David R. Evans, F. Scott LeRoy and Mark D. Hackett have formed the law firm of Evans, LeRoy & Hackett, PLLC. Karen G. Biagi and Allison E. Bickerstaff have joined the firm as members.

The firm’s members draw on nearly 100 years of collective legal experience garnered at leading local and regional law firms.

Evans, LeRoy & Hackett, PLLC provides a full range of legal services in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee in the areas of Banking and Commercial Finance, Business Insolvency and Workouts, Corporate Law, Employment Law, Health Law, Life Sciences, Patent & Trademark Prosecution and Licensing, Real Estate and Business Litigation. The firm represents a wide range of local, regional and national businesses and financial institutions. The firm is located at 920 McCallie Ave. in downtown Chattanooga, and can be contacted at (423) 648-7890.

David R. Evans brings 30 years of corporate and transactional law experience to the firm. Mr. Evans has had extensive involvement in all facets of corporate and real estate financing, equipment leasing, mergers and acquisitions, corporate and limited liability company organization and governance, financial workouts, captive insurance, private placements, and other investment agreements. He was a principal draftsman of the Tennessee Business Combination Act as well as the Control Share Act, and has served as a lecturer for the Tennessee Bar Association on both business combinations and captive insurance. Mr. Evans earned his law degree from Washington University School of Law in 1977.

F. Scott LeRoy brings 25 years of insolvency, general business and litigation experience to the firm. Mr. LeRoy’s litigation practice involves general business litigation in state, federal and bankruptcy court. His bankruptcy experience covers all aspects of liquidation and reorganization, from creditor representation to serving as counsel to panel trustees and committees. Mr. LeRoy’s transactional practice covers the acquiring or selling of local and regional business ventures in several sectors including manufacturing, distribution, retail and automotive. This often covers lending or borrowing transactions for businesses as well as lending institutions. Mr. LeRoy earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1982.

Mark D. Hackett brings 16 years of health law, corporate law and litigation experience to the firm. Mr. Hackett’s health law practice includes representing physicians in connection with general corporate matters, employment matters, business litigation, regulatory compliance, physician-hospital contracting, managed care contracting, and clinical research contracting. More recently, Mr. Hackett’s practice has focused extensively on Life Sciences, representing companies that develop and manufacture pharmaceutical products, diagnostics and medical devices, and his experience includes the formation of strategic alliances, in-licensing and out-licensing of technology, clinical trial contracting, business planning and financing, FDA regulatory work, and intellectual property strategy. He currently serves as outside general counsel to a development-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in pregnancy health. Mr. Hackett also has a broad background in commercial litigation. He earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1991.

Karen G. Biagi brings 15 years of corporate and intellectual property and technology experience to the firm. Her practice involves corporate formation and governance, commercial real estate, finance, mergers and acquisitions, contracts, licensing and technology law. Ms. Biagi is also a registered patent attorney and represents clients in patent and trademark prosecution and enforcement. She has represented national manufacturers, distributors and communications companies, as well as start-up software and information technology companies. Ms. Biagi earned her law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law in 1992 and a Masters of Science in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from Iowa State University in 1985.

Allison E. Bickerstaff brings nine years of land use development and financing experience to the firm. Ms. Bickerstaff’s practice involves residential and commercial real estate transactions, including covenants and restrictions, homeowners’ association documentation, contract preparation, rezoning issues, condemnation cases, boundary disputes, variance requests, construction cases, foreclosures and transactional work. She also prepares commercial and residential leases, purchase-sale agreements, letters of intent, and loan documentation. Ms. Bickerstaff also has a broad background in corporate matters, including entity formation, drafting contracts, stock sales, and asset purchase agreements. Ms. Bickerstaff earned her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1998.