Chattanooga Lawyers

Kevin Christopher is the founder and principal of Rockridge Venture Law®, Tennessee’s only B Corp Best For The World law firm. Kevin is a registered patent attorney, entrepreneur, county and state commissioner, National Institutes of Health (NIH) RadX faculty member, and National Science Foundation (NSF) program evaluator. He is a Leadership Lawyer and Leadership Tennessee alumnus, and board member to several environmental and social impact nonprofits. Kevin has been recognized as a SuperLawyer by Thomson Reuters and Top Business Leader by Conscious Company Magazine.

Attorney Kevin Christopher is a corporate attorney, patent attorney, and trademark attorney. Specifically, his practice areas include:...

From an early age, I was always told that I'd make a great lawyer. Often to my parents' dismay, my ability to argue my case was a gift. While I always had some aptitude for negotiation and problem solving, I've made developing those skills, and the pursuit of excellence in the legal industry my life's work. When it came time for college, I attended my parents' alma mater, Samford University. I majored in philosophy–a pursuit that would later serve me well in my personal intellectual life and as an attorney. Upon graduating from Samford in 2005, I immediately...

Mr. Higgins is a Nashville native. He attended the University of Tennessee where he graduated with honors and returned to home to work with a large insurance defense law firm. About 17 years ago Mr. Higgins left the defense practice and created a firm that only represents injured victims and their families. To better serve his clients the firm is broken down into specific litigation groups, such as the nursing home neglect division and serious injury division.

Mr. Higgins is a member of the million dollar advocates forum, recognized by Best Lawyers and is a board...

Amanda manages a boutique firm which serves clients in Tennessee and Georgie. Amanda focuses primarily on business and estates matters including: contracts, trademarks, business formation, wills & trusts, powers of attorney, and probate.

Attorney R.Garth Best is a native of Cleveland, TN where he graduated from Bradley Central High School in 1998. He is an alumni from the prestigious Virginia Military Institute (Class of 2003). Upon graduation from VMI he received a degree in International Studies (B.A.) with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies, as well as minors in Arabic and Business. During his studies at VMI, Mr. Best had the opportunity to study abroad in both Morocco and Egypt. His studies abroad concentrated on Arabic and Political Science while studying at the American University of Cairo. Upon graduation, Mr. Best came...

My legal career has focused on protecting the rights of individuals against big corporations. My main work in this regard is in three areas: (1) pursuing justice for victims of dangerous corporate products (mainly mesothelioma / asbestos victims); (2) representing labor unions; & (3) advocating for employee's rights.

Layne Gillespie received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina in 2002 and a Juris Doctor from the Appalachian School of Law in 2007. Layne began her legal career in Virginia as an intern for the Honorable Michael L. Moore, Circuit Court Judge for the 29th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. After her internship, Layne worked at ChildLaw Services, Inc., a non-profit organization devoted to the representation of abused and neglected children. Upon relocating to Chattanooga in 2008, Layne joined Clark & Washington, LLC as an associate attorney where she practiced bankruptcy...

Mr. Brock handles cases from simple speeding tickets to First Degree Murder, however his practice is primarily focused on DUI and drug related crimes. He is one of the few attorneys in the nation certified as an instructor in the DUI Detection & Standardized Field Sobriety Testing course recognized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This is the same course that police officers take in order to make DUI arrests while in the Academy. As impaired driving laws with regards to substances other than alcohol are becoming more prevalent, Mr. Brock is ahead of the curve...

Mr. Weiss concentrates his practice on civil litigation and criminal defense. This defense lawyer represents individuals and businesses in a wide range of legal issues. He has handled an array of civil cases including automobile collisions, malicious prosecution, defamation, bad faith insurance claims, residential construction disputes, and many others.

As a keen negotiator and litigator, this criminal law attorney has resolved numerous cases that achieve results that meet or exceed client expectations. As a strong proponent of zealous advocacy, Mr. Weiss stands up for the rights of his clients. For those accused of a crime, Mr. Weiss is able to effectively...

John was born and raised in Chattanooga. He was active in the Boy Scouts growing up and earned his Eagle Scout Award. In law school, John earned the Book Award in his estate planning class for the highest grade. Prior to joining his father's law practice in 2002, he worked for two years with UBS Trust Company (formerly Bradford Trust Company). John speaks on the areas of Chattanooga estate planning and probate to other attorneys and professionals, as well as the public. In the past, John served on local boards such as the Orange Grove Center, the Siskin...

