William A. Simms

Attorney in Knoxville, TN

Phi Alpha Delta. Qualified Mediator, Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31. Listed: America's Registry of Outstanding Professionals; The Best Lawyers in America; Strathmore's Who's Who.

Areas of Law:
-Products Liability
-Aviation Litigation
-Insurance Defense
-Trucking Law
-Personal Injury
-Mediation

Experience & Credentials:

Position:
Managing Partner

Admission Details:
-Admitted in 1972, Tennessee and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee
-1977, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
-1989, U.S. Supreme Court

Law School Attended:
University of Tennessee
Class of 1971
J.D.

University Attended:
University of the South
Class of 1968
B.A.

Birth Information:
Born in 1946
Lebanon, Tennessee, February 18, 1946

Associations & Memberships:
Knoxville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations; International Association of Defense Counsel; Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association; The Defense Research Institute; Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; American Inns of Court (Master of the Bench, Hamilton S. Burnett Chapter; Secretary-Treasurer, 1990-1991); American Board of Trial Advocates (President, Tennessee Chapter, 2004).

Bar Fellowship:
Tennessee Bar Foundation; Knoxville Bar Foundation.

University of Tennessee
Juris Doctorate, 1971

F. Michael Fitzpatrick

Attorney in Knoxville, TN
Order of the Coif.

Areas of Law:
-Civil Litigation
-Products Liability
-Medical Malpractice
-Aviation Litigation
-Health Care Litigation

Experience & Credentials:

Position:
Managing Partner

Birth Information:
Born in 1947
Cookeville, Tennessee, September 5, 1947

Military:
Lt., U.S. Army, 1969-1971

Associations & Memberships:
Knoxville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations; International Association of Defense Counsel; Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel; Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association; Master of the Bench, Hamilton S. Burnett Chapter, American Inns of Court, 1996.

Rick L. Powers

Attorney in Knoxville, TN
Order of the Coif; Phi Kappa Phi; Phi Sigma Alpha. Member, Tennessee Law Review, 1974-1975. Listed in The Best Lawyers in America. Federal and State Mediator.

Areas of Law:
-Civil Litigation
-Products Liability
-Health Care Litigation
-Medical Malpractice

Experience & Credentials:

Position:
Managing Partner

Birth Information:
Born in 1950
South Pittsburg, Tennessee, October 16, 1950

Associations & Memberships:
Knoxville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations; International Association of Defense Counsel; The Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel; Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association; The Defense Research Institute; Federal and State Mediator.

Dan D. Rhea

Attorney in Knoxville, TN
Order of the Coif; Phi Delta Phi. Articles Editor, University of Tennessee Law Review, 1977. Law Clerk, Hon. Robert L. Taylor, U.S. District Judge, 1978-1980.

Areas of Law:
-Civil Litigation
-Commercial Law
-ERISA

Experience & Credentials:

Position:
Partner

Birth Information:
Born in 1951
Louisville, Kentucky, February 26, 1951

Associations & Memberships:
Knoxville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations.

Broderick L. Young

Attorney in Knoxville, TN

Broderick L. Young is a partner at Arnett, Draper & Hagood, handling a wide range of litigation and dispute resolution matters on behalf of the firm's corporate and individual clients. Mr. Young's practice is devoted exclusively to civil litigation, with an emphasis on business litigation and professional liability defense. He has tried many cases in Courts throughout the nine county region surrounding Knoxville, including jury trials which involved matters related to breach of contract, insurance defense, and personal injury. In addition to his trial experience, Mr. Young has represented clients in matters ranging from business torts, employment discrimination, estate litigation, and products liability. He earned his B.A. Degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1994, and his J.D. Degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C in 1998.

Mr. Young has been named a Master of the Bench of the Hamilton Burnett American Inn of Court. He is an active member of the Knoxville Bar Association, where he currently serves as a member of the Judicial Committee. He is also a member of the Tennessee and American Bar Associations. Mr. Young is also active in the Knoxville community, where he has served on the Board of the Moses Teen Center of the Knoxville Boys and Girls Club, and has also served as President of the Knoxville Civitan Club.

Areas of Law:
-Civil Litigation
-Torts
-Personal Injury
-Medical Malpractice Defense
-Business Litigation

Experience & Credentials:

Position:
Partner

Admission Details:
-Admitted in 1998, Tennessee
-1999, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee

Birth Information:
Born in 1970
Knoxville, Tennessee, December 14, 1970

Associations & Memberships:
Knoxville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations.

Steven L. Hurdle

Attorney in Knoxville, TN

Phi Kappa Phi; Phi Beta Kappa. Law Clerk, Hon. Robert K. Dwyer, Judge, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, 1979-1980.

Areas of Law:
-Civil Litigation
-Insurance Defense
-Asbestos Defense
-Workers Compensation

Experience & Credentials:

Position:
Partner

Birth Information:
Born in 1954
Memphis, Tennessee, November 20, 1954

Associations & Memberships:
Knoxville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations.

R. Kim Burnette

Attorney in Knoxville, TN

Omicron Delta Kappa; Phi Kappa Phi; Beta Gamma Sigma; Phi Alpha Delta. Law Clerk to Honorable John Y. Powers, U.S. Magistrate, Eastern District of Tennessee,1985-1986. Tennessee Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator.

Areas of Law:
-Tort Defense
-Premises Liability
-Products Liability
-Personal Injury
-Workers Compensation
-Mediation

Experience & Credentials:

Position:
Partner

Birth Information:
Born in 1958
Loudon, Tennessee, November 26, 1958

Associations & Memberships:
Knoxville (Chair, Functions Committee, 1994-1996; Chair, People's Law School Committee, 1997-2000; Co-Chair, CLE Committee, 2000-2003; Board of Governors, 1997-1999), Tennessee and American Bar Associations; Standing Committee for Admissions, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee; American Inns of Court (Master of the Bench, Hamilton S. Burnett Chapter).

Jay W. Mader

Attorney in Knoxville, TN

Areas of Law:
-Labor and Employment Law
-Business Litigation
-Commercial Litigation

Experience & Credentials:

Position:
Partner

Admission Details:
-Admitted in 1993, Tennessee
-1994, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee
-2001, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit

Law School Attended:
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Class of 1993
J.D.

Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology

University Attended:
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Class of 1989
B.A.
with honors

Birth Information:
Born in 1966
Lincoln, Nebraska, January 18, 1966

Associations & Memberships:
Knoxville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations.

University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Juris Doctorate, 1993

Thomas M. Cole

Attorney in Knoxville, TN
Order of the Coif; Phi Kappa Phi; Beta Gamma Sigma.

Areas of Law:
-Mental Health Law
-Torts
-Personal Injury
-Workers Compensation Defense
-Social Security Disability
-Black Lung
-Civil Litigation
-Occupational Disease
-Civil Appeals

Experience & Credentials:

Position:
Associate

Admission Details:
-Admitted in 1975, Tennessee
-1976, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee
-1994, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit

Law School Attended:
University of Tennessee
Class of 1975
J.D.

University Attended:
University of Tennessee
Class of 1972
B.S.
with high honors

Birth Information:
Born in 1950
Knoxville, Tennessee, March 8, 1950

Associations & Memberships:
Knoxville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations; Tennessee Hospital Association, Tennessee Academy of Hospital Attorneys (Affiliate Personal Member).

University of Tennessee
Juris Doctorate, 1975

Robert B. Frost, Jr.

Attorney in Knoxville, TN

Elected City Council, City of Knoxville, 2001. Appointed, City of Knoxville Historic Zoning Commission. Member, Tulane Journal of International and Comparative Law, 1994-1996. Legal Authorship: Comment, Intellectual Property Right Disputes in the 1990's between the People's Republic of China and the United States, 4 Tulane Journal of International and Comparative Law 119 (1995).

