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ACC TN Spring Newsletter | March 2023

Message from the President

Earlier this year, our good friends at K&L Gates reached out with the opportunity for ACC Tennessee to join K&L Gates, Fisk University and the HBCU Wellness Initiative for the first annual Southeast Healthcare Fraud Symposium. It only took a few minutes of hearing about the incredible speakers in law and healthcare and the community service opportunity for it to make obvious sense for ACC Tennessee to say yes. Thank you to each of our members who were able to attend and participate this year. For those who couldn't, we look forward to sharing details and a save the date for the 2024 event once we get them.

The reason saying "yes" to this event was a no-brainer is that it touches on several focus areas for our Board in 2023: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging; Community Involvement; membership growth in the Healthcare industry; and, as always, quality programming geared towards in-house counsel. We have several exciting opportunities already in 2023 where ACC Tennessee is partnering with other organizations with common interests, such as the upcoming Nashville Bar Association Golf Tournament in May. I want to encourage each of our members (and our sponsors) to reach out to ACC Tennessee when you see an opportunity where ACC Tennessee can partner with other legal and community organizations in which you may have an interest. These partnerships help drive name recognition for ACC Tennessee and membership growth--and more importantly, provide valuable opportunities to our members and for our mission.

Peter Malanchuk - ACC Tennessee President

Senior Counsel, Labor and Employment

Bridgestone Americas, Inc.

Message from the Executive Director

You'll notice we've replaced my headshot in this edition with the LinkedIn Icon. Do you follow ACC Tennessee on LinkedIn? No or not sure? I'll give you a minute to click the link, select "Follow" ACC Tennessee, and then you can come back for the rest of my message.

March is Global Membership month at ACC. Do you have someone in your department or in your professional network who would enjoy the benefits of ACC membership? This is a great month to invite them to join -- new members are eligible for a $50 discount on their first year of membership with the code BMM50. We also have a strong roster of Corporate Members based in Tennessee -- Bridgestone, Eastman Chemical, Federal Express, International Paper and Sylvamo -- if you have any connections to prospective members at these organizations, there may be slots available to join without any additional expense. We appreciate all of our Individual and Corporate Members and enjoying providing the resources of ACC Tennessee and ACC Global to you.

Finally, you will notice some new features in our newsletter this quarter. We are thrilled to have new sections in Membership, Pro Bono and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging where we can highlight key sponsors and share important activity in those strategic areas. We hope you enjoy the new format and content!

Samantha Lunn, Executive Director

ACC Tennessee

Member News & Updates

Jeffrey Wheeler, VP & Deputy GC

Numotion

How long have you been in-house?

I’ve been working in a corporate environment since late 1996 and have had traditional “in-house” responsibilities since late 2005, so somewhere between 17 and 26 years.

How long have you been a member of ACC?

I joined ACC in 2004, so about 19 years. I was the only attorney in my company at the time, so gaining access to ACC resources and meeting fellow members was a huge help at that point in my career.

Tell us about a recent trip you've taken.

About a month ago, I spent a week sailing the southern Caribbean on a 92-year-old ship called the Sea Cloud. The ship (a four-masted barque, for any sailing ship buffs) was originally built for use by E.F. Hutton, Marjorie Merriweather Post, and their daughter and now can host 50-60 people. I’m trying to avoid the word “cruise,” because the experience was so very different from any cruise I’ve taken. It was a remarkable trip!

Nashville Bar Association - Nashville Bar Foundation - ACC Tennessee

Golf Tournament

Thursday, May 18

12:00 PM Range Balls Available

1:00 PM Shotgun Start

Hermitage Golf Course

Old Hickory, TN

$160 Entry Fee for ACC Members

(includes range balls, greens fees, cart, beverages, snacks & dinner)

GOLF TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION

Thank you to our members statewide who have joined us for the terrific events and programming we have hosted so far in 2023. We are excited for all of our other upcoming events for the remainder of the year. We could not do it without the partnership from all of our wonderful sponsors.

ACC Tennessee

Statewide Virtual CLE on "Nonprofit Board Service: What to Know Before You (or a Friend) Agree to Serve"

Presented by: Heather DeGaetano

Fisher Phillips

Social Event at the Jefferson Street Sound Museum in Nashville

K&L Gates

Southeastern Health Care Fraud Symposium

Announcing ACC Tennessee's Young Lawyers Division

Calling all members who have practiced in-house 5 or less years! ACC Tennessee is pleased to announce the formation of a Young Lawyers Division ("YLD") and YLD Committee to support our members who are newer to in-house practice. Many thanks to the ACC Global Grant program for its support of ACC Tennessee's YLD efforts.

