Jonathan Cole, a shareholder in the Nashville office of Baker Donelson, has been nominated by the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates (HOD) as the chair-elect of the 597-member policymaking body for a two-year term that begins after the ABA Annual Meeting this August.
The HOD 69-member nominating committee endorsed Mr. Cole for this position as the second-ranking officer in the ABA and head of its policy-making body in a contested election on February 5 during the ABA Midyear Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.
Beyond his legal practice, which is focused on civil trial work representing clients in all levels of state and federal court, administrative procedures, and in mediation/arbitration, Mr. Cole is committed to the legal profession and his community. Among his numerous activities, he founded and currently serves as the chair of Baker Donelson's award-winning Pro Bono program, served as president of the Nashville Bar Association, and served as president of the National Conference of Bar Presidents. His leadership in the ABA has included serving as chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Bar Activities and Services and as chair of the ABA Young Lawyers Division.
Mr. Cole was awarded the Young Leader of the Year Award by the Young Leaders Council and the 2008 NELA (Nashville Emerging Leader Award), and he was selected to Leadership Nashville's Class of 2010. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation; Banking and Finance Litigation; Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy) Litigation; and Litigation – Securities, and he was named the Best Lawyers® 2023 Litigation – Banking and Finance "Lawyer of the Year" in Nashville.