Ortale Kelley is proud to congratulate attorney Chicoya Smith on receiving two distinguished awards and being elected to a regional leadership position during the National Bar Association’s 101st Annual Convention, held July 25–31, 2026, in Nashville. On July 27, members attending the convention elected Chicoya to serve as Region VI Director. [...]
Ortale Kelley was proud to celebrate with Wawa #7010 Convenience Store at its VIP event in Clarksville, marking the opening of Wawa’s first store in Tennessee. The Clarksville location represents an exciting milestone for Wawa as it begins its expansion across the state. Ortale Kelley is honored to have assisted Wawa with its alcoholic [...]
Ortale Kelley was pleased to take part in the Nashville Bar Association Golf Tournament held at Old Natchez Country Club. Attorneys Richard Modrzynski, Dan Werner, and Walker Lewis attended the event, which brought together attorneys from across the Nashville area for a day of networking and relationship-building. Events like this provide a [...]
Ortale Kelley associate Zachary (“Zach”) A. Sterne won the Tennessee Bar Association’s Administrative Law Writing Competition for his thought piece on how the APA’s phrase “set aside” influences national conversations about courts and federal regulations. Below are brief snippets from Zach’s though piece and where to read the original. [...]
Ortale Kelley proudly congratulates Zachary (“Zach”) A. Sterne on being officially sworn in as a member of the Tennessee Bar Association. Zach joined Ortale Kelley’s litigation team after earning his J.D., magna cum laude, from Belmont University College of Law, where he served as Managing Editor of the Belmont Law Review and was recognized as [...]
We are incredibly proud to celebrate a major achievement for one of our own. Chicoya Smith-Gallman has been officially inducted into the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). This prestigious milestone reflects her dedication, hard work, and commitment to the legal profession. As an attorney at Ortale Kelley, Chicoya has shown a strong [...]
Tennessee Bars and Restaurants Required to Provide Enhanced Training on Sexual Assault Prevention As of January 1, 2025, a new Tennessee law requires bars and restaurants to provide enhanced training for their staff on sexual assault prevention, date rape drug awareness, and human trafficking. The new law mandates that all alcohol servers [...]
Dan Werner , our newest associate, was sworn in by the Tennessee Supreme Court November 5, 2024! We are excited to have Dan on our team.
On October 24th, Ortale Kelley Law Firm was presented with a Legal Aid award for its 17 years of participation in the leadership cabinet. The leadership cabinet recognizes firms who have 100% participation from its attorneys in giving. Hallie Gillam and Wendy Longmire were proud to receive this award on behalf of the firm. Justice […]
Emmie Kinnard recently graduated from the well-respected Nashville Bar Foundation Leadership Forum, an elite program for 25 selected attorneys who practice in Davidson County with incredible leadership potential. Emmie had the chance to engage in in-depth learning, collaboration, and an additional opportunity to serve the Nashville community [...]
Our very own Chicoya Smith Gallman was recently recognized as one of the National Bar Association’s Nation’s Best Advocates: 40 under 40. This prestigious award celebrates the achievements of attorneys and advocates who have demonstrated excellence in their profession and dedication to their community. Chicoya was honored alongside an [...]
Chicoya Smith Gallman has been selected as 1 of 25 attorneys by the Nashville Bar Association for the 2025 Nashville Bar Foundation Leadership Forum – a local leadership program for lawyers with 3-8 years of experience – designed to bring together emerging leaders who participate in monthly workshops for 9 months to help them realize [...]
Last year, Ortale Kelley was honored to receive the Distinguished Partnership Award from Belmont University School of Law. This recognition is a collaborative spirit and shared commitment to the excellence that defines our partnership. We are deeply grateful to Belmont Law for this honor and for the opportunity to contribute to the [...]
Ortale Kelley enjoyed quality time at Pinewood Social, bowling and celebrating with our Partners and Associates, for a job well done by our Summer Associates, Kendall McMullen and Zachary Sterne. During their time away from their strenuous studies at Belmont University College of Law, these two All-Stars have been anywhere and [...]
Hayley Vos submitted an article to the Nashville Bar Journal interviewing a Former Major and Member of the Army Medical Service Corps in honor of the Veterans Edition. https://www.nashvillebar.org/?pg=NashvilleBarJournal
Ortale Kelley enjoyed a lovely afternoon of golf at the Towhee Club on April 5th raising funds for local law students to work in unpaid, public interest internships. Ortale Kelley’s Chuck Weirich was honored with a trophy (wine) for his closest to the pin shot on the 13th hole.
Ortale Kelly has elected Jeremy Cherry and Wendy Longmire as co-managing partners of The Firm. Their diverse practices and talents combine to provide effective leadership for the firm in this time of transition. Cherry joined the firm in 2002 and specializes in all matters of transactional law. He represents and advises builders, [...]
We are proud to announce that Emmie Kinnard has been named an Equity Partner at Ortale Kelley Since joining the firm, Emmie has made a lasting impact through the quality of her work and the thoughtfulness, precision, and determination she brings to every case. Her leadership and skill have become vital to the success of […]
Richard Warren Sebastian passed away unexpectedly on February 9, 2024, at age 59. Richard was a devoted husband, father, brother, and law partner. Richard is survived by his soulmate and loving wife of 34 years, Lynda (Lynn) Sebastian, his beloved daughter, of whom he was so proud, Maria Sebastian, his sister, Carol Goodin (Len), and his [...]
Ortale Kelley attorney, Pete Weiss, was honored at the Nashville Bar Association’s 2023 Banquet for his fifty years of membership with the Nashville Bar! Pete graduated from Vanderbilt Law School in 1973. His legal experience is vast, ranging from establishing Horizonal Property Regimes to handling complex [...]
Ortale Kelley proudly announces that Emmie Kinnard, Hayley Vos, and William Ball have been named as the newest partners to the firm. All three are graduates of Belmont University College of Law and joined the firm in 2019. Emmie Kinnard has focused her litigation practice on all matters that touch on real property, including construction […]
Ortale Kelley’s real estate and alcohol licensing teams recently helped a regional convenient store operator acquire more than fifty locations in cities and counties across Tennessee and Kentucky, positioning the retailer for continued market presence and growth. Ortale Kelley’s attorneys provided comprehensive legal services and advice [...]
It’s a bittersweet time for us. Austin Warehime is leaving the firm to move back to his home state of Ohio and practice Environmental Law at Taft Law Firm. We are so sad to lose Austin, but so happy to see him move closer to his family and pursue his passion. We know you will […]
Congratulations to Auva Attar, Hallie Gillam, and Rick Modrzynski on being sworn into the Tennessee Bar! All three are 2022 graduates with Hallie and Rick graduating from Belmont College of Law and Auva graduating from the The University of Memphis: Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. All were sworn into the Tennessee Bar on November […]
DET Distributing (“DET”) in Tennessee has been acquired by Illinois-based Reyes Beer Division (“RBD”), with the transaction to close in November. DET is one of largest family-owned beverage distributors, selling and delivering over 200 brands of beer, wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic products to 24 counties in Tennessee. DET employs over 300 [...]
Ortale Kelley was honored to receive the Habitat for Humanity 2022 pro bono attorney of the year award at this weeks state impact award banquet. Thanks to William Ball and Richard Sebastian for volunteering their Legal acumen and time. We are all proud to be helping such a great organization and its mission.
