Gary Blackburn

More About Gary Blackburn

As a small boy in East Tennessee, I already knew that I wanted to be a lawyer. I realized that dream after graduating from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1972. Throughout my primary career in the practice of law has always has been preparing and trying lawsuits and providing comfort, reassurance and crisis management to my clients. Many experiences have informed my  approach to these tasks.

I am an eighth generation Tennessean. I received a degree in history from the University of Tennessee in 1969 and the reading of history is still my primary reading pleasure. I have been an Assistant United States Attorney, Secretary of the Metro Transit Authority, and for nine years was employed by Barnett and Alagia, a multi-state law firm headquartered in Louisville. I founded my own firm in May of 1989. For nearly 20 years, my work primarily involved insurance defense. During that time, I also handled civil rights claims and obtained a seven figure verdict in a lender liability case against the old Third National Bank. I had the honor of representing the Owner Operator Independent Driver’s Association in Tennessee against the Tennessee Public Service Commission and one of its Commissioners. Our victory in that case in the United States District Court was cited as one of the causes of the Commission’s “sunset” extinction in the Tennessee General Assembly.

I have been a board member of the Nashville Bar Association and served as board member and president of Legal Services of Nashville. I have received the honors which lawyers of my age and experience receive, including Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers. I am proudest however, of having been invited to join the American Board of Trial Advocates in 1997. I served as chapter president of ABOTA in 2007 and remain active in this tremendous organization, which promotes civility and preservation of the 7th Amendment Right to trial by a jury in civil cases, through a membership equally divided between plaintiff and defense lawyers. A substantial portion of my practice today involves business litigation and employment work. I was fortunate to obtain with my partners what at the time was the largest gender and age discrimination verdict in the Davidson County Chancery Court. I take great satisfaction in representing police officers.

I am committed to professional conduct in every matter in which I am involved. Being a lawyer for these 45 years is the great honor and privilege of my life.