Best Lawyers in Tennessee, United States for Insurance Law
Mr. Godbold is a Chattanooga native and Baylor School alumnus. He is a proud parent of twin boys. He received his undergraduate degree at the University of Tennessee where he graduated with high honors and was recognized as an “Unsung Hero” for exceptional contributions to campus life by the Dean of Students. While in law school at the University of Memphis, Mr. Godbold was elected as a Bar Governor, was the Mock Trial Champion, and received the Dean’s Service Award. Mr. God...
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...
William J. Wyatt is an attorney with Harris Shelton PLLC in Memphis, Tennessee . His practice includes Insurance Law, Litigation - Labor and Employment, and Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants. Will Wyatt devotes a significant portion of his practice to representing municipalities and public entities. He regularly defends municipalities, their officers, and employees in civil rights litigation, employment disputes, inverse condemnation claims, and matters arising under the Tennessee Governme...
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...
Tyler Smith, a shareholder and a lifelong Tennessean, is in the firm’s Knoxville office. Mr. Smith has extensive experience representing employers in the defense of workers’ compensation claims through trial and administrative hearings with the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. He has obtained numerous positive results for employers on issues of medical causation, last injurious exposure, notice, statute of limitations, independent contractor, drug free workplace, a...
Brandon McWherter is a partner in the Firm. His key concentration areas include assisting insurance policyholders with their claims against insurance companies and other complex litigation, including class actions. Mr. McWherter has served as class counsel in consumer class actions in Tennessee and other states, and has been active in numerous residential and commercial insurance bad faith cases. Mr. McWherter received his law degree, with honors, from the University of Memphis. While in law ...
Mark Michael Bell is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Insurance Law and Litigation - Insurance. Mark Michael practices law in Nashville, Tennessee Best Lawyers has recognized Mark Michael Bell since 2020. 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 Mark Michael Bell is held by other lawyers.
C. Douglas Dooley is a litigation attorney with over 25 years of experience handling workers’ compensation, trucking accidents, personal injury law, insurance coverage disputes, premises liability, food-borne illness cases, dram shop liability, and complex litigation. Doug is regularly invited to lecture on workers’ compensation, premises liability, and tort liability to risk managers, human resource administrators, and insurance claims professionals across the country. Doug has b...
Daniel Olivas is a shareholder in the Nashville office who joined the firm in 2005. He represents national clients in complex products liability litigation and has experience representing automobile manufacturers and suppliers. He successfully defends industrial, construction, corporate, and non-profit clients in employment discrimination matters, including Title VII, ADA, ADEA, EPA, 1981, USERRA, and state employment law disputes. He has substantial experience representing private colleges i...
Brad’s practice focuses on Insurance Law, Litigation – Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers. In addition, he handles matters involving commercial litigation, insurance coverage, insurance defense, tort litigation, corporate and finance issues, receiverships, government relations, and consulting. He represents clients from Jackson, Tennessee and across the Southeast through his work with Rainey, Kizer, Revie...
Whether in a courtroom or a duck blind, Clint Scott pursues excellence in all of his endeavors. With a demeanor that’s part Grizzly Bear and part Teddy Bear, he is not the typical lawyer, but then again the Firm isn’t a typical law firm. As an advocate, he is dedicated to the success of his clients. As the Firm’s managing partner, he devotes a substantial part of his time to securing the Firm’s continued viability via geographic growth and fostering an environment that...
John I. Houseal, Jr., concentrates his practice in the areas of litigation, including health care and construction. In addition, his practice also focuses on compliance, ERISA, and insurance coverage. A significant portion of his practice involves representing clients regarding compliance with federal and state laws, as well as in the litigation of construction related issues. Practice includes: State and Federal Court Litigation Construction Litigation ERISA Litigation and Consultation Antit...
Paul Whitt is a shareholder in the firm’s Knoxville office whose practice focuses on construction law and complex litigation. He represents contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, design professionals, and owners in matters spanning industrial, commercial, and residential projects. Paul advises clients across every phase of the construction process—from contract formation through project closeout and, when necessary, dispute resolution. He regularly handles high-stakes matters inv...
With over thirty years of experience in trial and appellate litigation, Donald has handled more than 400 appeals in state and federal courts, including over 20 cases in the Tennessee Supreme Court. Now focusing his practice primarily on appellate work and trial consulting, Mr. Capparella uses experience gained from serving as trial counsel in over 150 trials, many of them before a jury, to advise lawyers on the challenges they face at trial and to achieve the best possible outcomes at the app...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.
