Kennedy Names New Probate Master

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

A new probate master has been appointed in Davidson Probate Court, even as legal disputes continue over the handling of conservatorships in the court presided over by Judge David "Randy" Kennedy.
In a press release in response to inquiries about the change, the court disclosed that Kennedy had named Nashville attorney Adam Barber to serve as probate master.
Court Administrator Tim Townsend said that Robert Bradshaw, who had held the position for over a decade, would remain as an employee of the circuit court clerk and "provide support to the probate clerk."
Bradshaw said in an email response to questions that he had not served as probate master since June of 2013.
"After restructuring I am now the chief accounting manager for the clerk's office," Bradshaw wrote.
Barber previously served as an auditor for the Office of Conservatorships, conducting financial reviews of conservatorships and guardianships. His salary is $60,000, according to Townsend.
The appointment comes as litigation continues over the past handling of conservatorships in Davidson County. Metro government is a defendant in two pending suits that seek the recovery of nearly $1 million stolen from two wards of now jailed conservator John E. Clemmons.
At one point there were two additional suits naming Bradshaw as a defendant, but those cases were dropped voluntarily.
Problems in the handing of conservatorships prompted the Tennessee Bar Association to hold a series of hearings across the state and later to recommend an overhaul of the state law governing the process.
The recommendations were ultimately accepted and approved by the General Assembly. In a separate action Metro government created a new office to monitor conservatorships.
Prior to his work in the conservatorship office, Barber was a partner with the firm of Clark & Washington, where he handled bankruptcy cases. He is a graduate of the University of Vermont Law School.
Townsend expressed thanks to Metro Council and the mayor for providing funding for the post.
"We are very pleased to have someone of Adam Barber's talent and expertise, and are confident that his addition will aid the court in its oversight of the thousands of probate cases that are filed and maintained in Nashville." Townsend said in the statement.
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