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Offices

Chattanooga

Address
633 Chestnut Street
Suite 1900
Chattanooga, TN 37450
Contact
T: 423.756.2010
F: 423.756.3447
Email: contact@bakerdonelson.com

Office Information


The roots of Baker Donelson's Chattanooga office go back more than 60 years to when Albert W. Taber opened a solo practice in the Chattanooga Bank Building, focusing on corporate, tax, estate, and trust law.

In 1964, the office added Thomas Caldwell as a partner and expanded to become a full-service firm. Thomas O. Helton joined in 1968, followed by Carl Hartley and David Fielder, forming what came to be known as Caldwell, Heggie & Helton. Heiskell Donelson opened its doors in Chattanooga in 1986 and, in 1993, merged with the Caldwell firm. A year later, Heiskell Donelson merged with Baker Worthington to form Baker Donelson.

Today, the Chattanooga office is home to approximately 40 lawyers with practices serving international, national, regional, and local clients. The office boasts a national practice dedicated to the needs of stakeholders in skilled nursing and seniors housing; a nationally recognized team representing lenders and borrowers in HUD-insured commercial loans for health care and multifamily housing facilities; a national litigation team that represents telecommunications providers and Class I railroad carriers; an immigration team that provides trusted counsel to clients around the world on business-, employment-, and family-based immigration matters, including a significant EB-5 practice; trial lawyers focused on representing investor-owned water utilities in condemnation actions and other regulatory matters; tax and economic development lawyers supporting local and national clients; a trusts and estates team focused on planning, administration, tax, and litigation; and a bankruptcy and creditor's rights team that represents local, regional, and national financial institutions on a range of issues.

Our lawyers' commitment to nurturing a collegial work environment complements and reinforces their dedication to excellent client service, as do state-of-the-art technology and support services. In addition, both lawyers and administrative staff are active in giving back to the community – with volunteer and charitable support of multiple organizations, such as regularly providing meals for women and children at "Room in the Inn" for more than 25 years, serving meals and working on special projects with the Chat Foundation (formerly The Community Kitchen), and active involvement in other organizations, including the United Way and the YMCA.

Baker Donelson's Chattanooga office is comprised of high-performing teams focused on being trusted advisors to local, regional, and national clients. Deeply invested in a vibrant Chattanooga, the office is committed to the needs of the business community and providing legal advice that accounts for the business and operational realities of the client's industry. The localized experience is buttressed by the whole of Baker Donelson, making the Chattanooga office an entry point into a panoply of legal services provided across the Firm's footprint.

Corporate / Transactional Paralegal  - Chattanooga, TN

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, & Berkowitz, P.C. has an immediate opening for an experienced Corporate / Transactional Paralegal in its Chattanooga, TN office. All candidates must have either a Bachelor's Degree and/or a paralegal certificate from an ABA approved paralegal program, and five years of prior corporate experience. 

Some responsibilities include the following:  Renew and maintain corporate entities, draft, file and manage various business entity documents for corporations, LLCs and partnerships with state agencies, arrange UCC/litigation/lien searches, prepare and file UCC documentation, assist upkeep of corporate minute books, assist with due diligence, ­­­­­­and generally assist transactional matters for busy seniors housing and long term care practice. 

Candidates should possess strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication (oral and written) skills. All applicants should have an aptitude for detail and multi-tasking; the ability to work efficiently, and to work under pressure with or without direct supervision. Each candidate must be able to handle multiple projects at the same time for different attorneys.  Candidates must be flexible, have regular attendance, subject to firm COVID-19 protocol, and be willing to work overtime if necessary.

Resumes will only be accepted for position posted. Must provide minimum authorization to work in the United States. Please click here to apply.

Thank you for submitting your resume.   After our hiring committee has had a chance to review all candidates for this position, we will reach out to only those that will be moving on to the next step in our recruiting process.  We appreciate your interest in the position and will contact you if further action is necessary.

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, & Berkowitz, PC is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment and all employees are treated during employment without regard to race, color, sexual orientation, religion, sex, age, national origin, genetic information, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity and marital status.

