In 1951, Paul G. Blankenship, a successful photographer in Nashville, Tennessee, and the father of four small children, decided to go to law school. He enrolled in the Nashville School of Law and graduated four years later with a Doctor of Jurisprudence. He set up his office at 3311 Gallatin Road, Nashville, Tennessee, and began to provide legal services to many of the residents and businesses of Inglewood, a neighborhood in east Nashville. In 1962, he was elected the first Metropolitan Councilman for the 9th Civil District of Metropolitan Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, and he served faithfully in this capacity until his death in 1990.

In 1973, his son, John T. Blankenship, started law school at the University of Tennessee and graduated in 1977. He returned to Nashville after graduation to join his father in the practice of law. In January 1979, John married Patricia Blankenship, who he met in law school at the University of Tennessee, and she joined the firm as an attorney as well. In 1981, John and Pat moved their growing family and their law practice to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where they have been practicing ever since.

The firm evolved rather quickly into a general civil practice with an emphasis on business law, construction law, and alternative dispute resolution. Pat developed an office practice emphasizing estate planning, probate and business law, while John became greatly involved in construction law issues, as well as in arbitration and mediation in the construction industry. Pat taught Business Law at Middle Tennessee State University for many years and taught full time from 2004-2007, while maintaining a presence in the firm.

In 1999, Richard F. LaRoche, Sr., a well-respected and elder statesman of the Rutherford County Bar, joined the practice as “of counsel” and maintained a thriving full-time office practice writing wills, probating estates, and forming and advising small businesses. Mr. LaRoche was an integral and beloved addition to the firm. He continued to practice until his untimely death in 2007.

In 2007, the firm experienced a great deal of growth. The firm established itself as a professional limited liability company and moved into a new building at 307 Hickerson Drive in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This new building is large enough to accommodate not only additional attorneys, but arbitration and mediation rooms for John’s growing alternative dispute resolution practice.

Mary Beth Hagan joined the firm as an associate in January 2008 after practicing five years in a major law firm in Nashville, Tennessee, where her practice consisted primarily of representing clients in the construction industry. In January 2010, Mary Beth proved herself so valuable that she was voted into the firm as a member, at which time the firm was renamed Blankenship, Blankenship & Hagan, PLLC. Mary Beth is currently engaged in advising and representing clients in all aspects of the construction process, as well as advising small to medium sized businesses, and handling various other litigation matters.

BB&H cherishes its history and strives to continue to meet its clients’ needs in a way that honors that heritage. We take a logical and realistic approach to our clients’ legal issues, and we know that when we walk into a courtroom, arbitration room, boardroom, or our clients’ homes, our clients rely on us. We take this seriously and are honored to be their legal advocates.