Current and former law partners of John Conners, who died yesterday at the age of 89, have described him as a man of understated kindness and peerless capabilities.
Conners was the last survivor among the four founding attorneys who gave their names to old-line Nashville law firm Boult Cummings Conners & Berry, which merged at the beginning of this year with an Alabama firm to become Bradley Arant Boult Cummings. He practiced law with that firm and its predecessors from 1948 until just a few years ago, when ill health limited his ability to continue.
kAmQw6 H2D E96 36DE :? 6G6CJE9:?8 96 5:5[Q C642==65 q@33J %9@>2D[ 2 =@?8E:>6 qp\q@F=E rF>>:?8D A2CE?6C H9@ 4FCC6?E=J D6CG6D 2D G:46 492:C>2? @7 E96 %6??6DD66 q@2C5 @7 #686?ED] Qx? =2H 2?5Â :? A6CD@?2= C6=2E:@?D9:AD[ 96 H2D @?6 @7 2 <:?5]Qk^Am
kAm{:E:82E@C q:== {6256C[ 7@C>6C=J @7 q@F=E 2?5 ?@H @7 {6256C qF=D@ }@=2? U2>Aj qFC?DE6:?[ 42==65 r@??6CD Q2 8C62E >6?E@C[ 2 8C62E C@=6 >@56= 2?5 2 8C62E >2?]Q r@??6CD[ 96 C642==65[ Q=:G65 E96 =:76 E92E 96 AC624965] w:D AC:@C:E:6D H6C6 9:D v@5[ 9:D 72>:=J 2?5 9:D AC@76DD:@?[ :? E92E @C56C] w6 H2D?VE 2 ACF56[ 3FE 96 =:G65 2 G6CJ >@C2= =:76 2?5 EC62E65 A6@A=6 E96 H2J 96V5 H2?E E@ 36 EC62E65]Qk^Am
kAm{6256C C6>6>36C65 9:D >6?E@C 2D 2 Q>6E:4F=@FD 2?5 4@?D4:6?E:@FDQ AC24E:E:@?6C @7 E96 =682= 4C27E] y@9? s2J @7 s2J U2>Aj q=2:C[ 2?@E96C =@42= 2EE@C?6J H9@ 4C65:ED r@??6CD 2D 2 >2;@C :?7=F6?46[ C642==65 9:> J6DE6C52J 2D Q2? 6IBF:D:E6 EC:2= =2HJ6C 2?5 2 H@?56C7F= 9F>2? 36:?8Q H9@ H2D QE96 AC66>:?6?E A=2:?E:77VD =2HJ6C :? E@H? 7@C E96 =2DE ad J62CD @7 9:D AC24E:46]Qk^Am
kAms2J ?@E65 E92E r@??6CD 925 DA6?E >2?J J62CD 2D AC:>2C:=J 2 5676?D6 =2HJ6C :? 4:G:= =2HDF:ED 3FE 564:565 E@ 8@ E@ E96 @E96C D:56 :? E96 `hf_D[ E2<:?8 @? A6CD@?2=\:?;FCJ 2?5 >65:42= >2=AC24E:46 4=:6?ED] Qw6 =@G65 A6@A=6 2?5 H2?E65 E@ C6AC6D6?E :?5:G:5F2=D C2E96C E92? :?DFC2?46 4@>A2?:6D[Q s2J D2:5]k^Am
kAm{6256C 649@65 E92E 6IA=2?2E:@? 7@C r@??6CDV >:5\42C66C D9:7E] Qw6 =:<65 96=A:?8 A6@A=6[ 2?5 96 2=H2JD H2?E65 E@ 96=A E96 F?56C5@8[Q {6256C D2:5]k^Am