I am a Tennessee-licensed attorney and my practice focuses exclusively on assisting my clients with the acquisition, maintenance and enforcement of intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights.

One of my primary roles is to identify potentially patentable inventions and the scope of protection available for those inventions. In this role, I regularly prepare, file and prosecute U.S. patent applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and also work with attorneys around the world in order to obtain foreign patent protection.

I also assist clients in identifying competing technologies that might limit the scope of their patent protection or...

Jeffrey W. Rufolo grew up in New Jersey and originally came to Chattanooga in 1983 to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on a wrestling scholarship. He liked the area so much he decided to stay. Since joining Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers, Mr. Rufolo has successfully represented those who have been injured on the job, or injured in car accidents, fall down cases, or other premises liability type cases due to the negligence of others. Recently, Mr. Rufolo successfully overturned an unfavorable decision from the trial court in a wrongful death lawsuit brought against Hamilton County, Tennessee, in which a...

Born and raised in Chattanooga, TN, Micah graduated from the McCallie School. Micah then earned a full scholarship to Tennessee State University, graduating in 3 years. After graduation, he worked at the Tennessee State Legislature as an intern for the Senate General Welfare, Health & Human Resources Committee. Micah then worked at Congress as an intern in the U.S. House of Representatives. From there, he went back to the State Legislature to serve once more as an intern in the Senate. Micah decided to attend law school after seeing many of the people at the Legislature...

As the founder of Jackson Law Firm, PLLC, I provide counsel in Social Security Disability and personal injury cases. Prior to deciding to found my own firm, I spent a number of years with several firms in the Southeastern United States. After spending the early years of my career working at larger law firms, it was clear to me that I should start my own firm to help the injured and disabled in the way I believe it should be done. By keeping the firm small, we are able to give our clients their legal concerns the...

Litchford is a founding member of Litchford, Pearce & Associates, PLLC. Litchford is licensed to practice in Tennessee and Georgia and concentrates his practice in government law, commercial litigation, personal injury, business transactions, and criminal defense. In 2016, Litchford was named a “2016 Rising Star” by Super Lawyers of Thomson Reuters.

Litchford has extensive trial experience in representing clients in a variety of areas, including governmental regulations, personal injury, criminal defense, federal and state constitutional law, real property disputes, and public records and annexation actions. Litchford also serves as general representation counsel to various companies involved in the following markets:...

Martin L. Pierce is a native of Memphis, Tennessee, and received his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from Tennessee Technological University in 1978. He received that institution's Outstanding Young Alumnus Award in 1988. Martin received his law degree, with high honors, from the University of Memphis in 1981, where he was a published member of the University of Memphis Law Review. He is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Georgia, as well as before the U.S. Tax Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Martin works primarily in the areas of: (1) Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Elder Law,...

Practicing in the Chattanooga area since 2010, David is fluent in Criminal, Family, and Bankruptcy law. He also speaks some Russian and French. Armed with a Master's degree in Economics, he can bring the right financial perspectives to legal issues. David graduated from the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences in 1993 and has since spent time living in Annapolis, Santa Fe, Washington, New York, Knoxville, Moscow, and Kyiv.

Patrick A. Cruise is licensed in Tennessee, Georgia, and Louisiana. Patrick Cruise has handled over one thousand cases, including jury trials in Tennessee, Georgia, and Louisiana. He has obtained millions of dollars in compensation for his clients, including three judgments in excess of $700,000.00.

Graduated Vanderbilt University in 2002 Graduated from University of TN College of Law in 2005 Former Law Clerk to the Honorable Joseph Tipton on TN Court of Criminal Appeals Worked with Summer, Rufolo & Rodgers (formerly known as Summers & Wyatt) in Chattanooga since 2006 Specializes in appellate work and criminal defense, including state and federal cases.

I represent families and individuals seeking legal status or citizenship in the United States, entrepreneurs starting or purchasing businesses, and businesses hiring or transferring foreign workers. Our cases include adjustment of status (green cards), citizenship, fiancee visas (K1), business visas (E, L, H-1B, O-1), and people with extraordinary ability (EB-2 with National Interest Waiver).

