J. Keith Coates, Jr.

Rick is a civil litigation attorney. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1987, at which time he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. He worked as a systems acquisition officer at the Ballistic Missile Organization at Norton Air Force Base until 1992 and last served as the Reentry Systems Launch Program Acquisition Logistics Manager. Upon separation from the Air Force as a captain, Rick attended t...

Wayne R. Kramer has over 38 years of experience in his practice areas of Tax, Real Estate, Estate Planning, Administration and Trusts, and Corporate and Transactional. He represents individuals as well as a wide variety of small businesses and large companies. Mr. Kramer has a sound understanding of the law and is problem solver. He searches for "common ground" between parties in conflict and finds the counseling aspect of law to be the most rewarding. He has provided guidance to individuals,...

Jay Mader focuses on employment and business litigation. His employment law practice includes cases involving discrimination, harassment, and retaliation with claims relating to age, gender, race, disability, and whistleblower allegations. He also handles wage and hour and FMLA litigation. Jay’s experience in business litigation includes cases involving breach of contract and fiduciary duty, fraud and misrepresentation, consumer protection, and other business torts. In addition to litig...

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, ...

Rick Powers graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1975 and was Order of the Coif. He has more than 40 years of general civil trial practice experience with more than 350 jury trials. His practice areas now primarily include health care liability for hospitals, nursing homes, and physicians; insurance defense in trucking, automobile, and homeowners’ cases; and other commercial litigation. Over the last five years, Mr. Powers has successfully tried five ...

David Draper is a Knoxville native and the senior shareholder in the firm’s Knoxville construction law practice group. He is an AV-rated trial lawyer with broad experience in civil litigation, arbitration, and mediation. Prior to obtaining his law degree, he operated a paint contracting business and worked in commercial construction. His law practice is concentrated in construction defect litigation, professional liability defense, commercial disputes and insurance coverage disputes. Hi...

Marshall Stair, a shareholder in the firm’s Knoxville office, concentrates his practice in employment law with an emphasis on the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA/wage & hour/overtime), insurance casualty defense, and general commercial and tort litigation. While attending law school, he worked for the United States Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, assisting federal investigations enforcing the Fair Labor Standards Act. After earning his degree from the University of Tenne...

Practice Areas: Banking Law; Commercial Real Estate; Contracts & Leases; Corporate Law; Health Care Law; LLC & Partnership Law; Mergers & Acquisitions; Real Estate Finance Admitted: 1991, Tennessee; 1992 U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee Law School: University of Tennessee at Knoxville, J.D. R. Scott Elmore is the managing member of Elmore, Stone & Caffey, PLLC, located in Knoxville, Tennessee. Prior to establishing Elm...

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...

John E. Winters, an effective trial lawyer with over 23 years of experience, focuses his practice in the areas of Labor and Employment and Commercial Litigation. His vast knowledge and experience coupled with a common sense approach to resolving disputes is vital to helping his clients save not only money but also valuable time away from their businesses. He takes the time to understand his clients' needs and legal goals and looks for cost-effective solutions that will get them the results th...