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.   

Norm Templeton’s primary areas of practice include the following:

• Corporate Law
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Contract Negotiation and Drafting
• Business Formations
• Information/Technology Law
• Tennessee Administrative Law

Norm also handles a variety of general business, commercial, and contract disputes, both outside the context of litigation and in the trial and appellate courts.

His practice often involves advising clients in creating and organizing new business entities or ventures, as well as selling or acquiring existing business enterprises. He regularly negotiates and drafts contracts and agreements relating to business relationships, operations and transactions across a broad spectrum of industries, and counsels his clients regarding their Internet and e-commerce initiatives.

Norm practiced in the above areas for 14 years at two Knoxville firms before joining Egerton McAfee in 2005.

Notably, Norm has been around business in many industries since he was 14 years old—he grew up helping his uncle and other family members manage various family-owned businesses. He also entered law school with over five years’ experience in the business world: Norm worked for three years in the computer industry at NCR Corporation, then in the pharmaceutical industry at Johnson & Johnson for two years. Norm considers this exposure to business as invaluable preparation for the corporate/business counseling he now provides.

His clients are not the only ones who benefit from Norm’s business background and expertise: He was a frequent speaker at the monthly Technology 20/20 conferences in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and has spoken at various KBA seminars and a business roundtable for the Knoxville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Norm is a member of the Knoxville Bar Association, the Business Law and Corporate Counsel sections of the Tennessee Bar Association, and the Business Law and Science and Technology Law sections of the American Bar Association. His involvement with the Knoxville Bar Association includes his current efforts as a member of the Law Office Management and Technology Committee, his service as Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Bylaws Revision Committee which comprehensively amended and restated the KBA Bylaws, his service as Co-Chair of the KBA’s projects with Habitat for Humanity since 1997, and his past service on the Continuing Legal Education Committee.

In addition to providing general counsel and assistance to numerous charitable organizations, Norm is also very active in his church, First Baptist Church, Concord, where he has been a member since 1989. From 2000-2003, he served as the Church’s Moderator (President), and has served as an active Deacon and as Chairman of both the Weekday Education Committee and the Constitution and Bylaws Committee in addition to his service on other Church committees. He has also served as Parliamentarian for the Tennessee Baptist Convention since 1998.

Newman Bankston practices in the following areas:

• Estate Planning
• Business Succession Planning
• Estate Gift Generation Skipping Transfer Tax
• Trust Administration and Probate
• Trust and Estate Administration / Probate
• Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Entities
• General Business Law

Newman Bankston is a Shareholder with Egerton McAfee Armistead & Davis, P.C. Newman’s primary focus is estate and business succession planning. He regularly works with clients to create a plan for the successful transition of wealth to the next generation, while taking into account the unique family circumstances and tax issues associated with multi-generational planning. This often consists of preparing wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and living wills, as well as creating closely held entities to hold and manage family assets. He also helps clients create and carry out charitable plans, which often involves creating private foundations, public charities, or donor advised funds. Newman has assisted several nonprofits in their formation, application for tax-exempt status, and throughout their life cycle as a charity.

Newman regularly represents executors, administrators, trustees, creditors and beneficiaries in the probate and trust administration process. He assists both corporate and individual fiduciaries in the implementation of estate plans after death, and advising trustees, creditors, and beneficiaries on estate and trust issues, including the preparation and filing of estate and gift tax returns.

Newman is currently serving as Chair of the TBA Executive Council for the Estate Planning and Probate Section, and is a member of the Knoxville Estate Planning Council, as well as the Knoxville, Tennessee, and American Bar Associations.

Newman enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his kids sports teams, and serving on various nonprofit boards. Newman and his wife, Julie, have four children, Emelia, Oliver, Celia, and Lucy.

Distinctions

Knoxville Bar Association

• Immediate Past President (2019)
• President (2018)
• President’s Award (2009,2014)
• Board of Governors (2010-2012)
• Co-Chair Judicial Committee (2009-2014)
• Co-Chair of the Law Office Management and Technology Committee (2006-2008)
• Member of the Professionalism Committee (1999-2005)
• Vice-Chair (1994-1995) and Co-Chair (1995-1996) of the Continuing Legal Education Committee

Tennessee Bar Association

• President’s Award (2005) for Dedicated and Exemplary Service to the Profession
• Chair of the Tennessee Bar Association Study Committee of a Proposed Supreme Court Rule Governing Alternative Fee Dispute Resolution (2005)

American Bar Association

East Tennessee Foundation

• Board of Directors (2009-2014)

Wesley House Community Center

• Board Member (2008-2011) (2013-15) Board Chair (2010)

American Red Cross

• Board of Directors, Knoxville Area Chapter (1996-2012)
• Chapter Chairman(May 2004-2006)

Helen Ross McNabb Foundation

• Board Member (2002-2008)
• Board Chair (fiscal year 2005-2006)

St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation

• Board of Directors (1997-2006)

Member of Knoxville Estate Planning Council

Active Member of Fountain City United Methodist Church

Leadership Knoxville, Class of 2008

John Wood practices in Technology, Corporate and Commercial Law. His work primarily consists of the following:

• Software Licensing
• Privacy Issues (GDPR and US privacy issues) CIPP/US
• Advising Technology Companies
• Business and Entity Formations
• Trademark registration
• Copyright registration
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Investments in existing businesses
• Defend companies in BSA, SIIA, and AutoDesk software audits

Due to John’s background in software development and management he assists technology companies with outsourcing arrangements, licensing agreements, privacy issues, reseller agreements, entity formation, and various other matters. John also actively advises companies on trademark, trade secret, and copyright law.

Prior to attending law school, John worked for 14 years in the computer software industry. He worked for IBM before joining startup company NetIQ/Ganymede Software in Raleigh, where he held various programming and managerial positions. He and his family then moved to Calabasas, California, where John held a directorial position at Ixia, an IP performance testing corporation. Notably, John is co-inventor for five patents.

While a law student, John was Student Materials Editor of the Tennessee Law Review. John also served as Co-coordinator for the UT Pro Bono Homeless Project, partnering with the law school and Legal Aid in offering legal counsel to constituents of Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries.