Recent News

Gearhiser Peters Elliott & Cannon PLLC announces eight of its attorneys have been recognized as 2024 Mid-South Super Lawyers and Rising Stars for their legal work in Tennessee, earning recognition as top-rated attorneys in their respective practice areas. The Gearhiser Peters attorneys selected for the 2024 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars list are honored for their high levels of professional achievement and peer recognition. The 2024 Mid-South Super Lawyers and Rising Stars list includes Gearhiser Peters attorneys: Lee Ann Adams – Estate & Probate Wade K. Cannon – Banking Sam D. Elliott – Business Litigation Justin B. Faith – Business Litigation (Rising Star) Robert L. Lockaby, Jr. – Business/Corporate David G. McDowell – Business Litigation Dillon P. Thornbury – Business/Corporate (Rising Star) R. Wayne Peters – Estate & Probate Gearhiser Peters Elliott & Cannon is a full service and multi-faceted litigation, business, tax, and estate planning law firm in Chattanooga that has served local, regional, and national business and individual clients since 1974. Each year, no more than 5% of the lawyers in Tennessee are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to be included on the Super Lawyers list and no more than 2.5% are included on the Super Lawyers Rising Stars List. Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive, and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.

Gearhiser Peters Elliott & Cannon Attorneys Selected for 2025 Best Lawyers ®️ 

Sam Elliott, a member of the firm, recently was confirmed as chair-elect of the Tennessee Bar Foundation’s Board of Trustees at the Foundation’s annual meeting in Memphis in June. He will serve a one-year term, and succeed to the chairmanship in June 2025. The Tennessee Bar Foundation was established in 1982. Its mission is to administer Tennessee’s IOLTA (Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Accounts) program, honor distinguished attorneys as "Fellows," and support law-related public interest projects. The IOLTA program has previously announced 2024 grants totaling $3,000,000, to support Tennessee’s Legal Aid programs and other non-profit organizations which provide legal services to the poor and/or work to improve the administration of justice.  Sam was also recently notified of his appointment by Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton to the reorganized Tennessee Historical Commission. Sam has served on the Commission since 2005 and was the chairman from 2009 to 2015. He is an avocational historian of Tennessee during the Civil War and has had several books, essays and articles published, including award-winning biographies of Isham G. Harris and John C. Brown.

GPEC Attorney Joshua Anderson Named 2024 Maryville College Alumni Award Winner

July 1, 2024 is the fiftieth anniversary of the start of our law firm, Gearhiser, Peters, Elliott & Cannon, PLLC. For fifty years, our lawyers have served our clients, our profession and our community. Growing from our first three founding members to now number fourteen lawyers, we have successfully guided our clients through a wide range of legal matters, representing individuals, estates, foundations, businesses and governments. Our lawyers have been in leadership at almost every level of the legal profession, including the Tennessee Bar Association, Chattanooga Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers’ Division, American Bar Association, Chattanooga Bar Foundation, Tennessee Bar Foundation, Chattanooga Tax Practitioners and the Estate Planning Council. Two have served as president of the Tennessee Bar Association, and three as president of the Chattanooga Bar Association. Demonstrating the esteem of fellow members of the legal profession, members of the firm have been honored as fellows of the American Bar Foundation, Tennessee Bar Foundation, Chattanooga Bar Foundation and the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers. Our lawyers have also participated in our local American Inns of Court and Southeast Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women. Six have been designated as Mid-South Super Lawyers, two as Super Lawyers Rising Stars, and four among the Best Lawyers in America.  Reflecting involvement in the community, several of our lawyers have engaged in various non-profit activities, including Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga, Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Girls Inc. of Chattanooga, McKamey Animal Center, the University of Chattanooga Foundation, the McCallie School, St. Nicholas School, North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy, Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association, Friends of the Park, Bethel Bible Village, University of Tennessee Alumni Association Board of Governors and the Tennessee Historical Commission. Our lawyers have served in the leadership of their various churches, and several provide pro bono legal work for Legal Aid of East Tennessee and other charitable organizations. Commenting on the occasion, founding member Wayne Peters said, "It is with great pride that we celebrate our fiftieth anniversary. Our firm has zealously and effectively served our clients, while maintaining a family friendly atmosphere for our attorneys and staff. With a great blend of older and younger lawyers, we look forward to many more years of practice together."

The firm is proud to announce that Lee Ann Adams has recently been elected a Fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation, an association of approximately 850 attorneys across the state. Invitations to membership, which is a position of honor, were extended to 29 attorneys by the Board of Trustees. Lee Ann joins fellow members of the firm, Wayne Peters, Robert Lockaby, Sam Elliott (pictured) and David McDowell as a Tennessee Bar Foundation Fellow. The Bar Foundation has a two-fold purpose: to recognize attorneys who have distinguished themselves in the community and the profession, and to administer a grant making program.

David McDowell was recently elected to serve his second term as the East Tennessee Governor on the Tennessee Bar Association Board of Governors, and as treasurer for the YLD Fellows. David has previously served as the 3rd District Governor for the Board of Governors, and as the YLD President. David is a fellow of the Tennessee Bar and American Bar Foundations.

Gearhiser Peters Elliott & Cannon PLLC announces several of its attorneys have been recognized as 2023 Mid-South Super Lawyers and Rising Stars for their legal work in Tennessee, earning recognition as top-rated attorneys in their respective practice areas. The Gearhiser Peters attorneys selected for the 2023 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars list are honored for their high levels of professional achievement and peer recognition. The 2023 Mid-South Super Lawyers and Rising Stars list includes Gearhiser Peters attorneys: Lee Ann Adams – Estate & Probate Wade K. Cannon - Banking Sam D. Elliott – Business Litigation Justin B. Faith – Business Litigation (Rising Star) Robert L. Lockaby, Jr. – Business/Corporate R. Wayne Peters – Estate & Probate Gearhiser Peters Elliott & Cannon is a full service and multi-faceted litigation, business, tax, and estate planning law firm in Chattanooga that has served local, regional, and national business and individual clients since 1974. Each year, no more than 5% of the lawyers in Tennessee are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to be included on the Super Lawyers list and no more than 2.5% are included on the Super Lawyers Rising Stars List. Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive, and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com .

GPEC attorney Justin Faith was recently honored and named as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (ABF).