The law firm of Patrick, Beard, Schulman & Jacoway has hired two graduates fresh out of law school: Bryson Lype and Bill Bush.
Lype and Bush join Patrick Beard as associates who are permitted to practice under supervision pending admission to the bar.
Lype carries a last name that will be familiar to some members of the local bar. His father, Bob Lype, has practiced law in Chattanooga since 1990.
Bob Lype also was the inspiration behind his son’s decision to pursue a career in the law.
“My father is my role model and one of my best friends,” the younger Lype says. “I’d like to think I’m a lot like him, which encouraged me to think I might be well-suited for the law.”
Lype is no stranger to the firm he’s making his professional home, having interned at Patrick Beard following his first year of law school.
“I enjoyed the work, the atmosphere and, most importantly, the people,” he says. “Two years later, I’m grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with this wonderful firm – and that I won’t have to leave to go back to school this time.”
Although Lype has not yet settled into a particular area of practice, he says he’s interested in employment law and commercial litigation – for now.
“Thankfully, I’m an open-minded person, because I’m certainly still figuring that out,” he adds.
Lype was born in Chattanooga and grew up in Ooltewah. After high school, he chose to attend the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in order to be a member of the Haslam Scholars Program.
“Apparently, four years were not enough, so I stayed in Knoxville and went to the University of Tennessee College of Law,” he says.
As Lype enters the first phase of this legal career, he’s aiming to strike a reasonable work-life balance. This includes not only focusing on his budding practice at Patrick Beard and studying for the bar exam, but also indulging in his favorite recreational activities, which include tennis, disc golf and spending time with his parents, brother and fiancée, Sydney, a fellow UT graduate.
“I’m a family-oriented person, and I enjoy being with those close to me,” he adds.
Bush comes to Patrick Beard from the University of Georgia, where he attended undergraduate and law school.
He says the abundance of attorneys in his family motivated him to become a lawyer.
“There are a lot of lawyers in my family, including three uncles, one great uncle and many cousins,” he says. “I saw it as a reliable trade to get paid reasonably and sustainably well using my critical thinking and communication skills.
“I’m also an outgoing person with an interest in how people work, and I knew a legal career would contribute to that interest.”
Bush learned about Patrick Beard through a school job board and threw his hat into the ring.
“I applied for the job the day of Donald Trump’s impeachment proceedings in the House during winter break, and within 30 minutes, partner Susie Lodico reached back out to me, which led to multiple interviews and eventually a job offer,” he recalls. “It was a great fit.”
Even at this early stage of his career, Bush’s practice is taking shape. Possessing an interest in transactional work, he intends to focus on estate and business work catering toward a variety of Chattanooga businesses and families, he says.
Outside the office, Bush is focusing on some of the same pursuits as Lype, including tennis and golf. He also enjoys pickup basketball, tennis, guitar, cycling and reading.
Contact Lype or Bush at 423 266-7327.