Faculty Profile: James Irvine

Nelson Irvine has advised and represented clients in connection with business and corporate planning, closely held business organizations, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and related transactions for more than 50  years. His experience includes advisory roles for founders, owners, investors and managers, as well as negotiating asset sales and acquisitions, mergers and combinations. He has advised startup organizations as well as existing businesses regarding forms of investment and ownership interests and capital structures as well as the management and governance alternatives of various forms of business entities, as well as the dissolution, liquidation and winding up of those entities.  He has advised a variety of entities including corporations (C corps and S corps), limited liability companies ("LLCs"), single-member LLCs,, limited and general partnerships. He has provided mediation and litigation advice in connection with disputes and issues involving partnerships and limited liability companies. Nelson has formed and advised nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations involved in a variety of charitable activities and  transactions, sustainable missions and strategic planning.  He has advised owners of family and closely-held business entities regarding estate and succession planning and the use and administration of trusts.

Nelson has authored articles for the Tennessee Bar Journal, has published partnership entity and transaction forms, and has participated in seminars and continuing legal educational programming in the areas of his expertise, experience and practice. 

Nelson began legal practice in Chattanooga in 1968 with the firm of Chambliss, Hodge, Bahner and Crawford.  He became managing partner of Chambliss, Bahner, Crutchfield, Gaston & Irvine until 1983.  He was then for many years a shareholder in the firm of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C.  For the past several years he has continued practice with the firm as Of Counsel.

He has been a member of the Tennessee Bar Association since 1966 and has participated in professional activities such as - Business Law Section, Executive Council (2007-2012) - and has played an active role in the revision and drafting of corporate and entity statutes in the state of Tennessee including - Tennessee Business Corporation Act (2013) - Tennessee Nonprofit Corporation Act (2015) - Tennessee Nonprofit Corporation Act (1987) -Tennessee Limited Liability Company Act (1995) and Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act (2006) - and Tennessee Revised Uniform Partnership Act (2002).  For many years, he was an active member of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association working on committees for the revision and updating of partnership and limited liability company statutory and uniform laws.