Areas of Law:
-Corporations
-Insurance Defense
-Real Estate Law
-Personal Injury
-Bankruptcy

Experience & Credentials:

Position:
Associate

Admission Details:
-Admitted in 1996, Tennessee
-1997, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee
-2003, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit

Law School Attended:
Tulane University of Louisiana
Class of 1996
J.D.
cum laude, Certificate in Sports Law

University Attended:
University of Tennessee
Class of 1991
B.A.
English

University of Tennessee
Class of 1991
B.A.
History

University of Tennessee
Class of 1991
B.A.
Political Science

Loyola University

Birth Information:
Born in 1968
Knoxville, Tennessee, August 24, 1968

Associations & Memberships:
Knoxville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations.

Tulane University of Louisiana
Juris Doctorate, cum laude, 1996

Stacie D. Miller

Attorney in Knoxville, TN

Areas of Law:
General Civil Litigation

Experience & Credentials:

Position:
Associate

Admission Details:
-Admitted in 2003, Louisiana
-2005, Tennessee

Law School Attended:
Loyola University
Class of 2003
J.D.

University Attended:
University of Tennessee
Class of 1994
B.A.

Birth Information:
Born in 1971
Knoxville, Tennessee, June 12, 1971

Associations & Memberships:
Knoxville Bar Association.

Loyola University
Juris Doctorate, 2003

Rachel Park Hurt

Attorney in Knoxville, TN

Rachel Park Hurt attended undergraduate school at Syracuse University. She received her bachelor of arts degree, cum laude, in 2003, double-majoring in history and political science. In 2004, Rachel received her Master's in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University with a focus on political leadership and American political thought. During her time at Syracuse, Rachel was a member of the Syracuse University softball team, serving as captain during her senior year, and was a cadet in the Air Force R.O.T.C. program, Detachment #535. After leaving Syracuse, Rachel attended the University of Tennessee College of Law, obtaining her doctor of jurisprudence in 2007. While in law school, Rachel was a legal extern for the Tennessee Sixth Judicial Circuit, articles editor for the Tennessee Law Review, and two-time member of the constitutional law moot court team. After law school, Rachel clerked for the Tennessee Supreme Court in the chambers of the Honorable Cornelia A. Clark for two years. During her clerkship, Rachel assisted Justice Clark in all aspects of appellate practice, including attending oral arguments, reviewing trial records, researching for and writing published opinions, and editing and evaluating the legal drafts of written opinions.

Rachel joined Arnett, Draper & Hagood in the fall of 2009. Rachel's primary practice areas are medical malpractice defense, health law, and general civil litigation. She is a member of the Knoxville and Tennessee Bar Association, currently serving as Chair person of the KBA Barristers' Athletic Committee. In July 2012, Rachel was awarded in the "Donald F. Paine Lawyer of the Year Award" for her work through the Pro Bono Project.

Personal: Rachel is married. She enjoys golfing, watching college football, and vacationing at Walt Disney World.

Areas of Law:
-Medical Malpractice Defense
-Premises Liability
-Personal Injury
-Products Liability Defense
-General Civil Litigation

Experience & Credentials:

Position:
Associate

Admission Details:
Admitted in 2007, Tennessee

Law School Attended:
University of Tennessee at Nashville
Class of 2007
J.D.

University Attended:
Syracuse University
Class of 2003
B.A.
History and Political Science, cum laude

Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University
Class of 2004
M.P.A.

Birth Information:
Born in 1980
Salem, Virginia, November 21, 1980

University of Tennessee at Nashville
Juris Doctorate, 2007

Paul Edward Wehmeier

Attorney in Knoxville, TN

Paul Wehmeier was raised in Muncie, Indiana, where he attained his undergraduate degree at Ball State University, While living in Indiana, Paul raised Angus Cattle until he graduated. Paul's interests include politics and government, and Paul exercised these interests through internships with the Indiana State House of Representatives and the White House Office of Public Liaison. Following graduation from Ball State, Paul worked in Indiana government with the Indiana Department of Labor and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.

