Tennessee Case Commentaries

Brady Does Not Apply in Tennessee Attorney Discipline; Rule 9 Hearing-Panel Process and Disbarment Deference Reaffirmed

Date: Apr 20, 2026

Brady Does Not Apply in Tennessee Attorney Discipline; Rule 9 Hearing-Panel Process and Disbarment Deference Reaffirmed I. Introduction Case: Elliott J. Schuchardt v. Board of Professional...

Buffer-Based Quarry Setback Resolutions Are Zoning and Must Comply with Tennessee’s County Zoning Act

Date: Feb 27, 2026

Buffer-Based Quarry Setback Resolutions Are Zoning and Must Comply with Tennessee’s County Zoning Act Case: Tinsley Properties, LLC et al. v. Grundy County, Tennessee Court: Supreme Court of...

Tennessee UAA Rule: No Subject-Matter Jurisdiction to Confirm Awards When the Arbitration Forum Is Another State

Date: Jan 27, 2026

Tennessee UAA Rule: No Subject-Matter Jurisdiction to Confirm Awards When the Arbitration Forum Is Another State I. Introduction In Berkeley Research Group, LLC v. Southern Advanced Materials, LLC...

De Novo Review and Non‑Permanent Aggravations in Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Law: Commentary on Jo Carol Edwards v. Peoplease, LLC

Date: Dec 27, 2025

De Novo Review and Non‑Permanent Aggravations in Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Law: A Commentary on Jo Carol Edwards v. Peoplease, LLC 1. Introduction The Tennessee Supreme Court’s decision in Jo...

Limiting Statutory Employer Status to Service Subcontractors: The Tennessee Supreme Court Adopts the Predominant Purpose Test in Coblentz v. Tractor Supply

Date: Dec 27, 2025

Limiting Statutory Employer Status to Service Subcontractors: The Tennessee Supreme Court Adopts the Predominant Purpose Test in Coblentz v. Tractor Supply I. Introduction The Supreme Court of...

Tennessee “Statutory Employer” Doctrine: Vendors Are Not “Subcontractors” Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-113(a) Absent Predominantly Service-Based Work

Date: Dec 23, 2025

Tennessee “Statutory Employer” Doctrine: Vendors Are Not “Subcontractors” Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-113(a) Absent Predominantly Service-Based Work 1. Introduction Case: Brian Coblentz et al. v....

Tennessee Workers’ Compensation: (1) De Novo Review of Factual Findings Regardless of Deposition vs. Live Proof; (2) “Aggravation” Is Compensable Without Permanent Worsening if Statutory >50% Causation Is Met

Date: Dec 23, 2025

Tennessee Workers’ Compensation: (1) De Novo Review of Factual Findings Regardless of Deposition vs. Live Proof; (2) “Aggravation” Is Compensable Without Permanent Worsening if Statutory >50%...

A New Standard for County-Splitting and Standing in Tennessee Redistricting Litigation: Commentary on Wygant v. Lee

Date: Dec 11, 2025

A New Standard for County-Splitting and Standing in Tennessee Redistricting Litigation: Commentary on Wygant v. Lee I. Introduction The Supreme Court of Tennessee’s decision in Gary Wygant v. Bill...

A First-in-the-Nation Restriction on Voter Standing to Challenge Their Own District: Commentary on Wygant v. Lee

Date: Dec 11, 2025

A First-in-the-Nation Restriction on Voter Standing to Challenge Their Own District: Commentary on Wygant v. Lee (Tenn. 2025) I. Introduction In Gary Wygant v. Bill Lee, Governor, the Supreme Court...

Houghton v. Malibu Boats: Shareholder Standing Is Prudential and Forfeitable in Tennessee; Derivative Statutory Requirements Do Not Strip Jurisdiction

Date: Oct 24, 2025

Houghton v. Malibu Boats: Shareholder Standing Is Prudential and Forfeitable in Tennessee; Derivative Statutory Requirements Do Not Strip Jurisdiction Introduction This commentary analyzes the...

