Spencer Fane is pleased to announce Gabriella (Gabby) Cannone has joined the Litigation and Dispute Resolution group as an associate in the firm’s Nashville office.
Cannone is dedicated to pro bono causes, specifically those related to social justice issues. In the spring of 2022, she was named the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) Law Student Volunteer of the Year as part of the annual Access to Justice Awards.
“We have continually been impressed with Gabby’s diligence and attention to detail and ability to connect with and understand her clients and peers,” said Charles Robert Bone, Office Managing Partner for Spencer Fane in Nashville. “Gabby fits well with the dynamic culture established at our firm and aids us in providing efficient and effective legal counsel.”
Cannone completed her undergraduate studies at Lipscomb University and went on to earn her Juris Doctor from Belmont University College of Law. As a law student, Cannone served on the executive editorial board for the Criminal Law Journal and the executive board for the Belmont Legal Aid Society.
Additionally, she interned with the pro bono team at Bass, Berry & Sims, the Administrative Office of the Courts in Nashville, the Hon. Barbara Holmes of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, and the Nashville Defenders. Through these opportunities, she developed her trial skills, assisted with post-conviction relief efforts before the Tennessee Supreme Court, and conducted a thorough analysis of the Nation’s highest incarceration rate, Nashville’s 37208 ZIP code. These experiences led the TBA to recognize her ongoing commitment to service to the indigent community.
Cannone volunteered on her first high-profile legal matter prior to law school, organizing the clemency application for Cyntoia Brown Long. Ms. Brown Long was serving a life sentence for killing a 43-year-old man who bought her for sex when she was just 16.
Brown Long’s pro bono legal team included Charles W. Bone who brought Cannone to Spencer Fane Bone McAllester in 2017. Cannone transitioned into a communications coordinator role at the firm while studying for the LSAT and continuing to work on Brown Long’s case. Brown Long was granted clemency and released from prison in 2019 shortly before Cannone began law school.
In addition to her legal volunteer work, Cannone organized 5K walkathons for A21, an anti-human trafficking organization, and Compassion International to help raise awareness of the refugee crisis. She also was active in Lipscomb’s LIFE program, where she took classes with women at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center. Cannone co-founded a young adult and college student ministry and has volunteered with Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and The Bridge Ministry, Nashville.
