Best Lawyers Near You in Nashville, Tennessee for Litigation - Labor and Employment
M. Reid Estes, Jr. has nearly 40 years of experience as a trial lawyer and has served as trial counsel for numerous Fortune 500 and smaller companies in the restaurant, hospitality, retail, manufacturing, construction, health care, and other industry sectors, and during his career has handled nearly every conceivable type of case from tort claims, to theft of trade secret, covenant and contract breach, commercial litigation, and “bet the company” cases. He has significant class ac...
Mark Peters is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Health Care Law and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Mark, who practices law in Nashville, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mark is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Stephen is a Partner at Burr & Forman LLP where he serves on the firm's Executive Committee. He is a member of the Labor & Employment and Commercial Litigation Practice Groups. Stephen’s practice focuses primarily on employment law and litigation. His practice also focuses on business and intellectual property litigation. He frequently defends employers against claims for alleged employment discrimination, retaliatory discharge, and wage and hour violations. He also handles non-...
Todd Presnell is a trial lawyer licensed in Georgia and Tennessee who represents major corporations, small businesses, governmental entities, tax-exempt organizations, and individuals in their litigation-related needs. Mr. Presnell has served as lead counsel in federal and state courts across the country, including Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Texas. He has handled numerous bench and jury trials, argued before the Sixth, Seventh, and...
Mary Dohner Smith is a partner in the Nashville office with experience involving every aspect of the employment relationship. She has been involved in complex litigation involving all aspects of Title VII, the ADEA, the ADA, the FLSA, USERRA, retaliatory discharge, and state law claims for breach of contract, fraud, negligence, and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Before joining Constangy, Mary worked in Human Resources in both unionized and non-unionized facilities...
M. Clark Spoden is recognized in Tennessee as a Specialist in Civil Trial and Pre-Trial Advocacy as Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Clark is a Charter Fellow in the American College of Board Certified Attorneys, (2015) and has received recognition in The Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation (2010-2022), Litigation-Construction (2011-2022), Litigation-Environmental (2011-2022), Litigation-Labor and Employment (2011-2022), and in the Top 100 in Tennessee Super ...
Dewey Branstetter has represented a broad range of individuals and entities, but his practice concentrates on utility and municipal issues; employment matters, including employee benefits issues; and complex litigation. Mr. Branstetter has extensive experience advising and representing utility districts, municipalities, and utility related entities such as Tennessee 811. He recently appeared before the Utility Management Review Board and successfully defended against the first ratepayer petit...
Mr. Palmer is an experienced litigator specializing in both employment litigation and general civil litigation in state and federal courts. His interest in litigation began early in his legal career when as a law student at Vanderbilt University, Mr. Palmer won the Harlan Dodson Moot Court Competition and was appointed to the position of Associate Justice of Vanderbilt’s Moot Court Board. Mr. Palmer began his career in 1988 as an associate and later a partner in a large general practice...
Elizabeth Washko is the Managing Shareholder of the Nashville office. Ms. Washko represents management in a wide variety of employment litigation matters, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, FMLA, FLSA, wrongful termination, breach of contract, and covenant not to compete cases. Ms. Washko has served as lead counsel in jury trials in both state and federal courts. In addition to her litigation experience, Ms. Washko also conducts training on employment issues, drafts and review...
William S. Rutchow is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. William S., who practices law in Nashville, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Mark Stamelos represents businesses on their employment issues, including trade secret, non-compete and restrictive covenant disputes as well as defending employers against harassment, discrimination and retaliation claims. A stickler for responsiveness, Mark likes to visit businesses, study their processes, see the facilities and learn how people do their jobs. He has particular expertise helping clients protect their trade secrets and other valuable business interests. In addition, he provi...
Joycelyn A. Stevenson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Joycelyn A., who practices law in Nashville, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Joycelyn A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jeff Beemer is a business lawyer who works with clients to achieve effective resolution of a variety of business disputes. He provides proactive advice on litigation avoidance and risk management, including daily counseling for employers on all aspects of employment law. As a seasoned trial advocate, Jeff has significant experience achieving favorable results for clients in employment cases and commercial disputes, as well as in litigation involving significant personal injury claims, product...
Craig’s practice focuses exclusively on labor relations and employment law on behalf of employers and management. His practice regularly includes Title VII and other employment discrimination litigation, FLSA and state wage and hour litigation, trade secrets and non-competition disputes, collective bargaining issues, and alternative dispute resolution. Craig’s recent experience includes obtaining dismissals of lawsuits alleging race discrimination, gender discrimination, retaliato...
After graduating from Vanderbilt University School of Law, Luther Wright, Jr. began his career with a respected general practice firm in the litigation section. He spent the first several years of his legal career practicing in the general litigation area before joining the Labor & Employment team. He has significant experience in the areas of labor and employment law, corporate business litigation and class action lawsuits. He typically represents management in all forms of employment di...
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.