Keith Simmons announced earlier this year that he would be stepping down as chairman of Nashville law firm Bass Berry & Sims. It turns out his leadership with the firm and with others in his profession isn't over yet.

Simmons has been elected chair of the board of directors of Lex Mundi, a worldwide association of independent law firms with 160 firms of more than 21,000 lawyers in 120 different countries. There is a Lex Mundi firm in each state of the United States, each province of Canada and in each commercially developed country of the world. Bass Berry & Sims is the Lex Mundi member firm for Tennessee.

“I am honored to have been selected to lead this very distinguished group of law firms,” said Simmons. “Bass, Berry & Sims is becoming more global in our work and our vision. More and more clients are coming to us with issues of international concern. In the last two years alone, we have assisted clients with projects in more 25 countries on six continents, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, Italy, Mexico, Cambodia, Thailand, Argentina and others.”

Simmons will lead a 16-member board of directors composed of representatives of member firms from around the world. Simmons succeeds Simon Truskett of Clayton Utz, the member firm for Australia.

Simmons has served as managing partner of Bass, Berry & Sims since 1995 and will be succeeded by Todd Rolapp at the end of 2012.