BATSON NOLAN - Key Persons
Austin is of counsel with the firm, and has been practicing law since 1993. Austin graduated magna cum ladue from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Political Science.
Following graduation from law school where Caroline's primary areas of interest were Estate Planning, Contracts, and Property law, she moved to Clarksville, Tennessee to join Batson Nolan where she works in Estate Planning and Probate practice areas.
To Christy Bartee, the most important thing an attorney can do is listen to their client and work with them to accomplish a common goal. "I love working with people to resolve complicated issues and life decisions," says Christy. While Christy's practice includes real estate, social security disability, estate planning/probate, domestic, business/corporate, and banking, her passion is Agricultural Law.
Though she wasn't raised on a farm herself, the Springfield, TN native has agriculture in her blood. Both of her parents grew up on farms, and her maternal grandparents worked and lived on a farm that was in the family for almost 100 years. While Christy's parents both had "town jobs," Christy and her family raised registered and commercial cattle herds.
Christy always had a deep appreciation for agriculture and farming, but she felt called to a different path and left her hometown to blaze her own trail. Her journey led her a few hours west to a little town called Martin, Tennessee, and the University of Tennessee at Martin. She went on to graduate magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Following undergrad, she attended law school at the University of Memphis Cecil C.
Christy is a Springfield native and a graduate of Springfield High School. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
Dan was raised in Nashville, Tennessee. He attended college at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration.
Mark is a native of Clarksville and a graduate of Clarksville High School. He attended college at Austin Peay State University and the University of Tennessee Knoxville
Matt Miller was raised in Brentwood, Tennessee. He attended college at David Lipscomb University graduating in 1993 with a B.S. in Biology.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Account Executive at Lovell
- in - House Legal Counsel for the City
According to Jeff Goodson, the two personal qualities that have helped him the most during his career are his inherited competitive drive and attention to detail. "My father was an accomplished coach and athlete and, as a result, I suppose I am competitive by nature," says Jeff. "It is a helpful attribute as a civil litigator, and I very much enjoy the competitive aspect of litigation." He adds, "I also enjoy discovering/scrutinizing intimate and nuanced details which, in my experience, goes hand-in-hand with a successful litigation practice."
Indeed, Jeff's competitive spirit and detail-oriented nature have been the backbone of his educational and professional careers. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, Jeff began a nearly decade-long career at Lovell Communications, Inc., a nationally known marketing communications firm headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jeff is a published legal author, has represented Fortune 500 companies in federal and state litigation, and has been a featured speaker at many seminars. He also helped make new law in Tennessee before the Tennessee Supreme Court in the case of Moreno v. City of Clarksville, 479 S.W.3d 795 (Tenn. 2015), a matter of first impression in the state, which further defined the boundaries of sovereign immunity.
Attorney Jeff T. Goodson obtained his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, and obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Harding University in Searcy, AR.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Lawyers Association for Women
Currently, Lauren is a member of the Lawyers Association for Women (LAW) -Marion Griffin Chapter and serves on the LAW Law School Outreach Committee.
Lauren is a native Tennessean who was raised in Nashville. She attended the University of Tennessee where she majored in Political Science and graduated magna cum laude.
Mark E. McMickle joined Batson Nolan as the firm's administrator in 2014. Mark grew up in Clarksville where he attended Northwest High School and Montgomery Christian Academy. Following graduation, Mark enlisted into the United States Army where he served as an infantryman and as a combat medic at duty stations in the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany.
Following his military service, Mark moved to Washington, D.C. and attended the University of Maryland where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies and Management in 1995, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland University College Graduate School of Management and Technology in 2002.
Mark has worked for several large international law firms in litigation and corporate specialist roles and later in practice administration and firm management positions. At Batson Nolan, Mark has general administrative responsibility for firm operations, including financial planning and controls, human resource administration, and information systems and facilities management. Mark works closely with the firm Management Committee to develop firm strategic priorities. He also manages periodic reporting on billing and collections, profitability, tax planning, budget preparation, and cash flow management. Some of Mark's other responsibilities include strategic marketing and business development, cost/benefit analyses, risk management, recruiting, training and development, salary and benefits administration, resource allocation, purchasing, space planning, and records management.
Mark is a member of the Association of Legal Administrators and the Middle Tennessee ALA, where he is currently serving his third term on the Board of Directors as the MTALA Treasurer. On the national level, Mark serves as a New Member Liaison for the ALA providing assistance and resources to new Association of Legal Administrators members. Mark is an Associate Member of the American Bar Association and a member of The Society for Human Resources Management. Mark has also proudly served as a tnAcheives Mentor where he assisted high school students with the college application process and helped in the transition from high school to college. Mark is a 2020 graduate of Leadership Clarksville.
Outside of work you may find Mark in the woods during the fall deer season and spring turkey season. He enjoys spending time with his wife Jessica, their daughter Adeline and their two Nashville Humane rescues, Cheerio and Poppy.
Matt graduated summa cum laude from Mississippi College with a degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Sports Management.
Matthew was born in Clarksville and raised in nearby Cedar Hill, Tennessee. After graduating high school, he joined the United States Navy.
