Butler Snow LLP attorneys Kevin C. Baltz and R. Nicholas (Nick) Felix have been selected to join the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN), an invite-only professional association for attorney mediators. Membership consists of elite mediators and arbitrators distinguished by their hands-on experience in the field of civil and commercial dispute resolution.
Baltz joins the Academy alongside former inducted member and Butler Snow attorney Gale Malone, Jr. who serves as a Nashville, TN, Mediator. Felix joins the Charleston, SC, Chapter alongside formerly inducted member and Butler Snow attorney Bradish J. Waring, a Charleston Mediator for the Academy.
“The firm is proud to congratulate Kevin and Nick on this well-deserved honor,” said Christopher R. Maddux, chair of Butler Snow. “Their selection is a testament to their commitment, professionalism and dedication to excellence in dispute resolution.”
Kevin Baltz is a member of the firm’s Alternate Dispute Resolution practice group. He is an experienced business counselor and trial attorney who routinely handles all manners of business disputes and consumer claims, including contract disputes, real estate litigation, disputed dissolutions, business torts, product liability, and warranty claims. Additionally, Baltz is a Rule 31 Listed Mediator in the field of General Civil Litigation under Rule 31 of the Tennessee Supreme Court. As a mediator, Kevin uses his legal expertise and practical experience to assist litigants in resolving complex and, oftentimes, bitterly contested matters.
Baltz is AV®-Preeminent™ Peer Review rated by Martindale-Hubbell® and was recently recognized by Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation (2024) and Litigation – Real Estate (2024). Additionally, He was previously named a 2021 “Attorney for Justice” by the Tennessee Supreme Court for his dedication to pro bono representation, and he currently serves as a Fellow of the Nashville Bar Foundation.
Baltz is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, Nashville Bar Association and the Defense Research Institute (DRI). He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Tennessee, College of Law.
Nick Felix is a member of Butler Snow’s Commercial and Tort Litigation Groups, representing individual and corporate clients in complex commercial and catastrophic injury cases. With over thirty years in practice exclusively focused on litigation, Felix honed his trial skills as a prosecutor and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney while a JAG Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, then in his current practice representing clients in litigation in State and Federal Courts.
A substantial portion of Felix’s practice is devoted to Alternative Dispute Resolution and other attorneys regularly consult him to assist their clients in producing timely and cost-effective results to the most contentious or complex disputes. He is a licensed and certified State and Federal arbitrator and mediator. He has mediated over a thousand cases, including class action, commercial/residential development, multiparty construction, consumer/corporate finance, intellectual property, personal injury, probate, domestic, professional malpractice, and commercial and residential real estate.
Felix is AV®-Preeminent™ Peer Review rated by Martindale-Hubbell® and has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation (2021-2024).
He is a member of the American Bar Association, South Carolina Bar Association, Beaufort County Bar Association and Charleston County Bar Association. Felix earned his bachelor’s degree from The Citadel and his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina.
The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN) was formed in 2008 and is America’s foremost professional organization for experienced mediators and arbitrators. All Academy members are distinguished by their commitment to excellence in the field of dispute resolution and enjoy sterling reputations within the profession. Member selection is based on peer nominations and due diligence research in each state, under the guidance of our state committees. Once identified, nominees are thoroughly vetted to ensure they meet our practice requirements. We’ve been proud to collaborate with the National Defense Bar (DRI) and Trial Bar (AAJ) associations in these litigation firm research efforts over the last decade.
