Athens Lawyers

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...

Attorney Eric Ebbert has been serving the East Tennessee community in different capacities within the legal field for over 25 years. We know the law in Tennessee, we know how it affects you, and we know how to present your case to both judges and juries. The Ebbert Law Firm handles a wide range of legal matters including business law, employment law, elder law, estate planning, wills and trusts, probate law, HOA law, social security disability law and helping victims of nursing home neglect and abuse. We fight for our clients’ rights, and we know what it takes to win...

Mike Baisley practices in the areas of business transactions, real estate, commercial law, and business litigation. Typical client engagements include new entity formation, mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions, shareholder disputes, and bankruptcy and creditor’s rights. He also represents both owners and contractors in construction disputes. Mr. Baisley joined Long, Ragsdale & Waters, P.C. in January 2018. He was previously a partner at Hodges, Doughty & Carson, PLLC. He received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2005, where he was a member of The Tennessee Law Review and served on the...

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...

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...

Nick has practiced law since 2012. His main practice areas include automobile liability, business and commercial litigation, family law, construction litigation, and premises liability, among other general civil litigation matter.

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);...

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...

Tyler is the owner of the Davis Law Firm. He is based out of Kingston, Tennessee, but also handles cases out of his firm's Crossville office. He handles divorce cases, custody cases, adoption cases, all other family law cases, and criminal cases in Roane County and Cumberland County. If you need legal representation in Kingston, Rockwood, Harriman, Oliver Springs, Crossville, or Crab Orchard, give Tyler a call today!

Andrew S. Roskind came to Knoxville from San Diego, California after serving six years in the United States Navy. While on active duty, Andy received several awards including the Navy Achievement Medal, Letters of Commendation, Honorable Discharge, and the Southwest Asia Service Medal for service during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. After settling in East Tennessee with his wife, Jodi, Andy attended the University of Tennessee where he received his Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Jurisprudence Degrees. In addition to practicing law, Mr. Roskind has also served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law teaching Negotiations...

With more than 25 years of experience in the areas of personal injury claims, property and construction disputes, contract negotiation and preparation, business lawsuits, estate and trust litigation, landlord and tenant matters, homeowners’ association matters, workers’ compensation claims, and various other civil matters, I practice what I enjoy. I am both zealous and professional in my representation of my clients. Our attorneys are active members of the Knoxville, Loudon County, and Tennessee Bar Associations and are also active members of the Tennessee Association of Construction Counsel. I represent a wide range of clients with interests in Tennessee. I created this...

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...

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.

John Mark Griffin obtained his doctorate of jurisprudence from the University of Mississippi in 1988. He obtained his Masters of Business Administration from Louisiana Tech University in 1986 and a bachelor of science in finance in 1982. He is licensed to practice law in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Ohio and is admitted to practice in both Federal and State Courts. For more than twenty-five years, Mr. Griffin has represented individuals hurt by the negligence of others. He has collected millions of dollars for his clients in jury verdicts, judgments, mediations and settlements against insurance companies and corporations for the injuries...

Peter Brewer is an intellectual property attorney licensed in Tennesse and in Texas. He holds an engineering degree from Texas A&M University. He is a former Briefing Attorney to the Supreme Court of Texas. Peter has many years of experience drafting patent applications and trademark applications. He also prepares contracts for clients. He serves as a trusted advisor for start-up companies.

Wagner & Wagner is one of the longest-established law firms in Chattanooga. With more than seven decades of proven legal experience, our law practice has steadily grown through repeat business, valuable referrals and a tradition of client satisfaction.

Tim McLaughlin was born in North Dakota and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. Tim moved to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1989 and graduated from the University of Tennessee Law School in 1992. Tim immediately began working for the Knox County Public Defender's Office where he gained extensive trial experience. Shortly thereafter, Tim chose to work with the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos, a nationally recognized plaintiff's law firm at the Knoxville, Tennessee branch office. In 2003, Tim and Mike Nassios established the law firm of Nassios & McLaughlin.

Mr. McLaughlin's practice involves representing people...

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

Chad W. Hampton received his B.A. in History, cum laude, from the University of Tennessee and his Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from the University of Tennessee College of Law. While in law school, he completed a Concentration in Business Transactions in association with the Clayton Center for Entrepreneurial Law and earned honors as the top graduate. He maintains a transactional practice with a focus on general corporate and business matters, real property matters, and estate planning and administration.

Jerry Long is a Tennessee Business and Estates attorney. Jerry advises clients regarding business law, employment law, estate planning, real estate law, contracts, and intellectual property.

I am currently a Registered U.S. Patent & Intellectual Property Attorney at Thrive IP®. I have experience in patent, trademark, and copyright prosecution. I also have experience in various forms of intellectual property litigation in addition to general business and transactional law practice. I hold a Juris Doctorate Cum Laude from the University of Tennessee College of Law, and I received my undergraduate degree in Marine Engineering Technology from Texas A&M University Galveston, graduating Summa Cum Laude. I also hold a minor in Maritime Administration. I have a passion for assisting inventors, businesses, and universities in obtaining intellectual property protection.

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...

Annette Kelley uses the past experience she had as an insurance defense lawyer for over a decade to help secure just compensation for her clients in cases involving car wrecks, truck wrecks, workers compensation, premises liability and other serious personal injury cases throughout Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.

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...

I am a trial lawyer. My clients are people who have been injured in any way - a car accident, at work, out at a store, by a faulty product or bad medicine or medical treatment, who are falsely accused of a crime, suffered abuse, had their civil rights violated, were bullied at school or at work, were ripped off by a business and the like. I have over ten years of trial experience and recently attended advanced training at the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer's College in Dubois, WY. I have several other attorneys who work with me. Together, our...

Wagner & Wagner is one of the longest-established law firms in Chattanooga. With more than seven decades of proven legal experience, our law practice has steadily grown through repeat business, valuable referrals and a tradition of client satisfaction.

Jimmy W. Bilbo has been a practicing attorney in Cleveland, Tennessee since 1985. He is a Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist by the TN Commission on CLE and Specialization. He is Dual Board Certified as a Trial Specialist and in Civil Pretrial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a former president of the Tennessee Association for Justice.

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...

Registered patent attorney with experience in the areas of trademark, copyright and patent law. Experience with industries such as consumer packaged goods, sporting goods, aerospace technology, computer and mobile software, medical devices, composite materials, hazardous material handling, environmental remediation, firearms, pesticides, mechanical devices and electro-mechanical devices. Member of the State Bar of Tennessee and U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.