Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Varallo led a dynamic and accomplished life marked by professional versatility and personal passion He began his education at Atlantic City High School and continued at Bordentown Military Academy before attending LaSalle College in Philadelphia His academic pursuits laid the groundwork for a multifaceted career spanning aviation Varallo’s professional journey began in aviation His dedication to the field extended beyond the cockpit – he founded the first pilot ground school in New Jersey This pioneering initiative contributed significantly to the state’s aviation training infrastructure In addition to his aviation accomplishments Varallo was an entrepreneur who owned and operated two bars and lounges in Southern New Jersey One of those establishments remains a landmark in Margate a testament to his ability to create enduring community spaces Varallo transitioned into building engineering He applied his technical expertise across several industries and locations he managed engineering operations for multiple hotels along the New Jersey shore within the casino sector where he oversaw engineering for FBI buildings where he supported hotel infrastructure projects In the final phase of his career before retirement he worked with the Head Start program in inner-city Birmingham contributing to early childhood education efforts Varallo pursued a wide range of interests with enthusiasm He was a champion marathon runner and an avid scuba diving enthusiast His attention to detail and love of mechanics were reflected in his model train collection he followed the New York Yankees and New York Giants with great passion Christopher Varallo and Charles Joseph Varallo of Birmingham; John Varallo and Kitty Varallo of New Jersey; step-grandchildren Justin Morris and Jared Hall of Nashville; great-grandchildren Rio Varallo and Romee Varallo of Birmingham; brother Dr Joseph (Lynne) Varallo of New Jersey; nephews Jimmy John Varallo and Joe Varallo of New Jersey A memorial service will be held on Saturday located at 2942 Gulf Breeze Parkway in Gulf Breeze Visitation will begin at 10:30 and the service will begin at 11:00 Sr.’s life was defined by innovation and a spirit of adventure that continues to resonate with those who knew him Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Regarding "Delaware plays fair: Corporate law amendments will protect investors," DelawareOnline.com this paper published an op-ed by William Chandler and Lawrence Hamermesh my old friends extolled the virtues of SB 21 going so far as to argue that the bill restored balance to the corporate law playing field SB 21 is a license to steal for corporate controllers like Elon Musk I’ve practiced from Wilmington for my entire career I knew Bill Chandler when he was a judge and I've known Larry Hamermesh since he was an associate attorney at another Wilmington firm I spent the first 36 years of my career at the leading defense-side firm in Delaware Layton & Finger and retired after having the honor to lead the firm for a three-year term as President After a long career as a defense side lawyer I opened the Wilmington office of the nation’s leading investor side firm where I now represent investors and often sue large companies Having spent years on both sides of the Chancery aisle I come to the topic with a perspective that other lawyers might lack The idea that SB 21 will restore “balance” between the interests of regular investors and billionaires who control companies is demonstrably false SB 21 creates “safe harbors” for controllers to steal from their controlled public companies and from the stockholders who invested in those companies without having to answer for doing so The bill overturns decades of thoughtfully crafted common law and puts Delaware in direct competition with Nevada for the state which gives controllers the clearest and easiest to follow road map to commit grand larceny you are a stockholder in controlled companies because no index fund operates without owning controlled companies So what about the hard working nurse from Christiana who saves a little towards retirement from every paycheck Or the firefighters in Elsmere who keep us safe Or how about the union members who work hard every day to earn a living wage Or the Wilmington or Dover policemen who put their lives on the line to protect our communities Every citizen of Delaware who owns stock through a pension or retirement account is at risk And as a citizen who believes that the independence of our judiciary is at the very core of our form of government I can’t sit still while the proponents of this legislation continue to attack the public servants who serve on the Court of Chancery Chancellor McCormick did not invalidate Musk’s unprecedented compensation package because he was a “Superstar CEO” What the Chancellor did do was to find that Musk controlled the process of setting his own compensation Musk memorably testified that he “negotiated with myself” when asked how the package came to rest and a majority of Tesla board members were wildly conflicted under any sensible standard SB 21 is a direct attack on Delaware’s judiciary which is perhaps the State’s greatest single asset Every one of the judges in our courts today are motivated to serve and they serve the public interest in the best tradition of our Bar The idea that the General Assembly would strip our courts of the ability to oversee directors’ discharge of their fiduciary duties and give remedies when they find that directors breached their duties to their stockholders is an affront of the highest order not only to the trial court but to our Supreme Court as well which is charged with hearing appeals from the trial courts It’s time for the members of our Legislature to stand up and be counted Kennedy wrote "Profiles in Courage" about times like these the investors and retirees in your district and say "hell no" to this audacious power grab by Musk and his billionaire controller buddies A vote for SB 21 puts the retirement investments of Delaware citizens at risk and poses grave long-term hazards to our corporate franchise will come to roost after the “luminaries” who drafted this bill out of public sight have ridden off into the sunset Are you really ready to risk the State’s future to save out-of-control billionaires And let’s take a few moments to call our representatives and state senators down in Dover and tell them to vote no on SB21 and stop gambling with our hard-earned retirement dollars Greg Varallo is a partner and head of Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann's Delaware office Varallo represented Richard Tornetta in his case against Elon Musk and the Tesla Board of Directors Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information Greg Varallo made his name defending corporations in Delaware shareholder lawsuits but he set a record after switching sides and going after Elon Musk‘s $56 billion pay package Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick’s fee approval last week slaps an exclamation mark on a successful career change for Varallo who launched a Delaware office for Bernstein Litowitz in 2019 after more than three decades practicing with the defense bar If the Musk ruling and fee withstand an expected appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court it will add to a series of victories by the firm in Delaware since Varallo launched the office They include wins for shareholders in cases involving Williams Cos. and settlements with Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp Varallo has handled more than a half dozen major trials since joining Bernstein Litowitz in 2019 “It’s been all guns blazing ever since,” Varallo said in an interview But we’ve had some exciting trials and some exciting wins.” Varallo declined to discuss the Tesla case specifically, pointing to a firm statement that said it was “pleased” with McCormick’s decision The seeds of his bold career move were planted in 2017 when he was negotiating on behalf of 21st Century Fox Inc.'s $90 million settlement to resolve shareholder claims brought by Bernstein Litowitz stemming from allegations of sexual harassment against Fox News leader Roger Ailes A Philadelphia native who describes himself as a “blue-collar kid” and enjoys hunting and poker Varallo made his career representing big companies such as Fox and Goldman Sachs in major shareholder litigation The former president then supports their predecessor and “sits quietly.” Supporting his predecessor wasn’t difficult “But I wouldn’t be that good at sitting quietly,” he said He got a shot at something new when a former professional adversary reached out Varallo first worked across from Bernstein Litowitz partners Mark Lebovitch and Max Berger while representing Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox in a shareholder lawsuit related to its phone-hacking scandal in London He was later hired by the company to defend the Delaware lawsuit stemming from accusations of Ailes’ sexual harassment Varallo asked the plaintiffs’ lawyers to negotiate a settlement before the case was even filed to prevent any victims of the alleged behavior from being forced to give depositions or testimony about the incidents and the $90 million settlement was filed in court the same day as the complaint “Mark kept the entire plaintiff bar at bay for a year kept them from filing cases,” Varallo said “It was an enormous benefit to the company for a whole lot of reasons but it couldn’t have happened with anybody but BLB&G on the other side.” Lebovitch asked if Varallo would launch a Delaware office for his firm citing his respect for his firm and the people he worked with But he was pushed to make the jump from an unexpected source California where he was inducted to the American College of Trial Lawyers a since-retired Simpson Thacher & Bartlett partner he hadn’t seen in decades since they reviewed documents together as “young pups” at Cravath Varallo told Gutman he was turning 60 the next day and had been presented with a career change Gutman told him of a Japanese tradition where people reinvent themselves at age 60 “My jaw is hitting the ground because I’m thinking about going to the other side and here’s a guy who drops out of nowhere in a polo field and he’s giving me advice from Japan on how to reinvent myself,” Varallo said now an adjunct professor at New York University Law School The Tesla-Musk case was originally filed in 2018 by lawyers at Friedman Oster & Tejtel and Andrews & Springer the other two firms who will split the massive fee Varallo and his firm were brought into the case as trial counsel in 2021 after it had survived an initial motion to dismiss Varallo’s highlight in the case was cross-examining Musk noting plaintiff’s lawyers have more opportunities for cross examinations than defense attorneys “So trials are a lot more fun than when you’re a defense lawyer.” The 65-year-old said he intends to practice “no more than another couple of years.” Then he’ll do some teaching and writing He said his switch to plaintiff’s-side work has been a “hands down” success “As a defense lawyer I had to explain myself to insurance companies and take large deductions to get paid,” he said referring to the fact that insurers often paid his bills “And now I liberate large amounts of money from insurance companies.” To contact the reporter on this story: Roy Strom in Chicago at rstrom@bloombergindustry.com To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alessandra Rafferty at arafferty@bloombergindustry.com; John Hughes at jhughes@bloombergindustry.com workflow tools and premium legal & business news Log in to keep reading or access research tools the state’s oldest restaurant still offers big portions at uncommonly affordable prices Located deep in the heart of Nashville’s downtown core, Tennessee’s oldest restaurant still stands proudly serving breakfast and chili options — and still doing it at a price the working class can afford Varallo’s has a vast menu of options that are so affordable you might feel like you’re walking back in time But I want to focus on the one menu item I keep coming back to time and time again varallosrestaurants.com The Breakfast Bowl is basically a full American breakfast in a large foam cup hash browns and your choice of bacon or sausage drowned in sausage gravy to make a bowl of pure Southern-style comfort food I recommend a few splashes of Louisiana hot sauce the Breakfast Bowl is a quart of delicious food that’s representative of the traditional culture of the area for just $10.25 — a competitive price anywhere in Davidson County Varallo’s is a special treat that comes with nearly 120 years of history In a part of town beset by rapid development it’s important to hold onto the historic parts of downtown and have a few bastions of affordability for the hardworking people who keep the wheels of our city turning Email notifications are only sent once a day Exploring sustainability efforts at Neuhoff District Germantown’s adaptive reuse project puts the river front and center Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Kutak Rock LLP is ISO 27001:2013 certified Kutak Rock is proud to announce the addition of Christopher G Varallo to its national real estate practice group in the firm’s Spokane office as a lateral attorney A strategic hire that significantly enhances the firm’s capabilities in Eastern Washington and North Idaho Chris brings over two decades of extensive legal experience in banking Chris’s practice is distinguished by his broad client base including real estate developers as well as his advisory roles to public facilities districts and electrical cooperatives he serves as counsel for Columbia Rural Electrical Association in Walla Walla and the Spokane Public Facilities District where he manages all legal aspects of operations including the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena Chris is also the 2024 Board Chair for the Downtown Spokane Partnership (DSP) membership organization dedicated to enhancing the quality and vitality of Downtown Spokane as the basis for a healthy region.  “Chris’s arrival marks a significant enhancement to our service capabilities in Spokane and the broader region deep roots and vast experience in the community will be invaluable in expanding our municipal and real estate practices here,” said Adam Baird managing partner of the firm’s Spokane office.  “I am excited to join Kutak Rock and proud to bring my experience to the firm’s deep and talented bench of lawyers in Spokane and beyond The firm’s impressive national footprint will help me provide clients with comprehensive representation in key practice areas.”  