The 2025 Business Law Forum will take place April 24 in Nashville, offering a full day of education and networking for Tennessee's business law community. The event will feature two sessions: "TN Business Law 101" in the morning, which will be aimed at early career professionals and seasoned practitioners looking for a refresher, and "Advanced Topics" in the afternoon for those dealing with more complex legal issues. A networking happy hour will round out a day of connection and education.

The morning program will focus on the basics of business law, beginning with a presentation on Tennessee-specific laws such as usury and indebtedness tax, which often arise in debt financing transactions and M&A transactions. Other morning sessions include entity formation, including choice of jurisdiction and entity, and a multi-firm panel discussion of drafting lessons and recommendations.

In the afternoon, the forum shifts focus to more complex and nuanced issues facing Tennessee business lawyers. Kicking off the Advanced Topics mini-program will be Delaware corporate governance litigator Brad Sorrels, who will be sharing recent updates to Delaware law. The second afternoon session will focus on tax and economic allocation provisions in LLC and partnership agreements. The last session of the day will further narrow the focus on entity formation, in particular the ethics challenges and conflicts of interest that attorneys face when forming new entities.

Schedule At-A-Glance: (all times central)

9 – 10 a.m.  A Beginner’s Guide to Debt Tax and Usury in Tennessee: Katie Smalley, Leslie Ford
10 – 10:15 a.m.  Break
10:15 – 11:15 a.m.  Entity Selection and Formation in Tennessee: Van East, Nathan Harris
11:15 – 11:30 a.m.  Break
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  Practical Tips for Contract Drafting: Laura McKinney (moderator), Courtney Keehan, Tyler Huseman, Dillon Reid
12:30 – 1:15 p.m.  Lunch (provided)
1:15 – 2:15 p.m.  Delaware Corporate Law: The Times They Are A Changing (Or Are They?): Brad Sorrels, Joan Heminway
2:15 – 2:30 p.m.  Break
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.  Drafting Tax & Economic Provisions of Operating Agreements: Alex Davie
3:30 – 3:45 p.m.  Break
3:45 – 4:45 p.m.  Ethics Issues in Entity Formation in Tennessee: Paula Schaefer

In an effort to provide flexibility for attendees with specific learning interests, the TBA is offering three options for forum attendance:

• Full-day registration is available here.
• If you prefer to only attend the morning portion, which focuses on beginner topics, register to attend the 3-hour morning portion here.
• If you prefer to only attend the afternoon portion, which focuses on advanced business law topics, register to attend the 3-hour afternoon portion here.