Mark Chalos & Kenneth Byrd Elected to Leadership Roles in the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association

We are proud to announce that Lieff Cabraser partners Mark P. Chalos and Kenneth S. Byrd will serve in leadership roles in the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association (TTLA) for the 2018-2019 year. Mark was elected Secretary of the TTLA and Treasurer of the TTLA’s Political Action Committee, “Lawyers Involved for Tennessee” (LIFT). At the same time, Kenny was re-elected to the TTLA Board of Governors.

The Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association is a professional organization of member attorneys dedicated to upholding and defending the principles of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Tennessee by way of trial by jury; advancing the science of the legal system; supporting advocacy and justice of the public good; and advancing the cause of those who experience personal harm or property damage. The Association seeks to encourage mutual support and cooperation among members of the bar, and to uphold and improve the adversary system and trial by jury in Tennessee.

Lawyers Involved for Tennessee, or LIFT, works to preserve the right to a jury trial in civil litigation by supporting the campaigns of friends of the civil justice system who are running for office in the Tennessee Senate and the Tennessee House of Representatives. LIFT is the only state PAC dedicated to preserving the civil justice system & the rights of injured Tennesseans.

Congratulations, Mark and Kenny!

About Mark P. Chalos

The managing partner of Lieff Cabraser’s Nashville office, Mark Chalos represents individuals who have suffered catastrophic personal injuries and families whose loved ones died due to the negligence or misconduct of others. Mark represents counties and cities nationwide in the national opioids litigation. He is serving in the national case leadership, including preparing the bellwether cases for trial.

Through jury trials, Chalos has held wrong-doers accountable, including representing 32 school children who were videotaped undressing in their school locker room ($1.28 million jury verdict) and a young woman who suffered a severe brain injury in a car wreck (nearly $4 million jury verdict). He also obtained an $8 million arbitration award on behalf of a business client, and overall has obtained millions of dollars in settlements for families who have been harmed by wrongful conduct.

About Kenneth S. Byrd

A partner in Lieff Cabraser’s Nashville office, Kenneth Byrd represents consumers in consumer protection cases and individuals and the families of loved ones who died in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits filed in courts in Tennessee and across the Southeast and Midwest. Byrd is also a member of Lieff Cabraser’s False Claim Act practice group, helping whistleblowers to stop fraud and the misuse of funds in government contracts and programs.

Over the last several years, Byrd has represented the families of deceased smokers in trials in Florida federal court against the tobacco companies for their 50-year conspiracy of misrepresenting the dangers of smoking cigarettes and for intentionally engineering the design of cigarettes to make them more addictive. In several trials, juries have returned multi-million dollar verdicts. Byrd was lead trial counsel in such a jury trial that led to a notable 2013 victory, and has been second chair in several other trials.