Frederick L. "Rick" Hitchcock

Leah Gerbitz practices in the area of civil litigation with an emphasis on healthcare, data security and products liability. She manages diverse complex litigation matters, and she has tried multiple cases to verdict in state and federal courts. The matters she has handled include False Claims Act, fraud and abuse, HIPAA/HITECH, healthcare credentialing/peer review, healthcare risk management and general liability, data security and privacy, data breach response, product liability/mass tort d...

Thomas practices out of the firm’s Chattanooga office and assists and represents individuals, businesses, and insurance companies in a variety of civil matters. He has been with the firm for many years and has been a member since 2009. Thomas attended the University of Georgia and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993. He then earned his Juris Doctorate from the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University in 1997. While in law school, Thomas was named to the Dean’s L...

Scott McGinness concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, securities, investment management and banking. He has represented numerous companies in the purchase and sale of stock and assets, with transaction sizes in excess of $200 million, including transactions involving overseas entities. He represents publicly traded companies as well as privately owned entities. Mr. McGinness heads the firm's Investment Management Group which advi...

Mr. Godbold is Of Counsel with the firm and represents pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, and a leading clinical laboratory. He has successfully defended malpractice cases for various professional disciplines including physicians, attorneys, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, and accountants. Mr. Godbold has experience in litigating product liability cases of all types including significant complex matters involving construction equipment, electrical transformers, chemical pr...

The Lawyers at Lawrence & Lawrence Our Chattanooga law firm — Lawrence & Lawrence — combines the talents and experience of founding attorneys Phil and Jennifer Lawrence, who have received both local and national recognition for excellence in the practice of law. Together with an associate attorney and support staff, we have the resources to handle even the most complex legal challenges affecting our clients. We are members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and are AV-r...

Ward Nelson has over 30 years of experience in the areas of corporate, healthcare and transportation law, primarily for merger and acquisition and private equity transactions. His background as a Certified Public Accountant has proved invaluable in structuring and evaluating financial aspects of business transactions (buy side and sell side) in various industries including floor covering and logistics. He also represents healthcare clients with transactional and contract matters. Ward was pre...

Emily Horn’s experience as in-house legal counsel and as a certified public accountant enables her to truly understand her clients’ businesses and to offer them practical solutions. Emily advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, securities issuances and regulation, the use of Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), commercial contracts, corporate governance, and general corporate matters. She has represented a variety of clients, including corporate ESOP sponsors, ESOP trustee...

Donald E. Morton concentrates his areas of practice in estate planning, business succession, estate and trust administration and employee benefits. Mr. Morton advises family business owners regarding the transfer of family assets and family business to second and third generations and equalizing distribution to children not actively involved in business. Mr. Morton uses a variety of trusts to preserve family assets and to minimize taxation of asset transfers to beneficiaries. He makes creativ...

Merrill Nelson advises clients on a wide variety of corporate law matters, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital financing and general corporate contracting. Merrill has advised purchasers and sellers in business transactions in the manufacturing, healthcare, video production and industrial supply industries, among others. He has also counseled both founders and investors in negotiating private equity investments for startup and emerging companies. Additionall...

Haley E. Moody is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Haley E., who practices law in Chattanooga, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Haley E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.