James H. Cheek, III is a senior member of the law firm of Bass, Berry & Sims PLG in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from Duke University and Vanderbilt Law School and received an LL.M. degree from Harvard Law School. He was a member of the Editorial Board of the Vanderbilt Law Review and was elected a member of the Order ofthe Coif.
Mr. Cheek served as Chair of the ABA Section of Business Law during 1998-1999 and served as chair of the National Task Force on Corporate Responsibility from 12002-2003. He was named in 2009 Co-Chair of the ABA Business Law Section Coordinating Task Force on Financial Institutions and Markets and in 2010 Co-Chair of the Delaware Business Law Forum. He also is a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility. He was a member of the Legal Advisory Committee ofthe New York Stock Exchange, having served as its Chair from 1989 to 1992. He also served as Chair of the Legal Advisory Board to the National Association of Securities Dealers from 1995 to 1997. He chaired the Federal Regulation of Securities Committee ofthe American Bar Association from 1986 to 1991. He also has served for a number of years as a member of the ABA Corporate Laws Committee which reviews and revises the Model Business Corporation Act. He is the past Chair of the Securities Regulation Institute (San Diego) and a member of the Advisory Planning Committee of the annual PLI Securities Institute in New York and of the annual Ray Garrett Corporate and Securities Law Institute in Chicago. He is also a member of the American Law Institute and on the Board of Advisors of the SEC Historical Society.
Mr. Cheek is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University School of Law where he teaches courses in securities and corporate law. Mr. Cheek has been a member of the faculty oflaw at Jesus College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England, where he taught a course on Advanced Company Law and Securities Regulation. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Vanderbilt Law School in 1994. He has lectured widely at numerous symposiums and institutes, including those sponsored by the SEC, the NYSE, ALI-ABA and PLI. He serves as Chainnan of the Board of Commissioners ofthe Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority.
Mr. Cheek is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association and practices corporate and securities law in Nashville. He has been elected a Fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation and has served on its Board of Directors. He represents a number of public and private companies in a wide variety of capital raising, securities disclosure and merger and acquisition activities. He also acts as counsel for boards of directors and board committees on matters relating to corporate governance, securities regulation and corporate legal compliance.