Bass, Berry & Sims PLC is delighted to publicize the introduction of John Kelly, a former top U.S. Department of Justice official, as a partner in the firm’s Compliance and Government Investigations Practice.

Mr. Kelly will become the managing business partner with the organization’s brand-new Washington, D.C. office. He has extensive experience with complex federal and state investigations and Litigation matters related to healthcare fraud and abuse, the False Claims Act, white collar crime, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and regulatory and compliance issues.

Mr. Kelly joins Bass Berry following on from the recognized record of service as a criminal law attorney with the Department of Justice, and subsequently as a partner at Fulbright & Jaworski LLP. During his tenure at DOJ, Mr. Kelly supervised investigations and prosecutions in a broad range of healthcare fraud actions nationwide, including criminal law violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, the False Claims Act, wire and insurance fraud, and anti-money laundering. He served in several prestigious positions including Assistant Chief for Health Care Fraud of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and he led the Los Angeles Medicare Fraud Strike Force. He also served as Chief of Staff and Deputy Director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, where he worked closely with senior leadership within the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Justice, and various federal agencies including HHS-OIG, FBI, and DEA.

“With increasingly significant regulatory and enforcement activity having such direct impact on our clients and the healthcare industry, we saw no better time than now to establish a presence in Washington, DC,” said Keith Simmons, Managing Partner of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC. “We are most fortunate to have John at the helm. He is deservedly regarded as one of the most capable healthcare fraud enforcement and compliance lawyers in the profession.

“The best way to build a practice in Washington is by recruiting the best lawyers in Washington, those who are firmly established and recognized in the marketplace,” added Mr. Simmons. “John brings an insider’s knowledge of the Beltway that will have a direct and beneficial impact on our clients who are so directly affected by legislative and regulatory decisions made at the federal level.”

“It is an honor to now be a part of this prestigious law firm,” said Kelly. “I particularly welcome the opportunity to build on Bass, Berry & Sims’ stellar client base and grow its Compliance and Government Investigations Practice here in Washington.”

About Bass, Berry & Sims

Through a affluent historical past within capital markets activity in the southeast, the firm’s more than 200 attorneys now represent more than 40 public companies and have developed a national healthcare practice from Nashville, the hub of for-profit healthcare. Bass, Berry & Sims has distinguished itself for service to healthcare clients at every level, including service to hospitals, health systems, pharmaceutical companies and outpatient service providers. The healthcare practice, which includes an interdisciplinary team of more than 100 attorneys, provides unsurpassed depth in government investigations and enforcement, compliance, regulatory and operational matters, mergers and acquisitions, and joint ventures and syndications.

Sol Systems, LLC and Cooley LLP are happy to announce a webinar series on bankable solar contracts for solar installers, developers and investors. Each webinar in the series will lead participants through key terms and issues of a different contract and will provide an opportunity for Q&A. The webinars will be hosted by Sol Systems’ CEO, Yuri Horwitz, Cooley Clean Energy and Technologies group attorneys and guest panelists.

The webinar series is a complement to the strategic collaboration announced by Sol Systems and Cooley last fall. Through this collaboration, Cooley developed a suite of legal e-documents and tailored consulting services for Sol Systems’ SolMarket users. SolMarket is a transaction-driven community that facilitates solar project origination and investment and currently has more than $1.7 billion in aggregate partnership funds. Members of the SolMarket community have access to this network of business funding as well as transaction and financial resources. SolMarket members can view and utilize Cooley’s form legal templates as well as request direct consultations with Cooley attorneys.

“The Cooley collaboration and our suite of legal templates are critical to our overarching goal of driving efficiencies and uniformity into the solar space,” noted Horwitz. “Cooley and Sol Systems are focused on connecting a fragmented solar industry and helping solar companies operate more efficiently.”

“This collaboration with Sol Systems is part of Cooley’s deep commitment to the innovative delivery of legal services and business insight in the clean energy and technology space,” said Cooley Partner Tom Amis, co-chair of the firm’s Clean Energy and Technologies practice. “SolMarket is rapidly becoming a go-to resource for some of the most exciting and ambitious players in the solar and clean energy space, from across the United States and further afield.”

Webinar Series Schedule

* Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 12:30 pm EDT: Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Agreements Register
* Wednesday, February 29 at 12:30 pm EDT: Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) Register
* Wednesday, March 14 at 12:30 pm EDT: Securing Site Control Register
* Wednesday, March 28 at 12:30 pm EDT: Developing a Solar Lease Register

Questions regarding the webinars should be directed to info@solmarket.com and interested participants can sign up by visiting solmarket.com/events.

About Cooley LLP

Cooley’s 650 attorneys located throughout the U.S. and in China have an entrepreneurial spirit and deep, substantive experience, and are committed to solving clients’ most challenging legal matters. From small business with big ideas to international enterprises with diverse legal needs, Cooley has the breadth of legal resources to enable companies of all sizes to seize opportunities in today’s global marketplace. The firm represents clients across a broad array of dynamic industry sectors, including technology, life sciences, venture capital, clean energy, real estate and retail.

Cooley Clean Energy and Technologies group attorneys have been singularly focused on the renewable energy sector for over a decade. Cooley’s comprehensive strength throughout the clean energy value chain, from emerging cleantech startups to utility and refinery scale deployment, is unique among law firms and provides a compelling value proposition for our clients.

About SolMarket

SolMarket is a transaction-driven ecosystem for the solar industry that catalyzes investment in solar energy by transforming how solar projects are financed. SolMarket provides investors and developers with the tools they need to efficiently originate, evaluate, finance, and construct renewable energy projects. SolMarket has over $1.7 billion in committed partnership funds seeking qualified solar projects and hundreds of users from the solar community. SolMarket is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sol Systems.

About Sol Systems

Sol Systems, LLC is a Washington D.C. based solar finance firm, and the largest solar renewable energy credit (SREC) aggregator in the nation. Through its SREC offerings, it has promoted the development of the solar market by providing long-term business financing options for SRECs, facilitating over $100 million in solar development.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is providing a reward as high as $2,500 for knowledge leading to the public arrest and conviction of the individual or maybe individuals accountable pertaining to the Jan. 23, 2012, break-in and attempted arson of the Tipsy Toad Tavern, located at 609 W. Western Ave., in Muskegon.

In addition to the ATF reward, the Muskegon Police Department is offering an additional $500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible for the break-in and attempted arson.

“Arson can have a devastating effect on our community. We need the public’s help to solve this crime,” announced David McCain, special agent in charge of the ATF Detroit Field Division. “ATF and the Muskegon Police Department will continue working together toward our goal of a successful prosecution in the investigation.”

ATF and the Muskegon Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the individuals responsible. Anyone who may have noticed a drunk driver on January 23, or with any information is encouraged to call the Muskegon Police Department at 231/724-6750 or Silent Observer at 231/72CRIME (231/722-7463). People are also able to get in touch with the ATF Grand Rapids Field Office at 616/301-6100 or ATF at 1-888-ATF-FIRE (1-888-283-3473).