1-Partner Archives - Farrar Bates Berexa

Cassandra M. Crane

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 15:08:25 +0000

Casey Crane joined Farrar Bates Berexa in 2017. Her practice focuses on general civil litigation, including municipal liability defense, civil rights defense, police liability defense, governmental tort liability defense, employment law and discrimination, and trial and appellate litigation. She has had tremendous success in prevailing on summary judgment and negotiating favorable settlement agreements for her clients.

Prior to joining Farrar Bates Berexa, Casey worked as counsel for the commercial litigation and employment law departments at the McKellar Hyde, PLC firm. She also previously served as an associate for Meyers Nave, specializing in First Amendment and public law matters for public agency clients.

Casey obtained her Doctor of Jurisprudence in 2006 from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2002 from the University of North Alabama. She is licensed to practice in three states, as well as in both the Sixth and Ninth Circuits of the United States Court of Appeals.

Education:

John Marshall Law School, Doctor of Jurisprudence, 2006
University of North Alabama, Bachelor of Arts, 2002

Admissions:

State of Illinois (2006)
State of California (2013)
State of Tennessee (2016)
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Northern District of California
United States District Court for the Central District of California
United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States Supreme Court

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Laura A. Hight

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 15:48:08 +0000

Laura joined Farrar Bates Berexa in 2010 as an intern in the firm’s lobbying division. After graduating law school in 2013, she found her passion in litigation, specifically in real estate errors and omissions defense and land use and zoning. Laura also focuses her practice on civil rights defense, employment law, and governmental tort liability defense. Laura has successfully defended clients at the trial and appellate levels. She has been selected as Rising Star to the 2020 Mid-South Super Lawyer list.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Laura received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, cum laude, in 2007. She earned her J.D. in 2013 from the Nashville School of Law. In her downtime, Laura enjoys spending time with her husband, Justin, and their two young children.

Education:

Nashville School of Law, Doctor of Jurisprudence, 2013
University of Tennessee, Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, 2007

Admissions:

State of Tennessee
United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

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Kristin E. Berexa

admin — Mon, 02 Jan 2023 09:28:54 +0000

Kristin joined Farrar Bates Berexa in 1994. Her areas of practice include civil rights defense, law enforcement liability defense, municipal liability defense and employment law. She handles cases in both federal and state courts, as well as at both the trial and appellate level. Over the years, Kristin has handled a broad range of cases involving complex constitutional issues, police misconduct, officer-involved shootings, catastrophic accidents and employment related matters.

Prior to joining the firm, Kristin served as an assistant attorney general for the State of Tennessee Office of the Attorney General. Kristin received her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1991, where she graduated cum laude. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, cum laude, from Austin Peay State University in 1988.

In addition to practicing law, Kristin provides training seminars for her clients in all aspects of law enforcement liability and employer/employee relations. She has been a featured speaker at professional conferences on topics of municipal liability, police liability and employment law. She has been named to the Mid-South Super Lawyers.

Kristin and her husband, Dan, reside in Brentwood, where they raised their three children.

Education:

University of Tennessee College of Law, Doctor of Jurisprudence, cum laude, 1991
Austin Peay State University, Bachelor of Science in Psychology, cum laude, 1988

Admissions:

State of Tennessee
United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
United States Supreme Court

Presentations and Seminars:

Lorman Education Services Police Liability Seminar

Taser Liability Update
Application of Tennessee Open Records Act to Law Enforcement

Heritage Professional Publishing

Suing and Defending the Government

Public Entity Partners Annual Symposium

Police Pursuits under Federal and State Law
Municipal Courts and Suspension of Driver’s Licenses for Failure to Pay Traffic Debt
Employment Litigation and Governmental Entities
Use of Inmates on Municipal Work Projects
Law Enforcement Liability

Public Entity Partners – Partnering for Success Webinar Series

Mutual Aid and Assistance in Law Enforcement

Tennessee Municipal Attorneys Association Seminar

Primer on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Municipal Liability for Police Misconduct

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J. Russell Farrar

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 19:08:27 +0000

Since 1992, Russ has served as a co-founder and senior partner at Farrar Bates Berexa, where he practices in the areas of insurance defense, municipal liability defense, civil rights defense, police liability defense, governmental tort liability defense, employment law, employment discrimination, workers’ compensation, administrative law, governmental relations, real estate errors and omissions, entertainment law, trial and appellate litigation, and business law. Since 2002, Russ has been rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™, the only nationally recognized attorney rating service, and he was the recipient of the 2018 William (Bill) Tune Award for Excellence in Real Estate Education from the Tennessee Real Estate Commission.

Prior to joining Farrar Bates Berexa, Farrar served as assistant commissioner and chief legal counsel for the Tennessee Department of Labor and as director of the Department of Labor’s Division of Employment Codes.

Russ obtained his Juris Doctor degree with high honors, Order of the Coif, from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1984. He received his Bachelor of Science degree with highest honors from the University of Tennessee in 1980.

Russ currently serves as general counsel and senior lobbyist for the 32,000-plus member Tennessee REALTORS®; general counsel for Public Entity Partners, which insures more than 90 percent of Tennessee’s local governments; and chairman of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development TOSHA Review Commission.

Education:

University of Tennessee College of Law, Doctor of Jurisprudence, 1984

High Honors; Order of the Coif; Jurisprudence Award in Property, Family and Administrative Law

University of Tennessee, Bachelor of Science, 1980

Highest Honors

Admissions:

State of Tennessee
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Presentations and Seminars:

Frequent guest lecturer for the Tennessee Municipal Attorneys Association, the Tennessee Public Risk Management Association, the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police and numerous realtor groups across the state

Publications:

Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act, Tennessee Young Lawyers Journal (2000)
Liability of a Municipality for Injuries to a Passenger in a Fleeing Vehicle in a High-Speed Police Chase, Tennessee Bar Journal (2001)

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