Bob Mendes, Former Nashville City Chief Development Officer and Veteran Attorney, Joins Epstein Becker Green

Mendes brings three decades of crisis management and fiduciary oversight experience to the health care- and employment-focused firm.

Epstein Becker Green announced today that Bob Mendes has joined as a Member of the Firm in Nashville.

Mendes has over 30 years of legal and executive leadership experience, helping businesses and stakeholders navigate high-stakes business transactions, complex financial restructurings, and critical governance matters.

As the previous Chief Development Officer for Metro Nashville and a former two-term Metro Council Member-at-Large, Mendes led the planning and process that established the East Bank Development Authority—a transformative project encompassing developments on the East Bank, including the $2 billion Tennessee Titans stadium, 22 million square feet of mixed-use development, the $600 million TPAC relocation, and major redevelopments of Rivergate and Global Malls.

“Bob’s rare 360-degree view of how policy, politics, and commerce intersect will be of direct importance to our clients facing complex financial and operational challenges,” said Mark Lutes, Chair of Epstein Becker Green’s Board of Directors. “His proven track record in crisis management and fiduciary oversight, combined with his deep understanding of public-private partnerships, strengthens our ability to guide clients through the most complex matters.”

Mendes focuses his practice on sophisticated corporate reorganization and complicated governance matters across industries, including health care, real estate, economic development, and technology. His disciplined approach to crisis management and ability to simplify complex financial and legal challenges have earned him recognition for representing businesses both as creditors and as debtors in workouts and bankruptcy proceedings.

Prior to his government service, he spent over two decades in private practice representing clients in commercial transactions, corporate governance, restructurings, and regulatory compliance.

“Bob has successfully litigated, legislated, and been a dealmaker at the highest stakes in Nashville,” said Ryan Cochran, Managing Member of Epstein Becker Green’s Nashville office. “Our clients value lawyers who can help them navigate the intersection of law, politics, and business, and Bob perfectly fits that value proposition.

From balancing Nashville’s budget amid unprecedented challenges to his role as lead negotiator on Metro’s 550-acre East Bank redevelopment, Bob’s experience gives him perspective that will benefit our clients navigating operational challenges and financial distress.”

From 2007 to 2023, Mendes was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; and Litigation – Bankruptcy.

“As Nashville attracts unprecedented capital and development, our market requires legal counsel capable of executing large-scale projects at the intersection of commerce and public policy,” said Mendes. “Epstein Becker Green offers the national depth and sophistication required to excel at this level, and I look forward to resuming my law practice and collaborating with my colleagues across the legal and business sectors to guide my clients’ most difficult business decisions.”

Mendes’s arrival continues Epstein Becker Green’s strategic expansion in key health care markets such as Nashville and strengthens the firm’s capabilities in financial restructuring and corporate governance for entities nationwide.

About Epstein Becker Green

Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., is a national law firm with a primary focus on health care and life sciences; employment, labor, and workforce management; and litigation and business disputes. Founded in 1973 as an industry-focused firm, Epstein Becker Green has decades of experience serving clients in health care, financial services, retail, hospitality, and technology, among other industries, representing entities from startups to Fortune 100 companies. Operating in locations throughout the United States and supporting domestic and multinational clients, the firm’s attorneys are committed to uncompromising client service and legal excellence. For more information, visit www.ebglaw.com.