New Hope Lawyers

Graduate United States Naval Academy 1958 and University of Tennessee Law School 1963. Admitted to all state courts of record and Eastern and Middle District Federal Courts in Tennessee, and 6th Circuit Court of Appeals and United States Supreme Court.

Attorney R.Garth Best is a native of Cleveland, TN where he graduated from Bradley Central High School in 1998. He is an alumni from the prestigious Virginia Military Institute (Class of 2003). Upon graduation from VMI he received a degree in International Studies (B.A.) with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies, as well as minors in Arabic and Business. During his studies at VMI, Mr. Best had the opportunity to study abroad in both Morocco and Egypt. His studies abroad concentrated on Arabic and Political Science while studying at the American University of Cairo. Upon graduation, Mr. Best came...

Licensed in Tennessee and Georgia, I dedicate my practice to DUI Defense and Criminal Defense. For more information about our firm, please visit my website, www.mochellaw.com.

Mr. Brock handles cases from simple speeding tickets to First Degree Murder, however his practice is primarily focused on DUI and drug related crimes. He is one of the few attorneys in the nation certified as an instructor in the DUI Detection & Standardized Field Sobriety Testing course recognized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This is the same course that police officers take in order to make DUI arrests while in the Academy. As impaired driving laws with regards to substances other than alcohol are becoming more prevalent, Mr. Brock is ahead of the curve...

My legal career has focused on protecting the rights of individuals against big corporations. My main work in this regard is in three areas: (1) pursuing justice for victims of dangerous corporate products (mainly mesothelioma / asbestos victims); (2) representing labor unions; & (3) advocating for employee's rights.

Mr. Weiss concentrates his practice on civil litigation and criminal defense. This defense lawyer represents individuals and businesses in a wide range of legal issues. He has handled an array of civil cases including automobile collisions, malicious prosecution, defamation, bad faith insurance claims, residential construction disputes, and many others.

As a keen negotiator and litigator, this criminal law attorney has resolved numerous cases that achieve results that meet or exceed client expectations. As a strong proponent of zealous advocacy, Mr. Weiss stands up for the rights of his clients. For those accused of a crime, Mr. Weiss is able to effectively...

Graduated Vanderbilt University in 2002 Graduated from University of TN College of Law in 2005 Former Law Clerk to the Honorable Joseph Tipton on TN Court of Criminal Appeals Worked with Summer, Rufolo & Rodgers (formerly known as Summers & Wyatt) in Chattanooga since 2006 Specializes in appellate work and criminal defense, including state and federal cases.

Wayne grew up around Law Enforcement and Education. Wayne spent his formative years being active in the outdoors and sports. Wayne spent 12+ years in private sector investigations and holds advanced interview and interrogation techniques certifications.

Nick has practiced law since 2012. His main practice areas include automobile liability, business and commercial litigation, family law, construction litigation, and premises liability, among other general civil litigation matter.

Jeffrey W. Rufolo grew up in New Jersey and originally came to Chattanooga in 1983 to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on a wrestling scholarship. He liked the area so much he decided to stay. Since joining Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers, Mr. Rufolo has successfully represented those who have been injured on the job, or injured in car accidents, fall down cases, or other premises liability type cases due to the negligence of others. Recently, Mr. Rufolo successfully overturned an unfavorable decision from the trial court in a wrongful death lawsuit brought against Hamilton County, Tennessee, in which a...

Patrick A. Cruise is licensed in Tennessee, Georgia, and Louisiana. Patrick has handled over one thousand cases, including jury trials in Tennessee, Georgia, and Louisiana. He has obtained millions of dollars in compensation for his clients, including numerous six and seven figure settlements, judgements, and verdicts. Patrick focuses primarily on serious injuries involving commercial motor vehicle wrecks, and is Board Certified in Truck Wreck Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

I am a Tennessee-licensed attorney and my practice focuses exclusively on assisting my clients with the acquisition, maintenance and enforcement of intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights.

