Chattanooga Appeals & Appellate Lawyers

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.

A graduate from the George Washington University Law School (GW), Kent T. Jones is the Owner and Managing Partner of Jones & Associates PC. Kent's undergraduate work at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville was in English and Honors Political Science. At GW, Kent placed first as an oralist in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals of the Phillip Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and was appointed to be a Member of the GW Moot Court Board. Additionally, he served as President of the GW International Law Society, sponsoring speaker panels on international trade law, international criminal law, international...

Mr. Wright was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He attended Middle Tennessee State University (B.S., summa cum laude, 1977); the University of Tennessee (J.D., 1980). He was honored with the Order of the Coif and served on the Tennessee Law Review. Mr. Wright's father was a lawyer so he grew up working in his Dad's office. He is admitted to the United Supreme Court Bar as well as all Tennessee State and Federal Courts. He is also admitted before the Sixth Circuit and Fourth Circuit Bar as well as the U.S. Court of Claims. ...

Divorce and Family Law Attorney as well as a Rule 31 Supreme Court Listed Family and Civil Mediator. Over 10 years of family law experience. Mediation trainer and co-founder of Tennessee Mediation school, LLC.

Before I went to law school, I served on active duty for five years in the United States Navy. During that time, I was forunate enough to travel the world, and meet many different people from every imaginable walk of life. What I learned was that everyone has a story, everyone knows something you don't, and occasionally, everyone needs a little help. After I left the military, I found that I had a natural affinity for the law, and could use that skill to help people through what may be one of the most stressful times in...

Experienced. Caring. Responsive. Andrew Roberto understands that you’re out of work, in pain, and just can’t afford to miss out on everything you are entitled to under the law.

A Knoxville native, Andrew graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law and before entering private practice, was a Workers' Compensation Specialist with the Tennessee Department of Labor. One of the founding partners of The Lawyers of Brown and Roberto, Andrew and his team have recovered more than $45 million for their clients.

See the difference having our team on your side can make for you. Your free consultation is...

Attorney James L. Widrig, or more commonly known as “Jim Widrig”, was born in Upstate NY. in a small town called Yorkshire, NY. He went to college in east Tennessee at Carson-Newman College. After college Jim attended law school at Thomas M. Cooley in Lansing, Michigan.

Attorney Jim Widrig practices in all of Middle Tennessee and his main office is located in downtown Nashville. James Widrig founded the law office of Widrig Law PLLC in February of 2007 with the goal to fight for individuals during the most difficult times of their lives. In 2011 James L Widrig was voted one...

Robert R. Kurtz is the founding lawyer of the Knoxville criminal defense law firm, Robert R. Kurtz, Attorney at Law. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1995, and his Juris Doctorate degree with honors from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2000. Mr. Kurtz is a member of the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Knoxville Bar Association, and a Life Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee,...

Michelle Blaylock-Howser has been involved in the judicial system for over 12 years. She began her legal career with the law firm of Agee, Allen, Godwin, Morris and Laurenzi where she was paralegal to partner Lynn Agee and Susan Bradley. In 1998, she became employed as paralegal with the law office of Wilson and Bradley in the area of employment and personal injury law. In 1999, She accepted employment as a Judicial Assistant for the State of Tennessee under the Honorable Judge Don R. Ash and Honorable Judge J. Mark Rogers for 8 years. She worked full-time...

Tarsila Crawford is an experienced Attorney at Widrig Law PLLC. She is dedicated to helping families with an array of legal issues. Her practice areas include Family Law, Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Contested Divorce, Divorce Basics, Father’s Visitation Rights, Juvenile Law, Legal Separation, Uncontested Divorce, and Annulment. Additionally, Mrs. Crawford handles Appeals, and is expanding her practice to include Immigration Law and Business Law cases. Mrs. Crawford recognizes the emotional aspect of legal matters and is committed to being accessible to clients. She is dedicated to diligent preparation and aggressive representation, while pursuing the best possible outcomes...

Prior to joining The Lawyers of Brown and Roberto, I practiced law in Nashville where I gained experience in employment discrimination claims, personal injury claims, will contests and breach of contract claims. I served as a judicial law clerk in the Tennessee Supreme Court. While practicing law in the Court, I assisted the Justices of the Court with complex legal research in the drafting of Court opinions. Before I became a lawyer, I served for four years as a policy advisor to Governor Phil Bredesen.

