J. William "Bill" Coley

Wayne A. Ritchie II is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Wayne A. practices law in Knoxville, Tennessee Best Lawyers has recognized Wayne A. Ritchie II since 2018. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Wayne A. Ritchie II is held by ot...

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 ...

Robert L. Bowman is an extremely qualified, experienced, and effective trial attorney whose practice areas are Employment and Labor and Local Government and Public Utilities. He is recognized by Best Lawyers in America and Mid-South Super Lawyers in the Employment and Labor practice area. Mr. Bowman has over 20 years of experience and is a Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator. He represents Fortune 500 companies as well as small business owners in complex litigation involving employment disc...

Chris W. McCarty, a shareholder in our Knoxville office, focuses his practice in employment law, education law, and civil litigation. He represents clients in both state and federal courts across Tennessee and is recognized as a Rule 31 Mediator. Chris is also a trained arbitrator. Prior to his legal career, Chris taught eighth-grade United States history at Seymour Middle School in Seymour, Tennessee. He now serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law. Chris ...

Rodney A. Fields, managing shareholder of the Knoxville office, joined Lewis Thomason in 1991. He is Chairman of the firm’s Board of Directors and manages the firm’s Business Practice Group. Mr. Fields divides his practice between litigation and transactional work. His practice focuses primarily in the areas of business law, commercial litigation, bankruptcy and casualty defense litigation. Mr. Fields also serves as legal counsel to multiple local motor vehicle dealerships and nat...

Jonathan Cooper offers decades of experience, unsurpassed personal attention, and zealous representation to his clients. He focuses his practice exclusively in the area of criminal defense, representing citizens accused of crimes in both state and federal courts. His experience of successful representation encompasses the entire spectrum of the criminal justice system, from DUI to homicide, and from narcotics possession to white collar offenses. Jonathan is a career long member of the Knoxvil...

Daniel T. Swanson represents clients on matters pertaining to medical malpractice defense, healthcare law, correctional healthcare defense, regulatory enforcement defense, False Claims Act defense, provider-payer disputes, billing audit appeals, business litigation, cybersecurity, and HIPAA issues. Mr. Swanson’s practice is provider focused. He represents physicians, physician groups and other provider organizations at trial, arbitration, and mediation. He helps clients navigate increas...

Leslie F. Bishop, a distinguished shareholder at Lewis Thomason, is an experienced attorney overseeing all aspects of general defense litigation, with a particular focus on workers’ compensation and employment law. Her extensive employment law practice includes representing employers before state agencies and litigating a wide range of employment issues. Leslie also serves as the Co-Chair of the firm’s Workers’ Compensation Practice Group, demonstrating her leadership and ex...

Robyn Jarvis Askew is a shareholder in Lewis Thomason's Knoxville office, focusing on comprehensive real estate, corporate, and business law in Tennessee and other regions of the United States. Robyn represents corporations, joint ventures, partnerships, and limited liability companies in various aspects of entity formation, financing, and operations. Her experience spans multiple industries, with a particular focus on the preparation, review, and negotiation of complex commercial contracts. ...

Kim Burnette is a partner with Arnett, Draper & Hagood, where his practice focuses on tort litigation, product liability, workers’ compensation, mediation, and insurance issues. Kim is an East Tennessee native who received his J.D. degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1985, graduating with honors. Upon graduation, he served a one year judicial clerkship with United States Magistrate Judge John Y. Powers in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Thereafter he returned to Knoxvi...