Reuben N. "Buddy" Pelot IV

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...

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...

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...

Jeff Thompson is a shareholder in the firm’s Knoxville office. He has tried over 70 jury trials to verdict in state and federal courts. Mr. Thompson focuses on healthcare liability, products liability, and the defense of public officials and governmental entities. He is admitted to practice in all Federal and State courts in Tennessee, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Jeff Thompson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

Mark Castleberry, a shareholder based in the firm’s Knoxville office, has a varied litigation-based practice focusing on the area of health care law to include medical malpractice and long-term care defense, as well as, product liability defense, business litigation, insurance law, personal injury defense, and professional negligence. Mr. Castleberry has extensive experience as lead counsel representing numerous clients in complex, high exposure litigation in trial courts in both state ...

George R. Arrants, Jr. focuses his legal practice in the areas of Corporate and Transactional and Employment and Labor and Taxation. He has extensive experience in his practice areas as well as a thorough knowledge of his clients' businesses and unique legal needs. While simultaneously protecting their business interests from unintended or unexpected legal consequences, he efficiently and effectively identifies and pursues the best options and/or solutions to their employment or business-rela...