Stephen Adams of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel and Andrew Stephenson of CrowdCheck Law have graduated from the 2023 cohort of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and Chattanooga Chamber Foundation’s Leadership Chattanooga.
Adams and Stephenson were among the 43 members of the 39th graduating class of Leadership Chattanooga.
Leadership Chattanooga is a leadership development and civic engagement program for professionals in the greater Chattanooga region. Since 1984, the program has positioned civic, nonprofit and business professionals for leadership through experiential learning, community service and access to established leaders.
Over a 10-month period – beginning in August and adjourning with the graduation event May 25 – participants met monthly to learn leadership skills and establish professional connections.
Adams is the new section chair for his firm’s intellectual property service group. He says one of the most significant benefits he gained from Leadership Chattanooga is a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges the city has encountered and overcome since its inception.
“Our city has consistently fostered a community of individuals who are adept at finding solutions. This reassures me that, regardless of the obstacles we encounter, when we unite our efforts, we have the ability to achieve remarkable feats.
“I’m also grateful for the meaningful connections I forged during this program and look forward to the accomplishments our esteemed ‘Best Class Ever’ will contribute to our city’s progress.”
Adams regularly volunteers for The Company Lab’s legal office hours and is active in Startup Week Chattanooga and other startup programming.
In addition to serving as his firm’s IP chair, Adams leads the firm’s diversity and inclusion committee and serves on the summer associate recruitment committee.
He’s a member of the Tennessee Intellectual Property Law Association, the Chattanooga Technology Council (ChaTech) board of directors, the ChaTech Early Innovators Award selection committee and the Tennessee PATENTS Pro Bono Assistance Program.
Adams holds both an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and a law degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Stephenson is the vice president of product management and strategy for CrowdCheck. In that role, he assists companies through the due diligence and disclosures required when listing their securities with registered broker-dealers and other online securities intermediaries.
He says he, too, will benefit from his participation in Leadership Chattanooga.
“I believe Leadership Chattanooga will help me to better engage with community stakeholders in order to share the knowledge and experience I’ve gained in my practice.”
Stephenson graduated from the University of California Hastings College of the Law.
Source: Leadership Chattanooga; Stephen Adams; Andrew Stephenson