Celebrating our bar association's diverse membership and highlighting the accomplishments and contributions of KBA members.

Baker Donelson has elected 11 new shareholders, including Jamie Ballinger at the firm's Knoxville office.

Ms. Ballinger is a litigator practicing in both federal and state courts. She has a particular focus in employment, professional liability and corporate issues in the health care, hospitality and manufacturing industries. She has been published by Bloomberg and Westlaw. 

Ms. Ballinger is both a Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude graduate of the University of Tennessee and a cum laude graduate from the University of Tennessee College of Law. She has been recognized by Mid-South Super Lawyers as a "Rising Star" and was named to the Greater Knoxville Business Journal's "40 Under 40." She is a recipient of the East Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women "Spirit of Justice Award" for advocacy for women in and outside of the legal profession. She was elected to the Knoxville Bar Foundation in 2018 and has received the Knoxville Bar Association President's Award for her service to the Bar. Ms. Ballinger is also an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law, where she received the most outstanding adjunct professor award in 2019. She also serves on the College of Law's Alumni Council.

Lewis Thomason has announced that Mitchell Panter has been named a shareholder. Panter’s practice centers on representing health care providers in professional liability matters and disciplinary investigations with Tennessee’s various health-related boards. He also assists providers with licensing and regulatory issues. Panter also represents businesses in complex commercial disputes involving trade secrets, restrictive covenants, and other breach of contract matters. 

Panter is an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law, where he teaches Civil Pretrial Litigation.

A Love Letter to the KBA (and my Mom)

My mother very unexpectedly passed away in December.  And, when I say very unexpected, it would have been more probable to me that I finally qualified for the LPGA, lost 15 pounds, and discovered that I am really a close relative of Queen Elizabeth than for my dad to knock on my door at 4 a.m. to tell me that Mom was gone.  To say that she was the absolute best is an understatement.  To give her the accolades and praise she deserves would take more words than fill a monthly DICTA (and is really not the point of this letter).  

In the absolute crushing and darkest days that followed, I received emails, texts, and cards expressing prayers, thoughts of encouragement, and stories.   Chick-fila, Jack Daniels, cookies, flowers, and memorial gifts were delivered to the house (some people just really understand me as a person).   In Texas, Tennessee, and Switzerland, three amazing people took time out of their lives and travels to light candles and say prayers for me and my family.  And while these actions and gestures are likely routine after the death of a friend or family member, all of these actions were from members of the Knoxville Bar.

Attorneys that I work with on a daily basis, Judges (some I don’t even appear before), paralegals, members of the Board of Governors…even “plaintiff attorneys” took time, during the busy Christmas season, to think of me and my family. Every day that I limped into the office wanting to do anything but work, I was handed cards marked “personal”; cards that included powerful words of encouragement, that shared similar stories of losing a parent too soon, cards that made me cry (which didn’t take much), cards that found a way to bring me joy.

To say that I was overwhelmed by the gestures of the amazing members of the KBA is equally an understatement.  In a profession where I have “adversaries” and “matters in controversy” and tensions can run very high, the sheer volume of KBA members that attempted to console me, make me laugh, give me the opportunity to vent, or just hug me and hear me ugly cry was profoundly impactful…and made me so thankful for my lawyer family.

In a year when our current KBA President, Jason Long, has asked us to be grateful and celebrate, I wanted to take the time to express my sincere gratitude to all of you who have reached out to try to help me during this most difficult time.  

Now, if you didn’t send me flowers, or a text, or a card, I am not saying you are a bad person (you might be, but not because of this) or to place guilt or shame.  Instead, this letter is simply intended to do two things: (1) allow me to express my forever gratitude; and (2) say, from personal experience, that taking the time to send a card, for any reason, can really be life changing.

If my mom’s death has any lesson, it is simply that there is no guarantee of tomorrow.  So, take the time to send a note, go to lunch, or grab drinks after work.  Celebrate your lawyer family. 

Sincerely,

Rachel Park Hurt