Best Lawyers in Tennessee, United States for Banking and Finance Law
Elizabeth Sauer advises investors, developers, managers, and owner-operators in large-scale, multi-state portfolio transactions, as well as single-asset deals. Clients value her insight and experience in a wide variety of real estate, finance and corporate transactions. REITs and other public and private companies benefit from her client-first approach in the purchase, sale, leaseback, development, management, leasing and financing of raw land and improved assets. She has significant transact...
Emily Bowman represents financial institutions, including banks and insurance companies, and corporate clients in a variety of commercial and real estate lending and other real estate transactional matters. Emily also regularly issues legal opinions in connection with multi-state projects and as local counsel for transactions originated outside of Tennessee secured by real property located within the State. Her commercial and real estate lending practice includes representation of lenders and...
Robert L. Harris is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law and Commercial Finance Law. Robert L., who practices law in Nashville, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2005. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Robert L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Woods Weathersby is experienced in all areas of real estate transactions, including acquisitions, development, tax incentives, and leasing. He has handled complex commercial transactions across the country and has structured joint ventures, partnerships, and limited liability companies. In addition, his practice includes the structuring of tax-free exchanges and payment in lieu of tax incentive transactions. Representative clients include commercial developers, investors, and banks, as well a...
Vincent B. Lillegard is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law. Vincent B., who practices law in Nashville, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Vincent B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Practice Areas: Banking Law; Commercial Real Estate; Contracts & Leases; Corporate Law; Health Care Law; LLC & Partnership Law; Mergers & Acquisitions; Real Estate Finance Admitted: 1991, Tennessee; 1992 U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee Law School: University of Tennessee at Knoxville, J.D. R. Scott Elmore is the managing member of Elmore, Stone & Caffey, PLLC, located in Knoxville, Tennessee. Prior to establishing Elm...
Kevin Michael represents arrangers, agents, lenders and borrowers in connection with a variety of complex financing transactions, including term and revolving loan facilities, asset-based loan facilities, letter of credit facilities and subscription facilities. He handles the refinancing and restructuring of existing financing arrangements for a wide range of purposes and industries, including skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, ambulatory surgery centers and other healthcare faci...
Paul Edwards represents real estate developers, investors, family corporations, and lending institutions. Mr. Edwards's main focus is transactional work, concentrating on corporate and real estate law. Recent representation matters as lead counsel: Negotiated and structured sale of $115 million company Advised company in regulatory matters with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Lender counsel in $30 million asset-based loan in Florida Negotiation and sale of multiple shopping centers througho...
Charlie Sanger advises clients in the areas of commercial finance, real estate and creditors' rights. Charlie represents owners, investors, manufacturers and commercial developers in the acquisition, development and disposition of various types of projects, including the sale of distressed businesses. He represents commercial lenders and developers in all phases of purchasing, developing and constructing various types of real estate projects. A significant portion of Charlie’s practice ...
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...
Van East represents clients on matters involving closely held business entities, including formations, conversions, mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, as well as restructuring ownership and control. He has represented clients in purchasing and selling a variety of businesses, including home-building, real estate development, manufacturing, and restaurant entities. Van routinely organizes limited liability companies, corporations and partnerships for a variety of business purposes, includ...
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...
Mike Roberts has broad legal experience in a variety of business transactions, including loan transactions, the leasing and acquisition of real property, acquisition and disposition of private companies and venture capital transactions. The primary focus of his practice in recent years is the representation of lenders and borrowers in secured lending transactions. Mike also regularly acts as local counsel on multi-state loan transactions, advising on Tennessee indebtedness tax and providing l...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.