kAmu@C>6C 4@==628F6D ?@E65 D6G6C2= >2;@C 42D6D r@??6CD E@@< @? @G6C E96 J62CD] x? 2 `hgb =2HDF:E 282:?DE E96 #F3J %F6D52JVD C6DE2FC2?E 492:?[ C6AC6D6?E:?8 2 H@>2? 92C>65 3J 2 7=2>:?8 5C:?<[ 96 H@? E96 7:CDE S` >:==:@? ;FCJ G6C5:4E 6G6C :? }2D9G:==6 :? 2 A6CD@?2=\:?;FCJ 42D6]k^Am
kAms2J C642==65 E92E r@??6CD D64FC65 D6EE=6>6?ED :? 6I46DD @7 S` >:==:@? 7@C G:4E:>D 2?5 E96:C 72>:=:6D 27E6C E96 (2G6C=J EC2:? 5:D2DE6C @7 u63CF2CJ `hfg[ H96? C2:= 42CD 42CCJ:?8 AC@A2?6 82D 56C2:=65 :? E96 wF>A9C6JD r@F?EJ E@H? 2?5 E96? 6IA=@565 5FC:?8 4=62?FA @A6C2E:@?D EH@ 52JD =2E6C[ <:==:?8 `e H@C<6CD[ @77:4:2=D 2?5 E@H? C6D:56?ED]Â k^Am
kAmw6 H2D 2=D@ 2>@?8 E96 =2HJ6CD C6AC6D6?E:?8 E9@D6 27764E65 3J E96 `hg_ |v| vC2?5 w@E6= 7:C6 :? {2D '682D[ H9:49 <:==65 gd A6@A=6]k^Am
kAmr@??6CD H2D 3@C? :? }2D9G:==6 @? |2C49 ad[ `ha_[ 2 D@? @7 E96 =2E6 |2CJ v:=>@C6 2?5 y@9? %9@>2D r@??6CD $C] p7E6C 2EE6?5:?8 =@42= AF3=:4 8C256 D49@@=D 2?5 8C25F2E:?8 :? `hbf 7C@> u2E96C #J2? w:89 $49@@=[ 96 62C?65 9:D F?56C8C25F2E6 568C66 2E '2?56C3:=E &?:G6CD:EJ :? `hc`]k^Am
kAmr@??6CD D6CG65 2D 2 u:CDE {:6FE6?2?E :? E96 pC>J p:C u@C46D 2?5 H2D 2? 26C:2= @3D6CG6C :?DECF4E@C 2E qC@@<D u:6=5 :? $2? p?E@?:@] p7E6C 2EE6?5:?8 p:C x?E6==:86?46 $49@@= :? w2CC:D3FC8[ !2][ 96 H2D D6?E @G6CD62D :? `hcc] w6 7=6H 2D 2 A9@E@ :?E6==:86?46 @77:46C H:E9 E96 `dE9 p:C u@C46 :? xE2=J]k^Am
kAm#6EFC?:?8 E@ 9:D DEF5:6D 27E6C E96 H2C[ 96 62C?65 9:D =2H 568C66 7C@> '2?56C3:=E {2H $49@@= :? `hcg 2?5 6?E6C65 :?E@ AC:G2E6 AC24E:46]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D 2 >6>36C @7 E96 }2D9G:==6[ %6??6DD66 2?5 p>6C:42? q2C pDD@4:2E:@? 2D H6== 2D %96 pDD@4:2E:@? @7 %C:2= {2HJ6CD] w6 H2D 2 76==@H @7 E96 p>6C:42? r@==686 @7 %C:2= {2HJ6CD 2?5 E96 %6??6DD66 q2C u@F?52E:@?] w6 H2D 24E:G6 :? E96 }2D9G:==6 q2C pDD@4:2E:@?VD |65:4@\{682= r@>>:EE66[ E96 r:C4F:E r@FCE r@>>:EE66[ E96 u656C2= s:D4:A=:?2CJ q@2C5 2?5 E96 q@2C5 @7 !C@76DD:@?2= #6DA@?D:3:=:EJ @7 E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE @7 %6??6DD66]k^Am
