Harlan Dodson To Lead Family Finances Presentation at KraftCPAs Event
Harlan Dodson will discuss options and important considerations for handling family finances after the loss of a loved one at a seminar hosted by KraftCPAs PLLC on August 27, 2019. For more information, or to register for this free seminar, click here.
Seven Dodson Parker Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America© 2020; 17 Firm Practice Areas Represented
Seven lawyers from the firm were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2020. The attorneys are recognized for their work in 17 practice areas.
Margaret Behm is recognized in the following areas:
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- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Law
- Employment Law – Individuals
- Employment Law – Management
- Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Municipal Law
- Nonprofit / Charities Law
Michael Bressman is recognized for his work in Art Law, Information Technology Law, and Trademark Law.
Donald Capparella has been named 2020 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in Nashville for his work in Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs. He is also recognized in the areas of Appellate Practice and Insurance Law.
Miranda R. Christy is recognized for her work in Real Estate Law.
Harlan Dodson is recognized his work in the following categories:
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- Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
- Corporate Law
- Litigation – Trusts and Estates
- Nonprofit / Charities Law
- Real Estate Law
- Trusts and Estates
Paul Parker is recognized for his work in the area of Trusts and Estates.
Tyler C. Yarbro, is recognized for her work in Employment Law – Individuals, Employment Law – Management, and Litigation – Labor & Employment.
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 36,000 leading attorneys cast almost 4.4 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”
Donald Capparella Secures Corrections to Alimony Judgments in the Court of Appeals
Donald Capparella recently argued two cases before the Court of Appeals seeking review of alimony awards.
In one case, the trial court reduced Husband’s alimony obligation due to a disability that occurred after the divorce was final. Capparella asked the appellate court to reverse the trial court’s order because the Husband’s disability did not actually affect his net income. The Court of Appeals agreed, restoring Wife’s original award of alimony and ordering Husband to pay Wife’s attorney fees at the trial and appellate levels, as well as arrearages for unpaid alimony.
In the other case, the Husband was ordered to pay alimony based on the needs of the Wife, so that she could continue living a similar lifestyle to the one she enjoyed during the marriage. The trial court found that Wife was capable of earning an income, but did not include this finding when calculating the amount of alimony to be paid. Capparella asked the appellate court to consider the earning capabilities of Wife when determining the amount of alimony that should be ordered. The Court of Appeals adopted Capparella’s argument and reduced Husband’s alimony obligation by the amount of Wife’s income capability.
In both cases the Court of Appeals agreed with Capparella and his clients were awarded the relief they sought. You can read more information about these two cases in the Dodson Parker Law Blog.
Capparella Secures Breach of Contract Win and Order of Specific Performance on Appeal
Donald Capparella recently secured a win for his client, a restaurant owner who had entered into an agreement to purchase the property she had leased for many years. The owner of the property entered into a contract to sell but then refused to allow closing to proceed. The trial court determined that the contract was valid and ordered that property owner be required to sell. The Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s determination that the sale should proceed. Capparella was engaged to represent the restaurant owner on appeal. The Court of Appeals opinion can be read in its entirety here.
Two Family Law Wins for Appellate Practice Team; Parental Rights and Separate Property Awards at Issue
The DPBC Appellate Practice Team has seen two recent victories on appeal in family law matters. In one case, a mother’s equal parental rights were preserved when the Court of Appeals determined that the trial court had abused its discretion in reducing the mother’s parenting time and decision-making authority. DPBC’s Donald Capparella was retained to represent the mother on appeal; he was assisted on the brief by associate Kimberly Macdonald. You can read the full opinion here.
In the other recent case, Dodson Parker attorneys had successfully argued at trial that the appreciation in value of certain stock shares that had been given to a husband by his father was not marital property subject to division by the court. The Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s determination. The opinion in that case can be found here.
The Dodson Parker appellate practice team regularly handles complex divorces. Learn more about our appellate practice team.