from Gonzaga University where he graduated cum laude (and served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Gonzaga Law Review) and a B.A His prior roles as an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University School of Law and his active participation in community and professional organizations emphasize his commitment to legal education and community service The ‘Face to Face’ interview with Andy Varallo, President of Dolomiti Superski, reveals the distinctive traits of a man deeply attached to his land and his family. Andy talks about his studies and his career, which began in Alta Badia and has developed with dedication and respect for his grandfather’s legacy Thanks to his passion for his work and his great sense of duty Andy Varallo has been able to perpetuate the family business overcoming challenges and embracing technological innovation reflects a commitment to sustainable development and a focus on tradition with the aim of ensuring a prosperous future for generations to come Andy Varallo tells us not only about his achievements but also about the personal and professional challenges that have shaped him as a leader and as a person I went to primary and secondary school in my region then to the institute of sciences in German in Bolzano before graduating in business management in Bologna the situation required my intervention due to my grandfather’s advanced age but also owned a significant and/or majority stake in the ski lift companies we managed in Alta Badia I did not have the opportunity to gain experience abroad because I had to join the company as my grandfather was already 84 years old I joined the company in September 2004 and giving me full responsibility for the tasks and competencies within the company I have been involved in various aspects of the tourism sector in Alta Badia I was a member of the World Cup Committee and of the Alta Badia Cable Car Consortium as Vice President In 2008, I became Vice President of Dolomiti Superski, a position I held until 2020. In July of the same year, I was elected President of Dolomiti Superski I have also become President of the Alta Badia World Cup Organising Committee which hosts two technical men’s World Cup races in the Big Laugh and President of the Alta Badia Cable Car Consortium This year we are organising a giant slalom and a special slalom on 22 and 23 December Family comes first: I have a beautiful family with two children aged 9 and 4 and a half I am not attached to any particular author; I like to read books on economics business psychology and economics in general as well as anything that can enrich my personal education I think it is important to always question and criticise yourself because with age you change and you always have to adapt to new challenges I love the work I do and I have always had a deep admiration for my grandfather Succeeding him in this business has been a great honour for me It is as if I have been one of the Knights of the Round Table for so many years and then succeeded the King The greatest honour and pride for me is to be able to carry on the business with the same results and in the same way as my grandfather his teachings have given me great satisfaction I have already made an important generational transition from my grandfather’s old team to the new team that I have been able to form myself managing to give the company the energy it can undoubtedly boast of today in ski lift management and that was definitely the goal: to succeed in my grandfather’s business when he handed over the baton to me in 2006 registered as number one at the National Transport Office The 60th lift was built as a sign of gratitude to my grandfather a difficult number to reproduce in our market because at the time my grandfather had entrusted me with the complete management of the project We were both the same age the year we made our first implant which led to a number of significant coincidences my grandfather decided to hand me the keys to the company and said: ‘Now it’s your turn’ I had prepared the whole speech on the computer put it in his pocket and said to me: ‘Now it’s your turn That’s how the scenario unfolded on the day of the plant’s inauguration I don’t regret anything because I have a good family and a good job It’s clear that if you demand so much of yourself you don’t have much time for yourself because the sense of duty to your family and to the company takes up a lot of your time Perhaps my only regret is that I have had to take on all these roles and that I have devoted little time to myself and less and less to my friends Now that I am maturing and stabilising the company I will no doubt be able to compensate for that too I still see the mountains of tomorrow as the protagonists of both seasons The summer season can still bring a lot of satisfaction especially thanks to developments in the outdoor sector sports shoes and electric bikes have given a big boost to mountain visits in summer as well our industry has always been very resilient In collaboration with the lift and snowmaking companies we have managed to continuously improve the product These companies need the input of lift operators to know how to improve and today we have increasingly technological environmentally friendly and high-performance systems have come a long way in producing snow at temperatures ever closer to zero The technological evolution of the last twenty years has been remarkable In 1988 we installed the first snow cannons which were mainly used to cover the end of the season the season was much shorter; we started at Christmas and finished at Easter the season has been extended to about 130 days Today we can produce artificial snow at temperatures of two and a half degrees below zero whereas before we needed eight degrees below zero This technological development is the real answer to climate change we would not be able to guarantee greater efficiency or offer security to those who want to invest in the mountains and meet the needs of tourists If we cannot guarantee the days of the season restaurateurs and other services at the bottom of the valley to develop and invest in their activities; on the contrary they run the risk of seeking their fortune elsewhere Snow cover guarantees the days of the season and has been faster than global warming I work with the intention of being able to pass on a stable business to my children so that they can continue this activity if they wish I see a prosperous future in the next 30 years even if we still have to adapt to climate change Everyone has to do their part: us on the plateau the reception facilities at the bottom of the valley There is a growing awareness of the need to adapt to climate change There is a growing awareness of the importance of contributing to reducing global warming Tomorrow we will hand over this land to our children Winning strategies at Dolomiti Superski Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker billed as the city’s longest-operational restaurant a fourth-generation member of the Varallo family has run the business for the last 34 years Varallo told the television station his other family members no longer wanted to operate the restaurant Peabody told Fox 17 the Varallo's menu and old-school vibe will remain as is French bistro Once Upon a Time in France has opened in East Nashville at 1102 Gallatin Ave. Post sister publication Nashville Scene reports Parisian Melvil Arnt is the owner, after having moved to Nashville to work as a musician and sound engineer in 2016 (read here) had long hoped to open a wine bar/bistro in the former home of Steak & Pizza near West Greenwood Avenue Once Upon a Time will offer more than 75 French wines a creamy tomato sauce and shrimp pasta dish popular in the South of France.‏ The dining space offers black-and-white tile floors Once Upon a Time in France's operating hours will be Wednesdays through Sundays from 4:30 to 9 p.m. with the intention to stay open a little later on Friday and Saturday once the founders get their feet under them Coffee bar Anzie Blue will soon open on the city’s west side Located near Saint Thomas West Hospital. The address is 4239 Harding Pike Anzie Blue will also offer luxury cannabidiol (CBD) products with that component of the business already operational Husband-and-wife team Derek Van Mol and Marcie Allen Van Mol serve as owners Van Mol is the president of Van Mol Restoration and Allen Van Mol is president of music sponsorship and brand-activation agency MAC Presents Van Mol created a line of CBD products but also sells products from other companies the bulk of which are women-owned businesses Work set for future Eddie V's at Fifth + Broadway has landed a major permit for a future Eddie V's Prime Seafood location at downtown's big Fifth + Broadway development Darden Restaurants also oversees Olive Garden The Capital Grille and Longhorn Steakhouse 2023 at 8:21 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Vince Varallo is running as a Republican for the Hatboro-Horsham School Board in the Nov (Vince Varallo)Candidates running in the Nov 7 general election are providing background about themselves and their positions on the issues to voters in these profiles which will run in Patch individually for each candidate PA —Vince Varallo is running as a Republican for the Hatboro-Horsham School Board in the Nov Varallo is one of eight candidates vying for four school board seats along with Bill Daly Position sought: Hatboro-Horsham School Board Director Education: Bachelors of Business Administration-Finance Occupation: Vice President of Engineering at a global software company What are the top issues currently facing your position and how do you plan to address them and transparency with parents are my top priorities There is no "one-fix" to bring Hatboro-Horsham back to being a Top 10 school district It will take changes in leadership to address the drop in ranking in the past three years It will take changes in policies to ensure the safety of our students It will take changes in attitude to be fully transparent with parents in the district Identify specific goals or ideas you have to enhance life in your position: Improving education quality is an ongoing effort that requires collective action By working together with teachers and parents we can make a positive impact on the educational experience of students in our community We need to go back to the basics and focus on reading and arithmetic and respect the line between what schools need to be teaching students and when parents need to be involved in the conversation What in your experience or background prepares you for election to office My background is in the business world and to be successful you need to have a vision that everyone can rally around Hatboro-Horsham should be a Top 10 school district once again We can do this by improving our test scores fixing the policies to ensure the safety of our students and listening to the parents who are frustrated with the current state of the schools I think we can all agree that making Hatboro Horsham a Top 10 school district is an achievable goal Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Varallo’s now-closed Church Street location in 1958 the business has been slinging chili since 1907 1907. That’s the year Tennessee’s oldest restaurant opened its doors. Those are also the last four digits of the phone number for Varallo’s Restaurant Varallo’s has changed locations a number of times over the past century-plus Since the early 1990s it has been located at 239 Fourth Ave sporting a triangular pediment and old-school-style signage “Everyone in the family worked in the restaurant bussing dishes or washing dishes,” remembers Jim Varallo were known throughout Nashville for their decades of chili-slinging and top-notch customer care While Nashville today is known as the home of hot chicken and meat-and-threes You may be familiar with Cincinnati chili — this is not the same thing Cincinnati’s version is sweeter and has a different texture intended to be eaten on spaghetti with onions although with the Varallo’s three-way you get it served on top of spaghetti and a tamale (With your choice of long or short spaghetti.) Fun fact: Jim remembers when one of the leading Cincinnati chili restaurants opened in Nashville on Eighth Avenue North thinking that Music City would eat up their take on chili Bob Peabody bought the business from Todd Varallo — the grandson of Frank Jr becoming the first non-family member to own the restaurant and Bob loved the history of the restaurant was looking for a career change and was intrigued by Varallo’s heritage He followed Todd around the small restaurant for months writing down everything Todd had in his head — things Jim says were passed down from Frank Jr He would send sections to Todd for review and editing until he felt like he had everything ironed out When Varallo’s reopened after a six-and-a-half-month pandemic hiatus which included some long-overdue remodeling burgers and meat-and-three combos available much of Varallo’s business had been thanks to downtown office workers many of whom would come in for breakfast before work and again at lunch Peabody estimates that before the COVID pandemic about 70 to 80 percent of business came from state workers But when more people started working at home They didn’t need food near the office as often and they weren’t going out for lunch with their co-workers and — perhaps temporarily — did away with the meat-and-threes to focus on the better-selling dishes supply-chain limitations also caused difficulties for Peabody He couldn’t find many of the goods he needed such as napkins to fit his existing dispensers The small restaurant has a dishwashing station large enough for pots and pans but not for a steady stream of plates and silverware he estimates that at least 50 percent of his business now comes from out-of-towners particularly hotel dwellers appreciative of one of the few affordable places to grab breakfast downtown also appreciate a place to get a hot breakfast before work “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the regulars,” Peabody says “You develop relationships and know what they order But the people from out of town are fun too Peabody also adjusted Varallo’s opening hours and continues to be attentive to what customers want In mid-March the restaurant will reopen on Saturdays Since he’s catering to visitors rather than downtown employees on Saturdays you can expect it to be very busy by 8 a.m He’s the guy behind the counter and at the giant vat of chili “My dad believed you needed to run every day from start to finish,” Jim says Peabody has a sense of responsibility to lead the Varallo’s brand like the family would Varallo’s has survived many changes and in fact was born of change was a professional concert violinist who turned to chili after an injury halted his musical career He spoke four languages fluently — his first job was as a translator at Ellis Island — and also traveled frequently On repeated hunting trips to Mexico he ate a chili that he loved and that recipe turned into the Varallo’s recipe “Families and proper women did not go into saloons It was toned down when the city began to grow.” In the late 1980s the Varallo’s family sold the licensing rights to their recipe for canned chili on supermarket shelves That company has stopped making that product about a year-and-half-ago Peabody says he receives 18 calls a week from people asking where they can find it He tells them that he’ll happily sell chili to go That doesn’t help folks calling from Florida but selling locally in pints and quarts has increased the takeout business Peabody understands that the plan is for the property to be open later at night and on the weekends serving chili and burgers and all-day breakfast to the increased foot traffic “I survived the last three years,” Peabody says This is the oldest restaurant in Tennessee and I feel an obligation to keep it going.” The Delaware partner discusses the switch from representing companies to working with shareholders Andy Bouchard's achievements as chancellor poker and the American University of Rome and more in this week's episode Gregory Varallo made an extraordinary transition two years ago when he jumped to Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP from Richards where he had spent his entire 36-year career capped with a three-year term as president and CEO he said on this week’s Drinks With The Deal podcast a litigation firm that represents shareholders “was an opportunity to do something entirely new and to work with people I did know but in an area that would require some new learning on my part he advised shareholders who successfully challenged a poison pill that Williams Cos (WMB) installed at the start of the pandemic a 2010 matter in which the Delaware courts upheld the validity of a pill with a 5% threshold designed to protect the company’s net operating losses The Williams pill had the same threshold but was intended to stop shareholder activism for a year Varallo also discussed Andre Bouchard’s tenure as chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery from 2014 to 2021 The court remained open and fully operational during the pandemic despite having to conduct its work remotely which Varallo called “Andy’s greatest achievement Keeping things moving and never missing a beat will never be fully recognized because it’s so obvious that it passes you by which came in shareholder litigation involving Trulia Inc and both have been built upon,” Varallo said “I think both of those will stand the test of time.” Both opinions remain critical in Delaware litigation “When you have major developments like that all at once I think it takes a significant amount of time and I think you’ve seen that from the court,” Varallo said “I think you’ll continue to see that for at least the next couple of years.” More podcasts from The Deal are available on iTunes, Spotify and on TheDeal.com. 2023“As the number of hours of light in their country’s democracy keeps diminishing more and more Israelis are arriving in the mountainous valley in their search for a new start Among them are young people with babies in carriers and there are the graying-balding people like me still ashamed to admit that they are seriously considering the option Others look purposeful and motivated – looking into how to get a residency permit how to open a bank account and transfer your provident funds while it’s still possible the pain of good Israelis who believed that after 2,000 years they could rest on their laurels but were now taking up the wanderer’s staff once again.” Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann has long been a leading voice for investors in securities litigation and more recently in corporate governance disputes – litigation challenging everything from backdating of stock options to board oversight of legal risk Anchored by partners Mark Lebovitch and Jeroen van Kwawegen, the practice got an enormous boost last year when noted Delaware Chancery practitioner Greg Varallo joined the firm bringing more than three decades of trench warfare experience from the corporate side office and achieved a rare feat for shareholder advocates promptly hiring three former clerks from Delaware’s famed Court of Chancery He became fascinated by corporate governance law as a 2L at NYU Law School where he took Chancellor William Allen’s corporate law class Allen inspired Lebovitch to clerk for Vice Chancellor Stephen P He then worked at Skadden Arps before finding his home at Bernstein Litowitz Van Kwawegen started out aiming to be a criminal lawyer after serving in the Dutch Military Police he joined Latham & Watkins to handle plaintiff-side insurance recovery including the 9/11 disputes before becoming a shareholder lawyer at Bernstein Litowitz over a decade ago Varallo hoped to join a big New York firm after graduating from Temple Layton & Finger in 1983 as the 33rd lawyer on its letterhead Starting at the outset of the takeover era he’s had a ringside seat to most of the iconic corporate governance disputes serving as president of Richards Layton for three years before deciding last year to see if a tiger could change his stripes The team’s billion-dollar track record speaks for itself: Lebovitch helped recover $2.4B for shareholders in the federal securities claim arising from Bank of America’s buyout of Merrill Lynch; a $290M recovery from an insider trading scheme in the Allergan Proxy Violation case; and $90M plus groundbreaking corporate reforms against Fox News Van Kwawegen netted $92.5M for shareholders in a conflicted merger of the Starz television network with Lionsgate; $75M for shareholders and drug product marketing reforms from Pfizer; and a $289M judgement resulting from an appraisal case over TransCanada’s acquisition of Columbia Pipeline Varallo has played a role in some of the most important corporate governance battles in Delaware history and most recently defended Fox News against Bernstein Litowitz was before he decided to switch up his practice We talked about their shared passion for corporate governance litigation its evolution through Delaware’s Court of Chancery and its importance – especially in today’s world In a time of chaos in which rules are questioned and bent the importance of a framework to protect investors and motivate good corporate behavior may be more important than ever Lawdragon: Let’s start with a basic question Why does corporate governance litigation matter Mark Lebovitch: The foundation of our economy rests on investors from all over the world pooling their funds with talented managers Preserving investors’ trust in their fiduciaries while encouraging prudent risk-taking by corporate directors and officers is the essence of corporate governance That’s why on any given day the daily grind of the litigation can be challenging and it's interesting on a day-to-day basis And Delaware law’s evolution over time is fascinating A few years back it looked like we were headed toward a world of checklists which was a shame as we’re not tax lawyers and this isn’t a real estate closing What I learned from Bill Allen was that Delaware law and all its standards and complexities are not a checklist but are really just guideposts to get to the fundamental concept of good faith when people are doing something for self-interest or for an improper reason they know more often than not that they shouldn't be doing it and they do little things to give themselves away They unconsciously leave a record showing their own guilt It’s fun to parse through a record to figure out who’s hiding disloyalty and who genuinely tried to do right by their stockholders Jeroen van Kwawegen: There are a couple things I really like about corporate governance litigation One is it deals with right and wrong because we don't bring lawsuits on a disagreement about a business decision or a business judgment It really is about disloyalty and bad faith The second element I like is that it’s about human agency I'm trying to understand human motivations When you think about a typical breach of contract dispute or a typical corporate dispute very often it's about what the corporation did and why the corporation did certain things Whereas in my cases – which very often deal with controlling shareholders because of the development in the law – there very often is also a strong human component to it: The controller’s motivations can be very personal There's this interesting dynamic of complex corporate transactions that are motivated by human motivations I like that sort of interaction between human nature and corporate decisions very much typically I have a very nice interaction with the judges They don't always agree with me and that's okay But the judges I deal with in Delaware and also outside of Delaware are typically really engaged and I have a dialogue with them about where the law is sometimes where I think the law should be going you’re a newcomer to the plaintiff side of corporate governance and are considered one of its more notable practitioners from your 36 years of Chancery defense litigation Can you talk a bit about your evolving perspective on corporate governance over the years GV: I was lucky enough to find the Delaware legal community in 1983 at what I consider sort of a fulcrum on the continuum of development There was a new takeover every week and we had an injunction every week so in four or five years I got the equivalent of a career's worth of experience in this area If I had been in New York it would have taken me 30 years to get the experience I had in just a couple of years in Delaware When I started it was all about takeovers because the law concerning takeovers wasn’t well established My first big case as a new associate was Moran v which ruled on the legitimacy of the use of a poison pill Before then pills didn’t even exist and up until Moran and Unocal – which was decided a couple of months later establishing the rules of the road as to what a board could and couldn't do in connection with a takeover – there wasn't an agreed-to framework for adjudicating a board’s behavior when facing a threat to its control People were trying to put it in the business judgment rule rationale Other people were trying to put it in a securities law framework and the courts didn’t seem to agree on how to review a board’s conduct in the takeover context which is sort of the next step in the development But when I started we didn't even have agreed-upon standards We were making it up in every case and if you read the law from the late 1970s to 1984 or so it's clear that judges were literally trying to figure it out I was in the library researching cases but I worked on the cases that framed how you do takeovers and in the process learned a lot about how boards are supposed to work and how they're not supposed to work LD: And it’s fair to say Richards Layton was a dominant player in most Delaware governance battles in those days GV: The firm was probably in nine out of 10 of the most important matters and we were a relatively small shop at the time When I started I was the 33rd lawyer on the letterhead and when I left we were about 170 In 1984 I was a first-year associate and my participation in the debate was listening to the giants of the bar discuss it I was lucky enough to be in the room when these debates were being had I was on the call in which Lou Finger debated with other leading Delaware corporate lawyers the pros and cons of whether GM could do the first tracking stock and even helped prepare the legal opinion in that regard I worked on Unocal and a few years later on Time Warner after working on the case that approved the adoption of the first poison pill I had the good fortune to work on the first use of the pill in Selectica LD: That’s a great perspective on how corporate governance litigation has been shaped over the years And maybe it’s a good segue to the case that brought you all together – the 2016 battle over sexual abuse at Fox that sprung from Gretchen Carlson’s lawsuit against Fox television chief Roger Ailes which revealed oh so many very and your partners David Wales and Rebecca Boon Employees Retirement System to protect its investment in Fox but sometimes external events force it to take a sharp turn I think that’s the story of the Fox News case When Gretchen Carlson filed a lawsuit against Roger Ailes and chose not to name Fox News itself in order to avoid the confidential arbitration process that had concealed so many similar stories of sexual harassment by powerful executives From the stories of despicable and abusive conduct by Roger Ailes we saw the birth of the #MeToo movement and the downfall of prominent figures like Harvey Weinstein Matt Lauer and others who used their powerful positions as cover for predatory behavior And what made the settlement possible was having adversaries in Greg and then-Fox General Counsel Gerson Zweifach who were strong enough to decide that sometimes fighting a case to the death is not in the client’s interest We want to get to a solution which is a fair and a good solution for the company.” It was important to Fox that Bernstein Litowitz work with us to achieve a result before it filed its suit We wanted the news not to be that 21st Century Fox was sued but that 21st Century Fox just entered a landmark settlement addressing the issues that had been identified in the suit ML: I distinctly remember an early conversation in the Fox News case where Greg and I spoke about the position that the company will be in if we file the complaint it would be tough for the board to justify its own conduct without seeming callous to the victims it was possible for the board to come out looking good “My client's going to beat you and here's why.” We were each doing our best for our clients but we were able to level with each other in a way that is far too rare among lawyers used to pummeling their adversaries into a pulp And as we went from the precipice of what would have been a mutually bruising litigation to the path that led to the settlement We kept a large group of plaintiffs’ firms at bay and not in court while Greg kept a challenging client open to making change and improving its culture instead of trying to justify its prior conduct LD: And after about a year of negotiations you reached a settlement that set a new standard for corporate governance reform GV: When we were ready to announce the settlement his partner Max and I called the Court to give the Court a heads up that the case and settlement would be coming The Court facilitated the settlement being filed on the same day that the case was it took a fairly significant amount of logistical work to make that go smoothly interesting and positive settlement.” Bernstein Litowitz and their client achieved their goal of creating an example of how you could do this correctly and well And I came away thinking anybody that could hold the whole plaintiffs’ bar together for a year and that was trustworthy enough and had enough integrity to not only keep their word but also manage all of their colleagues JVK: That case also made clear to us the need for a bigger footprint in Delaware The Fox settlement was just one of the corporate governance battles we were handling but we were a New York firm handling a lot of our cases in Delaware Mark and I always viewed Delaware law somewhat as a pendulum swinging back and forth There was a period of time where the decisions were very tough on shareholders And while we didn’t always win in Delaware We thought the pendulum was about to swing back and decided the time was right to capitalize on something we treat as precious the Delaware judges see us as quality players you knew just the right lawyer to anchor it and was trusted on the corporate side of the bar as well as the Chancery bench GV: When I came on Mark had already hired Andrew Blumberg a few months earlier Andrew had been Chancellor Bouchard's clerk and then worked at Weil Gotshal who was Vice Chancellor Laster's clerk and also worked at Weil; and Daniel Meyer who had also been Chancellor Bouchard's clerk and worked at Davis Polk These associates joined a team of really excellent lawyers who had been working with Mark and Jeroen for years We've got a bench now that I would put against anybody if we could hire one clerk a year we thought we were doing great If we got two it was fantastic – and we never got three in a year it would have been so easy for you to just stay at Richards Layton But you seem so reinvigorated and it's fun to try different things I was also at a point in my career where I was blessed not to have to work if I didn’t want to and so I found myself ready for a new and meaningful challenge One of the things I do in my spare time is hunt and I've hunted some big game We're only going after big cases or big concepts In our Wilmington conference room we have a huge photo of an enormous grizzly called Mountain Outlaw It reminds me every day of what we are doing and where we are headed you pitched the idea of a corporate governance litigation focus to Bernstein Litowitz in 2004 when you interviewed with the firm as you were leaving Skadden Can you talk about that and why you chose Bernstein Litowitz ML: I realized there was an opportunity in the Delaware legal system for aggressive plaintiff shareholder litigation because there were really only a few lawyers who were doing it the right way for shareholders I interviewed with Max [Berger] and made my pitch I can litigate securities cases and that's what you're hiring me for but down the road there's an opportunity.” And Max is just the absolute embodiment of a visionary leader He encourages entrepreneurial lawyering and has been tremendously supportive of our efforts since day one Bernstein Litowitz began to file corporate governance litigation We started in late '06 bringing really interesting cases in Delaware hostile takeover cases where