Coleman appealing TNInvestco ruling

Venture Capitalist Larry Coleman is not willing to accept Chancery Court Chancellor Russell Perkins' ruling against his Public Records Act petition for access to TNInvestco documents that might let him determine whether his firm Coleman Swenson Booth and other non-winners were unfairly left out of the money, when Gov. Phil Bredesen's ECD and Revenue commissioners announced TNInvestco winners, Nov. 6. Coleman asks the Appeals court to review the trial court's ruling, in hope of a different outcome. For the first time, Coleman makes clear in his latest petition before Appeals Court that he wants access to documents that might allow him to consider further action before TNInvestco-funded funds begin making investments and before the legislature broadens funding for the program, further. TNInvestco-certified Innova Fund has already announced one such investment. Coleman filed his notice of appeal in Chancery Court on March 9. He filed his request for expedited appeal in the Tennessee Appeals Court in Nashville, on Friday, March 19. Coleman and his attorney, Jim Bowen of Riley Warnock & Jacobson, decline to comment on the matter for this article.

Coleman may appeal TNInvestco ruling

[Updated 11:29 a.m.] A story from The Associated Press published today in the Knoxville News Sentinel says Franklin VC Larry Coleman may appeal Chancellor Russell Perkins' ruling against him in his effort to get access to State documents detailing the process by which TNInvestco winning firms were chosen by ECD Commissioner Matt Kisber and Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr. Mark Drury, responding for the commissioners, told VNC the State would have no comment on Coleman's reported plans to appeal. A representative of Coleman confirmed for VNC that Coleman intends to appeal. Such an appeal cannot be filed until after Chancellor Perkins issues his actual order in the case, which is being prepared by attorneys. That order is not likely to come until next week.

TNInvestco court ruling supports State over VC

In the TNInvestco decision handed down by Chancellor Russell Perkins this afternoon, State Commissioners Reagan Farr (Revenue) and Matt Kisber (ECD) bested petitioner Larry Coleman, a venture capitalist who sought to obtain records used in picking TNInvestco winners, in the state's new capital formation program. VNC's story is here. The State's records will stay confidential.

TNInvestco lawsuit status

[2:18 p.m.] Although anticipated yet this afternoon, a ruling from Chancellor Russell Perkins in the lawsuit of Larry Coleman vs State Commissioners Matt Kisber and Reagan Farr, centering around Coleman's demand for access to TNInvestco documents the commissioners are treating as lawfully confidential, has not yet been received. This blog and the VNC website will be updated, as new developments occur. Related story, here.

TNInvestco records decision deferred

Davidson County Chancery Court Chancellor Russell Perkins will not issue his opinion in the lawsuit initiated by VC Larry Coleman versus State officials today; rather, the ruling is now anticipated as early as Monday afternoon, March 1, according to Chancery staff. As reported earlier by VNC, Coleman sued Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr and Economic and Development Commissioner Matt Kisber, in their official capacities, seeking public-records access to certain TNInvestco competition documentation the commissioners have thus far held is confidential, a judgment they say they have made within the bounds of State statutes and rules governing handling of certain tax, tax administration, proprietary corporate information and economic-development competitive information. Our earlier post here.

TNInvestco documents decision won't come today

The much-anticipated ruling on Larry Coleman's petition in Chancery Court, through which he seeks access to TNInvestco documents, will come by Friday afternoon, but not today, according to a member of the staff of Chancellor Russell Perkins, in a brief interview with VNC today.

State officials ask Court to toss TNInvestco lawsuit

State Commissioners Reagan Farr and Matt Kisber filed a request with Chancery Court in Nashville Friday, asking Chancellor Russell Perkins to toss a public-records request by VC Larry Coleman. The story's here. There's a hearing on this at Chancery this afternoon, at 2:30 p.m.

TNInvestco further filings in Chancery Court

Petitioner Larry Coleman filed further arguments and documents in Chancery Court this afternoon, arguing for release of TNInvestco documents via the Public Records Act. Coleman denies, also, that he denigrated TNInvestco competitors, as was earlier alleged in a court filing by the State, responding to Coleman's original complaint. The updated (7:25 p.m.) story is here. State documents filed Tuesday argued for protecting sensitive administrative, deliberative and competitive information, citing precedents arising from tax and economic-development realms.

VC demands access to TNInvestco records

Larry Coleman (left) has personally sued in Davidson County Chancery Court, demanding that State ECD and Revenue commissioners Kisber and Farr turn over more information about how they selected the state's TNInvestco capital-fund winners and documenting whether those winners met deadlines, etc., established for the competition. Our story's here.