Faculty Profile: Mary Beard

Mary H. Beard graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Law where she was a founding member and editor of THE JOURNAL OF ENTERTAINMENT LAW & PRACTICE.  The cited decision of Johnson v. Metro Davidson County School System, 108 F. Supp. 2d 906 (M.D. 2000) is a result of her work in the Vanderbilt Legal Clinic. Ms. Beard began her legal career with the former Weintraub & Stock, P.C. (now Fisher Phillips) and later became an associate attorney at Ford Harrison. She held the position of Senior Counsel/Labor and Employment with FedEx Corporation, being a business partner and counselor to the most senior executives at the parent company as well as three corporate subsidiaries. Ms. Beard was the Senior HR Counsel for HCA Healthcare, where she advised the Chief Human Resources Officer and other members of the senior executive team. Mary then served as Senior Technology Counsel with HCA Healthcare, excited to merge her over two decades of labor and employment with knowledge of the ever-evolving technology and artificial intelligence legal landscape. Mary is currently the inaugural Vice-President of Employment and Litigation at Ardent Health where she is a trusted legal partner providing advice and counsel in the areas of labor and employment, AI, class action litigation, technology and privacy and IP.

Whether as outside counsel or corporate counsel, Mary has placed a specific emphasis on inclusion within the corporate ranks. Mary earned recognition at the inaugural Nashville Business Journal’s Leaders in Diversity Awards in the Outstanding Community Voice category, leading the charge to advance inclusion in the Nashville Community. Mary also received the Nashville Business Journal Best of the Bar Award, recognized by her fellow Nashville lawyers for her contributions to her clients and the legal profession.

Committed to making a positive impact in her community, Mary has shared her talents and leadership expertise with countless organizations. Mary served as the Tennessee Bar Association Inaugural Chief Diversity Officer. She is a Past President of the Napier-Looby Bar Association and the Ben F. Jones Bar Association, both of which are affiliate chapters of the National Bar Association. She is a Fellow of the Nashville Bar Association, Memphis Bar Association, and Tennessee Bar Association. Mary is a former chair and co-chair of the Tennessee Judicial Nominating Commission. Additionally, Mary is as a member of the Board of Directors of the Sexual Assault Center. She serves as a deacon for Watson Grove Baptist Church. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and The Parthenon (TN) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. She is an Athena Traditional Award Nominee.

In her spare time, Mary enjoys domestic and international travel, interior decorating, live music, volunteering, the arts, and serving as an armchair coach to NFL teams.