Carla Peacher-Ryan retired from the Memphis law office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, & Berkowitz. As the Hooks Institute Corporate Fellow, Peacher-Ryan worked with the staff to build program infrastructure and to better connect the Institute to non-profit, business, and legal communities.

Peacher-Ryan has practiced law for over 30 years in the areas of commercial finance and real estate transactions. She has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in real estate law, securitization and structured finance law, and banking and commercial finance law since 2007. She was named the 2013 Best Lawyer - Memphis Securitization and Structured Finance Law and 2012 Memphis Real Estate Law "Lawyer of the Year."

A 2010 graduate of Leadership Memphis, Peacher-Ryan is committed to community engagement. She was the chair of the Hooks Institute's Local Advisory Board. She also is on the board of directors of the Memphis Center City Revenue Finance Corp. and serves as legal counsel to the Rise Foundation, Community L.I.F.T., and River City Capital Corp.