Michaela D. Poizner

Lauren Jacques focuses her practice on healthcare transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures, and the regulatory and operational issues that affect healthcare providers. Lauren routinely represents both publicly traded and privately held companies, including national hospital and surgery center companies. She has experience handling a wide variety of transactions across the country, including transactions involving hospitals, home health agencies, hospices,...

James L. Weatherly, Jr. is Special Counsel in the firm’s Nashville office. He has over 40 years of legal experience. Mr. Weatherly began his career with a focus on criminal law, resulting in his past election as the public defender for Metro Nashville-Davidson County, Tennessee. While his criminal law practice continues he has a strong concentration on family law. Mr. Weatherly has served as President of the Nashville Bar Association, the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer...

David Stempel is a business transactions lawyer in the firm’s Nashville office. He has worked with clients in many different industries on mergers, acquisitions, sales, joint ventures, and capital raising transactions. He has significant experience in representing health care companies, including ambulatory surgery centers and home health companies, and helping those healthcare clients implement their growth and development strategies by structuring, negotiating and closing complex busi...

Heather Wright helps advises clients regarding risk management through insurance, including litigation of coverage issues when necessary. She helps policyholders maximize insurance recovery under a variety of commercial insurance policies, including property, general liability, professional liability, directors and officers, and cyber liability policies. In addition, she represents commercial property owners and asset managers, as well as real estate developers and general contractors, in the...

Rebecca McKelvey Castañeda is a Member of the firm in the Nashville and Franklin offices. She works exclusively in the practice known as Family Law with an emphasis in international family law, especially parental child abductions from country to country. She has significant experience with cases brought under the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and the International Child Abduction Remedies Act. The United States has signed this particular H...

Pat Alexander practices primarily in the areas of public finance, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and franchising. Pat has more than 30 years of experience in all aspects of public finance, including tax-exempt and taxable debt financing transactions. He serves as bond counsel to various public authorities and other entities, including Nashville Electric Service and the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency.

Tyler Layne is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Health Care Law. Tyler practices law in Nashville, Tennessee Best Lawyers has recognized Tyler Layne since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Tyler Layne is held by other lawyers.

Rick Nickels is a member of the firm’s Tax and Trusts and Estates practice groups. Rick practices at the intersection of business, tax and estate planning. A significant portion of his practice involves advising private companies and their owners, directors and executives on an array of state and federal tax, governance and corporate matters. Rick regularly assists with matters ranging from early-stage structure and funding to mid-stage buyouts and divorces to late-stage exits. He has s...

Thomas W. Lawless earned his JD in 1980 from the Nashville School of Law and was admitted to practice in Tennessee in 1981. He is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Tennessee as well as the Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. He is a board certified Creditors’ Rights Law Specialist by the American Board of Certification and the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Speci...

Ryan A. Lee is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Construction Law and Litigation - Construction. Ryan A. practices law in Nashville, Tennessee Best Lawyers has recognized Ryan A. Lee since 2025. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Ryan A. Lee is held by other lawyers.