we were representing shareholders But we quickly focused on voting rights cases dealing with core corporate governance questions Our strategic ethos at the time was what I'll call unapologetically representing shareholders LD: What makes a case a Bernstein Litowitz type of case – what cases do you like to pursue and which aren’t for you ML: As part of the firm's decision on which cases to pursue the core question is: what would a person of honesty and basic integrity do in the same situation And if the answer is something other than what the prospective defendants did they probably aren't doing the right thing If bad conduct not only harms that company’s shareholders but will be replicated at other companies if left unchallenged then we are very likely to want to bring that challenge in the first place LD: When you achieve corporate governance reform or a settlement it brings about discussion and it's seen by other companies as a warning ML: I think that structuring and negotiating intelligent and meaningful governance relief is really satisfying because it requires multiple skills the dean asked us whether as a kid we envisioned ourselves being more of an architect or an archeologist you’re a litigator; if you said architect you were a transactional lawyer What I like about governance cases is you're a little bit of both you are going through the history of it and piecing together what happened A smart governance settlement examines what went wrong in the past to craft a structure that tries to prevent a similar problem from happening in the future LD: Can we talk about some of your favorite cases And what about the resolution was meaningful to you you really didn't have monetary recoveries in derivative suits related to the board overseeing legal compliance The defense lawyers couldn’t believe we were serious in demanding that their clients had to pay to avoid a trial We really brought to light not only conflicts from insiders the callous way the Wall Street banks were approaching their own conflicts Holding Goldman Sachs accountable in that case actually made them change the way they deal with personal conflicts of their bankers It was a big wake up call to the Wall Street banks We were working with now-Chancellor Andre Bouchard and his partner Joel Friedlander which are basically debt-acceleration provisions triggered by stockholders changing the board Proxy puts had proliferated through debt agreements in all sorts of public companies “This is the craziest thing we've ever seen.” You literally are telling shareholders that if they choose to vote to change the board We challenged the puts in Amylin’s debt agreements but feel like we created rules applicable to all companies LD: Can we talk a bit more about the development of the law as it reflects human motivation and influence You have all spent a fair amount of your careers advocating for acknowledgement of what we all know: human beings are conflicted with feelings and motivations JVK: There have been a number of decisions that I think have been influenced by former Chief Justice Leo Strine cases like Sanchez and Pincus where he and his colleagues on the Delaware Supreme Court made very clear that directors are people and that “homo economicus” does not exist; that people are driven by not only economic and financial incentives that also then frames how you look at director conduct – that becomes a very human lens And I've had several arguments since those cases where I was explaining to the judge why I believed that there was going to be a problem with the supposed independence of certain directors because of human factors trying to essentially figure out if this person is really independent given the facts and motivations I love that aspect of the practice because it is really that intersection of right and wrong you can have a meaningful impact about how companies operate in the future and I think that's one of the reasons why you hear so much about Fox because that was one recent We did the same thing with Pfizer 10 years ago about how they were overseeing drug marketing practices You can have a direct impact on how companies operate in a changing social regulatory environment It's empowering for the clients that we represent but in many ways it's also empowering for me because I'm part of that effort to make companies better and hold their boards and executives accountable if they are really off the rails LD: It’s interesting because the nature of directors has historically been very “insider.” Bringing elements of corporate governance that have been hidden from shareholders out into the light of day is something Bernstein Litowitz and others can facilitate by pushing in places where it's still a bit old school and protective of things that maybe should be more transparent and I don't think it's just because of litigation but there's definitely been a move towards the professionalization of boards putting the spotlight on directors who have been at companies for a very long time including companies that have been underperforming for a very long time what’s the intellectual attraction of the clients you’re representing at Bernstein Litowitz and do you see it as a continuation of your corporate governance practice in a way GV: I think that being a plaintiffs’ lawyer gives you the ability to be at the leading edge of lots of common law governance development and I've now had the opportunity to argue a number of cases on the plaintiffs’ side The issue is typically framed by the plaintiffs’ lawyers you're sued and then you choose your defense based upon the way the plaintiffs have constructed the litigation I did plaintiffs’ work occasionally as a defense lawyer but I rarely got the opportunity to frame the legal issue in the way that I knew exactly what the Court had to decide and exactly how the defendants had to respond to a particular issue LD: It’s also interesting to look at the crossover of corporate governance litigation to the global sphere that’s an area of particular interest for you as head of the firm’s European practice “Is this something that you would like to do Because culturally it probably is a good fit You can be a cultural bridge for us between the United States and Europe.” I thought that was a wonderful opportunity for me and for the firm that sounds like a great plan.” So I started building a network of European clients But first we thought long and hard about our core values This principally happened during a very long conversation with Max walking around Amsterdam for hours and how do we want people in Europe to perceive us Because from the outside all these firms are sort of similar and everybody has a friendly face How do people actually realize that people at Bernstein Litowitz are different The answer was simple: We prove over and over again to our clients that we are in it for the long-haul that we are repeat players who care more about our clients’ long-term strategic interests than about achieving a “quick” win with any individual case or outcome As shown by our track record – measured by third parties like ISS-SCAS and others – this approach leads to unparalleled success over time That long-term view was very important to me That became the driving factor when I was working with European clients educating them on shareholder litigation and explaining essentially our approach and how that is different from other firms That ties into corporate governance because the European clients that I work with are all sophisticated institutional investors with a long-term perspective That is a pretty big client in the United States I also have clients in Europe that have more than $400B under management They are massive institutions with massive assets that they are investing and sophisticated legal departments and in-house portfolio managers What I've seen over time is that in Europe with these institutional clients they increasingly started using Environmental Social and Governance Principles when assessing investments and their approach to shareholder litigation to further their funds’ and stakeholders’ long-term objectives LD: That seems particularly timely with the legal and financial worldwide fallout from Covid JVK: What’s been borne out specifically for our clients with respect to Covid is the belief that they are investing for the long term They are looking out for their beneficiaries and they need to be able to get paid and have their pensions 50 or 100 years from now but having this cultural fit of a European background helps me talk the same “language” because I consider the governance aspect of our practice in the same way the environmental and social aspects of the investment policies I'm much less conversant there because I'm not an environmental lawyer we understand what the ultimate goals are: Hold disloyal agents accountable and align interests with shareholder objectives LD: What do you think the impact near-ish term and longer of Covid and the financial peril we're in is going to be on corporate governance litigation but I'm not very optimistic with respect to this pandemic So that also colors my views because the way I see this now going is a longer period of economic stress I'm very concerned about a lot of companies going out of business and the ripple effect it's going to have When you are running a company that is under duress the tensions between your personal interests as a CEO controller or a director and the interests of your shareholders are exacerbated So I think that there will be more instances of disloyal conduct because the incentives are going to be more exacerbated not because people are bad people but because they are human LD: So could there be more governance litigation on the horizon JVK: I expect there to be more governance litigation because people will have stronger incentives not to act in the best interest of their shareholders currently there's a new movement afoot here in the United States to essentially say that we should move from a shareholder model to a stakeholder model The idea is that the board and the insiders should be focused on a broader range of stakeholders and ESG interests as opposed to maximizing value for shareholders I don't think it's caused by the Covid-19 pandemic they shouldn't just be accountable to shareholders They should have more freedom to also take into account the environmental social and governance issues when they're making decisions.” This is embraced by the same law firms and advisors that don't like accountability for directors and officers to shareholders to begin with I don't think that this is a good development especially because it moves away from accountability right at a time when accountability for corporate insiders is more important than ever LD: In addition to the firm’s expertise and the remarkable conversations you all have JVK: I'm thrilled with our team and my partners fun practice to do this with my colleagues We complement each other in so many different ways whose shareholders are conducting a proxy consent solicitation to replace the board led by Phil Falcone who previously admitted to misconduct in running his prior hedge fund – paying $18M to settle claims by the Securities and Exchange Commission that he used fund assets to pay personal income taxes the board in its own public filings essentially warned shareholders that we may have to pay out $27M to our preferred stockholders because of a change of control provision.” There's no reason why the incumbent directors should be able to say ‘Voting us out is going to make the company owe money to some third party.’” Corporate lawyers have started using “change of control” language that included not just buying the company We thought maybe the language was a mistake but not long after filing suit we learned that the language was no mistake HC2 was represented by Skadden and Cadwalader These are big 800-pound gorillas who know every nuance of M&A law and they're manipulating this proxy-put provision that shouldn't be on the table They both come to mind because I think they are part of the pendulum swinging back to neutral as opposed to anti-shareholder I successfully fought a motion to dismiss in front of Chancellor Bouchard which I believe would have been dismissed five years ago when the court would not have looked beyond the economic incentives of the board members The Regency case is a challenge to a self-interested merger of a master limited partnership MLP agreements exclude fiduciary duties and can be ripe for abuse the boards and the controllers of these MLPs essentially thought they had free reign to abuse their limited partner unit holders and that there would never be any consequences claiming Regency’s general partner engaged in a self-interested transaction for the benefit of its controller which they lied to investors about and had conflicted directors approve We appealed and the Delaware Supreme Court overturned finding that the absence of fiduciary duties did not mean the general partner of an MLP could act arbitrarily and contrary to the reasonable expectations of LP unit holders as expressed in the MLP contract and the implied terms of good faith and fair dealing The idea that a general partner can lie to other unit holders about the process it used to orchestrate a self-interested merger and claim it’s not a breach of the MLP contract is crazy talk because of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing there were a lot of client alerts from prominent defense firms saying “Newsflash: We can't lie to our unit holders anymore!” I was actually shocked to see that and it confirmed my worst fears about the level of misconduct that had gone unchecked in the MLP space The Delaware Supreme Court has moved the needle back to what I would call the middle more to a world where the directors are presumed to work in good faith and act in good faith but if there are serious red flags that they did not the Court is going to take a serious look at that GV: I’m working on a case involving Tile Shop which decided to go dark and de-register from NASDAQ and the SEC Companies decide to go dark for a variety of reasons But the day after Tile Shop announced its decision to do so two of its directors went into the marketplace and bought up millions of shares its stock price had cratered roughly 60 percent They bought 12 percent of the company between them in the course of a few days until our team was able to go in and get a temporary restraining order against their continuing to purchase we challenged a number of hyper-aggressive poison pills that have been adopted over the last few months all of which will go to trial in early 2021 It will be really fun to be challenging pills after defending them and using them in prior cases what do you see on the horizon for corporate governance litigation in the years ahead a leading defense lawyer posted on the Harvard Governance blog and suggested that investors should stop bringing cases during the pandemic We disagreed strongly with this – in times of crisis and investors have every right to preserve their access to lawful remedies those who would bend the rules didn’t sit still during the pandemic As Mark noted we saw a company try to slip by its use of a proxy put and others adopting poison pills that are so restrictive as to be virtually preclusive In the coming months we will be dealing with some of these governance issues as well as cases involving controllers who we think took advantage of their investors We want to hear from you! Find the right contact here Information displayed on Lawdragon is for general informational purposes only the information is not legal advice and is not an endorsement or recommendation of any law firm Lawdragon does not represent or warrant that the listings or other information found on Lawdragon will be correct Do not act upon information found on Lawdragon as a replacement for legal