If you’ve spent any time in the Nashville business scene over the last century, the name Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis wasn't just a law firm—it was an institution. It was the kind of name that lived on the glass of high-rise offices and at the bottom of massive healthcare merger documents. But then, almost overnight, the name started coming off the doors.
What actually happened?
The short version is that the legal world is eating itself. Big Law is getting bigger, and regional powerhouses are the primary target. In early 2023, the firm officially merged with Florida-based Holland & Knight. It wasn't a failure or a collapse. It was a strategic exit that signaled the end of an era for Tennessee's independent legal landscape.
Honestly, the "Waller" brand was so strong that even today, people still call it that. It’s like when people still call a stadium by its old name long after the corporate sponsorship changes. You just don't erase 118 years of history with a new letterhead.
The Healthcare Hegemony
To understand why Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis was so valuable, you have to look at Nashville’s identity. The city is the healthcare capital of the United States. Period. We aren't just talking about local clinics. We are talking about massive hospital systems and pharmaceutical giants.
Waller positioned itself at the center of that web. They weren't just "lawyers who did healthcare." They were the architects of the industry's regulatory framework in the South.
The firm represented names like Merck & Co., Bayer AG, and Acadia Healthcare. When you’re handling litigation or M&A for companies that size, you aren't just a local shop anymore. You’re a national player that just happens to be headquartered on Union Street.
This specific expertise is exactly what made them the "belle of the ball" for larger firms. Holland & Knight didn't just want more lawyers; they wanted a shortcut into the most lucrative healthcare market in the country. By acquiring Waller, they didn't have to build relationships from scratch. They bought the Rolodex.
Not Just Doctors and Hospitals
While healthcare was the crown jewel, the firm’s reach was wider than most people realize. They had a massive footprint in:
- Real Estate (The Nashville skyline looks the way it does because of their deal-making).
- Private Equity (They were consistently ranked as top-tier in the Southeast for PE transactions).
- Financial Services and Banking.
- Intellectual Property and Entertainment.
A Century of "Old School" Influence
The firm was founded in 1905. Think about that for a second. When they started, Nashville was barely a "city" in the modern sense. They grew up alongside the Cumberland River.
The founders—William Waller, Dick Lansden, John Dortch, and many who followed—were more than just attorneys. They were civic leaders. For decades, if a major piece of legislation was moving through the Tennessee General Assembly, or if a massive commercial development was breaking ground in Middle Tennessee, a Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis attorney was probably in the room.
There’s a legendary case from 1992, Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis v. Haney, that went all the way to the Tennessee Supreme Court. It involved a fee dispute over a complex bond deal from the mid-80s. The details are dry, but the takeaway is clear: these guys were playing for high stakes long before "Big Law" was a buzzword. They were drafting notes on the fly in Houston offices to close multi-million dollar deals before tax laws changed at midnight. That’s the kind of high-pressure, old-school lawyering that built their reputation.
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Why did they merge?
You might wonder why a firm with $182 million in annual revenue and 280 lawyers would want to give up its name.
The legal market in 2026 is unrecognizable compared to twenty years ago. Clients don't just want a local guy they can play golf with anymore. They want a global platform. They want an office in London, a regulatory expert in D.C., and a tech specialist in Silicon Valley—all on one bill.
Waller was a "regional hero," but even heroes have limits.
By joining Holland & Knight, the Waller team suddenly had access to 2,000 lawyers and 35 offices. It allowed them to compete for work that was previously going to New York or Chicago firms. Matt Burnstein, who was the chair of Waller at the time of the merger, moved into an executive partner role. He basically admitted that the national platform was what their clients were asking for.
It was a "grow or get left behind" moment.
The Cultural Shift in Nashville
Nashville is currently Big Law’s newest "hot spot." It’s not just Holland & Knight. We’ve seen a massive influx of national firms like K&L Gates, Polsinelli, and others moving into town.
This has created a bit of a talent war.
Back in the day, if you were a top law student at Vanderbilt, you went to Waller or Bass Berry. That was the path. Now, the options are endless, and the salaries are being driven up by national scales. While this is great for the attorneys' bank accounts, some worry that the "soul" of the Nashville legal community—that specific, collaborative Southern business style—is being diluted into a more corporate, sterile environment.
Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis was the last of the truly giant, truly independent Nashville-first firms. Its disappearance marks the moment Nashville officially became a "Major League" legal market.
What You Should Know Now
If you’re a business owner or an aspiring attorney looking at this legacy, here are the brass-tacks takeaways:
- The Expertise Didn't Leave: The lawyers are still there. They just have a different logo on their business cards. If you need healthcare regulatory advice in the Southeast, the former Waller team (now Holland & Knight) remains the gold standard.
- Middle-Market Power: The firm’s success was built on dominating the "middle market"—deals between $50 million and $500 million. This is where the real economic engine of the South lives.
- The "Waller Way": The firm was known for a specific type of training. Their associates were expected to be "business-minded lawyers," not just researchers. That pedigree still carries weight in the industry.
If you’re looking for the successor to the Waller legacy, you’re looking at the Nashville office of Holland & Knight. It’s located in the Nashville City Center on Union Street. They still hold the same dominant position in healthcare, but they now have the backing of a global machine.
The name is gone, but the fingerprints of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis are all over the current Nashville boom. You can't look at a hospital or a skyscraper in this city without seeing the work they did.
To find specific attorneys from the old Waller roster, your best bet is to use the Holland & Knight "Our People" directory and filter by the Nashville or Austin offices. Most of the senior leadership transitioned over, maintaining the continuity that clients feared losing during the merger.
Actionable Next Steps
- Audit Your Legal Representation: If you are in the healthcare or private equity space, check if your current firm has the regional depth in Tennessee that the former Waller team provides. Sometimes "global" firms lack the local political and regulatory nuances of a firm that has been in the state for 100+ years.
- Update Your Contacts: Ensure any corporate records or active litigation files involving the firm reflect the name change to Holland & Knight LLP to avoid administrative delays in filings.
- Research the Nashville Market: If you are a law student or lateral hire, look at the "Big Law in Nashville" trend. The market is currently over-saturated, meaning firms are competing heavily on culture and specialized perks rather than just salary.