Job Titles:
- Member of the American Bar Association
Philip M. Mize is a Member of Batson Nolan PLC and he primarily practices in the areas of Serious Personal Injury & Wrongful Death; representation of Homeowners Associations; Commercial Law and Construction Law. Mr. Mize is legal counsel for Ghertner & Company and he represents developers and homeowners associations throughout Montgomery County and Middle Tennessee.
Mr. Mize joined Batson Nolan PLC in 2002 after graduating from law school, and he became a Member of the firm in 2007. He is licensed to practice law in all federal and state courts in both Tennessee and Kentucky, and his practice entails litigation throughout Tennessee and Kentucky trial and appellate courts; Supreme Courts; and Federal Courts of the Sixth Circuit.
Mr. Mize is a member of the American Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, the Kentucky Bar Association, the Montgomery County (Tennessee) Bar Association, and the Christian County (Kentucky) Bar Association. He is also a member of the Kentucky Justice Association and the Tennessee Association of Construction Counsel (TACC).
Mr. Mize is a native of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in 1999, and he studied abroad in Jena, Germany at Friedrich Schiller University. After graduating from Ole Miss, Mr. Mize attended law school at the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and received his law degree in 2002. During law school, Mr. Mize served as a member of the University of Memphis Law Review, and had the honor to clerk for Judge Robert A. Lanier of the Circuit Court for Shelby County, Tennessee.
Mr. Mize is an avid fan of Ole Miss football and the Nashville Predators. He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Clarksville and served as an active member of the Clarksville Rotary Club.
Philip M. Mize is a Member of Batson Nolan PLC and he primarily practices in the areas of Serious Personal Injury & Wrongful Death; Insurance Defense; Commercial Law; Construction Law, and Family Law.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Madison Street United Methodist Church
Richard H. Batson was born in Clarksville, Tennessee, and has continuously practiced with the firm since 1957. After years of practice principally in the area of trial work and the defense of various suits involving bodily injury, products liability, libel and slander law, and commercial law, Mr. Batson presently concentrates in General Business/Corporation Law, Land Development, and Industrial Development areas of the law. His past experience includes organizing and serving as counsel for several non-profit corporations and foundations. Mr. Batson has served as hospital counsel and currently serves as counsel for the Industrial Development Board of the County of Montgomery. He has also worked extensively with several land development companies. Mr. Batson is rated "AV Preeminent" by Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest peer review rating for professional excellence.
After graduating from Austin Peay State University in 1952, Mr. Batson then received his law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1954. After receiving his law degree, Mr. Batson served in the United States Army with the 11th Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division before entering private practice with the firm. He is licensed and admitted to practice in all of the Courts in Tennessee and also in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee and the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Batson is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association, Montgomery County (Tennessee) Bar Association, and a former member of the International Defense Counsel.
In past years Mr. Batson has served in numerous community organizations and activities including serving as President of the Clarksville-Area Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Clarksville Academy, serving on committees of the Tennessee Bar Association and as former Chairman of the Harriett Cohn Mental Health Center. He also served as the first American Red Cross "Bloodmobile" Chairman in Montgomery County and served as a former Chairman of the Clarksville Chapter of the American Red Cross. Mr. Batson served as legal counsel to the first Clarksville-Montgomery County Charter Commission for the Unification of the City and County governments, and he also served as the first Chairman of the Central Business Improvement District, later named the Downtown District Partnership, which was originally formed after the tornado of 1999. He was active in the creation of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council and also the creation of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Tourist Commission. Mr. Batson was one of the four founders of the Austin Peay State University Foundation and has served as a past president of the Foundation where he still serves on its Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. Mr. Batson continues to serve as counsel for Clarksville Volunteer Health, Inc., the successor to Gateway Health System, Inc., and also as counsel for the Clarksville-Montgomery County Community Health Foundation. He has received recognition and awards throughout the past several years from various community organizations, most recently honored by the Museum Guild. In 2020, Mr. Batson was the awarded the Clarksville-Area Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mr. Batson is a member of the Madison Street United Methodist Church, having served on the Staff Parish Relation Committee. He is married and has three children, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
After graduating from Austin Peay State University, Mr. Batson received his law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law.
Though she was raised in Nashville, Suzanne G. Marsh considers Clarksville her hometown, having attended college and spending her entire 30-year professional career here. After graduating from Austin Peay State University, she left her home state and headed due south, enrolling in law school in Alabama at the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. After graduation, however, she felt compelled to return to her Tennessee roots.
Drawn to Clarksville's close-knit sense of community and Batson Nolan's reputation, she began her professional career with the firm in 1992. Suzanne rose through the ranks, becoming partner after 10 years. Now having been with the firm for 30+ years (20 as a partner) and licensed in state and federal courts in Tennessee and Kentucky, she credits her longevity to her love of problem-solving, passion for learning, and the support of her BN colleagues.
"Early in my career with the firm, we had two former Tennessee Bar Association Presidents (F. Evans Harvill and Dan L. Nolan) actively practicing law as partners," says Suzanne. "Their mentorship and professionalism encouraged me to remain engaged through the peaks and valleys of law practice."
Suzanne G. Marsh is a Member of the firm. She attended college at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1989.