BusinessTN

From its founding in 1997, Memphis law firm Tate Lazarini Brady & Davis grew to become one of the largest practices in the Southeast focused specifically on national securities litigation and arbitration. The firm's growing broker-dealer practice was increasingly involved in more complex issues on a regional and national scale, making it clear that the six-member firm would benefit from a larger, deeper platform.

Enter Bass, Berry & Sims, founded in 1922, which boasts a broad Fortune 500 client base, including representation of 40 public companies in corporate governance and securities matters. The large firm saw the advantages of combining the widely respected national broker-dealer and securities litigation practice with its own nationally significant financial services practice. A merger was completed in October 2007.

"Our practice expanded Bass, Berry & Sims' securities litigation practice into arenas such as representing brokerage firms in customer disputes and disputes with other brokerage firms regarding employment issues," says Shepherd Tate, founder of Tate Lazarini and current Bass, Berry & Sims attorney. "So it was a natural extension of what Bass, Berry & Sims already did. And it has resulted in a wonderful combination."

Bass, Berry & Sims has over 80 lawyers in its litigation group serving securities broker-dealers, banks, investment advisors, hedge funds, private equity funds and other publicly and privately held companies, as well as their boards of directors, special committees and executive officers. Tate no doubt appreciates all that firepower. Once merged, the firm formed a financial products and broker-dealer litigation group chaired by Tate and comprised of roughly 20 lawyers.

Tate's significant practice means he has cases throughout the United States, which puts him on the road a good bit. Suffice it to say, he has done a lot of work for the Merrill Lynches and Morgan Keegans of the world.

"I generally don't identify clients," Tate says. "I can say that with the liquidity prices that are currently holding the market in their clutches, we will be very busy with that in the foreseeable future. We've been working on matters related to the credit crisis for over a year. Many, many law firms will be involved in matters relating to the financial crisis that is impacting the market right now."

As any lawyer will tell you, it's good to be busy.