Firm, Company, or Court

• Nashville School of Law Lecturer, Business Associations (2023-)
• Belmont University School of Law, Adjunct Professor, Practical Issues in the Judiciary (2023-)

Juris Doctor

• Vanderbilt University School of Law (1976)

Education

• Seton Hall University, B.A. (1973)

Prior Employment

• Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C. (2004-2023). Mediator/Arbitrator, and Business Trial/Appellate lawyer and the Firm’s Conflicts Counsel
• Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP (2000-2004). Business Trial/Appellate lawyer and Mediator/Arbitrator
• Tuke, Yopp & Sweeney, PLC (1994-2000). Business Trial/Appellate lawyer and Mediator/Arbitrator
• Farris, Warfield & Kanaday (1990-1994). Business Trial/Appellate lawyer
• Circuit Court Judge, Davidson County, Tennessee (1986-1990)
• Dearborn & Ewing (1981-1986). Business Trial/Appellate lawyer
• State of Tennessee, Department of Correction, (1979-1981). Staff Attorney
• Neal & Harwell (1976-1979). Litigation Associate

Bar Admissions

• Tennessee
• U.S. District Court for the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of Tennessee
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Business Associations

Professional Honors & Activities

• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2005 in the areas of Bet-the-Company, Commercial and Securities Litigation, Arbitration, Mediation, Administrative/Regulatory Law, Franchise Law
• Listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers since 2010
• Listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Business Lawyers (2005, 2006)
• Listed in “The Best of the Bar,” Nashville Business Journal (2008)
• Member – Nashville Bar Association (Board of Directors, 1993-1995; co-chair, Ethics and Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, 1986-1988; chair, Professionalism Committee, 1990 when drafted Ethics Handbook)
• Member – Tennessee Bar Association (member, Juvenile Justice Committee, 1980-1984 when drafted Rules of Juvenile Procedure; member, Professional Standards Study Committee, 1995-1999 when drafted the Rules of Professional Conduct; vice-chair, Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, 2000-2006; chair, Committee on the Judiciary, 2015-2022)
• Member (former) – American Bar Association – Judicial, Litigation, Dispute Resolution Sections; Forum Committee on Franchising; former member, Standing Committee on Judicial Independence
• Member – National Judicial College Board of Trustees (2011-2019; chair 2015-2016)
• Member – Hearing Committee, Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, Disciplinary District V (2013-2020)
• Chair – Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Group, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee (1995-1997)
• Chair – Merit Selection Panel for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (2007)
• Recipient – Baker Donelson Nashville Pro Bono Attorney of the Year (2007, 2009)
• Former Faculty Member – Corporate and Securities Law Institute (ADR) (1996-1998)
• Former Coach – National Trial Competition Team (1998-1999)
• Former Adjunct Faculty Member – Trial Practice (1994-1997, 2020-2021)
• Nashville School of Law
• Former Lecturer, Civil Procedure (2003-2009)
• Fellow – Nashville Bar Foundation (trustee, 1996-1998; fellow, 1992-)
• Fellow — Tennessee Bar Foundation (1995-)
• Tennessee Judicial Council, Legislative Sub-committee for Study and Review (chair, 1989)
• Harry Phillips American Inn of Court (master, 1990-1994 and 1998-2009; emeritus member; Executive Committee and Program Committee, 2001-2021)
• Member – ADR Panel for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Member – Arbitration panel for U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
• Approved Mediator – Tennessee Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution, until retirement in 2023
• Member – American Arbitration Association, Mediation, Judicial Settlement Conference, and Arbitration (Commercial, Employment, Sports Law) Panels, until retirement in 2023
• Member – Tennessee Academy of Mediators & Arbitrators, until retirement in 2023
• Member – National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, until retirement in 2023
• Member – Board of Directors, Nashville Conflict Resolution Center (2013-2015)
• Member – Nashville Community Oversight Board (2019-2021)

Publications

• Young, Warden and Sweeney, “Tennessee’s Sentence Reduction Laws,” The Litigator, September 1980
• Co-Editor, Ethics Handbook, Nashville Bar Association, 1988
• Chair, Board of Advisors, Tennessee Ethics Handbook, Tennessee Bar Association, 1991-2001
• Sweeney and Stephenson, “In the Proper Forum – Trial, Arbitration or Mediation,” Tennessee Trial Lawyer, December 1994
• Tennessee Pattern Jury Instructions – Civil, co-author with Charles K. Grant of practice considerations (LexisNexis, 2007)
• Sweeney and Collins, “Mandatory Disclosure of Information Relating to a Client Under the Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct,” Nashville Bar Journal, June 2010
• Sweeney, “AMENDMENT 2, Behold a Trojan Horse,” Nashville Bar Journal, October 2014
• Sweeney and Travis, Drafting the Arbitration Clause, Submitted for Publication, April 2023, Tennessee Bar Journal