The Nashville law offices of Waddey & Patterson and Frost Brown Todd have added associates.

Bethany Whelan (on right in photo) has joined Waddey & Patterson as a registered patent attorney. She will concentrate her practice areas on patents involving nutraceuticals, chemical engineering, pharmaceuticals, bioengineering and life sciences.

“[Whelan’s] extensive background in chemical science and research will enhance the firm’s ability to successfully litigate chemical patents,” Ed Lanquist, president and managing shareholder, said in a release.

Whelan obtained her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Vanderbilt University Law School, at which she served as a MacArthur Foundation Law and Neuroscience Project research assistant and was part of the Vanderbilt Intellectual Property Association. She completed undergraduate work in chemistry at Vanderbilt, where she graduated magna cum laude.

As an intern with Pfizer Global Research and Development, Whelan conducted NMR screenings to identify lead compound material for future drug optimization. Whelan also completed undergraduate research on dual organic synthesis and biophysical chemistry projects that she presented to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Since 2011, Whelan has worked as a mediator with the Nashville Conflict Resolution Center, and she currently serves on the board of directors for the Tennessee Young Lawyers Division of the Nashville Bar Association.

At Frost Brown Todd, Jessica E. Lingo (on left in photo) will focus her practice in the labor and employment group. She will work with Mekesha Montgomery, member-in-charge of the Nashville office and a member in the labor and employment department.

Lingo earned her J.D. at Northwestern University School of Law. She also studied English at the University of Oxford and received her undergraduate degree in English at Emory University.