Deborah Godwin

Paula serves as Butler Snow's Practice Management Partner and Chief Operations Officer. She represents local, regional and national lenders and borrowers in a variety of real estate and asset-based loan transactions, including loan syndications and participations.

R. Porter Feild is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Real Estate Law. R. Porter, who practices law in Memphis, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which R. Porter is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jeffrey C. Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Health Care Law and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Jeffrey C., who practices law in Memphis, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jeffrey C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

B. Douglas Earthman concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate law, secured lending transactions, and transactional work, including municipal bond and other tax-exempt financing transactions. He serves as bond counsel in a variety of tax-exempt bond matters, including general municipal finance, industrial development, health care and housing matters, and in other capacities, such as trustee's counsel, developer's counsel, issuer's counsel, credit provider's counsel, underwriter's c...

Richard Nichol concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate law and business transactions as well as federal and state taxation. Richard also has extensive experience representing local, regional and national lenders in real estate and asset-based loan transactions. He has been involved in: the structuring of new businesses mergers, spin-offs and sales acquisitions involving corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies. His taxation experience includes not only tax planni...

Stevan Black attended the public schools in Natchez, Mississippi (K-5) and Memphis, Tennessee (6-12), graduating from Overton High School in 1966. Black majored in chemistry at Mississippi State University and secured an American Chemical Society accredited Bachelor of Science degree in 1970. While at Mississippi State, Black was Chairman of the Judicial Council, a student Senator and a member of the President's Cabinet. He was an officer in his fraternity, Beta Tau chapter of Kappa Alpha Ord...

Chip is a member of Butler Snow’s Pharmaceutical, Medical Devices & Healthcare Group, where he focuses his practice on health-related matters, including representation of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in multidistrict product liability litigations, consolidated state proceedings, individual cases in state and federal courts, and large mass tort matters. He is also actively involved in our Trucking Litigation group, representing both local and over-the-road carriers...

Tanja L. Thompson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labor Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Tanja L., who practices law in Memphis, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Tanja L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Melissa A. Maravich is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Labor Law - Management and Litigation - Insurance. Melissa A., who practices law in Memphis, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Melissa A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mr. Womack has been practicing law for nearly thirty years. Although the focus of his practice is in environmental law, he has experience in a variety of civil litigation matters, including antitrust, construction negligence, construction claims, commercial disputes and tort liability. Mr. Womack has practiced environmental law for nearly twenty years. In that time he has been active in the Environmental Law Section of the Tennessee Bar Association (serving as Chairman of the Section in 2006-...