Representative, Not Minor Beneficiaries, Is the “Claimant Authorizing the Notice” under Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-26-121(a)(2)(B)

Date: Oct 16, 2025

Representative, Not Minor Beneficiaries, Is the “Claimant Authorizing the Notice” under Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-26-121(a)(2)(B) Introduction In Ashley Denson ex rel. Bobbie J. Denson v. Methodist...

Plain Meaning over Liberal Construction: Tennessee Supreme Court Defines “Unexpected” in Municipal PTSD Pension Policies and Clarifies UAPA Review of Non‑Contested Civil Service Decisions

Date: Oct 16, 2025

Plain Meaning over Liberal Construction: “Unexpected” Means Not Anticipated Within the Normal Course of Duties; UAPA Judicial Review Applies Even When the Administrative Hearing Is Not a Contested...

Tennessee Supreme Court Clarifies Plain-View Seizures: Voluntary, Unwarned Admissions May Supply Probable Cause; “Immediately Apparent” Does Not Mean Instantaneous

Date: Oct 9, 2025

Tennessee Supreme Court Clarifies Plain-View Seizures: Voluntary, Unwarned Admissions May Supply Probable Cause; “Immediately Apparent” Does Not Mean Instantaneous Case: State of Tennessee v. Ambreia...

Exclusive Authority of the Tennessee Supreme Court over Execution Orders: Limits on Trial-Court Injunctions in Method-of-Execution Litigation

Date: Aug 2, 2025

Exclusive Authority of the Tennessee Supreme Court over Execution Orders: Limits on Trial-Court Injunctions in Method-of-Execution Litigation Introduction In Byron Black v. Frank Strada, the...

“Collateral Consequences” as a Bar to Mootness in Tennessee: A Commentary on State of Tennessee v. Shanessa L. Sokolosky (2025)

Date: Jul 23, 2025

“Collateral Consequences” as a Bar to Mootness in Tennessee: Comprehensive Commentary on State of Tennessee v. Shanessa L. Sokolosky (Tenn. 2025) 1. Introduction State of Tennessee v. Shanessa L....

“Finality over Flexibility” – State v. Payne Establishes Strict Limits on Post-Judgment Sentence Modifications

Date: Jun 18, 2025

“Finality over Flexibility” – State v. Payne Establishes Strict Limits on Post-Judgment Sentence Modifications 1. Introduction The Supreme Court of Tennessee’s decision in State of Tennessee v....

Waiver of Tennessee QIC Privilege by Voluntary Disclosure

Date: May 10, 2025

Waiver of Tennessee QIC Privilege by Voluntary Disclosure Introduction This commentary examines the Supreme Court of Tennessee’s decision in Payton Castillo v. David Lloyd Rex, M.D., 2025 WL ______...

Reaffirming Prevailing-Party Status Through Judicially Sanctioned Relief in Post-Judgment Family Law Proceedings

Date: Apr 30, 2025

Reaffirming Prevailing-Party Status Through Judicially Sanctioned Relief in Post-Judgment Family Law Proceedings Introduction In the Supreme Court of Tennessee’s October 4, 2023 session, Vanessa...

Preserving the Status Quo: Prevailing-Party Attorney Fees for Defending Nonsuited Post-Divorce Petitions under Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-103(c)

Date: Apr 30, 2025

Preserving the Status Quo: Prevailing-Party Attorney Fees for Defending Nonsuited Post-Divorce Petitions under Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-103(c) Introduction In Vanessa Colley v. John S. Colley, III, the...

Finality of Class Certification: Collateral Estoppel in EMCF III

Date: Apr 26, 2025

Finality of Class Certification: Collateral Estoppel in EMCF III Introduction Emergency Medical Care Facilities, P.C. (“EMCF”) v. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Inc. (“BCBST”), decided by the...