Top Employment Lawyers Near Me in Knoxville Area

Weldon E. Patterson was born in Harlan, Kentucky. He attended Tennessee Technological University (B.S., 1984), and The University of Tennessee (M.S., 1986; J.D., with Honors, 1988), and was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 1989. He was an Assistant Editor for the Tennessee Law Review. He is admitted to practice before all of the state and federal courts in Tennessee, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and the United States Supreme Court. He is a Master of the Bench of the American Inns of Court. Weldon has been a member of the Professionalism Committee of the Knoxville Bar Association since 2008, and has been a Hearing Committee member of the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee since 2008. He is a member of multiple bar associations, including the National Transportation Safety Board Bar and the Lawyer Pilots Bar Association. Weldon has been given the highest rating (AV) with Martindale-Hubbell, which is based upon peer reviews. He has been lead counsel in many complex jury cases throughout Tennessee. Mr. Patterson has been a Rule 31 Mediator under the Rules of the Tennessee Supreme Court since 2004. Hobbies and activities include flying, scuba diving, fencing and fly fishing.

The mission of the Law Office of James W. Friauf is "Helping Everyday People and Those Who Serve Everyday People." Specifically, we assist Everyday People in the areas of the law that are most relevant to them on a daily basis: employment law, personal injury, civil rights, and more. We also provide a wide range of legal services to charities and nonprofit organizations at rates lower than those of larger firms. We do so because we recognize it is important that these organizations receive quality legal representation while minimizing the expenditure of precious resources used to care for those in our communities. We practice throughout the State of Tennessee in state and federal court and before state and federal agencies. There is NO CHARGE for an initial consultation and many matters for Everyday People we take on a contingency fee basis, meaning that if you recover nothing, you do not have to pay us for our services. If you are a charity or nonprofit organization, please ask us about our special rates.

Since 2004, Catherine C. Dugan has been working as a litigation attorney in the insurance defense industry and has handled numerous cases involving workers’ compensation and general liability. Her career is primarily focused on defending insurance carriers and employers in workers’ compensation claims. Additionally, Cate also focuses on training and education for carriers and employers to ensure her clients are updated regarding workers’ compensation laws, so they can avoid some of the most common pitfalls. She also frequently lectures and presents and seminars and conferences regarding workers’ compensation defense and many of the issues businesses may face when in the midst of a dispute.

Dan Pilkington is a member at the firm of Watson, Roach, Batson and Lauderback in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mr. Pilkington practices civil litigation in federal and state courts, with an emphasis on public officials and law enforcement. His experience includes defending municipal clients in civil rights actions, including police misconduct ligation.. An East Tennessee native, Dan Pilkington attended East Tennessee State University where he obtained his Bachelor Degree in Business Administration. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law. Mr. Pilkington was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 2005. In addition, he is also admitted before the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Tennessee as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.. Mr. Pilkington has represented municipalities and police officers in all levels of courts within the State of Tennessee including the Tennessee Supreme Court. He has successfully represented the same class of clients in Federal Courts within Tennessee and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals located in Cincinnati, Ohio.. Mr. Pilkington has successfully defended municipalities and officers in cases with accusation of negligence, assault, false arrest, and false imprisonment under state law. He has successfully defended officers facing accusation of illegal search and seizure, illegal arrest and excessive force based upon the United States Constitution. He has successfully represented officers in use of force cases across all ranges of the force continuum up to and including use of deadly force. Mr. Pilkington has represented Chiefs of Police and municipalities in cases involving alleged failures on the part of command staff to train and supervise and cases involving alleged unconstitutional customs, policies and procedures.. Mr. Pilkington has worked with and against law enforcement experts across the county in cases arising out of use of force, use of deadly force and general police liability. He has advised police departments, command staff and officers in the areas of legal liability, discipline, policy drafting, use of force, laws of arrest and search and seizure.

Clint is originally from Hayesville, North Carolina. He attended college in North Georgia at Young Harris College where he was a member of the Men’s Basketball team and was twice named Academic All-Conference.. After completing his undergraduate studies, Clint attended Lincoln Memorial University’s Duncan School of Law. While in law school, he served as a Board Member for LMU’s Moot Court competition team, where he competed in competitions throughout the country. He earned CALI Awards for the top grade in various classes, including Torts, Business Organizations, and Topics in Environmental Law. Clint graduated magna cum laude in the top 5% of his class.. During law school, Clint served as a Research Assistant to Associate Dean Mathew Lyon and Professor of Law Phillip Ashley, and completed internships with the corporate legal department for Clayton Homes and the Tennessee Court of Appeals.. Prior to joining Nelson Law Group in April 2021, Clint worked as a Family Law attorney in Memphis, Tennessee. At Nelson Law Group, Clint represents clients in employment related matters such as Title VII workplace discrimination, Fair Labor Standards Act collective actions, and general civil matters, as well as family law matters such as divorce, child custody, and child support.. Clint is admitted to practice throughout the State of Tennessee and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.. Clint lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife, Ashley. He is an active member of the Knoxville Bar Association and Barristers, its young lawyers division. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, playing guitar, and going on walks with Ashley and their dog, Ted.

Brandon L. Morrow engages in a broad civil litigation practice with a focus on employment related disputes. Mr. Morrow's expertise ranges from drafting legally sound, practical employment handbooks to guiding clients throughout the litigation process, from the pleading stage to trial. Mr. Morrow has also been heavily involved with labor negotiations and the resolution of a dispute with a major NASA contractor at the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. Mr. Morrow has tried multiple cases throughout East Tennessee, often beating the odds to produce favorable results for his clients. In addition to a thriving trial practice, Mr. Morrow also has considerable experience at the appellate level. Over the last year, Mr. Morrow has briefed cases before both the Tennessee Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. During his undergraduate career, he served as Chairman of the Student Senate and was awarded the Chancellor's Citation for Extraordinary Campus Leadership and Service. After graduation, Mr. Morrow served as a legislative aide in Washington, D.C. to a three-term United States Senator. In 2012, he graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law where he was a member of the school's National Trial Team and served on the Moot Court Board.

Al Holifield, the founder of Holifield & Associates, focuses his practice areas in employee benefits law, employee benefits litigation, employment law, employment litigation and other related corporate matters.  He earned his law degree and M.B.A. degree from the University of Tennessee in 1992, and his B.S. degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1988. He has his Certified Employee Benefit Specialist designation through the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Holifield is a member of the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section, is a co-chair of the Employee Benefits Subcommittee on Fiduciary Responsibility and a member of the Knoxville Bar Association.. Mr. Holifield is a contributing author to BNA Employee Benefit Law (2nd Ed. 2000) and to BNA ERISA Litigation (1st Ed. 2004). He is the past President of the Tennessee Valley Employee Benefits Council and speaks frequently on employee benefit matters. Mr. Holifield also is an adjunct professor teaching Employee Benefits Law at the University of Tennessee College of Law. Mr. Holifield is admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the Fourth and Sixth Circuit Courts of Appeal, and the Eastern and Middle Districts of Tennessee.