DPBC Litigation Team Scores Win in “Exploding Hoverboard” Case; Amazon Can Be Liable for Damages
Bucking a trend in lawsuits around the country, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has determined that online retailer Amazon can be held liable for damages in a case stemming from an “exploding hoverboard” that it sold through its website. DPBC’s Donald Capparella was appellate counsel along with Stephen Anderson in the successful appeal.
Amazon filed a motion for summary judgment, alleging that it was not responsible for the harm caused by the product under Tennessee law, and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee granted the motion, dismissing the case. The Plaintiffs appealed. In its June 10 opinion, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed the summary judgment on the Tennessee tort law claim, holding that Amazon can be held liable for its assumption of a duty to warn about the dangerous hoverboard, and its negligence in fulfilling that duty. This will allow the Plaintiffs to proceed with their case against Amazon, Inc. before a jury.
You can read the full opinion here and read more about the case on the DPBC blog.
Three DPBC Attorneys Included in Nashville Business Journal’s “2019 Best of the Bar”
Dodson Parker Behm and Capparella is pleased to have three lawyers included among the Nashville Business Journal’s 2019 “Best of the Bar.” The annual list is complied through nomination, and attorneys are selected by their peers for inclusion. Attorneys will be honored at a reception on June 18 at the City Winery.
- Harlan Dodson was honored in field of Estate Planning. He is the founder and co-author of Introduction to Estate Planning and Administration in Tennessee. He also counsels businesses on matters ranging from startup and formation through business succession planning.
- Margaret Behm was selected in the field of Labor and Employment. In addition to her employment work, Behm represents clients in matters related to municipal law, estate planning, bankruptcy, and commercial litigation.
- Donald Capparella was named in the Litigation and Dispute category. Focusing his practice exclusively on litigation, Capparella is regularly called upon to handle complex matters including construction defects, business disputes, personal injury, and insurance disputes at the trial and appellate level.
Each attorney above has been named previously to the list, and firm attorneys have been named to the Nashville Business Journal’s “Best of the Bar” List for more than ten consecutive years.
Parker to Speak at National Business Institute Seminar
Paul S. Parker will be a featured speaker at the National Business Institute’s “Estate Planning from A to Z” seminar. The event, which will be held August 5, 2019, in Nashville, focuses on current issues in estate administration and is designed for attorneys, trust officers, accountants, financial planners, paralegals, and other tax professionals.
Parker will lead a session entitled “Understanding Tax Procedures to Avoid Problems Later” and will address important tax issues that must be considered during estate administration.
For more information, or to register to attend, please click here.
Parker, a frequent speaker for the National Business Institute, has been recognized multiple times by Super Lawyers® on its Annual List of Top Attorneys in the Mid-South. Parker practices in the areas of tax, estate planning, and probate.
Harlan Dodson Receives Lifetime Impact Award from Oasis Center
Harlan Dodson speaks at “Only in Nashville 2019,” upon receiving the Lifetime Impact Award from Oasis Center, Nashville.
On May 4, DPBC Attorney Harlan Dodson was awarded the Lifetime Impact Award from Oasis Center, the Nashville non-profit that serves more than 3000 youth annually with its programming ranging from crisis intervention to youth leadership and college and career readiness. The award was presented at the center’s annual “Only In Nashville” event, held this year at OZ Nashville. Mr. Dodson’s award reflects his 50 years of service to the institution as a founder and volunteer.
In 1969, Dodson was among a group of Nashville lawyers who established a community center for runaway teens and youth struggling with addiction. The organization grew into the Oasis Center, which today offers more than 20 programs and services focusing on four core areas of serving youth in need: Safety, Belonging, Empowerment, and Generosity. You can learn more about the Oasis Center here.
Behm Presents at 2019 Access To Justice Pro Bono Summit
The Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission held its annual Pro Bono Summit at the Nashville Public Library on April 5. Margaret L. Behm, who was appointed by the Court to chair the inaugural Access to Justice Commission in 2009, was a featured presenter. Behm lead a break-out session for solo practitioners and local law firms, discussing ways that small firms can incorporate providing pro bono services into their case load.