Darsi N. Sirknen

James M. Cornelius, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law and Real Estate Law. James M., who practices law in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Wade Davies has tried complex cases for over thirty years. In August 2025, he was sworn in as President of the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He has served on the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee and now represents attorneys in matters before the Board. Mr. Davies has concentrated on state and federal investigations and criminal trials throughout his career. Mr. Davies graduated first in his class from the University of Tennessee Colle...

Cullen Wojcik is a multifaceted, highly successful criminal defense lawyer. He joined Knox Defense in 2019 and focuses his practice on defense of state and federal court prosecutions. He is a 2011 graduate of the University of California Hastings College of Law in San Francisco and a UC Hastings Bridge Fellow where he served as a post-bar certified law clerk with the Knox County Public Defender’s office before opening his own practice. Cullen is a member of the Tennessee Supreme Court, ...

Wayne A. Ritchie II is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Wayne A., who practices law in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Wayne A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Will Carver is an AV rated, extremely knowledgeable, experienced and hard-working litigation attorney who values the relationships he builds with his clients and their businesses. He is a creative problem solver who diligently focuses on understanding his clients' goals, challenges and opportunities and provides his clients effective and efficient representation. His primary areas of practice are Litigation, Employment and Labor, small business advice, and Local Government and Public Utilitie...

Nathaniel D. Moore is a meticulous and knowledgeable litigator who joined the firm as an associate in 2018. Nate maintains a diverse civil litigation practice that focuses primarily on insurance law, employment law, and civil rights matters. Nate practiced in courts across East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia for six years prior to joining the firm. He has extensive experience representing employers, insurers, and individual clients before various state and federal courts and administrative ...

Bill Vines was admitted to the courts of the State of Tennessee and the United States District Court for the Eastern District in 1966. He is admitted to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals and in 1972 was admitted to the United States Supreme Court. He is certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization and by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 listed mediator both in state and federal co...

Betsy J. Beck is a Partner and a member of the Firm’s employment law team. Ms. Beck has spent her career litigating issues involving employment discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour and other compensation issues, and all other aspects of the employer-employee relationship both in federal or state court and in front of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Department of Labor (DOL), and various other state and federal administrative agencies. Business owners, in-house ...

Shannon Coleman Egle's extensive legal knowledge, coupled with a practical and responsive approach, allows her to help her clients achieve their business goals, which ultimately results in their businesses operating more smoothly and profitably. Her practice areas include healthcare regulation and transactions, general business consulting and transactions, as well as real estate acquisition and development and representation of individuals in civil tax controversies before both the IRS and th...

Stephen Ross Johnson is a partner with Ritchie, Dillard, Davies and Johnson, PC in Knoxville, and is a criminal defense trial and appellate attorney. Mr. Johnson has defended criminal cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States, ranging from complex white-collar financial crimes to death penalty cases. Mr. Johnson has argued or briefed cases before the Supreme Court of the United States; the Supreme Court of Tennessee; the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Six...