One of my primary roles is to identify potentially patentable inventions and the scope of protection available for those inventions. In this role, I regularly prepare, file and prosecute U.S. patent applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and also work with attorneys around the world in order to obtain foreign patent protection.

I also assist clients in identifying competing technologies that might limit the scope of their patent protection or...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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

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.

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.

I help you build things— patent applications, expert reports, amicus briefs, opinions on patentability, freedom to operate, due diligence, and state-of-the-art. The things I help you build assist you build your business—intellectual property to keep others from using your things without your permission, and opinions to help keep you from using other people's stuff without their permission. I provide answers, specifically to questions that need an understanding of chemistry and patent law. I have a passion and background in chemistry. I love patents, especially useful ones. Everything is an opportunity to learn, collaborate, and provide value. I do all three...

Mr. Gilbert assists families in both the employment law and in special education law. He believes a wrongful termination affects an entire family. Additionally, Mr. Gilbert has long been active in upholding the rights of schoolchildren with disabilities—those who have individual education plans (IEPs) or 504 plans.

A graduate from the George Washington University Law School (GW), Kent T. Jones is the Owner and Managing Partner of Jones & Associates PC. Kent's undergraduate work at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville was in English and Honors Political Science. At GW, Kent placed first as an oralist in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals of the Phillip Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and was appointed to be a Member of the GW Moot Court Board. Additionally, he served as President of the GW International Law Society, sponsoring speaker panels on international trade law, international criminal law, international...

COVID-19 Notice - Our firm has been working remotely for years. We have not missed a beat. We are still processing family law cases, having hearings via video conference, and settling and finalizing cases every day. Do you want to get a divorce, separation, or child custody plan without going through a nasty and public court battle? Are you a parent or family member trying to protect children from the dangers of physical and/or substance abuse? We can help you: * Reduce the conflict, cost & duration of the legal process * Avoid hurt driven decisions that you will pay for financially & emotionally...

From an early age, I was always told that I'd make a great lawyer. Often to my parents' dismay, my ability to argue my case was a gift. While I always had some aptitude for negotiation and problem solving, I've made developing those skills, and the pursuit of excellence in the legal industry my life's work. When it came time for college, I attended my parents' alma mater, Samford University. I majored in philosophy–a pursuit that would later serve me well in my personal intellectual life and as an attorney. Upon graduating from Samford in 2005, I immediately...

Born and raised in Chattanooga, TN, Micah graduated from the McCallie School. Micah then earned a full scholarship to Tennessee State University, graduating in 3 years. After graduation, he worked at the Tennessee State Legislature as an intern for the Senate General Welfare, Health & Human Resources Committee. Micah then worked at Congress as an intern in the U.S. House of Representatives. From there, he went back to the State Legislature to serve once more as an intern in the Senate. Micah decided to attend law school after seeing many of the people at the Legislature...

Mr. Higgins is a Nashville native. He attended the University of Tennessee where he graduated with honors and returned to home to work with a large insurance defense law firm. About 17 years ago Mr. Higgins left the defense practice and created a firm that only represents injured victims and their families. To better serve his clients the firm is broken down into specific litigation groups, such as the nursing home neglect division and serious injury division.

Mr. Higgins is a member of the million dollar advocates forum, recognized by Best Lawyers and is a board...

Layne Gillespie received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina in 2002 and a Juris Doctor from the Appalachian School of Law in 2007. Layne began her legal career in Virginia as an intern for the Honorable Michael L. Moore, Circuit Court Judge for the 29th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. After her internship, Layne worked at ChildLaw Services, Inc., a non-profit organization devoted to the representation of abused and neglected children. Upon relocating to Chattanooga in 2008, Layne joined Clark & Washington, LLC as an associate attorney where she practiced bankruptcy...

Amanda manages a boutique firm which serves clients in Tennessee and Georgia. Amanda focuses primarily on business and estates matters including: contracts, trademarks, business formation, wills & trusts, powers of attorney, and probate.