Seven attorneys from the Memphis office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman & Caldwell were included in the 2003-2004 edition of the Best Lawyers in America. Two of those attorneys, Samuel D. Chafetz and Lewis R. Donelson III, have been included in each edition since its inception 20 years ago. Leo M. Bearman Jr., William P. Kenworthy and Charles Tuggle Jr. have appeared in at least five editions, including the latest. Other attorneys included in this edition who practice in the firms Memphis office are William H.D. Fones Jr., a tax attorney and Frank L. Watson Jr., a corporate, mergers and acquisitions, and securities law practitioner.

The eighth annual Mid-South Conference on Estate Planning convenes at 8:30 a.m. Friday at the Racquet Club, 5111 Sanderlin Ave. Sponsored by the University of Mississippi Center for Continuing Legal Education, the course offers six hours of CLE credit, including one hour of ethics credit. Speakers for the conference include Shellie G. McCain of Butler, Snow, OMara, Stevens & Cannada; Larry Bray of Cecil Smith & Associates, and Mike Parham of Williams, McDonald, Wolfe & Womack.

Baker, Donelson, Bearman & Caldwell will host a labor and employment law seminar at the Four Points Sheraton in Jackson, Tenn., from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. The seminar will cover topics such as the Americans With Disabilities Act; recognizing and preventing harassment; wage and hour laws; and hiring and termination. Baker Donelson has more than 240 attorneys and senior public policy advisers.

The University of Memphis communications department invited U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr. to speak at the Dr. John Bakke Political Communication Lecture Series from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 25 in Room 123 of the Fogelman Executive Center on the U of M campus. This is the inaugural lecture in the series honoring Bakke, a former chair of the U of M Department of Communication, founder of the study of political communication within the department and faculty member for 32 years. Ford authored the Make College Affordable Act to help families meet rising tuition costs and to create a tax deduction for higher education expenses, including tuition, fees, room and board, as well as interest on student loans. Ford will discuss the recent election, current world issues, political communication and other issues affecting the Mid-South.