"Over the past 14 years, my friends, along with lawyers and many law firms, have donated time and money to help provide turkeys and fixings to loving families who need our help, and I want to say thank you. As many of you know, I have asked for donations to help this cause for years. This year is no exception."

Russell C. Gallagher, most recently a captain for Southwest Airlines, has landed as a full-time neutral with Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group. Mr. Gallagher’s legal career extended from 1986 to 1992, and he was a commercial litigator with Boult, Cummings, Conners and Berry (now Bradley Arandt et al), with emphasis on contract disputes, for five years. He also represented a music management group, individual musical artists and a business aircraft leasing company, and he remains a licensed attorney to this day. In keeping with his Nashville home base, he received both his bachelor of arts and law degrees from Vanderbilt University. He first became a Tennessee Rule 31 Court Certified Civil Mediator in 2012 and took a dispute resolution training course at Pepperdine University the next year.

Vincent M. “Vinny” D’Assaro, a long-time litigator, left the line of fire earlier this year and is now a full-time dispute resolution professional on Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group’s panel. Mr. D’Assaro has been Florida Supreme Court-certified as a mediator since 2005, but he was focused on an active litigation practice until May 2023, allowing him to bring a unique perspective to his mediations.