George BishopNashville Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis Key player since early days of Nashville's health care industry. Founder, TBA's health law section. Expert on securities and offerings, with focus on syndications of health care facilities and venture capital financings.

Steve BraunNashville Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry Vast transactional experience, with numerous acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures of hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and insurance companies. Former senior VP and general counsel of HCA.

Richard G. CowartNashville Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz A force in health care law. Founder and chairman of Baker Donelson's health law practice. The only Tennessean to preside over the American Health Lawyers Association. Clients include Erlanger, St. Luke's-Houston, Novant-North Carolina and Baptist in Memphis.

Berry HoltNashville Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry Frequently on site at St. Thomas Health Services as general counsel. Also advises First Tennessee Bank. Go-to lawyer in Nashville health care circles regarding transactional, regulatory or operational matters. President, Tennessee Academy of Hospital Attorneys.

Mark MannerNashville Harwell, Howard, Hyne, Gabbert & Manner Recently represented Central Parking Corp. in its $900 million merger with KCPC Holdings, and Thomas Nelson's majority shareholder in a $473 million going-private transaction. One of a handful of biotechnology legal experts in Nashville. Former antitrust attorney, U.S. Dept. of Justice.

John VoigtNashville Sherrard & Roe Represents doctors all over the state in civil and regulatory matters. Runs the firm's health care practice. Also great at mergers and acquisitions and private finance.

Leigh WaltonNashville Bass, Berry & Sims Represented MSD Capital, formed exclusively to manage the capital of Michael Dell and his family. Other clients include North Peak Capital, a New York private equity firm, IASIS Healthcare, Spheris, Brown-Forman Corp.

Linda RoseNashville Rose Immigration Law Firm In business for 20 years. Among clients are top names in country music, multi-national corporations, high-ranking universities and medical centers. Favorite legal pastime is suing the government for extreme delays in naturalization and adjustment cases; otherwise she enjoys playing jazz vibraphone with her quintet.

Greg SiskindMemphis Siskind Susser Bland His fast-growing firm does a ton of modeling business (70% of all visas issued to fashion models in 2006). Among past clients are Cirque de Soleil, the British Broadcasting Corp., International Paper, Hilton Hotels, as well as production companies behind Broadway shows Hairspray and Wicked.

Roy BerkenstockMemphis Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs Former in-house counsel with Smith & Nephew, American Optical Corp. and U.S. Steel. With a degree in electrical engineering, has built a big name for himself in patent applications. Admitted to practice in Tennessee, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

Sam LipshieNashville Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry Expert in Uniform Commercial Code, trade secrets and noncompete agreements. Handles all types of copyright and intellectual property litigation, focusing on the music niche. Experienced in acquisition and disposition of media, broadcast and intellectual property.

Andrew NeelyJohnson City Luedeka, Neely & Graham Focused on electronics and startup companies, trade secrets, trademark and copyright matters. Name partner in Tennessee's oldest intellectual property firm, whose clients include UT-Knoxville, Lexmark, ORNL, Goody's, Clayton Homes and DeRoyal.

Mark PattersonNashville Waddey & Patterson Widely considered the best patent attorney in the state, dealing primarily in writing and prosecuting of electrical, electronic and computer software-related patent applications. Helped clients obtain 188 U.S. patents.

Robert E. PittsJohnson City Pitts & Brittian Along with partner Bob Brittian, defended Brooks Furniture Manufacturing against Canada-based Dutailier Inc. As lead trial counsel, has recovered more than $45 million on behalf of clients in patent, copyright and trademark cases.

Jack WaddeyNashville Waddey & Patterson Leads city's only intellectual property boutique. Emerged nationally as mediation expert in intellectual property disputes, a unique niche requiring a special skill set. Clients include Sony Music New York and Ocean Tomo. Firm has mediated cases between GML Inc. and Blockbuster, Nu-Kote Holdings and Canon Computer Systems.

Bob BallowNashville King & Ballow One of the most respected corporate defense attorneys on labor issues in the country. Numerous media clients include the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune and New York Daily News. Started his career as a newspaper boy in East Nashville, then went to law school to become a celebrated union-buster.

James Berry Jr.Nashville Frost Brown ToddFormer president of the Middle Tennessee Employee Benefits Council. Veteran of Bass, Berry & Sims' tax department. Worked on the employee benefits side of the sale of Linatex Corp. of America to an equity fund maintained by investment partners Asia Ltd.

Bob BostonNashville Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis One of the top employment lawyers, whose clients include Bridgestone/Firestone and numerous health care companies. Handles compensations and compliance disputes. Also represents employers in complicated wrongful termination issues.

Richard BuschNashville King & Ballow Currently represents rapper Eminem in royalties dispute with Apple Inc. and Universal Records, which could influence the way royalties are paid worldwide. In 2006, landed a $4.4 million jury verdict against Bad Boy Records and Universal Music. In September 2007, won the $4.14 million verdict on behalf of Nashville-based American Color Graphics against Travelers Insurance Co.

Waverly CrenshawNashville Waller, Lansden, Dortch & DavisFocuses on racial discrimination, harassment and retaliation cases. Wins include defending a diabetes protocol in response to a challenge under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Member of the Governor's Advisory Committee on Equal and Fair Employment Opportunity.

Lewis HagoodJohnson City Arnett, Draper & HagoodBig name in commercial mediation, employment discrimination, ERISA and civil cases. One-time permanent arbitrator for labor disputes between Dept. of Energy contractors at Oak Ridge and the Building Trades Union. Handled dozens of mediations of labor and employment discrimination disputes for TVA, U.S. Postal Service and the IRS.

Jay KiesewetterMemphis Kiesewetter, Wise, Kaplan & PratherRepresents companies in unfair labor practice and in proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board and U.S. Courts of Appeal. Counsels employers on union-free management.

Fred LewisMemphis Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.Adept at employment litigation, labor relations, employment class actions, as well as union contract negotiations and wage and hour law. Member, ABA's Equal Employment Opportunity Law Committee.

Gordon NicholsNashville Boult, Cummings, Conners & BerryHandles pension and welfare benefits disputes. One of the most knowledgeable ERISA practitioners in the state. Represents providers and individual physicians, physician groups, hospitals and other institutions on pension matters.

Arnold PerlMemphis Ford & Harrison Spent more than 30 years in the field. Does plenty of work as a Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator. Experienced with the NLRB and was one of 25 management labor lawyers appointed to its advisory panel under then-chairman William Gould.

John B. PhillipsChattanooga Miller & Martin Deputy general counsel for labor and employment at Coca-Cola. Defended company in race discrimination class action cases in New York and Cincinnati. Also represented Coca-Cola in class action wage-hour case in Louisiana.

Bruce ShineKingsport Shine & Mason Former chair, TBA's labor and employment section. Won the first Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower case in the nation, Welch v. Cardinal Bankshares.