Martin L. Pierce

Justin is a partner and chair of the firm's Small Dollar and Alternative Financial Services Practice Group. He focuses his practice on regulatory compliance for alternative financial service providers including fintech providers, consumer lenders, buy-now-pay-later providers, wage advance providers, and virtual rent-to-own providers. Justin provides guidance on new product development, compliance management systems, and consumer disclosures. He provides third-party compliance opinions and day...

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...

Scott Evan Simmons focuses his practice on employment litigation and preventative counseling in the firm's Labor & Employment practice. Mr. Simmons regularly counsels clients on a wide range of employment-related topics, including wage-and-hour compliance, hiring, termination and creation and modification of general personnel policies. He also has significant experience defending a wide variety of employment-related lawsuits in front of a variety of employment-related forums, including st...

Frank Williams, Chair of the firm's Healthcare Group, concentrates his practice on corporations, securities and healthcare. He has provided assistance on the formation of several managed care organizations. He handles reporting obligations with the Securities and Exchange Commission for publicly held clients. He advises investment partnerships with respect to structuring alternatives, securities offerings and various regulatory matters.

Patrick S. Mitchell is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law. Patrick S., who practices law in Chattanooga, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patrick S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

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.

T. J. Gentle is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law. T. J., who practices law in Chattanooga, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which T. J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Alan Easterly is an Equity Member of Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan, PLLC. He practices out of the firm's Chattanooga, Tennessee office. His practice concentrates on transportation, product liability (including food liability), complex/ mass torts, insurance, premises liability, auto liability, construction, and general negligence matters. He has managed, tried, or otherwise successfully defended numerous significant product liability, transportation, toxic tort, and complex tort c...

James F. Logan, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. James F., who practices law in Cleveland, Tennessee, has been recognized since 1993. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.