Lawyers help entrepreneurs bone-up on risks

Lots of free legal information is so couched in lawyerly CYA language as to be useless without hiring counsel. Gee, wonder why. But, two recent posts by attorneys with Bone McAllister Norton here in Nashville are both informative and inviting: Paul Kruse alerts owners to another trademark-protection risk-opportunity associated with Facebook...while George Phillips provides a focused and readable set of "steps to success" for any business owner.

Lipscomb U., Bone McAllester create Corporate Governance institute

The Lipscomb University College of Business and Nashville-based Bone McAllister Norton PLLC today announced the creation of the Dean Institute for Corporate Governance and Integrity. The founders explained in a release today that the institution's identity reflects the fact that the development of the new organization was funded by drawing on an endowment previously established for Lipscomb by Hilton and Sallie Dean, he being the chairman of the Lipscomb board of trustees and the retired vice chairman of Ernst & Young LLP. Lipscomb Business Dean Turney Stevens (pictured at left), explaining the new institute's mission, said in the release, "Integrity cannot be regulated and honor cannot be enforced – they are qualities of a deeper nature, guided by principles and informed by faith.” Stevens is co-founder of the Dean Institute. Prior to joining Lipscomb, Stevens was founder and CEO of Harpth Capital. According to today's announcement, the program was designed by Stevens and by Bone McAllister's Charles Bone and Trace Blankenship. In today's statement, Lipscomb President Randolph Lowry explained the new institute will approach corporate governance "from a faith-based perspective," in an effort to encourage development of successfully performing businesses led by persons with demonstratable integrity. Lipscomb was founded as Nashville Bible School in 1891 and its mission includes a commitment to integrating Christian faith and practice with academics.