advice provided by a professional attorney in good standing and licensed to practice in your jurisdiction the "Michael Jordan of court reporting," but she has developed her own reputation as a giant in the court reporting field She was named president of the National Court Reporters Association over the summer and has been involved with a nationwide search for court reporters to work at the tribunals for detainees at Guantanamo Bay She laughs when it's suggested that magic plays a part in court reporters being able to seemingly randomly hit buttons on the small stenotype machines they use in courtroom settings and spit out perfect transcripts of what just happened She points out that it takes extensive training and practice to be a court reporter court reporting is much more than inputting what people say into a machine She talks passionately about how the court reporter has an important role to play in protecting citizens' rights and how they often have a front-row seat to historic and heart-wrenching events The Varallo Group is a court reporting support office and court reporting support to other court reporting firms I started court reporting as a court stenographer in 1979 I spent 22 years working for my father's business — the family business — and then at some point decided it was time to branch out on my own So I didn't want to go out and compete with my father and open up another traditional court reporting firm I took what I like doing best and turned it into my own business So you come from a family of court reporters And I have another brother that works in the medical transcription business Then I married a court reporter who comes from a father The poor rest of our family — when it's holidays Who are the people seen in the courtroom at criminal trials and proceedings There are two kinds of court reporters you'll find in court and they are employed by the state or federal government of moving away from the court reporters to digital audio recording So what happens often now is the court reporters are covering criminal trials but when there's a civil trial happening attorneys often are left to rely on the digital recording or call on a freelancer We'll go into the court and work directly for that particular case What's the advantage of continuing to use a court reporter A lot of the problems attorneys have with digital audio recording is the quality of the record If someone sneezes or an ambulance goes by or there's a siren and we can't hear the testimony we can interrupt and say excuse me we didn't hear that A digital audio recording is only as good as the sounds going on in the courtroom at the time The other problem is that digital recordings have to be transcribed by someone who wasn't there And one of the great services we are able to offer as court reporters is same-day drafts Or if it's a deposition and they've got an expert witness somewhere else who is reviewing the files they can be getting a stream of the transcript as it's happening A lot of people don't know that real time is the mechanism that (closed) captioning is done by So the captioning on television that you see for anything live — sports is done by court reporters in these real-time translations so you can actually work from home on court reporting On the steno machine there's only 22 characters and that could mean a whole group of words like "is it fair to say?" Any of these phrases that people use in their normal conversation Our graduation speeds are 225 words a minute I have something called the registered merit reporter certificate and that means I can write at 260 words a minute I have been charged with assembling the team of court reporters for Guantanamo Bay So there's a team of 13 court reporters who are going down to Gitmo to handle the tribunal hearings for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and five other Sept and the tribunal hearing of Abd al-Rahim Al-Nashiri So one day one of my reporting teams was down there and he was watching the court reporter write and I explained this whole brief form concept that we have Khalid Shaikh Mohammed has about 22 aliases that they have to read into the record so we have a brief form for all those aliases So the reporter writes one chord and all these names pop up on the screen "It's wizardry the names are popping up onto the screen before we get them out." What's the most important thing to remember when you get in that room or hearing I think the most important thing for the public to know about court reporters is that we are there to be guardians for their civil rights It's the court reporter who captures the testimony day in and day out that provides you an avenue for appealing your case So we call ourselves guardians of the record because we're a neutral party in that room taking down people's words What made you get into the business/administrative side of the industry After I left working for my dad's firm in 2001 I realized what a need there was for support because you may have a staff of 10 court reporters that you work with every day and then you have 15 court reporter assignments tomorrow — how do you get those other five people if I could develop a team of people who are available to fill in those busy days So I started providing court reporter support could you answer my phones tomorrow because I'll be on vacation?" and it just kind of evolved We became a full administrative support office and what we used to tell our customers is we'll do all the virtual back office work so you can go out and market and grow your business What we found with a lot of our clients was that they didn't really know how to go out and market and grow their businesses and a few years ago we added sales and marketing and business growth support for them What's the most memorable experience you had when you were a court reporter One of my early trials as an early reporter was Abbie Hoffman and Amy Carter were arrested at UMass-Amherst for trespassing There was a protest there because the CIA was recruiting on campus … so that was national news coverage every single night I've also had some really touching trials that have brought me to tears It's always hard for court reporters because we're supposed to be neutral and not show emotion Is there any particular skill you need to have to be a court reporter What we've seen is some relation to music — people who are musicians tend to do well A lot of court reporters have been piano players A good foundational vocabulary and grammar skill Ability to hyper-focus on your work and not get distracted and we are in desperate need of people to enter this profession There aren't enough young people coming into this profession We are very much in need of future court reporters It's a very rewarding career with a whole lot of flexibility Family: Married to Edward Varallo; three children .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Tara Massouleh | tmassouleh@al.comKelsey Smith Varallo has Sweet Home Alabama to thank for her marriage to Collin Varallo But it's not exactly what you think: The two met back in 2013 when Kelsey was the bachelorette on CMT's reality dating show "Sweet Home Alabama," where she had to pick a winner from 22 men--11 from the country and 11 from big cities Kelsey says though she wasn't necessarily expecting to find a match from the show she was interested in Collin even before the show filmed so I had watched him on TV and thought he was just the hottest thing on the planet," she says I said anybody that looks like Collin." The show did her one better and convinced Collin to come back for a second season Kelsey says she still was skeptical that she would find true love but nevertheless enjoyed getting to know Collin "You're really not ready to marry someone after a show like that," Kelsey says "I thought that made marriage seem shallow a native of Tuscaloosa returned to Los Angeles to continue her modeling career before the show's finale aired in January the new couple dated long distance and in secret "It was almost like an old-fashioned relationship," Kelsey remembers "We truly could do nothing but sit at home and stare at each other I think that made us really close--just being forced to stay in together I always say the Lord took me 2,000 miles to meet someone that lived 45 minutes from me in Alabama." that she realized she was in love with Collin it was clear Kelsey was the one from the moment he met her The couple continued to date long distance for the next year until Kelsey moved back to Alabama in March of 2015 They were engaged by December of that year spent months re-designing his sister's backyard and used it as the backdrop to propose to Kelsey "He literally got to design a place on someone else's dime to propose to me there," Kelsey says Kelsey says she felt like she had a lot to live up to she's seen first-hand how expensive weddings can be and because she and Collin were on a television show but he insisted that she would regret it if they didn't have a wedding and convinced her to move forward with the planning Kelsey says she wanted to do as much as possible for the wedding herself I felt equipped to do it on my own," she says she called on her close friends and family many of who have experience in different aspects of wedding planning And since Kelsey had most weekends booked doing hair and makeup for other brides they took an unconventional route and planned a Monday wedding on Labor Day their #NoLaborJustLove wedding was held at 10:30 a.m. with their first look during sunrise at 6:32 a.m The 160-acre Griffin Farms in Helena provided the perfect backdrop for the big day Though the venue typically specializes in children's birthday parties Kelsey was able to get the farm wedding-ready by adding her own personal touches to the venue The couple's ceremony was held in a cow field but Kelsey spruced it up with wooden benches on either side of the aisle which was lined with lanterns hanging from greenery-wrapped poles Kelsey made her entrance via large double-doors held up by a wooden frame decorated with a blush and white floral arrangement Kelsey decided on a navy blue and blush pink color scheme with silver accents and snap dragons--and had her friend Jill Montgomery Creating her own wedding-day look was another challenge for Kelsey she had worn hundreds of gowns and wedding dresses so she wanted something entirely different trumpet-style gown with a deep sweetheart neckline from Bridal Bliss in Homewood but then had her Maid of Honor's mom make some alterations cut out the lining in the mid-section to create a see-through look and created a custom lace neckpiece to complement the dress but different--not typical," she says "I think the rustic chic theme really carried over into my dress since it was lacey and I had really chic hair and makeup." Collin wore a navy suit with a blush tie from Joseph A while his groomsmen wore light gray suits with navy accents from the same store After a short-and-sweet traditional ceremony--only 13 minutes long--guests were welcomed to the reception They enjoyed classic Southern brunch food including hashbrown casserole and Conecuh sausage prepared by Kelsey's childhood neighbor who used to own a cafe Collin's mother made their three-tier white and blush wedding cake the couple was sent off in a bubble shower to their honeymoon in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic The couple now is happily married and living on eight acres of family land in Vance Kelsey says her favorite part of the wedding was feeling the love from their family and friends who helped make her wedding vision a reality "We went out there [to the farm] the day before the wedding and literally set up our tables on our own," she says "That worked because I wanted it to feel beautiful Indeed it did--all beginning with the first night of filming for "Sweet Home Alabama," the night Kelsey met Collin (along with 21 other men) and told them all: "I'm relying on faith I truly believe everything happens for a reason and I believe we're all here for a reason but hopefully it will be revealed to us by the end of the season." that revelation didn't happen right after the show wrapped their reason for being on the show was perfectly clear --Photos by Kelli + Daniel Taylor Photography Venue: Griffin Farms of HelenaWedding Dress: Bridal Bliss Cake: Cathy VaralloPlanner: Carla RichardsFlowers: Jill Montgomery Catering: Sara Smith BankBridesmaids' Dresses: lulus.com Hair and Makeup: The Look by Brittney Shelton Getaway Car: Helena Exotic Cars This story appears in Birmingham magazine's Fall/Summer 2017 Weddings issue. Subscribe today Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices \n m_gallery = \"cmt_wedding\";\n m_gallery_id = \"23132463\";\n m_gallery_title = \"CMT Wedding\";\n m_gallery_blog_id = \"4558\";\n m_gallery_creation_date = \"Wednesday 10:53 AM\";\n m_gallery_permalink = \"http://photos.al.com/4558/gallery/cmt_wedding/index.html\";\n m_gallery_json = \"https://blog.al.com/photogallery/4558/23132463.json\";\n m_gallery_pagetype = \"embed\";\n m_gallery_type = \"photo\";\n <\/script>\n As she voluntarily entered the police interrogation room in Moline Dorothy Varallo-Speckeen thought she was there to help solve a child-abuse case Marcella O’Brien thought she — a then-22-year-old babysitter with no criminal record — had abused the child a felony punishable by up to 30 years imprisonment but I know for a fact that the injury occurred during the time when you guys were watching Brylee,” referring to Varallo-Speckeen and her girlfriend and the 15-month-old toddler they were watching O’Brien subjected Varallo-Speckeen to an interrogation that sought to extract a confession but some experts say they can coerce false confessions and should be abandoned Last year, the conviction of Brendan Dassey, the Wisconsin teenager charged with helping his uncle murder a young woman in 2005, was overturned after a federal judge found his confession had been coerced. In June, the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld that decision. The case is featured in the 2015 Netflix series, “Making a Murderer.” Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office Sgt Joy Brixius escorts Brendan Dassey from the Manitowoc County Jail to the Manitowoc County Courthouse Wisconsin.Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Some of the tactics used in interrogating Dassey were at play when O’Brien grilled Varallo-Speckeen about the baby’s injury During that interrogation O’Brien talked over Varallo-Speckeen interrupted and rejected or cut off denials and repeatedly pushed O’Brien’s theory — that Varallo-Speckeen had broken the legs of the young girl Despite Varallo-Speckeen’s insistence that she wasn’t too rough that she had not changed the baby’s diaper during the hours in question O’Brien held to the theory Varallo-Speckeen was to blame After nearly two hours in the interrogation room and after O’Brien once more insisted that Varallo-Speckeen must have caused the injuries It happened when Varallo-Speckeen recalled the moment her girlfriend first said the child’s legs were broken Varallo-Speckeen: And so then she was like well Varallo-Speckeen: I think it was because I was changing her diaper said she believes O’Brien coerced that confession The detective and Moline police officials declined several requests for interviews over several months about the case and interrogation practices O’Brien’s tactics mirrored the Reid Technique of Interviewing and Interrogation which researchers describe as the gold standard for interrogating suspects A majority of law enforcement officials are being trained to use it or another method based on it Critics note that more than one-fourth of wrongfully convicted suspects later exonerated with DNA evidence had given a false confession or incriminating statement a nonprofit that works to exonerate the wrongly convicted Dorothy Varallo-Speckeen holds up her mug shot from July 2013 after being charged with felony aggravated battery against a child Some critics point to a technique used in the United Kingdom as an effective and fair alternative the approach focuses more on gathering information than eliciting confessions a retired United Kingdom detective superintendent said his country no longer sees cases going to the UK’s appeals court because of false confessions saying it is an ethical and efficient way to obtain justice and he denies false confessions and the Reid Technique are related He said the Reid Technique’s core principles are aimed at preventing false confessions that interrogators are instructed to get corroborating details in the suspect’s written statement To understand police interrogation techniques analyzed the video and transcript of Varrallo-Speckeen’s interrogation and compared it to Reid methods Statements heard in the interrogation video indicate two others and possibly a third were alone with the child during the time in which she was injured moved into a basement apartment in the home of Schafer’s friend Kepple took her daughters to the apartment of her mother Normally Linhart watched her grandchildren said he watched the girls because Linhart was ill Hessell took the girls downstairs for Varallo-Speckeen and Schafer to watch while he went to work Hessell told Schafer that Brylee was not feeling well and to give her Tylenol “When I picked her up to change her diaper she was real fussy,” Schafer told IowaWatch like when I picked up her legs to slide the diaper in and out she just kind of screamed a little at me; I thought maybe her belly hurt thought maybe when I pulled her legs up it squished on her belly.” while Brylee and Varallo-Speckeen napped on the couch When Schafer returned about 45 minutes later but Brylee was still sleeping on Varallo-Speckeen’s chest she drove Brylee to Illini Hospital in Silvis “She just wasn’t acting herself.” Schafer told O’Brien that Kepple said the hospital found nothing seriously wrong with Brylee and Kepple took her to Trinity East Hospital in Moline where staff discovered the child’s legs were broken When the Reid Technique was introduced in 1974 it was meant to replace interrogation tactics that involved threats The creator of the technique was a former Chicago detective and he had elicited his first confession using it in 1955 Whether O’Brien had received Reid training could not be determined because she refused repeated interview requests Starting with a “behavioral analysis interview,” investigators are taught to ask non-threatening questions to understand the individual’s demeanor then decide whether he or she is lying based on verbal and nonverbal cues But Reid’s opponents say it is impossible to detect deception accurately “You simply cannot tell whether a person is lying or telling the truth based on those cues,” said Stephanie Madon an Iowa State University psychology professor who researches why people confess to crimes they did not commit The Reid Technique tells interrogators there is not any one cue or response that can determine deception and that all behavioral cues need to be analyzed “But in the course of a high-pressure investigation these are snap judgments being made by detectives and they’re often wrong,” said Steve Drizin legal director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth represented Brendan Dassey in his appeal against his murder conviction Some trained in the technique say the behavioral analysis interview causes tunnel vision “You’ve already decided a person is guilty, so now you’re looking for confirmation,” said James Trainum, author of “How the Police Generate False Confessions” and a former Washington Trainum said he realized this after eliciting the confession of a woman he was sure was guilty in 1994 When evidence proved she could not have committed the murder to which she had admitted “The truth you are trying to get is the truth you believe in,” Trainum said focuses too much on confessions and not enough on gathering information Said Drizin: “That confession is the most powerful piece of evidence in the court of law and it ends up corrupting the quest for truth.” In the case of Drizin’s client, Dassey, a federal judge in Milwaukee last year overturned his conviction finding the then-16-year-old was coerced into confessing to helping his uncle murder Teresa Halbach at the Avery family salvage yard in Two Rivers In June, the federal appeals court in Chicago upheld that decision but the Wisconsin Department of Justice is fighting Dassey’s release that the shifting stories of the crime the young man gave during interrogation were mostly fed to him by the police “The confession became a story crafted by the investigators instead of by Dassey,” the judges found Avery’s case also is under appeal who represented Brendan Dassey’s uncle Steven Avery at trial said two of the Reid tactics used on Dassey were particularly troublesome repeated use of the ‘false friend,’” in which interrogators pretended they were helping Dassey avoid trouble The other was “repeatedly referring to false evidence” of Dassey’s guilt are especially risky when applied to “people who are young or sharply limited in their mental capacity — and Brendan was both.” “There’s just no question that the sustained use of those strategies produced not only an involuntary confession starting with accusing the suspect of the crime or of knowing something about it “So obviously something happened in your care,” O’Brien told Varallo-Speckeen or most people are the type of person who intentionally hurt a baby I think that type of thing would be an evil person who would do that — I mean if you’re going to hurt a baby I think what happened was an accident.” O’Brien told Varallo-Speckeen she was guilty or knew what happened to Brylee The second step of Reid teaches investigators to develop a theme giving the suspect justification or excuses for committing the crime Investigators deflect denials by talking over and using gestures to cut the suspect off They may try to convince suspects a victim provoked the suspects or try to minimize blame by suggesting the crime was an accident or that the behavior was an anomaly for the suspect O’Brien presented Varallo-Speckeen with a variety of accidental ways the injuries could have occurred It was O’Brien’s suggestion that it could have happened during a diaper change although Schafer and Varallo-Speckeen both told O’Brien that Varallo-Speckeen had not changed Brylee’s diaper July 22 When Varallo-Speckeen said she didn’t remember doing anything that could have hurt Brylee split between Schafer and Varallo-Speckeen Reid methodology teaches investigators to share stories about others who have made similar mistakes a tactic that either minimizes or maximizes the severity of the crime O’Brien told Varallo-Speckeen about past cases where children had fractured skulls and bleeding on the brain this is not that severe,” O’Brien said It’s not going to be something that’s going to be a horrible impact for the rest of their life.” O’Brien told her repeatedly Varallo-Speckeen was the only person who had been alone with Brylee although statements given to O’Brien by Hessell Schafer and Varallo-Speckeen and viewed by IowaWatch show that is not true Presenting false evidence is another Reid tactic Interrogation scholars have pushed to change this law and in other countries it is illegal to lie to a suspect about evidence O’Brien repeatedly insisted Varallo-Speckeen must have broken Brylee’s legs while changing her diaper instructing her to demonstrate how she changed diapers O’Brien watched as Varallo-Speckeen put a diaper on the doll But O’Brien didn’t accept her demonstration “That wouldn’t be enough force,” O’Brien said that’s how I change diapers,” Varallo-Speckeen responded the detective continued pressing her theory If O’Brien believed Varallo-Speckeen was guilty adding she was willing to take the consequences Why would Varallo-Speckeen take responsibility for something she didn’t do “I just want it over,” Varallo-Speckeen told O’Brien Dorothy Varallo-Speckeen is seen during a police interrogation in Moline Varallo-Speckeen said: “I feel like I admitted to a story that I was told I feel like I just agreed to get it off the table Varallo-Speckeen was charged with felony aggravated battery against a child pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery causing bodily harm She said she pleaded guilty to avoid going to prison “for something I know I didn’t do.” The month she spent in jail in 2013 was counted toward her sentence and she remained under court supervision for 12 months Media coverage of the case ruined her reputation ending her babysitting work and costing her lots of friends told Schafer in a Facebook message that she did not know who hurt her daughter that she didn’t trust the police and that she just wanted Brylee to be OK Reid critics say other interrogation methods would prevent false confessions and that police need more training in interviewing and interrogating But Reid’s proponents do not believe the techniques cause false confessions nor that other options would help close cases an Illinois consulting firm that has trained thousands of law enforcement officials nationwide said Wicklander-Zulawski officials listened to academics police interrogation researchers and law enforcement officials and decided the non-confrontational methods they have offered since 1983 work just as well “It’s not the Reid method that’s the problem as much as the misuse of the Reid Technique,” Sturman said it is not a matter of misusing the Reid Technique but rather not using it at all Reid methods say interrogators should treat subjects with respect threaten physical harm or inevitable consequences deny their rights or the opportunity to satisfy physical needs Regardless of what causes false confessions many agree something needs to be done to prevent imprisonment of innocent people “We need to have a major change in the culture in law enforcement “Our problem is we are so focused on closing cases and locking up criminals we kind of lost our perspective that our real goal is to gather information that is admissible and reliable and unbiased Let the evidence take us where it may.” Click here to download a PDF version of this client alert It may seem hard to believe – even almost incomprehensible – but will the Delaware Chancery Court case finding against Elon Musk’s gargantuan $56 billion pay package likely see the opposing lawyer receive a billion-dollar fee The decision is now seeing Musk looking at a move to Texas for his companies telling investors never to incorporate in Delaware Before you inhale sharply and question how any such case can generate such a Kingdom of Riches consider the situation with the Delaware Courts In the world of corporate law, particularly within the bustling courtrooms of Delaware, a state where over 300 S&P companies have chosen to incorporate, the topic of legal fees is consistently at the forefront of heated debates This is nowhere more apparent than in the high-profile cases passed through the Delaware court system including the recent litigation involving Elon Musk and other significant cases One remarkable instance of the court’s generosity towards lawyers’ fees was in 2012 when the Delaware Chancery Court awarded a staggering $285 million in a lawsuit between two giants in the natural resources sector It is clear that representing actions in the Delaware courts are perhaps one of the most lucrative of any field of legal practice. Fast forward to 2023, and we see the court’s unwavering stance on rewarding legal efforts handsomely; a judge awarded $267 million to attorneys representing shareholders in a $1 billion settlement with Dell Technologies over a complex merger proposal drawing appeals from investment funds among others the Judge noted that although the fee is huge it’s in line with precedents reflecting Delaware’s policy of rewarding entrepreneurial attorneys for keeping major corporations honest by taking risks on complex cases and litigating them until they have enough leverage to get “real results.” As we await the determination of fees in the Elon Musk case it’s important to note the enormous financial implications at stake Elon Musk’s legal expenses alone ballooned as Tesla achieved its performance targets jumping from $2.6 billion to an eye-watering $55.8 billion Such figures set the stage for potentially record-breaking legal fees, especially when considering the success of firms like Bernstein Litowitz Berger and Grossmann with 22 partners and which operates on a contingency basis This means they could claim a third of the “benefits conferred” from the court’s ruling translating to the value restored to shareholders based on the value delivered rather than hours worked might culminate in a payout for the lawyers involved that could reach into the hundreds of millions Greg Varallo, the lead lawyer at Bernstein Litowitz Berger and Grossmann, has hinted at a substantial request for fees to be submitted in the coming weeks, though specifics remain under wraps for now. In essence, the Delaware courts continue to be a battleground where legal expertise is richly rewarded, underlining the lucrative nature of high-stakes corporate litigation. The anticipation builds as the legal community and observers alike await the final word on what could be a precedent-setting payout for the lawyers in the Musk case. "LawFuel has been providing news, tools and views to help lawyers since 2001, one of the Internet's first law business sites.  