Nashville, Tenn., (January 10, 2023) – Bass, Berry & Sims PLC is pleased to announce the election of nine new members across the firm’s offices in Memphis, Nashville and Washington, D.C.: Allison Wiseman Acker, Justin K. Brown, Krista Cooper, Nicholas D. Gaffney, Cheyne W. Harris, J. Devon Holbrook, Brian Irving, Stewart K. Kameen, and Dawn Perez-Slavinski.
“Bass, Berry & Sims is honored to welcome these nine attorneys into membership at the firm,” said Todd Rolapp, managing partner of Bass, Berry & Sims. “This elevation to membership is a testament to each individual’s contributions to the firm, our clients and the greater legal industry. We applaud their accomplishments and are eager to see how they will carry on the longstanding tradition of excellence that is the hallmark of Bass, Berry & Sims.”
Allison Wiseman Acker (Nashville) represents clients in complex business litigation, including securities class actions, derivative suits, and litigation related to mergers and acquisitions and breach of fiduciary duty. She has successfully litigated and resolved matters in a variety of industries including healthcare, financial services, construction, education, hospitality, life sciences, and manufacturing. Acker earned a law degree from Harvard Law School (2014) and a B.A. from Villanova University (2009). Prior to law school, Acker taught English in St. Louis, Missouri, as a Corps Member of Teach For America.
Justin K. Brown (Nashville) focuses on solving complex healthcare regulatory issues, particularly those involving the federal physician self-referral law (Stark Law), Anti-Kickback Statute, and state analogs. He regularly serves as healthcare regulatory counsel for transactions, enforcement actions, and day-to-day operations, helping clients manage risk while accomplishing their business objectives. Prior to joining Bass, Berry & Sims, Brown was an attorney in the healthcare group at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP. Before entering private practice, he was a trial attorney in the Massachusetts public defender’s office. Brown earned a law degree from Harvard Law School (2012) and a B.S. from Auburn University (2009).
Justin Brown is admitted to practice in Alabama and Massachusetts; Tennessee bar application pending
Krista Cooper (Nashville) advises healthcare providers on the transactional, regulatory and operational aspects of their business. She employs her transactional and regulatory experience to advise private equity funds and their portfolio companies on acquisitions and helps a broad range of healthcare clients navigate the complex regulatory landscape, including identifying the impact of joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and other transactions on their business objectives and strategic goals. Cooper earned a law degree from Vanderbilt Law School (2004) and a B.A. from Vanderbilt University (2000).
Nicholas D. Gaffney (Nashville) concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, taxation, business planning, and estate and trust administration. Gaffney advises individuals and businesses with respect to income taxes, estate taxes, gift taxes, and the federal generation-skipping transfer tax. Gaffney received a Master’s Degree in Taxation from the University of Florida (2013), a law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law (2012), and a B.A. from DePauw University (2005).
Cheyne W. Harris (Memphis) represents clients in real estate transactions across a variety of industries, including agricultural, industrial, office and retail. Harris works closely with real estate investment trusts (REITs), commercial and residential developers, businesses and private investors on the acquisition, disposition, leasing and financing of real estate assets. He also represents borrowers and lenders with commercial loans and other secured transactions. As a former city planner, Harris has significant experience in land development and zoning issues. Harris earned a law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (2012) and a BLA from Mississippi State University (2003). He is licensed in both Tennessee and Mississippi.
Devon Holbrook (Nashville) concentrates his practice on intellectual property and technology transactions and licensing. He routinely works with clients in diverse industries – such as retail, healthcare, fashion, banking, manufacturing, media and technology – to prepare various commercial agreements; review and negotiate terms of technology transactions; and counsel clients on matters affecting intellectual property ownership, development, commercialization and protection. Holbrook earned a law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law (2014), a Masters of Accountancy with a Tax Concentration from the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business (2011) and a B.S. from the University of Tennessee (2010).
Brian Irving (Nashville) represents businesses and individuals in complex litigation and government investigations, focusing on healthcare fraud, securities fraud, and business disputes. Irving’s clients span a variety of industries, including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, government contracting, and financial services. He has successfully represented clients in federal and state courts at both the trial and appellate levels, and in arbitrations and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. Irving earned a law degree from Vanderbilt Law School (2014) and a B.A. from Yale University (2008).
Stewart W. Kameen (Washington, D.C.) advises healthcare clients on all aspects of federal and state healthcare laws and regulations, with a particular emphasis on fraud and abuse regulatory counseling, corporate compliance, internal investigations and government enforcement actions, qui tam litigation, and transactional matters. Prior to joining the firm, Kameen was a Senior Counsel in the Office of Counsel to the Inspector General—Industry Guidance Branch at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Kameen earned a law degree from The George Washington University Law School (2012) and a B.A. from Sewanee: The University of the South (2008).
Dawn Perez-Slavinski (Washington, D.C.) advises a full range of healthcare clients on complex regulatory issues in the context of day-to-day operations, strategic goals, healthcare transactions, and internal investigations. With her experience gained at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the General Counsel, Perez-Slavinski offers practical insight into potential legal risks and risk mitigation strategies, with a focus on managed care and alternative payment model issues. Perez-Slavinski earned a law degree from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law (2014) and a B.A. from New York University (2010).
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 nearly 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. Our people are true partners who work seamlessly across substantive practice disciplines, industries and geographies to deliver highly-effective legal advice and innovative, business-focused solutions. For more information, visit bassberry.com.