Under the leadership of our Past President Scott Ellis, the YLD Committee will soon be announcing networking events in each Region and an educational program in Middle Tennessee specifically designed with YLD in mind. If you would like to be added to the YLD distribution list, please send an email to Tennessee@accglobal.com with the subject line "YLD."

Beginning in April, ACC Tennessee will launch its first YLD Mentorship Program, a six month program pairing seasoned in-house attorneys with those newer to the practice. You can apply now to be a Mentor or a Mentee in this program.

ACC TN YLD MENTOR APPLICATION

ACC TN YLD MENTEE APPLICATION

YLD Members Interested in Corporate Counsel University

ACC Global's Signature New-to-In-House Program, Corporate Counsel University, has benefited countless attorneys--including several ACC Tennessee Board Members. This year, ACC Tennessee has three $300 stipends towards expenses available to YLD members planning to attend CCU this June in Minneapolis. If you are interested in applying for one of the CCU Stipends, please send an email to Tennessee@accglobal.com with the subject line "CCU YLD Stipend." Stipend available for attorneys that have practiced in-house 5 years or less and subject to other requirements.

Members on the Move

Julie Bennett

Julie Bennett - formerly Vice-President and General Counsel for Bristol Motor Speedway and ACC TN Member was recently named Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for Ballad Health. She was also reappointed to a second term on the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education by the Tennessee Supreme Court.

Have you or one of your in-house colleagues changed jobs, been promoted, or received professional recognition?

Share the news with ACC TN members by sending a note to acc-tennessee@accglobal.com.

Public Interest & Advocacy

ACC Tennessee looks forward to it partnership in 2023 with Bass Berry & Sims as our inaugural Pro Bono Sponsor. Welcome aboard!

Upcoming Expungement Clinics

As part of the Office of Reentry's Second Chance Month in April, OOR is coordinating expungement clinics in Jackson (April 6), Murfreesboro (April 13), Chattanooga (April 14), Clarksville (April 21), and Lebanon (April 27). If you are interested in attending these clinics and/or receiving training for expungement pro bono opportunities, please email Tennessee@ACCGlobal.com with the subject line "Expungement."

Free Legal Answers for Businesses Project

The Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative and its partners (including ACC Tennessee, its Platinum Sponsor Butler Snow and its Pro Bono Sponsor Bass Berry & Sims) are working with the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services on the development of a "Free Legal Answers" website and program for businesses. We look forward to sharing more on the progress of this project throughout the year. If you or your company are interested in being part of the efforts on this project, please email Tennessee@ACCGlobal.com with the subject line "Free Legal Answers."

2023 Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative Gala

ACC Tennessee is proud to be a Board of Directors Level Sponsor for the 2023 Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative ("CCPBI") Gala, which is returning for the first time since 2019!

CCPBI was launched as a joint effort by the Tennessee Bar Association ("TBA") Access to Justice Committee, the TBA Corporate Counsel Section and ACC Tennessee to help foster a coordinated approach to pro bono work and support for the access to justice community by corporate counsel in Tennessee. CCPBI has raised over $600,000 over the last fifteen years to fund corporate counsel pro bono project grants across the state.

This year's CCPBI Gala will take place on Saturday, April 15, 2023 at the Nashville Downtown Library; many of our ACC TN Board members will be in attendance. Tickets may be purchased through Liz Todaro, Access to Justice Director, ltodaro@tnbar.org or 615-383-7421. More information on the event and information on sponsorship by your company may be found on the CCPBI website.

Member Kudos

ACC Tennessee would like to congratulate members Joseph McKinney, Jaz Boon and Deadrick Thaxton for being selected for the 2023 Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Law Program - the class of 2023 is lucky to have them!

ACC Tennessee would like to congratulate 2023 Sponsors Bass, Berry & Sims, Fisher Phillips and Patterson Intellectual Property Law for having attorneys selected as members of the 2023 Tennessee Bar Assoc. Leadership Law Program. Congrats to Seth Odgen, Jonathan Nelson and Maria Tedesco Scott.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to announce the formation of a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging ("DEIB") Committee to further ACC Tennessee's statewide efforts in these important areas. We've got several exciting things developing in DEIB, so please keep an eye on our LinkedIn page and in this newsletter. For 2023, we are especially thrilled to have Merchant & Gould be our inaugural DEIB Sponsor.

April Berman - SVP & General Counsel

Asurion

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