We continue to provide news on law firm marketing, technology and business issues." "all the teams were of a very feeble level" at the championship Varallo took part in Argentina's opening game against France despite injuries to their gallant goalkeeper the French went down by just a single goal but Varallo believed that Argentina might have scored eight came to the Argentinian footballers' hotel and also played in their 3-1 win over Chile with a knee injury that threatened to put him out of the final against the hosts and traditional River Plate rivals He said he was nervous playing before the impassioned crowd for the final held on 30 July 1930: "The stadium was full and there was no barrier between the crowd and the players like today he said: "The Charrúas [Uruguayans] were pitiless and violent They played with their knives between their teeth they were already known for their rough play but I was hurt in the movement when I nearly scored our third goal; I hit the bar I went on to the wing and couldn't do much .. Luis Monti [an Argentinian-Italian player] was terrified which meant that we were playing with nine men This was an unexpected insight indeed into the character of Monti long renowned as one of the most brutal and ruthless footballers of his era whose early injury against England in 1934 when he had to leave the field after only two minutes provoked what came to be known as the Battle of Highbury the Italian team for whom Monti then played running riot Varallo said he still felt angry about that 1930 World Cup final We broke off all relations with Uruguay afterwards." where in later years he ran a lottery shop close to his home At the stadium where Estudiantes de la Plata play He played for the local club Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and then for the better-known Boca Juniors of Buenos Aires Gimnasia y Esgrima launched him when he was only 17 and he soon began to score goals Varallo was less of a technical footballer in the classic Argentinian style than a powerful Nicknamed El Cañoncito ("the little cannon") he was a formidable striker on either foot He was a crucial figure in Gimnasia y Esgrima's victory over Boca Juniors in the final of the 1929 amateur championship The Buenos Aires club then paid a large sum of money for his transfer just in time for the first professional league in Argentina Boca Juniors won the Argentinian title in 1931 He also scored three goals for Argentina in their victory at the South American championship held in Buenos Aires in 1937 He could doubtless have gone on scoring for several more years were it not for a cartilage injury inadequate treatment made it impossible for him flourish in his career Modern football did not attract him; there were too many fouls and a lack of the old camaraderie Nor did the attackers shoot often enough at goal "they let fly bombs from over 30 yards 'If they could see the goals from our era on television...' " He continued to live in La Plata and received a Fifa Order of Merit award in 1994 Francisco Antonio "Pancho" Varallo a well-liked and respected jeweler in Chattanooga for more than 60 years This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Chattanooga Times Free Press Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2025 audio and/or video material shall not be published rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use The AP will not be held liable for any delays errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing if your last name ended in a vowel and you were from Viggiano chances are you owned a chili parlor in Nashville many operated restaurants that fortified the backbone of the community throughout most of the 20th century and at the ripe age of 108 it is claiming the title "Oldest restaurant in the state of Tennessee." Based primarily on a listing in "A Century of Restaurants" by Rick Browne Varallo's has latched on to that superlative since no one has challenged it since the book came out in 2013 To commemorate these laurels,the restaurant asked Hatch Show Print to create a special poster You can pick one up at the downtown restaurant for $15 with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank only four generations have toiled over the steam kettles stirring the ground beef and spices took over in 1929 after his father died and operated the most iconic and cozy of the restaurant's many homes on the corner of Church Street and Eighth Avenue That's where Frank dished the famous "chili three ways" (chili spaghetti and tamales) from the mid 1930's until he turned the final key on New Year's Eve in 1998 By that time his grandsons Todd and Tony Varallo had opened their satellite on Fourth Avenue near the mouth of the Arcade There you can still get a bowl of that chili three ways already snipped into small pieces to keep the noodles from slapping your clean shirt is smothered in meaty chili with chunks of tamales If that combination seems like a culinary non sequitur, it may have its roots in another odd place, Greenville, Miss. According to Amy Evans, the oral historian for the Southern Foodways Alliance, the tamale tradition may have been passed on to Sicilian immigrants by migrant Mexican workers Varallo's dropped the "Too" after Frank Jr Thankfully their red roof still stands guard During these heady times with so many new and fancy places Varallo's gives us the strongest link to Nashville's past Reach Jim Myers at 615-259-8367 and on Twitter @ReadJimMyers Varallo's will always hold a special place in my heart and belly My grandfather used to take me down to the Church Street location make me stand up straight and shake hands with Mr Then he would ask me to read the saying at the bottom of the menu that Frank Varallo would type out every day Those aphorisms would later be collected in a book called "Thoughts from the Bottom of a Chili Bowl." Varallo was known for his kindness as well as his discretion never turning away a hungry soul or speculating on the private proceedings of judges lawyers and politicians who often ate in his back room Varallo's and Vietti's eventually found themselves in a competitive but civil battle in the canned chili business my grandmother would send us cases of both brands because we could never decide which we liked better and the paper hat he wore until his last day Though it closed for a period in 1998 and has not operated continuously the tavern at the Hale Spring Inn date back to the early 19th century Now that the weather has finally gotten cold What better place to get one than Varallo's Chile Parlor & Restaurant? You can get a bowl of chili (they spell it "chile") "any way you like it" for $4.55 — or a king size for $5.45 This family-owned Nashville fixture, which has been serving up chili for 111 years downtown, claims the title of Tennessee's oldest restaurant, and nobody has contested that impressive longevity.  but when I started researching this column I thought I had inadvertently gotten an outdated menu because the prices were so cheap But the menu was current — and a $4.55 bowl of chili — is a delicious candidate for my series featuring great lunches under $10 you could even feed two people lunch for $10 at Varallo's!  "I like to keep the prices down for the working people," said Varallo's owner Todd Varallo He said the restaurant serves 20-40 gallons weekly of the signature chili, made with the same recipe that his great grandfather Varallo's founder Frank Varallo Sr. While many of the 11 grandchildren of Frank and Eva Varallo worked in the restaurant, Todd Varallo is the only one still in the chili business.  He grew up working as a dishwasher and later took on more duties as part of a high school work co-op arrangement. He would leave his school day at Father Ryan at lunchtime to pitch in during his grandparents' lunch rush and then return to school for afternoon classes What is three-way chili?Three-way chili is a hearty combination of chili a tamale and spaghetti cut into little pieces for easy eating with an option for shredded cheese on top for 50 cents more. I added a dash of hot sauce for an extra kick If you don't want to go with the three-way chili chili and tamale or chili and short spaghetti No matter which variety you settle on, a couple of packs of saltines come on the side And if you have a willing lunch companion splitting a grilled cheese ($2.95) is a great option You order in a cafeteria line presided over by Cheryl McKnight, who has worked at Varallo's for 42 years She will happily dish up whatever you order: chili You can also get made-to-order items from the grill: grilled cheese My only complaint is that the food is served on Styrofoam plates and bowls with plastic utensils A heavy glass bowl and a real spoon would have made that chili taste even better When I asked about the Styrofoam, Varallo said his kitchen space is too small to accommodate a commercial dishwasher ► CRAVING SAVINGS: 16 ways to spend less at restaurants from Ms. Cheap The price for a bowl of chili is definitely in the Ms and the rest of the menu is super affordable Mama's Italian Spaghetti (Eva's Varallo's recipe) is $5.45 It is one of the few vegetarian items on the menu Meat lovers could add a couple of meatballs for another $1.90 A meat and two vegetables is priced at $7.40 and includes homemade cornbread. Tuesday and Thursday are fried chicken days. Todd Varallo and McKnight note that their vegetables are prepared fresh daily: turnip greens home cooked cabbage and more. A vegetable plate with three vegetables is $5.50 steak burger for $4.75 and the triple-decker club at $5.75 with Todd Varallo's homemade banana pudding (made from his grandmother's recipe) available on Tuesdays Wednesdays and some Thursdays. He also makes homemade blackberry and peach cobblers for Thursday lunches ► CHEERS: 14 Nashville happy hour deals at bars and restaurants first sold his chili in the Climax Saloon on Fourth Avenue North and opened his own chili parlor in 1907 The next generation was Frank Varallo Jr. who dropped out of school in 1929 when his father died and began working at the restaurant at age 14 Eva, joined him in the business in the late 1930s as hostess and cashier and both of them worked at the 147-seat Ninth Avenue North and Church Street Varallo's until they closed it in 1998.  ► THE COMPLETE LIST: Ms. Cheap rounds up lunch deals for $10 or less The family tradition continues with their grandson who opened his 56-seat location at 239 Fourth Ave with the same menus and recipes his grandparents used The look is the same with a red roof outside mimicking the awning at the Church Street location Inside, red and white checkered tablecloths are reminiscent of the ones in the back dining rooms at Ninth and Church. The walls are lined with pictures of the original locations and Varallo family members Todd Varallo's restaurant was first known as Varallo's 2 but after his grandparents closed their location Varallo's breakfast and lunch clientele is primarily downtown workers because finding parking near the restaurant is a challenge ► MORE FROM MS. CHEAP: Stay connected with Ms. Cheap's frugal finds, free events and meal deals with a weekly newsletter. Varallo's Chile Parlor & RestaurantWhere: 239 Fourth Ave. N. there is a full breakfast menu that also has very affordable prices.   Details: www.varallos.com or 615-256-1907 Cheap at 615-259-8282 or mscheap@tennessean.com Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/mscheap on WTVF-Channel 5’s “Talk of the Town.” You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience HELENA–Griffin Farms of Helena played host to some special wedding guests on Monday as the business continues to grow as a popular wedding and birthday party destination on the nearly 160-acre farm located off Shelby County 17 Griffin Farms hosted a special Labor Day wedding for Kelsey Smith and Collin Varallo former participants on the Country Music Television reality show “Sweet Home Alabama.” Smith and Varallo starred in season 4 of “Sweet Home Alabama,” which aired in January 2014 a number of different city guys and country boys tried to win over the heart of Smith who eliminated more guys each week until she finally chose Varallo a native of Tuscaloosa who modeled in Los Angeles chose Varallo and the two became engaged during the Christmas holiday in December 2015 who runs Griffin Farms with her husband Jamie described how the couple decided to book their wedding at the farm “He proposed around Christmas this past year and since then they’d been trying to figure out when and where they were going to get married,” said Griffin “Kelsey’s mother was on Facebook and came across our Talk of Alabama segment watched it and saw some of the wedding pictures and called me About 15 minutes into the conversation she said did you ever watch that show ‘Sweet Home Alabama?’ and I actually did and I made my husband get into it with me and watch it.” at Griffin Farms which included a brunch ceremony at 10:30 a.m The two took pictures and did a first look at sunrise on the farm and a reception was held at Griffin Farms’ covered patio with approximately 150 guests Griffin said it was a neat experience to open up their home to Smith and her bridesmaids the morning of the wedding so they could do hair and makeup “We did open up our house to let them get ready and she (Smith) is a makeup artist so at 4:30 that morning they were in our house doing makeup and hair and it felt like we were a part of this production so that was pretty cool,” said Griffin Griffin said the farm is constantly being booked for weddings and parties after starting the business in 2014 For more information or to book an event with Griffin Farm Parties, visit Griffinfarmparties.com or call 541-8150 Griffin Farms is located at 6027 Shelby County 17 in Helena Just one AAC game is on Monday’s college basketball schedule That contest is the Wichita State Shockers squaring… The Memphis Grizzlies (38-22) face the Atlanta Hawks (27-33) as 8.5-point favorites on Monday take on the Brooklyn Nets (21-39).… The Wichita State Shockers versus the North Texas Mean Green is a game to catch on the Monday… The Monday college basketball slate has plenty of exciting matchups in store Our computer model has suggested picks… What would make you consider a digital subscription to Shelby County Reporter View Results Giovanni Testori was right: it is impossible to forget the faces of Tanzio da Varallo’s two Davids the very blond teenager that Tanzio painted around 1625 of the two the one with the more ephebic face: “a kind of Rimbaud without intellectual ambitions” Testori had defined him in 1959 had made the very tall painter of the mountains known to all until then a marginal presence in a history of art that had not found him an adequate space except for the attention that had been reserved for him by Longhi had taken care of everything: he had even written the entire catalog according to a practice that is no longer used today And he had opened up to full recognition of Tanzio da Varallo’s exceptional artistic stature One of Testori’s first passions had been Arthur Rimbaud’s Une saison en enfer And in 1973 he had returned to that image he had elaborated fourteen years earlier to emphasize the “Prerimbaudian heartbreak” of Tanzio’s two Davids as of two Rimbauds who had “lived forever within the valleys or on the mountains.” The idea that most often approaches Tanzio’s two powerful images the two paintings preserved in the Pinacoteca Civica in Varallo and exhibited side by side is that which wants them to be shepherds of Valsesia studied from life by the great painter who born in Alagna to a family of Walser masons and sculptors (his real name was Antonio D’Enrico and “Tanzio” is nothing more than a phonetic mutation of the patronymic with added nominal ending: he was son of Giovanni “Anz” in the German dialect of the Walser and left for Rome when he was barely 18: he stayed there fifteen years with occasional trips to Naples and Abruzzo and had plenty of time to assimilate the Caravaggesque language and then bring it back to his mountains the one exhibiting the head of Goliath by lifting it up and holding it by the hair is the most direct result of Tanzio’s reflections on Caravaggio about ten years later: Francesco Frangi has found in it “a moment of almost miraculous balance” that is the result of a meeting between the naturalism learned in Rome the plasticism of the drawing and “the search for a terse and luminous beauty that gives the facial features a regularity that one would be inclined to define as idealized.” However it is Frangi himself who recognizes that to speak of idealizations in Tanzio is tantamount to introducing a discordant note into the score: there is little of the ideal in the almost brute force with which the adolescent David grasps and holds It is the strength of the alpine shepherd about to slaughter one of his animals (“they slaughtered their own Goliath with the same implacable and maddening necessity with which they are used to slaughter the pig,” Testori wrote) everything is pervaded by an intense energy that shakes his whole body makes him vibrate along with the light that sets his hair on fire and makes the saber he holds in his right hand sparkle and he is animated by an almost Michelangelo-like vigor which could be branded as mannerism: it is not so because the Tanzanian drawing does not flow into academicism it serves to express the tension that innervates the character is he a David tormented by remorse and guilt like Caravaggio’s It is difficult to describe the feelings he is experiencing there is still a motion of outrage mixed with wonder One would call him a man aware that he has made a dramatic gesture that has changed his life A man aware of having fulfilled a mission that nonetheless caused a death aware of having met his destiny even though he was expected to kill another human being: and that is why dismay at the spectacle of death.” He is a David who is anything but proud of what he has done: doubtful a man who has realized that the carefreeness of youth is hopelessly gone “Damned amazement,” Testori would have said again And in David ’s face we almost seem to read the words of Rimbaud’s Saison en enfer : “Ma faiblesse This restlessness is also one of the elements that make the faces of the Varallo Davids unforgettable Or of a reality framed in the frame of a feeling of heated devotion he employs in the Second David roughly the same language as in the chapels of the Sacro Monte of Varallo: even the angels fluttering in the vaults of the mountainous Jerusalem are living corporeal presences in the preface to the Memoriale ai milanesi di san Carlo Borromeo with that temperament of a “wild and unhappy” artist plebeian and cumbersome tone” of Borromean oratory Physical and material is also Tanzio’s painting and not only because of the imposing presence of his Davids or the brushstrokes that define the fleece of the fur or even the blond ringlets of the biblical character it is a subject matter embellished with the most refined effects: the light that lights up that same hair with golden gleams the contrasts of light and shadow that bring out the David’s jowling the precision with which Tanzio restores the net of the carniere (almost a still life piece) the chiaroscuro passages that veil Goliath’s head And this is to say nothing of the rough mountain beauty of the adolescent face or of the compositional wisdom that has in the diagonal described by the arm all its fulcrum: an arm that is both a symbolic element and expresses David’s steadfastness in fulfilling his mission (but in a certain way also the inevitability of his fate) in that it is the means by which Tanzio captures the attention of the sitter to establish an emotional and intellectual connection with the character painted on the canvas And to make him feel the truth of that young shepherd who “has the grim and lacerating snap of a demon on whose shoulders the remnants of wool are wings torn by struggle and algore.” .