Stites & Harbison, PLLC

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  (August 31, 2005)—Well-known environmental attorney William Penny has joined Stites & Harbison PLLC as a partner in the Nashville law office where he will focus on environmental and health care law.

Penny has more than 20 years of environmental law experience, working with both law firms and state government.  He has also provided counsel on a variety of health care matters including state regulatory and licensures.  He was general counsel for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Department of Health and Environment under Govs. Lamar Alexander and Ned Ray McWherter.  Prior to joining Stites & Harbison, he headed the Nashville law office of Wyatt Tarrant & Combs and was chair of the firm's environmental law practice group.

"We're delighted that someone with Bill's national reputation has joined Stites," said Stuart Campbell, managing member of Stites & Harbison's Nashville office.  "He brings wonderful expertise and a broad-based environmental practice to complement our firm's southeast practice."

Penny is listed in the Best Lawyers in America® for Environmental Law and is a council member of the American Bar Association's Section on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources.  He is founding chair of the Tennessee Bar Association's Environmental Law Section and the Nashville Bar Association's Environmental committee, and is the principal author of A Practical Guide to Tennessee Environmental Law published by the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  Penny also teaches environmental law at Nashville School of Law.

"Bill brings depth to our 10-lawyer group focused on air, water, hazardous and solid waste, remediation, reclamation and agri-business with offices in Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Kentucky," said Pat Stallard, chair of Stites & Harbison's Environmental, Natural Resources and Energy Law group.

Active in civic and community groups, Penny has served on boards and committees of Hospital Hospitality House, Bethlehem Centers of Nashville, Nashville Area Chapter of the American Red Cross and Belle Meade United Methodist Church.

ABOUT STITES & HARBISON, PLLC

Tracing its origins to 1832, Stites & Harbison is one of the oldest law practices in the nation and among the largest law firms in the Southeast region.  The firm employs nearly 250 attorneys based in eight offices and throughout the nation, over 40 of which are located in Nashville.  Offices are located in Nashville and Franklin, TN; Louisville, Lexington and Frankfort, Ky.; Jeffersonville, Ind.; Atlanta, Ga.; Washington, D.C.; and, Alexandria, Va.  The firm has been recognized by American Lawyer as one of the leading law firms in America.

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