Reuben N. Pelot IV

Reuben “Buddy” Pelot presently practices primarily in the following areas: 

• Civil and Commercial Litigation
• Appellate Advocacy 
• Insurance Defense and Coverage
• Product Liability Litigation 
• Personal Injury Litigation 
• Workers’ Compensation 
• Alternative Dispute Resolution 
• Risk Management Strategies  

Reported appellate decisions argued by Buddy include the following: 

• Sumeru Health Care Group, L.C. v. Hutchins, 2015 WL 3883501 (E.D. Tenn. June 24, 2015) 
• Williamson v. Baptist Hosp. of Cocke County, 361 S.W.3d 483 (Tenn. 2012) 
• Kogan v. Tennessee Bd. of Dentistry, 2008 WL 842462, M.D.Tenn., March 28, 2008 
• Stalley v. Methodist Healthcare, 517 F.3d 911, C.A.6 (Tenn.), February 28, 2008 
• Baptist Physician Hosp. Organization, Inc. v. Humana Military Healthcare Services, Inc., 481 F.3d 337, C.A.6 (Tenn.), March 21, 2007 
• Moore v. Freeman, 355 F.3d 558, C.A.6 (Tenn.), January 13, 2004 

Before joining Egerton McAfee, Buddy practiced in Chattanooga and appeared in federal courts throughout the South in commercial litigation, failed bank litigation, director and officer liability litigation, accountant liability, commercial litigation, collections, subrogation, and environmental litigation. He is a graduate of the Chattanooga Resource Foundation’s Leadership Program. He served three terms on the Board of the Young Lawyer’s Division of the Chattanooga Bar Association. 

In 1996, Buddy and his family returned to Knoxville, where he joined an insurance defense firm. His practice then focused on insurance coverage issues, insurance defense, personal injury, and workers’ compensation. Buddy joined Egerton McAfee as an associate in February 1997 and became a shareholder of the firm in 1999. 

Buddy is a member of the Knoxville Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, and Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association.  He is a Fellow of the Knoxville Bar Foundation. 

In the community, Buddy served more than a decade on the Bearden High School Foundation Board where he served as chair of the Foundation Grant Committee, Vice-President, and President. In 2019, Bearden High School presented him with the Alumnus of the Year Award.  Buddy has also served on the City of Knoxville Greenways Commission, Community Board of CASA of East Tennessee, Inc., and for several years as President of Blue Grass Baseball League, Inc. where he previously coached for a number of years. He also served a dozen years as a certified Referee for the Greater Knoxville Area Interclub Swimming Association.  

Buddy’s favorite past-time is any time spent with his family, but he also loves running (multiple year Boston Marathon qualifier), hiking, travelling, and reading history.