Faculty Profile: Lawrence Ahern III

Lawrence R. (Larry) Ahern, III is a Retired Partner with Brown & Ahern.  He practiced bankruptcy and commercial law after his 1972 graduation from Vanderbilt University Law School.  He retired from "big firm" practice in 2013 and limited his practice to consulting engagements by legal and financial professionals, including expert testimony, on legal issues involving bankruptcy, commercial and real estate law, until taking Retired Partner status in 2023.  He continues his writing and speaking.  He was certified as a Business Bankruptcy Specialist by the American Board of Certification (ABC) in 1994.  Larry served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt, 1998-2020 (Secured Transactions); at St. John's University Law School in the Bankruptcy LL.M. program (Bankruptcy Procedure); at Belmont University College of Law (Secured Transactions); and as Visiting Professor at Cumberland School of Law (Secured Transactions and Banking Regulation).  He is a Fellow of both the American College of Bankruptcy and the American College of Mortgage Attorneys and is a Distinguished Fellow of the Association of Insolvency & Restructuring Advisors (AIRA).  He chaired the ABC and the Tennessee Commission on CLE & Specialization and continues to serve the ABC as Director Emeritus.  He also served on the Advisory Board of the St. John's Bankruptcy LL.M. program.  Larry was listed in The Best Lawyers in America starting in 1989, in the categories of business reorganization, creditors' rights and bankruptcy litigation, and was honored by various publications based on peer ratings as "best of the bar," and similar honors.  His other professional affiliations include the ABI and the AIRA (former Director), the Turnaround Management Association (former Director and Chapter President) and the Mid-South Commercial Law Institute (former Director and President).  He is a frequent speaker and an author and co-author of numerous books and articles on bankruptcy, commercial and real estate law and related fields.  Brown & Ahern has been designated a "Tier 1 Lawfirm" by U.S. News since 2016.