He intends to continue practicing law but has not formulated his future plans, he said. Before joining Wyatt, Mr. Bone had at one time operated his own practice in Sumner County and had been a partner at the firm now called Baker Donelson Bearman & Caldwell.
NashvillePost.com reported in July that he had ceased being manager in charge of Nashville for Wyatt and that Sam McAllester had been given that responsibility. The report suggested that Mr. Bone's differences with Wyatt involved several issues, including staffing, associates' expected work-loads, and dress codes. He declined to elaborate Thursday on the source of the philosophical differences that led to his departure.
He will leave the firm Friday, Nov. 16.
"In the end, I have concluded that the management philosophy of Wyatt is inconsistent with my vision and what I believe to be the tremendous opportunities for growth in Nashville and enhanced service to our clients," Mr. Bone wrote in a note delivered Thursday to family and friends. "Work in progress for clients is in the hands of the very capable lawyers at Wyatt, and we will all cooperate to continue to exceed the expectations of our clients."
Mr. McAllester issued a statement: "Charles is our good friend and colleague. We wish him all the best."
Mr. Bone, 55, is one of several prominent attorneys to leave Wyatt in recent months. In July, Mike Milom and five other entertainment attorneys left Wyatt for Bass, Berry & Sims. Jerry Martin, Nancy Vincent and Henry Hipkens also have left.
Even so, the number of attorneys at Wyatt's Nashville office today (36 before Mr. Bone's exit) is roughly the same as six months ago, according to Mr. McAllester.
The Law |
Law firms: Lateral hiring |
Law firms: Management |
Charles W. Bone |
Sam J. McAllester III |
W. Michael Milom |
Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs LLP |
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
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