Moving FORward requires VISion

Introducing forward vision

FORVIS is a forward-thinking professional services firm committed to Unmatched Client Experiences TM

We anticipate our client’s needs and outcomes, preparing them for what’s next by offering innovative solutions.

Created by the merger of BKD and DHG—a merger of equals—FORVIS has the enhanced capabilities of an expanded national platform and deepened industry intelligence. With greater resources and robust advisory services, FORVIS is prepared to help you better navigate the current and future dynamic organizational landscape.

Bar Scene Meeting New Judges

Jodi Black

Jodi Black has joined Bailey & Greer, PLLC as an associate. Black attended the University of Manitoba and graduated with her Bachelor of Nursing degree in 1992. With extensive experience working in the surgical Intensive Care Unit, the cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, the heart catheterization lab, and in Labor and Delivery, medicine has always been the backbone of Black’s practice. After graduating from The University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 2004, she initially worked for a medical malpractice firm defending physicians and insurance companies who had been sued for medical malpractice. Black then switched sides and has only represented injured people since 2006. She has tried cases in General Sessions, Circuit Court, and Federal Court.

JUDGE BERNICE B. DONALD

Judge Bernice B. Donald of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, became the first judge competitively selected to receive the Sandra Day O’Connor Award, which is the highest honor of The National Judicial College. Judge Donald received this award on November 10, 2022 during the Appellate Judges Education Institute’s (AJEI) Annual Summit. Judge Donald, 70, who last year announced she was moving to senior status, became the first African American woman to serve on the Sixth Circuit when she was confirmed by the Senate on September 6, 2011 following her nomination by President Barack Obama on December 1, 2010.

Scott Douglass

Scott Douglass has joined Baker Donelson as an IP Shareholder. Douglass concentrates his practice in the areas of trademarks, copyrights, and data privacy, and litigates trademark, trade dress, and copyright claims in federal courts. He also helps clients maximize the value of their intellectual property through licensing, and advises clients on the adoption, protection, and registration of brands and product launches. Douglass is a member of the Memphis Bar Association, the Licensing Executives Society, American Intellectual Property Law Association, Copyright Society of the South, and International Trademark Association.

FREEMAN B. FOSTER

Freeman B. Foster, who previously served as a senior assistant city attorney for the City of Memphis, has joined Baker Donelson as of counsel in the firm’sMemphis office and a member of the Health Care Litigation Group. A graduate of The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, Foster is a member of the Memphis and Tennessee Bar Associations and the Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association.

NICOLE M. GRIDA

Nicole M. Grida has joined Bowman and Brooke LLP, a nationally recognized trial firm with one of the largest product liability practices in the country, as a Partner. In her new role, she will help the firm establish a presence in Tennessee and expand its footprint by defending corporate clients in complex product liability and general civil litigation. Nicole was also elected International Justice of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International, the nation's largest legal fraternity, on August 5, 2022, and was sworn into this prestigious role at the Awards Banquet following the conclusion of the Fraternity’s 64th Biennial Convention & Leadership Conference.

JUDGE ANDRE B. MATHIS

Judge Andre B. Mathis was confirmed a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on September 8, 2022. At the time of his nomination by President Joseph Biden on November 17, 2021, Judge Mathis was a Partner at Butler Snow, LLP in Memphis where he focused his practice on commercial litigation, labor and employment law, education law, white-collar criminal defense and general civil litigation. Before joining Butler Snow, he practiced at Glankler Brown PLLC for over a dozen years. Judge Mathis was a member of the Western District of Tennessee’s Criminal Justice Act Panel and worked on pro-bono cases for the Tennessee Innocence Project. Prior to his confirmation hearing, Mathis received a “Well Qualified” rating from the American Bar Association.