Aubrey Harwell Remains a Nashville Heavy Hitter on NBJ’s 2026 Power 100

The Nashville Business Journal (NBJ) has named Adams & Reese Counsel Aubrey Harwell to its 2026 Power 100: Heavy Hitters, continuing his longstanding presence on the prestigious list. The publication’s annual Power 100 showcases the most influential leaders in the Nashville business community.

To select Power 100 honorees, the NBJ newsroom considers who influences Nashville's economy, major decisions, and community. The Heavy Hitters list includes some of “the biggest names in town,” and NBJ wrote that “they're legacy players in Nashville business; their family names open doors, and they are still wielding significant influence across the city.”

Aubrey Harwell serves as the Adams & Reese White-Collar Criminal Defense Team Leader. He has over 50 years of experience as lead counsel in high-stakes white-collar criminal defense and crisis management cases, many of which have drawn national media attention. He has represented top private corporate clients and prominent public officials, including judges, governors, congressmen, state senators, mayors, and state attorneys general. Before joining Adams & Reese, Harwell also co-founded and led Neal & Harwell, a firm that served the Nashville community for more than five decades.

NBJ noted that “Harwell is one of, if not the, biggest name in Nashville’s legal industry. He’s represented corporate giants and innumerable business and political power players, including the Haslams and Ingrams.” The publication also highlighted Harwell’s work co-leading the Nashville Electric Service board’s independent review of the utility’s preparedness for and response to Winter Storm Fern in January 2026.

Harwell is featured in the 2026 Power 100 alongside several of the city’s business elite, including Amy Adams Strunk, Bill Haslam, Doug Kreulen, Mike Curb, and others. Adams & Reese congratulates Harwell and his fellow Heavy Hitters on their selection.

2026 Power 100: Heavy Hitters

• Rob McCabe – Chief Banking Officer, Pinnacle Financial Partners
• Thomas Frist III – Founder and Managing Principal, First Capital LLC; Chairman, HCA Healthcare Inc.
• Amy Adams Strunk – Controlling Owner, Tennessee Titans
• Dr. Tommy Frist Jr. – Co-founder, HCA Healthcare Inc.
• Jimmy Granbery – CEO, H.G. Hill Realty Co. LLC
• Bill Haslam – Chairman and Majority Owner, Nashville Predators
• Beth Seigenthaler Courtney – Managing Partner, Southeast; Finn Partners
• John Ingram – Majority Owner, Nashville SC; Chairman, Ingram Industries Inc.
• Doug Kreulen – President and CEO, Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority
• Colin Reed – Executive Chairman, Ryman Hospitality Properties
• Dr. Bill Frist – Partner, Frist Cressey Ventures
• Cary Mack – Managing Partner, Southwest Value Partners
• Bobby Joslin – President, Joslin & Son Sign Co.
• Aubrey Harwell – White-Collar Defense Team Leader, Adams & Reese
• Steve Smith – Co-owner, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk, Honky Tonk Central, Rippy’s Bar & Grill, The Diner
• Carl Icahn – Chairman of the Board of Directors, Icahn Enterprises
• Mike Curb – Founder and Chairman, Curb Records

In addition to the Power 100, Harwell’s many recognitions include “Senior Statesman” in Litigation: General Commercial in Tennessee by Chambers USA; “Trial Lawyer of the Year” by the Southeastern Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates; the “General Counsel Award” from Bridgestone; and the first-ever “Best of the Bar Lifetime Achievement” award from the NBJ. Clients and peers have also recognized him in Best Lawyers and Mid-South Super Lawyers.

In the Nashville community, Harwell has held leadership roles with civic, educational, health care, and arts organizations, including the Music City Bowl, the Boy Scouts of America National Council and Middle Tennessee Council, Easter Seals Society of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Children's Hospital, Meharry Medical College, the Nashville School of Law, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. His commitment also extends to the legal profession, where he is a Senior Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and The Trial Lawyer Honorary Society, a frequent speaker at seminars and symposiums across the United States, and a published author in several legal publications.

View the Nashville Business Journal 2026 Power 100: Heavy Hitters.