Frost Brown Todd (FBT) announces the appointment of 11 new members across the firm’s eight-state footprint. These former managing associates were named members, effective on April 1, 2017: Tonya Austin and Jason Bergeron (Nashville, TN); Chandler Hodge, Kyle Johnson, Daniel Mudd and Andrew Palmer (Louisville, KY); Austin Musser (West Chester, OH); Jay Schoeny (Cincinnati, OH); Blake Shelby, Bryan Strawbridge and Jesse Wilson (Indianapolis, IN).
Tonya Austin practices in the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group. Representing both plaintiffs and defendants, she focuses on complex commercial disputes, including a variety of contract disputes, securities fraud, construction, internal ownership disputes and enforcement of restrictive covenants. In her employment practice, she counsels employers and management on litigation-avoidance strategies and compliance with employment laws, and defends them in discrimination and other wrongful termination actions. Austin is licensed to practice in Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio. She attended the University of Dayton School of Law in Ohio, where she earned her J.D. in 2007.
Jason Bergeron is a member of the firm’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring and Business Litigation Practice Groups and advises clients in loan workouts, commercial foreclosures and bankruptcy litigation matters. His commercial litigation practice includes work on business sale disputes, securities fraud litigation, non-compete disputes, and corporate director and officer liability claims. Bergeron serves on the executive committee of the Nashville Opera and was recently appointed by Mayor Megan Barry to serve on the Metro Nashville Board of Fair Commissioners. He attended Vanderbilt University Law School, earning his law degree in 2004.
Chandler Hodge is a member of the firm’s CMBS Lending and Servicing Group. Her practice is primarily focused on representing various international banks and lending institutions in connection with the lenders’ origination of securitized commercial mortgage loans nationwide. Hodge leads a team of attorneys and legal professionals dedicated to closing such securitized loans, as well as mezzanine loans and loans for warehouse facilities. Hodge has also served as a member of the board of the National Kidney Foundation of Kentucky since 2013. She attended the University of Dayton School of Law, where she earned her J.D. In 2009.
Kyle Johnson is a member of FBT’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. He provides clients with preventative solutions and legal advice on a range of labor and employment issues. He regularly assists clients with complex wage and hour issues, and defends employers against class and collective actions seeking unpaid wages. He appears regularly in state and federal courts and advocates for clients before administrative agencies such as the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Johnson earned his J.D. summa cum laude at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law in 2008.
Daniel Mudd is a member of the firm’s Tax and Benefits Practice Group with a focus on state and local tax planning, controversy and incentives, including property tax, sales tax (particularly in the manufacturing, metals and recycling industries), income tax, captive insurance tax, and tobacco, alcohol and other excise tax. Mudd is a founding leader of [give] 502, Louisville’s largest young professional giving circle, and serves as a board member on several non-profit, community and professional organizations. He earned his J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 2010.
Austin Musser is a member of FBT’s Government Services Practice Group and handles litigation matters for public and private entities. His work focuses in the areas of real estate, zoning and land use, eminent domain proceedings and foreclosure actions. He has worked for financial institutions to enforce notes, mortgages and security agreements, and extensively with health care institutions, defending them in various medical malpractice suits. Musser attended the William & Mary School of Law and earned his J.D. in 2009.
Andrew Palmer is a member of FBT’s Product Liability Litigation and Tort and Insurance Defense Practice Groups. He focuses in multiple areas of litigation, including personal injury defense, fire litigation, premises liability defense, class actions, commercial litigation, and insurance. He currently represents national insurers, trucking companies, gas and electric utilities, product manufacturers and restaurants. Palmer attended the University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law and graduated with a J.D. as the Valedictorian of the Class of 2010.
Jay Schoeny is a member of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group, where he advises and represents employers on all aspects of employment law, with a focus on OSHA matters. He also handles litigation involving allegations of discrimination, workplace harassment, wrongful discharge, and whistleblower claims, as well as actions to enforce non-compete and other restrictive covenant agreements. Schoeny attended the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where he earned his J.D. in 2003.
Blake Shelby is a member of the Product Liability Litigation and Tort and Insurance Defense Practice Groups. He primarily defends product manufacturers in catastrophic personal injury cases with a particular focus in the automotive and elevator/escalator industries. He has practiced extensively in state and federal courts. Shelby attended the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, earning his J.D. in 2008.
Bryan Strawbridge is a member of FBT’s Business Litigation Practice Group, where he focuses on complex commercial litigation in a wide variety of areas, including contracts, business tort, trade secrets, ERISA and banking. He is a graduate of Indiana University, where he earned his law degree at the Robert H. McKinney School of Law and an MBA from the Kelley School of Business. Strawbridge was voted “Young Lawyer of the Year” by the Indianapolis Bar Association in 2013.
Jesse Wilson is a member of the firm’s Regulated Business Practice Group and focuses on regulatory compliance risk identification and mitigation within the insurance industry, with a focus on life, annuity and supplemental health insurance products, including long-term care. He also specializes in the design, development and implementation of extended warranty/service contract programs. Prior to joining FBT, Wilson served as in-house counsel at a large national insurer. He earned his J.D. at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2005.