Wills & Estate Paralegal - Chattanooga

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC has an immediate opening for an experienced Trusts and Estates paralegal in its Chattanooga office who also is experienced with both Tennessee and Georgia laws.  This position will involve estate planning, incapacity and post-death administration, and some exposure to trust and estate litigation.  Estate planning responsibilities include matters such as preparation of wills, trusts, financial and health care powers of attorney, attendant estate planning documents, and trust funding instruments.  Incapacity and post-death administration responsibilities include assistance with matters such as preparing probate petitions, maintaining a calendar system of court and other deadlines, corresponding with financial institutions and government entities, maintaining and analyzing financial records of the estate/trust, preparing inventories and fiduciary accountings, and fulfilling many other functions throughout the probate process.  Additional, related responsibilities may also include assistance with the preparation of estate, gift, fiduciary income, and individual income tax returns.  Heavy client contact is to be expected.  Applicants ideally should have at least five years of focused experience with respect to preparing estate planning documents and handling post-death administrations under both Tennessee and Georgia laws.  All candidates must have either a Bachelor’s Degree or paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved paralegal program.  Some accounting and/or bookkeeping experience also will be useful.

Candidates should possess strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication (oral and written) skills.  Must have proficient and accurate knowledge of computers and MS Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and Outlook. Must possess excellent oral and written skills, strong attention to detail, time management, multi-tasking and prioritizing abilities, and the desire to work hard both independently and as part of a team.

Must provide minimum authorization to work in the United States. Resumes only accepted for job posted. Please click here to apply.

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, & Berkowitz, PC is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment and all employees are treated during employment without regard to race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion, sex, age, national origin, genetic information, physical or mental disability or veteran status.

Thank you for submitting your resume.   After our hiring committee has had a chance to review all candidates for this position, we will reach out to only those that will be moving on to the next step in our recruiting process.  We appreciate your interest in the position and will contact you if further action is necessary.

Legal Process Engineer - Any Office Location

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, & Berkowitz PC has an immediate opening for a Legal Process Engineer at any office location. The Legal Process Engineer (LPE) will serve as a  liaison to Departments and their associated Practice Groups ( PGs). The LPE will coordinate all projects within the Client Solutions Group (CSG), and will serve as the primary coordinator of projects supported by other CSG teams. 

The LPE must assist practice areas, attorneys, and legal teams interested in implementation of the Firm’s suite of process and technology solutions within the Firm's best practices guidelines. The LPE must also interact with various groups and committees within the Firm to gather and distribute information to assist in the betterment of any and all process and technology tools and to promote and support innovation within the Firm. The LPE will be concerned with the consultation, improvement, development, marketing, and training regarding Legal Project Management  (LPM) and BakerManage, venture funds, innovation projects, process improvement, knowledge management, budget development and pricing proposals, technology solutions and research tools, as well as any Firm adopted project management implementations. 

Many of the following duties require the LPE to act independently and proactively and also involve a strategic plan for continued involvement within PGs.  This requires excellent time management skills, self-motivation, and significant organization to maintain this level of proactive involvement while at the same time managing the active attorney and PGs requests, some of which involve urgent deadlines and may require both the support of and coordination with other departments and team members.

The Legal Process Engineer will:

Project Management Consulting

  • Develop expertise in Legal Project Management (LPM) and the Firm’s proprietary LPM model, BakerManage, as well as design and implement collaboration / case management systems using the Firm’s approved technologies such as MS365, SharePoint, HighQ and other case management solutions. .
  • Identify opportunities to integrate CSG tools such as Kira, Contract Express, Foundation, Drafting Assistant, and PLC within the Department and its Practice Groups and coordinate on projects utilizing these tools.
  • If utilized by the Department, assist with the implementation and management of practice technologies such as Immigration Tracker (Advocacy), Clarivate (Business), Simply Agree (Business), and CPI (Business).
  • Work with clients and legal teams to develop statements of work for legal engagements, stakeholder analysis, and task and activity lists or legal work breakdown structures.
  • Work with attorneys and PGs to develop and support innovative solutions and to help them set and achieve their innovative and strategic goals.
  • Work to identify technology solutions and provide support of these technologies to the attorneys and PGs within the Departments.
  • Assist, identify, and develop innovation strategies with the PGs and Centers of Excellence to assist with the implementation of their innovation goals and process improvement initiatives.
  • Work with attorneys and PGs including department operations directors to develop and support the Firm’s venture fund projects.
  • Conduct periodic reporting with department operations directors to provide updates on their department projects.
  • Coordinate expanded data capture for specific projects and data analysis requests, assist with report development, manage, and monitor reports, and assist with special report development.
  • Assist with oversight and administration of portfolios – billing, matter updates, reporting, and budget management.
  • Collect data on the LPE activities and complete reports as requested to submit to firm management to demonstrate the support provided by the CSG.

