Résumé
Long, Ragsdale & Waters, P.C. is a business practice Tennessee law firm offering a broad range of transaction and litigation legal services. Founded in 1986, its shareholders all gained experience with other law firms before joining together as one of East Tennessee’s highest rated law firms.
The cornerstone of the firm is its strong and diversified commercial transaction and real estate practice. Building on this expertise, the firm has developed an equally strong commercial litigation and dispute resolution practice.
The firm represents clients that range from Fortune 500 firms and regional financial institutions to small businesses and individuals. Long, Ragsdale & Waters, P.C. is large enough to handle major transactions and litigation matters, yet small enough to provide personal service to each of its clients.
Contact Us
1111 Northshore Drive
Suite S-700
Knoxville, Tennessee 37919
Telephone: 865.584.4040
Facsimile: 865.584.6084
Please go to each attorney’s biographical page for individual contact information.
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This website is not intended to be a source for legal advice, and the reader should not rely on any information provided in this website as such. Readers should not consider the information provided to be an invitation for an attorney-client relationship and should always seek the advice of competent counsel in his own home jurisdiction.
The lawyers at Long, Ragsdale & Waters, P.C. are all licensed in Tennessee. They do not seek to represent anyone desiring representation in any jurisdiction where this website fails to comply with that jurisdiction's laws and ethical rules.
Firm
Our firm is made up of attorneys experienced in the “real world” practice of law. All of our attorneys are actively engaged in representing clients. Several of our attorneys are also instructors and speakers for the University of Tennessee and other local organizations. Others serve the community as board members and volunteers for not-for-profit organizations and as youth sports coaches. Well-respected by their peers, our lawyers regularly continue their legal education and are members of professional organizations.
Clients
Our clientele encompasses individuals, small businesses, developers, financial institutions and national corporations. We serve numerous and varied clients in a wide variety of legal matters. Our clients include start-up companies and established firms, engaged in both traditional and progressive ventures. The nature of our services extends from general personal and business consulting to highly specific assistance and advice.
Philosophy
Our business philosophy is to provide prompt and excellent service and advice to our clients. We handle small matters with the same diligence devoted to large and complex matters. Our goal is to close the deal or resolve the dispute to the satisfaction of the client, within the bounds of the law and ethical parameters. We also seek to advise and guide our clients to achieve the best outcome for their long-term interests.
Fees
We offer a variety of fee plans to meet our clients’ needs which include flat fee, task billing, and hourly billing. When billing our time, we bill in increments of an hour, which reduces fees for small tasks. We provide detailed itemized bills showing the discrete services rendered and their cost. We provide bids on specific projects and will work to meet each client’s needs in a fee agreement, whatever they might be.
Practice Areas
Real Estate Law
The firm’s real estate practice includes both commercial and residential real estate development, including purchasing, selling, financing, zoning, leasing, land use agreements, construction contracts and condominiums.
Our attorneys are experienced in all aspects of real estate, and the firm is considered one of the top real estate firms in East Tennessee. The firm has handled many developments from land acquisition through construction, leasing, refinancing and sale. These developments include shopping centers, offices, residential subdivisions, condominiums, resorts, retirement communities and hotel projects.
Mr. Miller is an issuing agent for several title companies, and the firm handles all aspects of title policies and claims.
All of the attorneys practice real estate law in some form. This is the primary area of practice for David Long, Dennis Ragsdale, John Waters, Mike Ivens, Randy Miller and Samma Bromley.
Litigation and Bankruptcy Law
The firm is active in litigation in all state and federal courts, handling cases involving business disputes, construction issues, contracts, condemnation, commercial collections, probate of estates and trust litigation, damage claims, defamation, First Amendment rights, employment issues, municipal law, landlord/tenant matters and all types of real property litigation.
Attorneys at Long, Ragsdale & Waters have extensive experience in handling appeals in state and federal courts in all areas of commercial litigation.
The firm also has an active bankruptcy practice, representing local and national companies as creditors in bankruptcy cases and representing business debtors in workouts and bankruptcies. The attorneys have handled major creditors’ claims in reorganization and liquidation cases and debtor cases in Chapter 11 reorganizations. Also, the firm represents purchasers of assets from bankruptcy debtors and trustees.
Louis Crossley, Paul Harrison, Garrett Swartwood, John Waters and Jennifer Milligan Swindle practice in these areas.
Corporate and General Commercial Law
This area of practice includes organizing and advising business entities such as corporations, general partnerships, limited partnerships, joint ventures and limited liability companies.
The firm also handles acquisitions and sales of going concerns and assets and related transactions. The attorneys handle the negotiation of contracts and leases and other types of transactions governed by the Uniform Commercial Code. This practice area also includes the coordination of commercial loans for local and regional banks.
All of the attorneys engage in the practice of corporate and general commercial law.
Employment and Discrimination Law
This area of practice includes advising employers on employment matters, including employment policies, covenants not to compete, trade secrets and litigation avoidance.
The firm has also handled a number of lawsuits involving employer-employee disputes over discrimination, wrongful discharge, Fair Labor Standards and unemployment compensation suits.
Louis Crossley and Paul Harrison are the attorneys primarily handling matters in this area of the law.
Banking and Lending Law
The firm represents a number of financial institutions including banks, savings and loan associations and other lenders.
In addition to general business loans, the transactions handled include construction loans, conventional permanent loans and commercial loans. The attorneys also frequently represent borrowers, particularly in the acquisition and refinancing of real estate projects.
All of the attorneys practice in this area to some degree, particularly David Long, Dennis Ragsdale, Mike Ivens, Randy Miller and Samma Bromley.
Taxation
The firm handles corporate, partnership and personal tax matters.
Such activities include providing tax advice with regard to structuring transactions and the formation, reorganization and recapitalization of business entities. Tax and estate planning matters are primarily handled by Lee Popkin, who holds an LL.M. degree in taxation.
Landlord-Tenant Law
The firm’s landlord-tenant practice consists primarily of representing landlords in suits with tenants relating to commercial properties. This area involves eviction and collection of rents and other charges. This area also involves enforcement of easements, covenants, and restrictions and other lease disputes.
Paul Harrison, John Waters, Louis Crossley and Garrett Swartwood are the primary lawyers handling these matters.
Construction Litigation, Arbitration and Surety Law
The firm’s construction litigation, arbitration and surety law practice includes handling various disputes involving contractors, developers, bonding companies, subcontractors and suppliers. This area of practice includes payment issues, breach of contract and mechanic and construction lien actions.
Paul Harrison and Garrett Swartwood are the primary lawyers handling these matters.
Commercial Collections
The firm’s commercial collections practice involves representing clients in their efforts to collect business debts. The firm pursues the legal collection of accounts through and including litigation, when necessary. The firm also represents lenders and creditors in bankruptcy proceedings, and it represents clients seeking to enforce or contest judgments, including foreign judgments.
Garrett Swartwood and Paul Harrison are the primary lawyers handling these matters.
Administrative and Utility Law
The attorneys handle various types of administrative matters before local, state and federal agencies and tribunals.
Louis Crossley and Paul Harrison regularly handle administrative matters before federal, state and local agencies. Additionally, the other attorneys handle certain administrative matters related to their primary areas of practice.
Media Law
The firm handles representation of both print and broadcast media on a wide range of issues.
This area of practice includes pre-publication/broadcast review, access issues, defamation, privacy, and antitrust issues peculiar to the media. The attorneys have also represented cable television owners and operators on matters relating to franchising, acquisitions and regulation.
Louis Crossley is the attorney primarily handling matters in this area of the law.