STEVEN J. SIMERLEIN

Mr. Simerlein joined the firm in 2008. After earning a B.A. in Political Science from Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1983, Mr. Simerlein began a five-year stint in the U.S. Navy. He first served as the Main Propulsion Assistant on the USS Dubuque (LPD-8), an amphibious transport dock for the U.S. Marines. In 1986, he was assigned as the Combat Systems Officer on the Navy hydrofoil USS Aquila (PHM-4) and participated in drug smuggling interdiction and other special operations in the Caribbean basin.

Following his military service, Mr. Simerlein attended Loyola of Los Angeles Law School, earning his J.D. in 1991. In his first year as an attorney in San Diego, California, Mr. Simerlein practiced bankruptcy and public entity law. In his second year, he joined the San Diego office of Weissburg & Aronson, Inc., where he focused his practice on the representation of public agencies and public & private health care entities. In his early years, Mr. Simerlein spent significant time as counsel to public boards and staff relative to service contracts, real estate acquisitions, eminent domain disputes, redevelopment,  California Environmental Quality Act, insurance and self-insurance, conflict of interest, public records, open meetings, water and environmental laws. He also later defended the firm’s health care provider clients in regulatory enforcement proceedings by the state and federal government.

In 1996, Weissburg & Aronson, Inc. merged with the national law firm of Foley & Lardner LLP. Mr. Simerlein, who became a partner in that firm in 2000, focused the majority of his practice as a litigator in administrative, state and federal court forums. His wide variety of clients included public self-insurance pools, school, fire, and health care districts, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities for the elderly, and physician groups. He developed significant expertise in the areas of insurance and self-insurance pools, public contracts, bidding disputes, mechanic’s liens and stop notices, construction claims and disputes, regulatory and enforcement proceedings against health care clients, and the development of web sites.

Mr. Simerlein joined the San Diego law firm of Robbins Umeda LLP in 2006, where he litigated class actions, shareholder derivative lawsuits, insurance disputes and related matters. In the summer of 2008, Mr. Simerlein decided to relocate to Nashville and join the firm, where he continues to litigate complex class and shareholder derivative actions.

Mr. Simerlein is fluent in the Spanish language and undertakes occasional pro bono work for under-represented Latino clients to help facilitate their access to the judicial system.