Lewis Thomason, a leading law firm in Tennessee, is pleased to announce that Kristi Bennett is rejoining the firm as Special Counsel in its Knoxville office. With extensive experience as a trusted advisor to executives, a successful advocate in high-stakes conflicts, and a skilled negotiator of complex commercial agreements, she brings exceptional experience to Lewis Thomason clients.
Bennett focuses her practice on construction contracts and litigation as well as corporate law and strategy. After serving as an associate with Lewis Thomason from 2002 to 2007, she was named Legal Counsel and, later, Director, Legal & Contract Management, for Alstom Power, Inc. During her tenure there she negotiated EPC contracts with most major U.S. utilities, general contractors, and engineering firms, as well as managing claims strategy and inquiries from governmental agencies. Bennett joined Eastman Chemical Company in 2015, where she served on multiple leadership teams, negotiated complex, multi-party contracts for sales, procurement, construction, and professional services. She developed the company’s first contracts for the sale of chemically recycled products and was responsible for the negotiation of all EPC megaprojects.
Among her many professional accomplishments, Bennett is the recipient of the Eastman Chemical Company’s Technology Innovation Summit Award; a founding member of the Tennessee Association of Construction Counsel, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army and the Board of Directors and Administration Committee of the United Way, both of Greater Kingsport. She is also a member of the Knoxville and Tennessee Bar Associations.