Valerie W. Epstein currently owns her own firm concentrating her practice in the areas of civil litigation, wills and estates, arbitration/mediation and business. She has been a practicing Rule 31 mediator for over 10 years and she has been a commercial arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association for over 15 years (by invitation only). She was awarded a contract with the State of Tennessee to perform Independent External Reviews and she is a neutral for the American Health Lawyers Association. She has had numerous cases in Chancery, Circuit and Sessions court in Hamilton County representing both plaintiffs and defendants. She...

Morgan Adams limits his practice to cases involving tractor trailers, buses, dump trucks, box trucks, and other commercial vehicles involving wrongful death and serious personal injury. With offices on the East Coast and West Coast he is able to handle cases nationally. He has helped injured clients in 42 states to date.

Ben McGowan became a member of the firm, then known as Summers & Wyatt, PC, in 2012, following six years of successful private practice and Of Counsel association with Cavett & Abbott, PLLC. A native of New York City, Ben first moved to southeast Tennessee to attend the University of the South where he served as a University Proctor, fraternity president, and student Chief of the University fire department. After graduating in 1994, Ben lived abroad briefly before returning to the United States and in 1998 attending law school in Boston at Northeastern University. After graduation, he served as a Law...

Wayne grew up around Law Enforcement and Education. Wayne spent his formative years being active in the outdoors and sports. Wayne spent 12+ years in private sector investigations and holds advanced interview and interrogation techniques certifications.

I have been practicing criminal law for over 26 years in federal and state courts. I am licensed to practice in the states of Tennessee and Georgia, however, I have appeared or consulted in criminal cases in many other states across the United States. I have tried well over 150 jury trials, including approximately 20 murder and/or death penalty cases. I have also been successful in appellate litigation, and have argued cases before federal court of appeals and state supreme courts. In 2011, I successfully argued a constitutional speedy trial violation before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which resulted...

Jerry H. Summers is a lifelong resident of Chattanooga and Hamilton County, Tennessee. Following his graduation from law school, he initially worked for two years as a prosecutor in the Hamilton County District Attorney's Office. Entering private practice in 1969, he became the founding member of what is now Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers. An experienced trial lawyer, Mr. Summers is one of a small number of attorneys who has been included in every yearly volume of "Best Lawyers in America" in both personal injury and criminal law. He is also only one of approximately five attorneys in the State of...

Herbert Thornbury, Esquire and his staff work with clients who have personal injury claims including social security, workers’ compensation and accident injuries in Tennessee.

Since he was first licensed to practice law in 2007, Attorney Ryan F. Fetters has worked hard to help clients with their legal needs, including Commercial Contracts, Real Estate Transactions, Debt Relief and Family Law matters. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology at the University of Tennessee, in Chattanooga, TN, in 2003. Just two years later, in 2005, he graduated with his Juris Doctorate Law Degree at the Florida Coastal School of Law.

Mr. Fetters began his law career in Kennebunk, Maine, and after returning to Tennessee and gaining valuable experienced with another law firm, he opened his...

Trial Attorney

I have practiced law for twenty years. I learned the Court system under the guidance of my father who practiced law for over forty years. I have represented persons accused of offenses as minor as traffic citations and as serious as homicide. I have tried countless jury trials in both State and Federal Court and take pride in the knowledge that when discussing matters with prosecutors they have no doubt that if they are unreasonable I will try your case.

I am also very experienced in probating estates. I understand that not only is a...

Mr. MacNeill graduated with honors from Nashville School of Law. Mr. MacNeill is an author, currently editing his novel, Of Nights & Letters, which is an historical fiction piece that follows the exploits of a renegade financier who changes the tide of the American Revolution. Mr. MacNeill is also a painter, working primarily in the medium of oils.

Pete Johnson has experience representing a wide variety of businesses ranging from small local companies to some of the country’s largest publicly traded corporations. Before joining the Hutton Company, Johnson was the General Counsel for a real estate development and commercial general construction company. Johnson has practiced with law firms in Georgia and Tennessee, including an AmLaw100 firm, primarily in the areas of general corporate transactions, government representation, construction, and real estate law. Johnson has held a variety of public offices including serving as Assistant District Attorney, City Solicitor, and Magistrate. He has been...