Attorneys

Biography

Bob Orians practices in the areas of business planning and transactions, taxation, general corporate law, creditors' rights and bankruptcy. He devotes the majority of his professional time to the negotiation and documentation of a variety of business transactions, ranging from the organization of start-up entities to the merger of two publicly-held companies. He also has substantial experience in representing creditors and borrowers in workouts, debt restructurings, reorganizations and bankruptcy.

In addition to extensive experience in business transactions, Bob has handled litigation in the Chancery, Circuit and Probate Courts of Shelby County, Tennessee, the Tennessee Court of Appeals, the Tennessee Supreme Court, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee, the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

Bob was licensed in Tennessee as a Certified Public Accountant in 1982 (currently inactive). He is a member of the Tennessee and Memphis Bar Associations. Bob is a former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Christian Brothers High School in Memphis and currently serves as Chairman of the Finance Council of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis.

Bob joined Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston, P.C. in 1981 and became a member of the firm in 1987. He graduated magna cum laude from Memphis State University in 1977 with a degree in accounting and in 1981 received a J.D. degree from Vanderbilt University, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif.

Matters in which Bob has been involved include the representation of:

• sellers and buyers in the dispositions and acquisitions of various businesses having an aggregate value in excess of $1 billion
• an issuer in connection with initial and secondary public offerings of more than $100 million of its equity securities and the private placement of more than $50 million of its debt securities
• a development company in the structuring and financing of hotels and student dormitories having an aggregate market value in excess of $100 million
• the lead bank with credit facilities of more than $250 million extended to a cotton merchant which later became the debtor in the largest bankruptcy case in Tennessee
• a retail furniture company which has twice successfully reorganized under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code
• corporate taxpayers receiving refunds of more than $5 million of Tennessee excise tax paid in error