kAmr@??6CD 7@C>6C=J D6CG65 @? E96 2DD@4:2E6 3@2C5 @7 5:C64E@CD @7 $2:?E %9@>2D w@DA:E2= 2?5 H2D 2? 2FI:=:2CJ >6>36C @7 E96 s2F89E6CD @7 r92C:EJ 2D H6== 2D E96 7:CDE AC6D:56?E @7 E96 |:55=6 %6??6DD66 |65:42= r6?E6C]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D 2 7@F?5:?8 >6>36C @7 $E] w6?CJ r2E9@=:4 r9FC49[ H96C6 96 H2D 2 A2C:D9:@?6C 7@C >@C6 E92? d_ J62CD]k^Am
kAm!C6465:?8 9:> :? 562E9 H2D 9:D H:76 @7 bh J62CD[ p?? r9:D9@=> r@??6CD[ H9@ A2DD65 2H2J :? `hgh[ 2D H6== 2D D:DE6C |2CJ |2C82C6E r@??6CD] $FCG:G:?8 9:> 2C6 9:D ?:?6 49:=5C6?j v:??J WsC] #@36CEX #:A=6J[ y@9? W|2C82C6EX r@??6CD xxx[ t==J W(2CC6?X |4{2:?[ y62??6 $49265=6[ s2G:5 W%6C6D2X r@??6CD[ #:492C5 v:=>@C6 Ww@==JX r@??6CD[ }2?4J WsC] v6@C86X v@=5:?[ y:> W|2FC66?X r@??6CD[ 2?5 p>J |FCA9C66[ 9:D D:3=:?8D[ p??6 qC@56? @7 $E] {@F:D[ sC] y2>6D y] Wy24<:6X r@??6CD @7 y24<D@?G:==6[ u=2][ 2?5 r2E96C:?6 p] r@??6CD[ 9:D ah 8C2?549:=5C6?[ sC] #]%2J=@C Wp??2X[ p?? 2?5 !6E6C Wz2E96C:?6X #:A=6J[ q@@?6 W{2C:DD2X !:EED[ {629 2?5 s2? r@??6CD[ |2EE96H[ t=62?@C[ 2?5 uC2?46D |4{2:?[ $4@EE Wp??2X[ q6?[ (:==[ p??2 |2CJ[ 2?5 ':C8:?:2 $49265=6[ s2G:5 W{6:89X 2?5 t>:=J r@??6CD[ v:=>@C6[ #636442 2?5 ':C8:?:2 r@??6CD[ q6EDJ[ (:==[ y@9?[ 2?5 t=62?@C v@=5:?[ y@D6A9[ w256?[ s2G:D 2?5 #@36CE r@??6CD[ 2?5 $2C29 2?5 p?5J |FCA9C66[ 2?5 9:D 8C62E\8C2?549:=5C6?[ #@3J 2?5 y2<6 #:A=6J[ v:?86C 2?5 rC@4<6EE !:EED[ 2?5 |2D@? 2?5 y@9? r@??6CD] w6 :D 2=D@ DFCG:G65 3J >2?J ?:646D 2?5 ?6A96HD 2?5 3C@E96CD\ 2?5 D:DE6CD\:?\=2H] %96 72>:=J 92D DE2E65 E92E[ :? =:6F @7 7=@H6CD[ 4@?EC:3FE:@?D >2J 36 >256 E@ u2E96C #J2? w:89 $49@@=[ f__ }@CH@@5 sC:G6[ }2D9G:==6[ %} bfa`c[ @C $E] w6?CJ r2E9@=:4 r9FC49[ ec_` w2C5:?8 !:<6[ }2D9G:==6[ %} bfa_d[ @C E96 492C:EJ @7 @?6VD 49@:46]k^Am
kAm%96 72>:=J H:== C646:G6 7C:6?5D @? %9FCD52J[ $6AE] `_ 7C@> `` 2]>] E@ ` A]>] 2E $E] w6?CJ H:E9 E96 7F?6C2= >2DD E@ 7@==@H] qFC:2= H:== 7@==@H 2E r2=G2CJ r6>6E6CJ]k^Am