I am a Knoxville native. I graduated from Farragut High School where I...

Alex Winston has handled a variety of matters for the firm, including: Estate Planning (Wills, Trusts, Power of Attorney, etc.); Estate Administration (Probate); Business Transactions; Business Formation (LLC, Corporations, Partnerships, etc.); Debt Collection; Personal Injury; Landlord Tenant Disputes and Detainer Warrants; DUI; Simple Possession Casual Exchange; Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; Drugs: Manufacture, Sale, Delivery or Possession; Theft (misdemeanor and felony); Speeding; Texting While Driving; Seat Belt Violation; Lane Violation; Aggravated Assault; Domestic Assault; Vandalism; Shoplifting; Driving While Privilege Revoked or Suspended; Public Intoxication; Underage Consumption of Alcohol; Failure to Provide Evidence of Compliance with Financial Responsibility Law (Insurance Violation);...

Zach is a seasoned attorney dedicated to serving the needs of clients in the real estate development, design, and construction industry as well as companies doing business with government entities. He is admitted to practice law in Tennessee, Kentucky, and before the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Zach helps clients avoid disputes by advising them on contracts and risk management. He has experience in traditional design-bid-build projects, as well as more specialized contract structures like design-build, P3, and IPD. Zach has worked on projects ranging from roads and pipelines to retail, office, industrial, and residential developments. He...

Daniel Barnes graduated cum laude with a degree in English from Sewanee: The University of the South in 2009. He attended law school at the University of Tennessee, where he was a member of Moot court board and the black law students association. He also received the "Raptor Award" in first semester torts, and received an award for the highest grade in Criminal Seminar. He graduated and was admitted to the Tennessee bar in 2012 and takes cases in the fields of criminal law, immigration, family law, and wills and estates.

Thomas began practicing law in 2003 at the firm of Boston, Holt, Sockwell, and Durham in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee focusing on domestic and civil work such as divorce, child custody and personal injury. He then had the opportunity to begin his extensive criminal law background in 2005 with his move to Murfreesboro to the 16th Judicial District District Attorneys Office. As a former Assistant District Attorney General in Murfreesboro, Smryna, LaVergne and all Rutherford County and Cannon County, Thomas prosecuted cases which ranged from as simple as public intoxication to as complicated as first degree murder and has been fortunate to...

Daniel A. Gillespie is an accomplished attorney who counsels clients in avoiding litigation and guides them through litigation. He is able to hear and connect with his clients to help them develop their goals. He coaches business owners who desire growth in their business. Through a unique combination of developing pre-litigation strategies and helping you develop your unique selling proposition, he is able to make you more efficient and profitable. Your goals become his goals.

Matt Maniatis is a licensed attorney in Nashville, Tennessee and owner of Maniatis Law PLLC assisting the community in the areas of immigration and naturalization, DUI, and criminal defense. Matt attended the International School of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, receiving his diploma in 2004. Matt graduated in 2008 from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Criminology. He earned his Juris Doctor degree in 2011 from the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, with a certificate in international legal studies. Matt has represented hundreds of clients in Tennessee state courts and in immigration courts across the...

Seamus received a bachelor's degree in Business and Political Science from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland and his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School here in Nashville. While at Vanderbilt, Seamus received several awards for leadership in the Nashville community, clinical work, and academic achievement. Seamus also served as Editor-in-Chief of Vanderbilt's environmental journal ELPAR and coauthored an article about environmental legal scholarship. In between Trinity and Vanderbilt, Seamus spent several years managing, launching, and closing down restaurants throughout the Greater Philadelphia area, all while writing and performing music. Prior to forming Music City Law in 2019 with David Goldman, Seamus spent...

Tom Shumate is the founder of Meridian Law, PLLC, which represents individuals and businesses across Tennessee in a variety of civil matters including business, contract, and employment litigation; disputes involving non-competition agreements and theft of trade secrets; insurance defense; personal injury and wrongful death actions; and probate cases. Mr. Shumate graduated with honors from Vanderbilt University in 1995 and from Notre Dame Law School in 1998. He has practiced in Nashville, Tennessee since that time. In 2011 and 2013, Mr. Shumate was selected as a “Rising Star” by the Mid-South edition of Super Lawyers Magazine. He...

