Clients seeking assistance understanding, interacting, or doing business with government call on James Weaver for his strategic advice and counsel. From traditional lobbying, to providing regulatory counsel, to leading complex public affairs efforts, to dealing with a crisis, James provides insightful guidance to his clients using his extensive experience and knowledge of how government works. James has spent years building relationships and cultivating a reputation for excellence. He is particularly active in the following areas:
· Construction
· Incentive programs and economic development
· Outside general counsel
· Natural resources (mining, environmental, energy)
· Real estate development
· Transportation
Many of Tennessee's largest and highest profile businesses rely on James as their primary government affairs advisor. Representative clients and industries include:
· Energy
· Professional sports
· Construction
· Healthcare
· Mining
· Development/Retail
· Waste management
· Wireless Communications
· Hospitality
· Significant non-profit entities\
· Trade associations
James has spent years developing close relationships with elected officials and senior business leaders across the state. These relationships provide James with unique perspectives and unparalleled ability to solve a client's problems. As part of his practice, James works with clients across the region with the site selection and permitting, and public, community and government affairs aspects of controversial projects. A charismatic country boy from a small town in West Tennessee with an innovative and influential spirit, James also delivers value by offering creative options and ideas to clients seeking to form, expand, relocate, or revitalize their business.
Chambers USA recognizes James as a leading Environmental attorney, and Best Lawyers lists him in the area of Government Relations Practice. He also has been recognized for several years in Business Tennessee's "Top 150 Lawyers in Tennessee." Business Tennessee has also recognized James multiple times as one of the state's "100 Most Powerful People."
Experience
· Represented numerous clients involved in significant development projects throughout Tennessee including the Cool Springs and Berry Farm's commercial developments in Franklin, Tenn., the Turkey Creek commercial development in Knoxville, Tenn. and downtown Nashville's Viridian, ICON, Encore and Velocity projects.
· Served as lead outside counsel for development of the Tennessee Lottery
· Has led efforts to develop various energy projects in the state, including, natural gas, hydro, biomass, wind and solar
· Extensive experience with the use of various incentive mechanisms available in Tennessee including the use of Tax Increment Financing, PILOTs, and TDZs.
· Has led teams siting landfills, quarries and piplines
Professional
· Chairman, Government Affairs Committee and General Counsel for the United Way of Metropolitan Nashville
· General Counsel, Tennessee Road Builders Association
· Fellow, Tennessee Bar Foundation
· Member, Nashville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations
· Tennessee Editor for Matthew Bender's Brownfields Law and Practice treatise
· Former Vice-Chair, Government Relations for the Nashville Chamber of Commerce
· Former General Counsel, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry
· Former Secretary/Treasurer and past Member, Executive Committee of the Environmental Law Section of the Tennessee Bar Association
Prior affiliations:
· Law Clerk for Chief Justice William J. Harbison of the Tennessee Supreme Court, 1988
News/Events
BULLETINS
03.23.11, Planning Commission to Review Census Data
10.22.10, Flood Recovery Website Launched to Collect Community Ideas
01.26.10, The U.S. Supreme Court Issues a Revolutionary Decision in Campaign Finance Law
EVENTS
04.06.09, 2009 In-House Counsel Conference
PRESS RELEASES
02.24.12, Twenty-Four Waller Lansden Attorneys Recognized as "Leaders in the Field" by Chambers USA
Community
· Member, Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the United Way of Metropolitan Nashville
· Former Board Chair and Member, Board of Commissioners of the Tennessee State Fair
· Former Board Member, General Counsel and Founding Board Chair, Forum for Youth Investment, Washington, D.C.
· Founding Board Chair, Community Impact! Nashville
· Former Board Chair, Reconciliation, Inc.
· Former Member, United Way of Middle Tennessee Agency Review Team
· Former Member, Board of Directors of Community Shares, Inc. and Council of Community Services
Upclose
James looks forward to spending time outdoors and enjoys quail hunting and fishing. James gets back to his West Tennessee roots via a giant "pig cooker" that he uses at his annual city wide political Bar-B-Q. He is also a huge Titans fan and relishes both NFL and college football. James' son plays college football at DePauw University. His daughter is a student at Ole Miss.
James grew up in an "extraordinarily" small town in west Tennessee and attended college on an Army ROTC scholarship. The son of a barber/farmer and hairdresser, James sold computer forms in Nashville before going to law school. A history buff, he enjoys reading works on the Civil War, World War II and his favorite U.S. President, LBJ.