J. Chadwick Hatmaker

Member

J. Chadwick Hatmaker is a member of the firm whose primary areas of practice include employment and labor law, commercial litigation, and general civil litigation. He represents his clients in proceedings before administrative agencies such as the EEOC, the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, the Department of Labor and TOSHA, as well as in state and federal trial and appellate courts.

Mr. Hatmaker represents clients in all types of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, breach of contract, covenant not to compete, and trade secret suits. He also assists his clients by preparing and revising employee and personnel handbooks, employment contracts and restrictive covenants, and advising on all types of personnel matters in an effort to avoid future litigation. He handles a variety of commercial litigation matters. Mr. Hatmaker is recognized as a Rule 31 Mediator by the Supreme Court of Tennessee Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission in the field of General Civil Mediation.

Mr. Hatmaker graduated from The University of Tennessee in 1991 with high honors, with a B.A. in history and attained membership in Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. He graduated in the top ten of his class from The University of Tennessee College of Law in 1994 with highest honors and was selected for membership in the Order of the Coif.

Mr. Hatmaker is a co-author of the Tennessee Section of Business Torts, A Fifty State Guide. He publishes a blog at https://tnemploymentlawblog.com/ that provides practical advice and legal compliance for employers in Tennessee and beyond.

Mr. Hatmaker is a member of the Knoxville Bar Association and the Labor and Employment Sections of the Tennessee Bar Association and the American Bar Association. In 2015 Mr. Hatmaker was selected as a Fellow of the Knoxville Bar.

Education

University of Tennessee, J.D., 1994
University of Tennessee, B.A., 1991

Bar Admissions

Tennessee, 1997
Georgia, 1994

Accolades

AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in Employment Law– Management and Litigation–Labor and Employment since 2015, in Commercial Litigation since 2019, and in Employment Law- Individuals since 2020

Named The Best Lawyers in America® Knoxville “Lawyer of the Year” in Litigation–Labor & Employment (2017), Employment Law-Individuals (2020, 2022, 2024), and Employment Law – Management (2021, 2024)

Listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers in Employment Litigation since 2006

Voted Top Attorney by his peers in Employment Law in Cityview Magazine since 2008

Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America Society

Fellow, Knoxville Bar Foundation

Listed as a Rule 31 Mediator by the Tennessee Supreme Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee

Author, https://tnemploymentlawblog.com/

Co-author, Tennessee Section of Business Torts, a Fifty State Guide

Member of Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel