Yesterday, on my way to a meeting with another lawyer, I learned that Lewis Hollabaugh had died. Lewis was one of the name partners at Manier, Herod, Hollabaugh & Smith, the place I worked when I got out of law school in May 1993.
Lewis's daughter, Lela - one of the best commercial litigators in middle Tennessee and an extremely accomplished lawyer - was one of my bests friends at Manier, Herod in the almost five years I worked there before I started my own law firm with Mark Puryear in 1998. Lela and her husband, Dean, stayed close friends with me after I left and, in fact, became close friends of Jude's, as well. They were in our wedding.
Lewis Hollabaugh, in my mind, was the personification of "old school" when it came to practicing law. He was a trial lawyer. His word and a handshake truly were his bond. When it came to billing, there were no detailed time entries for Lewis (unlike the way it is with clients today). When he entered his time for a day as "10.0 - work on file," no one questioned it. If Lewis said he had worked on the file for 10 hours that day, then by God, that's what he had done.
Everyone, and I mean everyone, respected Lewis Hollabaugh. He was a lawyer's lawyer, and that's a high compliment. He and the remaining name partner when I arrived at Manier, Herod - Don Smith - made me proud to be a lawyer. More than that, they made me proud to be a lawyer at Manier, Herod.
To me, Lewis was quiet and taciturn with those he didn't know well - young lawyers at the time, like me. He didn't waste words, yet he was quick with a joke. He had a mischievous, sly smile - like he knew something you didn't know - and a great sense of humor. He was barrel chested and burly, country strong, as they say. One thing I'll always remember about Lewis is that at parties for summer clerks, after a few drinks, he challenged the male summer clerks to arm wrestle him. And he always won, easily, every time.
I didn't know Lewis particularly well when we worked together at Manier, Herod. He worked on the 22nd floor of what was then the Dominion Bank Building in downtown Nashville, and I worked on the 21st floor. I probably did some legal research for him, perhaps when I was a summer associate, but I never worked on one of his cases. I regret that, now, as I would love to have had the opportunity to learn from him, up close and personal, like I did from Steve Cox, Mike Evans, Mark Levan, Randall Ferguson, or Richard Smith.
Several of us who worked at Manier, Herod when Lewis was there have been in contact with each other the last 24 hours, by text or telephone. We all agree those were special and instructive days for us as lawyers. Those days and our exposure to Lewis and how he practiced law and ran the law firm informed how we practice law and manage our practices today.
All of us took the lessons we learned from Lewis Hollabaugh at Manier, Herod and relied on them as we started our own law firms (Mark Levan, Benton Patton, me) or saw our careers flourish at other law firms (Lela Hollabaugh, John Rowland, Ken Weber, Stephanie Edwards).
As I think about it, that's the professional legacy Lewis Hollabaugh leaves behind.
First and most importantly, a daughter - Lela - who has succeeded as a commercial litigator and a trial lawyer and earned respect in a field often dominated by men. Someone who has an unparalleled work ethic and is unflappable, no matter how small or big the case. Someone who gives back to the community and mentors younger lawyers. Someone who, during the two darkest periods of my life, was there for me as a friend and supporter in ways I can never repay.
Second, a cadre of lawyers at law firms all across Middle Tennessee who practice law the right way. Lawyers that work hard but have fun. Lawyers whose word means not just something, but everything. Lawyers that can be trusted. Lawyers that judges, other lawyers, and clients respect.
I'm grateful to have had Lewis Hollabaugh in the early, formative years of my career as a lawyer. I hope I can carry on his legacy.
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