I currently practice bankruptcy law at the Nashville, TN office of a regional bankruptcy law firm. I have represented numerous debtors in consumer cases under Chapters 7 and 13, multiple farm cases under Chapter 12, and many business cases under Chapter 11. I have also represented trustees in cases under Chapters 7 and 11. Additionally, I have litigated a substantial number of adversary proceedings, including over a hundred adversary proceedings in a single Chapter 11 case. My bankruptcy cases have resulted in sixteen reported opinions and many additional opinions available on legal research databases. I am admitted...

Jonathan Turner is a former Virginia prosecutor and an experienced trial, criminal defense, DUI, and family law attorney. He has successfully handled a wide range of cases from DUI, drug offenses, probation violations, serious felonies like murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, thefts, misdemeanors, child support, child neglect, and child custody cases. As a criminal prosecutor, he tried thousands of criminal cases and was known as an aggressive trial attorney. In Tennessee, he has successfully defended clients from being convicted ranging from serious felonies like especially aggravated kidnapping to drug dealing, to all types of misdemeanors, to...

Paul E. Tennison is passionate about helping clients solve complex legal challenges. Paul enjoys helping people understand the law and pick the most effective course of action to achieve their desired results. Paul was selected as a rising star by Super-Lawyers in 2023 and 2024 as well as selected as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Nashville in 2020. Paul has a diverse military, leadership, and legal background that affords him unique insight into many issues confronting Fields Howell's clients. Paul is prepared to help his clients navigate and resolve insurance, reinsurance coverage, and defense matters including general civil litigation,...

I am a Vanderbilt educated lawyer living in Nashville, Tennessee, and primarily practicing in the areas of Family and Employment Law (Plaintiff's side). I have been involved in litigation since 2007, with experience in complex litigation in federal courts. When I am not working, you can find me at a Preds game or watching the University of Louisville and Vanderbilt on tv.

J. Ross Pepper is an AV rated trial attorney with over 27 years of experience with litigation, arbitration and mediation. Mr. Pepper's trial, courtroom and deposition experience is extensive and benefits his clients incalculably. Mr. Pepper is the founding member of Pepper Law, PLC, a boutique litigation law firm which handles litigation matters in Nashville and throughout Tennessee.

Mr. Pepper has acted as lead counsel in a wide range of commercial, employment, probate, insurance, and real estate cases. Notably, Mr. Pepper acted as lead counsel in a nationwide class action involving the sale and marketing...

Mr. Smith has been a trial attorney for 40 years and was a professor of law at Vanderbilt Law School. For the past twenty years, he has represented individuals in plaintiff's personal injury litigation. He is the founder of DRS Law, a top-rated personal injury law firm in Nashville, Tennessee. DRS Law has grown into a five-lawyer team that includes his three sons. EXPERIENCE Mr. Smith has been recognized by his peers as one of the Best Lawyers in America in Personal Injury Litigation and as one of the Best Lawyers in Tennessee. The Business Tennessee Best Lawyers List described Mr....

You're charged with a crime and feel like you're seen as guilty until you prove you're innocent. Maybe you've celebrated a bit too much or tried to escape your problems and picked up a charge and don't want to lose your job or have a criminal history. You need out of a bad marriage. You want to rebuild your family or divide your assets between your loved ones for use after you're gone. Don't feel overwhelmed by the process...we can help! When you walk through the doors of our office, you're going through some of if not...

My name is Matt Gulotta, and I am an attorney licensed to practice law in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. I concentrate my practice primarily on federal criminal defense and appellate law. I also handle Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) and Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) cases, with a colleague.

Cody Galaher represents companies and individuals in litigation of state and federal matters primarily involving family, business, and appellate issues. Cody has wide-ranging and specialized litigation experience, both at the trial court and appellate levels, which he utilizes to obtain the very best possible outcome for his clients. Cody is experienced and has a reputation for obtaining great results for clients in divorce and custody matters.

Cody frequently helps clients form, govern, and operate their businesses and his distinct litigation expertise allows him to advise clients in avoiding and resolving potential disputes. In addition, Cody is also uniquely experienced in the...