Experienced and Award-winning Tennessee Attorney

Thomas W. LawlessThomas W. Lawless
Member

Email: Thomas W. Lawless   |   Phone: 615-351-7839   |   Fax: 615-985-0900

Admitted to practice

  • Tennessee, 1981
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern, Western and Middle Districts of Tennessee
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th and Federal Circuits
  • U.S. Court of International Trade
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Awards and honors

  • Chambers USA
  • Best Lawyers in America
  • Best of the Bar, Nashville Business Journal, 2004 – 2011
  • Who’s Who in American Law
  • Who’s Who in America
  • Who’s Who in the World
  • Mid-South Super Lawyers

Education

  • Nashville School of Law, J.D., 1980
  • Middle Tennessee State University, B.S.

Professional memberships

  • Nashville Bar Association
    • Fellow
    • Chairman, Professionalism and Ethics Committee
    • Bankruptcy Committee
    • Legislative Committee
    • Judicial Selection Committee
  • Federal Circuit Bar Association
  • Tennessee Bar Association
    • Fellow
  • American  Bar Association
    • Small Firm Practice and Solo Attorney Committee
    • Bankruptcy Committee
  • International Bar Association
  • American Board of Certification
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees
  • National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees
  • National Association of Republican Lawyers
  • Rotary Club of Nashville
  • The Federalist Society
    • Founding Member and First President, Nashville Chapter
  • Republican National Lawyers Association

Certifications

  • Certified in Creditors’ Rights Law by the American Board of Certification
  • Certified Creditor’s Rights Specialist, Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization
  • Certified Rule 31 Mediator by Commission on ADR for State of Tennessee

Biography

  • Former Vice President and Counsel, First American Corporation
  • Vice Chairman Judicial Nominating Commission for the State of Tennessee
  • Past Chairman, Davidson County, TN Republican Party
  • Chairman Board of Zoning Appeals, City of Oak Hill, Tennessee
  • Former Republican Candidate, 5th Congressional District of Tennessee, U.S. Congress

Thomas W. Lawless earned his JD in 1980 from the Nashville School of Law and was admitted to practice in Tennessee in 1981. He is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Tennessee as well as the Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. He is a board certified Creditors’ Rights Law Specialist by the American Board of Certification and the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization as well as a Rule 31 Mediator by the Tennessee Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution. His practice includes representation of financial institutions and mortgage lenders in matters involving classified assets, workouts, extensive bankruptcy representation of creditors, collections, foreclosures, civil litigation and commercial and residential closings and documentation. He is a member of the Nashville, Tennessee, American and International Bar Associations as well as a member of the Federal Circuit Bar Association. He is the present Chairman of the Professionalism and Ethics Committee and is a member of the Bankruptcy Committee, Legislative Committee and the Judicial Selection Committee of the Nashville Bar Association and serves on the American Bar Association’s Small Firm Practice and Solo Attorney Committee and well as the Bankruptcy Committee. He is a Fellow of the Tennessee and Nashville Bar Associations. He is an active member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees and the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees. He is involved in civic activities, participating as Chairman of the Davidson County Republican Party, serving as a Poll Officer for Davidson Country Election Commission, a past candidate for the 5th Congressional District Republican nomination for the U.S. Congress and is active in the local Rotary Clubs. He  is active in the Dial-A-Lawyer Program of the Nashville Bar Association. He was a founding member of the Nashville Chapter of the Federalist Society and served as its first President. He is a member of the Republican National Lawyers Association. He has been listed in the Nashville Business Journal’s “Best of the Bar 2004 through 2011.” He is listed in Who’s Who in American Law, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World. He is listed in Martindale-Hubble as AV rated as well as being selected in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers (in America) 2006 through 2011. He has been listed in the Mid-South Super Lawyers 2006 through 2010. He has been recognized and included in Best Lawyers in America. He has also been recognized in Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2011. He is a frequent lecturer and has published numerous articles on creditor issues in the financial industry. He is presently serving as the Chairman of the City of Oak Hill Board of Zoning Appeals, as the Vice Chairman of the Tennessee Judicial Nominating Commission and Treasurer of the Tennesseans Concerned for Fair Courts. He is a member of the Board of the Wang Foundation for Sight Restoration.

Areas of practice

  • Creditor rights
  • Bankruptcy
  • Collections
  • Foreclosures
  • Mediation
  • Real estate
  • Commercial real estate
  • Residential real estate