Viola Lawyers

4th Generation Cookeville Attorney that is here to help!

I have been practicing criminal law for over 26 years in federal and state courts. I am licensed to practice in the states of Tennessee and Georgia, however, I have appeared or consulted in criminal cases in many other states across the United States. I have tried well over 150 jury trials, including approximately 20 murder and/or death penalty cases. I have also been successful in appellate litigation, and have argued cases before federal court of appeals and state supreme courts. In 2011, I successfully argued a constitutional speedy trial violation before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which resulted...

John Mark Griffin obtained his doctorate of jurisprudence from the University of Mississippi in 1988. He obtained his Masters of Business Administration from Louisiana Tech University in 1986 and a bachelor of science in finance in 1982. He is licensed to practice law in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Ohio and is admitted to practice in both Federal and State Courts. For more than twenty-five years, Mr. Griffin has represented individuals hurt by the negligence of others. He has collected millions of dollars for his clients in jury verdicts, judgments, mediations and settlements against insurance companies and corporations for the injuries...

Ben McGowan became a member of the firm, then known as Summers & Wyatt, PC, in 2012, following six years of successful private practice and Of Counsel association with Cavett & Abbott, PLLC. A native of New York City, Ben first moved to southeast Tennessee to attend the University of the South where he served as a University Proctor, fraternity president, and student Chief of the University fire department. After graduating in 1994, Ben lived abroad briefly before returning to the United States and in 1998 attending law school in Boston at Northeastern University. After graduation, he served as a Law...

Mr. Bragg has been working in the legal field off and on since the age of 16 and exclusively the last four (4) years. Starting off as an office assistant at Bragg, Mansfield, and Stegall, there Mr. Bragg got his first exposure to the legal system. During his employment at BMS he helped mainly in the area of real estate law. Mr. Bragg has also worked for the Honorable J. Mark Rogers during the Summer of 2006. After attending the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and graduating in 2006, Mr. Bragg enrolled at the Nashville School of...

Andy Peters Davis attended law school in San Diego, California, where he graduated from California Western School of Law and returned back to his hometown to join the law firm. Andy Davis was born in Winchester, Tennessee. His education and work experience took him to all corners of the world before returning to work in Tennessee.

After becoming licensed to practice law in Tennessee, Andy Davis joined the law firm and was thrown into the fire in his first year. Andy Davis demonstrated an acute ability to adapt and learn the local laws and continues to strive in the practice of...

If you are searching for an estate planning lawyer in Murfreesboro, you should come to LaRoche Law Office. It is of the utmost importance that you have an attorney you can count on—a lawyer who has a thorough understanding of the issues at hand and who is ready to stand beside you and assist you today. Attorney David B. LaRoche is up to the task! He obtained his undergraduate degree from The College of Santa Fe in New Mexico. He later received his Juris Doctorate at Vanderbilt University Law School. He is the Preside of the Stone River Watershed Association,...

John David Drake is an experienced trial attorney. John is a graduate of the University of Tennessee Law School. He served 5 years in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps. There he gained significant general legal and trial practice. Since 1992 he has provided litigation services to the people of Murfreesboro, Rutherford and surrounding counties. His areas of practice include: DUI, Criminal Law, Divorce and Child Custody, Workers' Compensation and Personal Injury.

James Flexer is a Nashville native who graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy in 1974, Rhodes College in 1978, and Tulane School of Law in 1981. In 1981, he started Flexer Law, and has represented thousands of Middle Tennesseans in bankruptcy cases over the years. He has grown the firm to include 8 experienced attorneys with a friendly support staff of paralegals and legal assistants in 3 Middle Tennessee office locations. James is a member of the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, and the Nashville Bar Association. He has...

I am the attorney entrepreneurs and content creators hire to protect their business and secure
their brand. I'm passionate about helping creatives protect their brand and content so that they
can operate in their genius unbothered by the copycats.

Impassioned by the desire to fight for the legal protection of creatives and entrepreneurs,
I took a leap of faith and launched the Law Office of Aleece McKnight. In my practice, I
focus on trademark registration, copyright registration, business formation, and contracts for
creative entrepreneurs. With years of experience in the industry, I have been able to ride in
the passenger seat with my clients as they grow...

Michael Auffinger chose a career in criminal law so that he could be a fierce advocate for constitutional rights. It does not matter what you did or did not do – justice demands that law enforcement treat you fairly and not obtain evidence through illegal means. Even when criminal acts have taken place, the government often overcharges defendants and deals penalties that are much harsher than what the situation warrants. Attorney Auffinger thoroughly investigates every detail of a case to make sure this does not happen. He knows how stressful this situation is for his clients and guides them through...

Wagner & Wagner is one of the longest-established law firms in Chattanooga. With more than seven decades of proven legal experience, our law practice has steadily grown through repeat business, valuable referrals and a tradition of client satisfaction.

Annette Kelley uses the past experience she had as an insurance defense lawyer for over a decade to help secure just compensation for her clients in cases involving car wrecks, truck wrecks, workers compensation, premises liability and other serious personal injury cases throughout Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.

Pete Johnson has experience representing a wide variety of businesses ranging from small local companies to some of the country’s largest publicly traded corporations. Before joining the Hutton Company, Johnson was the General Counsel for a real estate development and commercial general construction company. Johnson has practiced with law firms in Georgia and Tennessee, including an AmLaw100 firm, primarily in the areas of general corporate transactions, government representation, construction, and real estate law. Johnson has held a variety of public offices including serving as Assistant District Attorney, City Solicitor, and Magistrate. He has been...

Trial Attorney

Herbert Thornbury, Esquire and his staff work with clients who have personal injury claims including social security, workers’ compensation and accident injuries in Tennessee.

Jerry H. Summers is a lifelong resident of Chattanooga and Hamilton County, Tennessee. Following his graduation from law school, he initially worked for two years as a prosecutor in the Hamilton County District Attorney's Office. Entering private practice in 1969, he became the founding member of what is now Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers. An experienced trial lawyer, Mr. Summers is one of a small number of attorneys who has been included in every yearly volume of "Best Lawyers in America" in both personal injury and criminal law. He is also only one of approximately five attorneys in the State of...

I have practiced law for twenty years. I learned the Court system under the guidance of my father who practiced law for over forty years. I have represented persons accused of offenses as minor as traffic citations and as serious as homicide. I have tried countless jury trials in both State and Federal Court and take pride in the knowledge that when discussing matters with prosecutors they have no doubt that if they are unreasonable I will try your case.

I am also very experienced in probating estates. I understand that not only is a...

I am an attorney with extensive experience in meeting clients' needs. I would appreciate an opportunity to listen to your legal issues, help you identify your goals, and help you achieve those goals.

Zack England, the founder of England Injury Law, is a native of the Chattanooga area who has dedicated his life to serving the community he holds dear. His journey into the legal field began with a strong academic foundation, earning a Bachelor’s in English Language and Literature from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. After completing his undergraduate studies, Zack pursued his legal education at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. His decision to become an attorney was deeply rooted in his desire to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives and...

I have worked extensively in education law, juvenile law, and family law.

Professional Experience:
Private law practice, Cookeville, TN 1982-present
Rural Legal Services of Tennessee, Cookeville, TN 1979-1981
Admissions:
Supreme Court of Tennessee, 1979
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 1985
United States District Court – Eastern District of Tennessee, 1981
United States District Court – Middle District of Tennessee, 1981
Supreme Court of the United States, October 11, 2017
Education:
J.D., University of Tennessee at Knoxville, 1978
B.A., University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Psychology, 1973
Positions:
Past Chair, Social Security Section of the Tennessee Bar Association (2016-2017)
Chair-Elect, Disability Section of the American Association for Justice (2018-2019)
Past President, Putnam County Bar Association
Board of Professional Responsibility for the Supreme Court of Tennessee, 1992-1998
Honors:
Fellow,...

Protecting my clients interests since 1982. Injury Actions, Criminal Actions, Business Litigation and Family Law, my Experience sets me apart.