Paul moved to Knoxville to study law at the University of Tennessee College of Law. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and was Vice President of the University of Tennessee Chapter of the Federalist Society. Paul was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 2011.

After graduation, Paul joined Arnett, Draper & Hagood where he focuses his practice on labor and employment issues. Paul is admitted to practice in Tennessee and is a member of the Knoxville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations.

Areas of Law:
-Administrative Law
-Government
-Probate & Trust Law
-Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Reorg.
-Labor & Employment Law

Experience & Credentials:

Position:
Associate

Admission Details:
Admitted in 2011, Tennessee

Law School Attended:
University of Tennessee
J.D.
magna cum laude

Birth Information:
Born in 1981
1981

University of Tennessee
Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude,

Jack B. Draper

Attorney in Knoxville, TN

Order of the Coif. Editor-in-Chief, Tennessee Law Review, 1957. Certified Mediator, State and Federal Courts.

Areas of Law:
-Civil Litigation
-Mediation

Experience & Credentials:

Position:
Of Counsel

Admission Details:
-Admitted in 1958, Tennessee and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee
-1960, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit

Law School Attended:
University of Tennessee
Class of 1957
J.D.

University Attended:
University of Tennessee
Class of 1953
B.S.

Birth Information:
Born in 1931
Nashville, Tennessee, January 21, 1931

Associations & Memberships:
Knoxville (President, 1977-1978), Tennessee (Member, Board of Governors, 1972-1975) and American Bar Associations; Tennessee Bar Foundation; International Association of Defense Counsel.

Bar Fellowship:
American College of Trial Lawyers; American Bar Foundation.

University of Tennessee
Juris Doctorate, 1957

Devin Lyon

Devin Lyon is an associate with Arnett, Draper & Hagood, focusing his practice on health care liability, governmental, and insurance defense, as well as other civil litigation. He received his Bachelor of Arts degrees from Vanderbilt University before attending the University of Tennessee College of Law and the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business, where he earned his Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration.

Before joining Arnett, Draper & Hagood, Devin was an attorney in the City of Knoxville Law Department where he mainly practiced labor and employment law, tort defense, and commercial lending. During his time with the City, he was awarded the International Municipal Lawyers Association’s distinguished Amicus Service Award, recognizing the advocacy of attorneys “who have done exemplary work to protect and advance local government interests.”

In law school, Devin was awarded the Herbert L. Davis Memorial Trust Fund Award for the highest GPA and was an editor for the Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy and Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law. Additionally, his written works have been published locally and internationally in Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law, the Tennessee Bar Journal, and DRI publications. Additionally, he has made numerous presentations throughout the Knoxville area on legal issues affecting local governments, insurance law, and the Tennessee Public Records Act.

Devin has been licensed in the state of Tennessee since 2013 and is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and all Tennessee trial and appellate courts. He is a member of the Knoxville Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, the Hamilton Burnett American Inn of Court, DRI, and the Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association, through which he was co-chair of the 2019 TDLA Annual Conference and is currently a member of the Bench-Bar Committee. Devin was also selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2021 inaugural edition of “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” in the areas of medical malpractice defense, municipal law, and personal injury defense litigation. He was also awarded the Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association’s 2020 “Rising Star Award” for advancing the civil defense practice in Tennessee, and was honored with his inclusion in the Knox.biz (formerly the Greater Knoxville Business Journal) 40 Under 40 class of 2020, which recognizes “the best of the best from East Tennessee’s business community.”

Outside of the practice of law, Devin is the Director of Music at First United Methodist Church and is on the Board of Directors of the Community School of the Arts. He is also a frequent piano accompanist for faculty and student performances at the University of Tennessee School of Music and is a vocal soloist and the President of the Knoxville Chamber Chorale and the Knoxville Choral Society. He has repeatedly toured the United States and China as a pianist, bassoonist, percussionist, and brass player, and was most recently the featured pianist on the album “Vocalizations,” with publication forthcoming through Park Avenue Records.

University of Tennessee
Law, 2013