Baker Donelson has named four attorneys to new leadership roles within the Firm. Bruce C. Doeg has been named the Firm's chief strategic officer, Tonya Mitchem Grindon has been named chair of Baker Donelson's Business Department, a position previously held by Mr. Doeg for eight years, Mary Ann Jackson has been named chair of the Corporate Finance & Securities Group, and Matthew T. Harris has been named chair of the Firm's Real Estate Group.
"As a Firm, we are fortunate to have such a tremendous group of innovative leaders who are well-regarded in their fields and in their communities and we are confident that they will continue to lead Baker Donelson to continued success," said Jennifer P. Keller, president and COO of Baker Donelson.
As Baker Donelson's chief strategic officer, Mr. Doeg will work closely with Firm leadership to develop and implement strategic approaches to meet client needs and to continue the Firm's trend of smart growth. Baker Donelson recently added its first office in South Carolina and completed a merger with national firm Ober|Kaler, adding a presence in Maryland and growing the Firm to more than 800 attorneys, making it among the top 50 largest law firms in the country. Mr. Doeg will maintain his legal practice out of the Firm's Nashville office, focusing in the areas of business law with an emphasis on technology and life sciences, serving as outside corporate and board counsel for companies across numerous industries, including technology, life sciences, manufacturing and journalism. He has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2003, serves as vice chairman of Launch Tennessee and serves on the board of Life Sciences Tennessee and the American Heart Association's Middle Tennessee Chapter.
Ms. Grindon, who served as chair of the Firm's Corporate Finance & Securities Group for nine years, will now oversee the more than 200 attorneys across the Firm's 25 offices who make up the Business Department, which includes the Commercial Transactions & Business Counseling, Corporate Finance & Securities, Intellectual Property, Real Estate and Tax Groups. The Business Department, which completed more than $15 billion in transactions over the past two years, assists public, private and emerging companies across a wide span of practice areas and has deep experience in numerous and diverse industry sectors. Ms. Grindon is based in Nashville and is experienced in securities and corporate finance, corporate governance and business transactions and has represented companies in public offerings and private placements of both debt and equity securities. She was recently re-elected to a second consecutive term on Baker Donelson's board of directors and has been recognized as a leading attorney by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America® and in Mid-South Super Lawyers. Ms. Grindon is a guest lecturer on financial regulatory reform at the George Washington University Law School and has been recognized by both local and national publications for her professional service and community involvement.
Ms. Jackson, a shareholder located in Baker Donelson's Memphis office, will oversee the team of corporate and securities-focused attorneys who serve clients from a variety of industries. She serves as corporate counsel to her clients, helping them to achieve their business objectives through financings, mergers and acquisitions, tax planning and general counseling. Ms. Jackson has extensive experience in forming and structuring business organizations, such as limited liability companies, partnerships and joint ventures, as well as advising clients regarding private securities offerings, shareholder agreements, employment agreements, venture capital fund formation, real estate and other fund formation, confidentiality agreements and general business contracts. Ms. Jackson joined the Firm more than 20 years ago and has built a successful practice, earning recognition in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2010 and being named the Best Lawyers' 2016 Memphis Business Organization's "Lawyer of the Year." She was named to the Memphis Business Journal's 2015 Class of Super Women in Business, is a member of the Association of Women Attorneys and serves on the board of the United Way of the Mid-South.
As chair of the Firm's Real Estate Group, Mr. Harris will oversee more than 100 attorneys who are equipped to handle multi-state real estate and financing transactions on a regional and national scale for clients across a variety of industries, including retail, multi-family, environmental, industrial and distribution, REITs and wireless telecommunications. Mr. Harris has extensive experience with REITS and other public and private entities and private developers, handling acquisitions, dispositions, development, financing and complex leasing of industrial, health care, office and wireless communications properties. He has been recognized as a leading Real Estate attorney in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers since 2003 and in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2007. Mr. Harris is a member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and serves on the board of directors for Family & Children's Service of Middle Tennessee.