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By AL.com and The Birmingham NewsTribble Reese is no stranger to national attention having been named one of Cosmopolitan magazine's 50 hot bachelors in 2008 thanks to a recommendation to a casting director by friend John Cassimus the 25-year-old athlete-turned-model (he played football at Mountain Brook High School Clemson University and Charleston Southern University) is one of 20 bachelors on the new reality TV series "Sweet Home Alabama." Reese a bartender at Atlanta's 5 Places Inn grew up in Birmingham and still has friends and family here and just may be starting something with Tim McGraw When a talent scout approached Collin Varallo at the gates of this year's Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil the 22-year-old Pelham High School grad and owner of Keepin' It Green Landscapes thought it might be a scam and Varallo is one of 20 bachelors vying for the attention of Devin Grissom on CMT's "Sweet Home Alabama." He and Tribble Reese may both be trying to snag Devin on the show that airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. and they both agreed to take the Birmingham Exam but they didn't answer all the same questions.) TRIBBLE: Take me and a bunch of friends/family to Europe I have never been overseas and want to go backpacking through the continent!COLLIN: Buy Tribble Reese a lifetime supply of Blue Box mac and cheese TRIBBLE: Buy something off the dollar menu at McDonald's And then throw it up.COLLIN: Put it in my piggy bank The star who would play me in the movie version of my life: TRIBBLE: Bradley CooperCOLLIN: My little brother C.J. TRIBBLE: THEfacebook.com What you'll always find in my glove compartment: (Girl must know how to dance!)COLLIN: Ice skating outdoors under the sky (I love hockey and I am watching "Through the Wormhole," hosted by Morgan Freeman on the Science Channel I am fascinated about the little intricacies of our universe!COLLIN: "How It's Made" TRIBBLE: Peanut M&Ms mixed in with the popcorn Even though popcorn costs more than movie tickets nowadays.COLLIN: Starburst Gummies If I was auditioning for "American Idol" or "The Voice," my song would be: TRIBBLE: "Sweet Home Alabama." Crowd-pleaser high energy -- among the obvious!COLLIN: "Only Hope" by Mandy Moore because I actually know all the words to the song TRIBBLE: Widespread Panic at what was then called the Oak Mountain Amphitheatre when I was in 8th grade.COLLIN: 311 my drink of choice changes with the seasons Right now it would be Captain Morgan and Sprite.COLLIN: Cold beer The person I'm most often mistaken for: Brad Womack from last season's "The Bachelor." did you see "Dukes of Hazzard?" That' what I thought.COLLIN: Jessica The most famous person I ever became friends with: TRIBBLE: Multiple first-round picks (NFL studs) I played with at Clemson (CJ Spiller etc.)COLLIN: Adam Moyer from "Sweet Home Alabama." The first person I call when I have good news: I'm a total Mama's boy.COLLIN: Mother or father I cannot afford another cavity.COLLIN: Silly Putty I'd say that's quite embarrassing.COLLIN: Fruit roll-ups I feel like she is the queen and best partner for ANY duet I would just have to OK it with Timmy boy.COLLIN: Mike Short Jr TRIBBLE: "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne Iced white chocolate mocha -- no whipped cream Right Now" by Fatboy SlimCOLLIN: Machine-gun funk TRIBBLE: Worked at a local vegetable market in Crestline Village True representation of what a legend should act like.COLLIN: Cameron Diaz TRIBBLE: I am in the process of starting an iPhone application called "Snatcher Mobile," which is a daily deal app that incorporates grand prize giveaways. Set to launch in the fall of 2011. www.snatcher.com.COLLIN: I can cook Even though it's the oldest one of the choices I still think it's awesome for someone to put all of their energy and emotion into something that they are completely passionate about TRIBBLE: An iPhone case that holds your license and your credit card so that your phone is literally all that you need to leave the house with!COLLIN: 1,000 bouncy balls I would select these stars to take the stage: all of the following are attached to my iPhone so you could literally pick any of the ways above and it would go directly to me I would say a text message is the first thing that I check It’s a harsh truth restaurateurs know: The majority of new restaurants will close within a year Each closure comes with a basket of explanations hoping to hit the right combination of all these elements Nashville’s culinary scene continues to welcome new restaurants into its fold at a sometimes dizzying pace but more than a few have weathered the test of time — one for more than a century The Tennessean is highlighting some of those success stories here Nashville historian David Ewing points out: Nearly all of them are casual dining "The biggest culprit of why restaurants have closed in the last 10 or 20 years is just because of the rising costs of real estate," Ewing said Operations that spend less on food and labor are better suited to withstand those rising costs Most also have a rustic atmosphere that feels authentic These are a handful of Nashville’s oldest restaurants that remain in operation The oldest restaurant in Tennessee, the no-frills “chile parlor” Varallo’s Restaurant made his way from New York to Nashville for the same reason thousands of others have since — hoping to make a career as a musician After he was injured in a hunting accident he was forced to give up his passion for the violin and he devoted himself to a different passion: chili Varallo’s has ingrained itself as an irreplaceable part of Nashville’s fabric thanks to its “three-way chili” — served on top of spaghetti and a tamale — burgers and all-day breakfast now calling the historic Arcade building home The Varallo family no longer owns the restaurant has said he feels an obligation to continue its legacy Coming in second on this list is Brown’s Diner This greasy spoon has been continuously cooking old-fashioned hamburgers and pouring beers in Hillsborough Village since 1927 serving both “platinum selling recording artists and construction workers alike.” Located inside an old trailer, Brown’s has a divey feel that guests say feels like a “flashback in time.” Brown’s has had just three owners throughout its nearly 100-year history has left it much the same as it was before — including all the pictures on the wall Ewing praised Brown for its steadfastness and said the restaurant has found a niche and successfully stuck to it "There's no avocado toast at Brown's," Ewing said The lone upscale establishment to buck the trend and wind up on this list is Jimmy Kelly's Steakhouse. When Jimmy Kelly opened his steakhouse in 1934 one year after passage of 21st Amendment repealing Prohibition a “generous portion of whiskey” and ensure attentive service But perhaps even more well known than Jimmy Kelly's steaks are its corncakes How the cakes made their way to its restaurant itself a bit of a legend: As a 1987 Tennessean food critic reported Kelly lured away a cook from the old Maxwell House Hotel In the heart of Midtown, Elliston Place Soda Shop has been a Nashville institution since 1939 when founder Lynn Chandler purchased the soda fountain of the Elliston Pharmacy The restaurant is known for its milkshakes and meat-and-three It’s also been featured in a few productions from the music industry — on the cover of George Jones’ 1976 album “Alone Again” and in Margo Price’s music video for her 2017 song “A Little Pain.” The shop closed in 2019 after financial struggles but developer Tony Giarratana reopened it in 2021 in a larger location next door to the original location which longtime employees say has retained the original's atmosphere While the Prince family has been serving hot chicken in Nashville for nearly 80 years the rest of the country has only in recent years begun its love affair with it It’s remained in the Prince family ever since earning awards and international acclaim along the way Locations: 5814 Nolensville Pike and stall 2268 in Assembly Food Hall Nolensville Pike location: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Assembly Food Hall location: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. More: Nashville's classic restaurants over the years If you’re looking to see a burlesque dance while you have a craft cocktail Skull’s Rainbow Room on Printers Alley is for you Founder David “Skull” Schulman opened the club after he returned from WWII and it has seen performances from Elvis Presley But the story of Skull’s is also a tragic one After Schulman was murdered onsite in 1998 Businessmen Phil Martin and David Wileman reopened the bar in 2015 and Icon Entertainment & Hospitality has owned and operated Skull's since 2017 The current iteration of Skull’s retains the trappings of its post-war years still featuring burlesque shows three nights a week and frequent jazz performances Bobbie’s Dairy Dip has retained that same ‘50s but it’s better known for its milkshakes and soft serve The dairy dip first opened as Harper’s Dairy Dip before switching ownership to Bobbie McWright in 1986 It briefly closed in the late 1990s but reopened under new leadership in 2000 Located in a small lime green and pink shack off Charlotte Avenue Bobbie’s doesn’t have any indoor seating but has several picnic tables for patrons Alabama-born Wendell Smith opened his restaurant in Sylvan Park just a year after Bobbie’s Dairy Dip opened right across the street and began serving casual breakfasts and lunches But it wasn’t until ownership passed down to Smith’s son-in-law Jakie D Cook that the restaurant began serving up the soul food and meat and threes that it may be best known for The restaurant has remained in the family and is now run by Benji Cook of the family's third generation stating on its website that “the new so called hipsters that are moving in are a great addition to the clientele we see daily in our little melting pot.” Swett’s Restaurant owner and son of founder Walter Swett I guess we’ll change it if it ever stops selling.” Rest assured politicians and regular folks continue to visit Swett’s for its homestyle Southern cooking served cafeteria style which the Swett family first started selling at Swett’s Dinette in 1954 at the intersection of 28th and Clifton avenues Swett’s is not housed in the same building — a fire destroyed the original building in 1988 The restaurant has remained in the Swett family for three generations and has been an important part of Nashville’s Black community since its opening the annual travel guide for African Americans that let them know which restaurants hotels and other establishments would serve them A former version of this article did not have up-to-date information on the ownership of Skull's Rainbow Room Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMealins Ordering a warm bowl of soup is a no-brainer Deciding where to order — or even what kind of soup to try — presents a great challenge new soups pour in from around the country and the world Here are eight spots to try great soup in Music City It's been chili weather for over a century at Varallo's which stakes a claim as the oldest restaurant in Tennessee The restaurant is nestled into a downtown spot near The Arcade and serves the same chili recipe that founder Frank Varallo Sr first sold from a "chile cart" starting in 1907 239 4th Ave. N.; 615-256-1907; varallosrestaurants.com Menu preview: Sean Brock opens Audrey, his Nashville shrine to Southern cuisine but it's still worth switching up your order at East Nashville's favorite taco joint to include their tortilla soup Ours was served in a humble Styrofoam cup and paired perfectly with the shop's street-style tacos 732 Mcferrin Ave.; 615-543-6271; facebook.com/mastacos Phở is a rice noodle soup loaded with herbs and protein (usually beef or chicken) Nashville has several great Vietnamese spots with their own take on the beloved national dish but we especially loved Love Peace and Phở's rare beef phở The broth here is cooked overnight and slightly sweet so ask for chili paste and slowly mix in if you want some added heat 2112 8th Ave. S.; 615-942-0045; lovepeaceandpho.net inexpensive meal that fuels America's college kids but good luck replicating Otaku Ramen's noodles in your dorm room kitchen The bowls here are pricey —we paid $18 for our meal in October 2021 — but are packed with delicious ingredients such as Korean barbecue pork Gulch location: 1104 Division St.; 615-942-8281; otakuramen.com More: Little slices of heaven: Ten great pizza shops in Nashville Midtown Cafe's lemon artichoke soup has been one of the signature flavors of downtown dining in Nashville since the 19th Avenue eatery opened in 1987 The soup is tasty and full of citrusy flavor but it's light enough that you'll have plenty of room for a full meal during your next business lunch or date night 102 19th Ave S.; 615-320-7176; midtowncafe.com Super spicy ramen: Shokku RamenSometimes you want to warm your bones with a bowl of piping hot noodles you need to sign a waiver before eating it try Shokku Ramen's Shinigami Challenge Challengers have eight minutes to down 24 ounces of broth and three pounds of noodles with finishers receiving a free meal and a photo on the shop's "wall of warriors." 2127 Belcourt Ave.; 615-913-3922; shokkuramen.com Shep's aims to bring the flavors of a New York-style Jewish deli to East Nashville The store's matzo ball soup is loaded with big white dumplings that add some heft to the warm 1000 Main St.; 615-252-5700; shepsdeli.com first opened in the Big Apple but serves food from the Big Easy Their location in the Gulch is a haven for soup lovers especially if you order a three-bowl "gumbo flight" to try all three of their seafood (our favorite) 505 12th Ave. S.; 615-679-9063; thegumbobros.com Cole Villena covers business at The Tennessean part of the USA Today Network — Tennessee Reach Cole at cvillena@tennessean.com or 615-925-0493 Follow Cole on Twitter at @ColeVillena and on Instagram at @CVinTennessee.