 Process Improvement, Budget and Pricing Development

  • Assist attorneys with the development of budgets and pricing models using the CSG’s historical model database or through the development of new models, prepare matter proposals for budgeting and pricing, analyze and develop rate strategies, and perform necessary research to identify the best pricing options.
  • Coordinate with Legal Data, Costing and Reporting team on proposal development and any necessary approvals.
  • Assist with the implementation of solutions to improve the performance of matters (called Strike Team).
  • Assist with workflow development, case management, and process implementation.
  • Collaborate with the Director of Legal Data, Costing, and Reporting and the Costing Analyst to evaluate alternative fee structures for the various PGs with the goal of creating customized fee proposals tailored for the different areas of practice.
  • Work with the Firm's Billing Department to implement and refine the Firm's task-based billing including development of matter types and matter plans.

 Marketing, Training, and Practice Group Coordination

  • Work with attorneys to provide technical marketing for prospective clients such as implementing specialized client solutions, supporting client meetings, and conducting demonstrations of CSG tools.
  • Create demonstration collaboration sites to highlight customized PGs and client solutions.
  • Coordinate with Marketing Liaisons on business development opportunities.
  • Develop customized marketing materials and assist with responses to Request for Proposal (RFP) to highlight Firm innovation, rates, and pricing.
  • Work to help identify legal and technological organizations for possible participation and award application (e.g., International Legal Technology Association (ILTA), Project Management Institute, ABA, College of Law Practice Management, TerraLex, ILTA-PMI collaborative committee, ABA-PMI Collaborative Committee; Advocacy Legal Organizations, etc…)
  • Act as a liaison for the Firm with organizations with an interest in Legal Project Management and Knowledge Management.
  • Work with the Firm's Director of Professional Development to develop training programs for attorneys, paralegals, and other legal team members.
  • Develop training programs for client teams which will include client representatives.
  • Assist with the implementation of customized PGs pages and any design modifications on BakerHub, the Firm’s intranet.
  • Present at Department and PGs meetings to help create and maintain ongoing awareness of CSG tools.
  • Conduct training as needed on all resources including practice related tools, policies, and processes.
  • Coordinate BakerResearch requests and identify opportunities to integrate their services.
  • Identify available subscription resources for use by attorneys.
  • Develop practice guides and resources.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required

Education and Experience

  • Four-year college degree.
  • Law Degree from accredited law school preferred.
  • Valid license to practice law preferred.
  • At least 3-5 years of legal practice experience.
  • Preferred experience with the use of litigation/transactional support technology.
  • Preferred experience with implementation of a project management information system or knowledge management technology.
  • PMI member and project management professional certification or willingness to obtain.
  • Certification in process improvement methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma or willingness to obtain.
  • Knowledge Management certification or willingness to obtain.
  • Microsoft SharePoint and IBM BlueWorks Live knowledge is a plus.

General

  • Strong leadership, managerial, organizational, and communication skills.
  • Adaptability, flexibility, and the ability to maintain effectiveness during change.
  • Ability to work flexible/extended hours when necessary.
  • "Do whatever it takes” attitude.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
  • Self-motivated and goal oriented individual.

Working Conditions

Normal office environment with little exposure to excessive noise, dust, extreme temperatures, and the like. The nature of the legal industry requires that some of the job responsibilities be completed during non-business hours. In accordance with industry standards, it is expected that CSG professionals be flexible with regards to availability when work must be performed during non-business hours. Occasional travel required. 

Must provide minimum authorization to work in the United States. Resumes accepted only for job posted. Please click here to apply.

Thank you for submitting your resume. After our hiring committee has had a chance to review all candidates for this position, we will reach out to only those that will be moving on to the next step in our recruiting process. We appreciate your interest in the position and will contact you if further action is necessary.

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, & Berkowitz, PC is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment and all employees are treated during employment without regard to race, color, sexual orientation, religion, sex, age, national origin, genetic information, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression and marital status.

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