Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz has signed on to become a major sponsor of the Nashville Capital Network, the local early-stage investing consortium.

As part of the deal, technology attorney Steve Wood has joined NCN's board. Wood, who joined Baker Donelson last year, is a former software entrepreneur – his Synergy Software marketed a commercial mortgage servicing product and was bought by Ocwen Financial Corp. in 1999 – as well as a professor at Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management. (Note: Wood is the brother of NashvillePost.com's E. Thomas Wood.)

NCN Executive Director Sid Chambless also announced today that his group has recruited sponsorship dollars from private equity firm First Avenue Partners, outsourcing firm W Squared Inc., law firm Bone McAllester Norton, medical technology developer Image Quest and consultants Tatum LLC.

The new supporters come to NCN three months after the group announced plans for a $5.2 million sidecar fund that will invest in area early-stage ventures.