(Memphis, TN / March 25, 2015) Linda S. Finley, Charles L. Grant and Kristine L. Roberts have been elected to Baker Donelson's board of directors. They were elected by the Firm's shareholders. Ms. Finley and Mr. Grant will serve three-year terms as members of the board, while Ms. Roberts will serve a one-year term to fill the remainder of Jennifer Keller's term on the board as Ms. Keller assumes her role as president and chief operating officer of the Firm on April 1, 2015.
Ms. Finley, leader of the Firm's Mortgage Industry Service Team, concentrates her practice in business litigation involving the mortgage lending and servicing industries, and litigation regarding real estate issues. She is experienced in lender and servicer liability defense, mortgage fraud civil prosecution and defense, mortgage lending and servicing issues, and real estate title clearance and litigation. Ms. Finley is a frequent speaker regarding mortgage lending and servicing issues and she serves as a court appointed Special Master for purposes of adjudicating litigated real estate title issues. She is a graduate of Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law and served as an assistant district attorney for Atlanta prior to entering private practice. Ms. Finley has been recognized in Georgia Super Lawyers since 2009 and has been listed as one of the "Top 50 Female Attorneys in Georgia" since 2011. In 2015, she was listed in Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law. Ms. Finley is a fellow of the American College of Mortgage attorneys and is a member of the American and Atlanta Bar Associations.
Mr. Grant, a member of the Firm's Labor & Employment Department, represents clients in complex employment litigation, including class and collective actions and litigation concerning claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). His practice also includes business litigation and he has represented numerous clients in mediation and arbitration proceedings across more than a dozen states. A 1991 graduate of Washington and Lee University School of Law, Mr. Grant serves as immediate past president of the Nashville Bar Association. In 2014 he served as president, the first African-American to serve as president in the association's history. He also serves as second vice president of the board of directors for the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, and is a past president and former board member of the Napier-Looby Bar Association. Mr. Grant has been recognized in Mid-South Super Lawyers since 2006 in the area of Employment Litigation Defense and has been listed in Best Lawyers in America® since 2014 in the areas of Employment Law – Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment. In 2015, he was the recipient of Baker Donelson's CEO Circle Award for Public Service. Mr. Grant is also a member of the Tennessee and Nashville Bar Associations, and is a Fellow of the Nashville Bar Foundation and of the Tennessee Bar Foundation.
Ms. Roberts is an experienced business and commercial litigator who has handled numerous trial and appellate cases in federal and state courts, as well as in private arbitrations. Her focus is on banking and financial services litigation, and she also concentrates on securities claims, class actions and other complex litigation of a commercial nature. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Ms. Roberts has authored numerous articles appearing in the ABA Section of Litigation's publication Litigation News and recently served as editor-in-chief of the publication. She has been listed in Best Lawyers in America® since 2014 and in Mid-South Super Lawyers since 2013, which also listed her among the "Top 50 Female Attorneys in the Mid-South" in the 2014 edition. Ms. Roberts is a member of the Leo Bearman, Sr. American Inn of Court, the Association of Women Attorneys, and the Memphis, Tennessee and American Bar Associations. In 2012, she was recognized as a "Super Woman in Business" by the Memphis Business Journal for her professional accomplishments and philanthropic endeavors. She has served as Baker Donelson's recruiting chair in Memphis since 2010 and also serves as co-chair of the mentoring committee for the Firm's Women's Initiative.
"These attorneys are proven leaders in their field who have demonstrated their commitment to the growth and success of Baker Donelson," said Ben. C. Adams, chairman and chief executive officer of Baker Donelson. "We are pleased to have such skilled and respected individuals assume these roles and know our firm and our clients will benefit from their leadership."