NEWS
Providing insight on developing legal news.
TN Gift Tax Repealed and TN Inheritance Tax Restructured
Governor Bill Haslam signed legislation on May 21st that repeals the TN Gift Tax and restructures the TN Inheritance Tax. Effective Jan. 1, 2012, TN no longer has a Gift Tax. Any gifts made prior to Jan. 1, 2012, still fall under the old law [i.e. $13,000.00 tax free limit per year per Class A Donee/Immediate family members] and the ...
Mary Beth Maddox to Speak at KBA Seminar on Workers’ Compensation
Partner, Mary Beth Maddox, will be speaking at the Knoxville Bar Association lunch and learn seminar, Workers' Compensation: The View from Both Sides of the Fence. The lunch and learn will be held on Thursday, June 14th from 12:00 noon until 1:30 p.m. at the Foundry. If you are interested in attending, please click on the link below to sign ...
Sharon Potter Speaks at the Smoky Mountain Paralegal Association Meeting
On May 10, 2012, Sharon Potter was the guest speaker for the monthly meeting of the Smoky Mountin Paralegal Association, held at the U.S. Attorney's Office. Sharon's presentation was on the topic of "Probate and Estate Administration", which is the focus of her legal practice. She is a frequent lecturer on this topic and has taught a non-credit course at ...
Partners Beverly D. Nelms and Benjamin C. Mullins Successfully Defend 5 Million Dollar Golf-Cart Negligence Case
FMS Partners Beverly D. Nelms and Benjamin C. Mullins recently obtained a defense verdict for an individual defendant in a tort action seeking five million dollars in damages. The case involved a plaintiff who fell-off the back of a golf cart operated by the defendant at the Bristol Motor Speedway in August 2008. The plaintiff suffered a traumatic brain injury ...
FMS, One of the Most Prolific Trial Law Firms in Tennessee
The Tennessee Jury Verdict Reporter, an independent organization that studies and collects information regarding jury trials in the State of Tennessee, has named Frantz, McConnell & Seymour, LLP the number eleven (11) most prolific trial firm in the State of Tennessee from 2005 to 2011. According to the TJVR, during that six year period, FMS attorneys tried a total of ...
FMS Lawyers Win Zoning Case in TN Court of Appeals
We recently represented a developer in a case before the Tennessee Court of Appeals. The case involves the appeal of a denial by the Board of Zoning Appeals. You may read more information on the case by reviewing the article published in the Knoxville News Sentinel or the actual decision from the Tennessee Court of Appeals. Update: Knox County filed ...
New Member with FMS
Matthew Grossman joined FMS in 2004 as an associate. As of January 1, 2012, he is a partner with the firm. We congratulate him ...
Arthur Seymour, Jr. Named to Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers
Arthur Seymour, Jr. has once again been honored by inclusion in the Mid-South Super Lawyers and Knoxville’s Best Lawyers. Arthur was named as one of the Mid-South Super Lawyers in the area of Civil Litigation Defense, Land Use /Zoning, and Government / Cities / Municipalities. Super Lawyers is an annual listing of lawyers who have attained a high degree of ...
Workers’ Compensation Update
The General Assembly passed a workers' compensation reform bill, which applies to injuries on or after July 1, 2011. The amendments narrow the definition of "injury" by requiring it be caused by a specific incident or set of incidents arising out of and in the course of employment identifiable by time and place of occurrence. Also, the opinion of the ...
Change in Summary Judgment Law
The legislature has made a major change in summary judgment procedure in Tennessee state courts. In 2008, the Tennessee Supreme Court issued its opinion in Hannan v. Alltel Publishing Co., 270 S.W.3d 1 (Tenn. 2008) which modified the summary judgment standard in Tennessee state courts. Federal Courts require that the party with the burden of proof must “put up or ...
