and Mosaic Changemakers, a Tennessee-based nonprofit that incubates leaders of color in the Southeast. Taylor recently concluded over six years of service with the board of directors of the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce and Foundation. In 2020, Taylor was named by the National LGBT Bar Association as a “40 Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40.”

About LCLD

Founded in 2009, LCLD is a growing organization of more than 350 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners who are personally committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive legal profession. Combined, the LCLD Fellows and Pathfinder Programs have trained nearly 3,000 attorneys to become future leaders in the legal industry. For more information, visit www.lcldnet.org.

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