Baker Donelson Announces Leadership Changes

(Memphis, TN/April 3, 2013)  The law firm of Baker Donelson has announced changes in its management group. Alton E. "Biff" Bayard, shareholder in the Baton Rouge office, has been named chair of the Tax Department. Kent A. Lambert, a shareholder in the New Orleans office, has assumed the role of chair of the Business Litigation Group. William S. Mendenhall, shareholder in the Jackson office, has been named chair of the Real Estate and Finance Group. Lodie V. Biggs, a shareholder in the Memphis office, has assumed the role of chair of the Economic Development Team.
 


As chair of the Tax Department, Mr. Bayard will oversee approximately 30 professionals across the Firm's 18 offices. Mr. Bayard concentrates his practice in the areas of tax, estate planning and business law and previously chaired the Firm's Economic Development Team. A 1976 graduate of the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, Mr. Bayard received his LL.M. from Southern Methodist University in 1980 and is board certified in tax law and estate planning. He has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America® since 1996 in multiple areas of tax law and litigation and has been listed in Louisiana Super Lawyers since 2007 in the area of estate planning and probate. Mr. Bayard is a Fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and is a member of the American, Louisiana and Baton Rouge Bar Associations.
 


Mr. Lambert, who previously served as vice chair of the Business Litigation Group, will oversee nearly 100 business litigators across Baker Donelson's 18 offices as chair of the group. He focuses his practice in the area of commercial and business litigation, with an emphasis on civil trial work and complex litigation, complemented by an active civil appellate practice. A 1993 graduate of Tulane University Law School, Mr. Lambert has been listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business as a leading litigation attorney in Louisiana since 2010, in The Best Lawyers in America® in commercial litigation and in Louisiana Super Lawyers in business litigation law. He is a member of the American Bar Association's Section of Litigation, serving as chair of the Section's Trial Evidence Committee. Mr. Lambert also serves as chair of Baker Donelson's e-Discovery and Information Management Group.
 


As leader of the Real Estate and Finance practice group, Mr. Mendenhall will oversee approximately 45 professionals across the Firm's 18 offices. He concentrates his practice in general corporate law, business transactions, economic development projects and commercial real estate. A graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law, Mr. Mendenhall has been recognized in the areas of corporate law and real estate and insurance law by The Best Lawyers in America® since 1999 and in Chambers USA for corporate law since 2003. He has also been listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers in real estate since 2006. Mr. Mendenhall is a member of the board of directors for the Mississippi World Trade Center and has been a member of the Secretary of State's Business Law Advisory Group since 1993. He is a past president of the Business Section of the Mississippi Bar and a member of the American, Mississippi and Capital Area Bar Associations.
 


A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, Mr. Biggs will oversee 21 attorneys across Baker Donelson's 18 offices. He frequently represents companies locating or expanding within Tennessee and other jurisdictions and has handled transactions for a variety of clients, including Fortune 500 and Fortune 50 companies, local governments, and start-ups in the medical device and bio energy industries. Mr. Biggs has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in real estate law since 2011 and has been named a "Rising Star" in real estate by Mid-South Super Lawyers since 2010. He is a member of the board of directors for the Memphis Regional Chamber and is a member of the Memphis Chamber Economic Development Committee and the Tennessee Economic Development Council. Mr. Biggs is a also a member of the American, Tennessee and Memphis Bar Associations.
 


Baker Donelson gives clients access to a team of more than 650 attorneys and public policy advisors representing more than 30 practice areas to serve a wide range of legal needs. Clients receive knowledgeable guidance from experienced, multi-disciplined industry and client service teams, all seamlessly connected across 18 offices in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C.  Ranked as the 72nd largest law firm in the U.S., Baker Donelson is recognized by FORTUNE magazine as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For."