Receiver hires firm to respond to federal probe
Latest one-page filing in Nearest Green case does not identify the agency, target, or scope of investigation
11:14 p.m. May 26, 2026
Court-appointed receiver Phillip G. Young Jr.
DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor
The court-appointed receiver overseeing Uncle Nearest has hired a Nashville litigation firm to advise him in responding to a federal investigation, according to a one-page notice filed Tuesday, May 26, in U.S. District Court.
Phillip G. Young Jr., the receiver appointed in the Farm Credit Mid-America case against Uncle Nearest Inc. and related entities, told the court he has retained Sims Funk PLC “to advise the Receiver on responding to a federal investigation.”
The notice adds a new unknown to an already tense receivership involving one of Tennessee’s best-known whiskey brands.
It does not say which federal agency is conducting the investigation. It does not identify the subject of the investigation. It does not say whether the investigation is civil, criminal, regulatory, or some combination of those. It also does not say whether the investigation is directed at Uncle Nearest, its former management, the receivership estate, specific transactions, or some other matter connected to the case.
The filing does not accuse anyone of wrongdoing.
A “federal investigation” can mean several things – from routine information requests to civil, regulatory, or criminal inquiries. The public filing does not say where this one falls.
Farm Credit Mid-America sued Uncle Nearest and related entities last year, seeking to recover more than $100 million in loans and to have the court appoint a receiver for the companies. Since his appointment, Young has been responsible for protecting assets, managing operations, and reporting to the court as the case moves forward.
The notice says Young retained Sims Funk under Paragraph 10(c) of the receivership order, which the filing cites as the authority for retaining additional professional help.
Sims Funk is a Nashville litigation firm whose listed practice areas include white collar and corporate investigations, crisis management, False Claims Act matters, financial services and banking, securities, bankruptcy and insolvency, and commercial litigation.
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