Brant Phillips, a partner at the Nashville law firm of Bass, Berry & Sims, has been named legal counsel for the Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP).

State Democratic Party chairman Gray Sasser, who held this position for the last four years, appointed Phillips to a role that has also been filled in the past by current Tennessee Attorney General Robert E. (Bob) Cooper, a Bass, Berry & Sims alumnus, and current Chief District Judge Todd J. Campbell of the United States District Court, Middle District of Tennessee.

A member of the litigation and government-relations practice areas for his firm, Phillips has served as a volunteer lawyer for TNDP during the last four election cycles and as general counsel to state Senator Lowe Finney's successful run for his District 27 seat in 2006. In addition to general business, products liability and healthcare-related litigation, Phillips' law practice includes regular work in the areas of campaign finance and various administrative and regulatory proceedings.

Phillips' clients at Bass have included HCA, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Asurion. He is part of the Bass team representing Brentwood Academy in its federal civil rights case against the TSSAA that will go before the United States Supreme Court for oral argument in April.

After graduating magna cum laude from Birmingham-Southern College in 1991, Phillips received his law degree from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va., in 1997, where he also graduated cum laude. He also holds a master's degree in public policy from Duke University. His work at Duke focused on issues affecting state and local governments.