Attorney Practice Areas
Use the jump-links below to quickly navigate to a specific practice area.
Academic and Student Affairs
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Freedom | Frank Lancaster; Lela Young | |
| Accreditation & Other Academic Affairs Issues | Frank Lancaster; Lela Young | |
| Academic Misconduct – Students | Rachel Powell; Yousef Hamadeh (UTC) | |
| Clery Act | Rachel Powell; Yousef Hamadeh (UTC) | |
| Graduate Medical Education | Lela Young; Frank Lancaster | |
| FERPA | Rachel Powell; Yousef Hamadeh (UTC) | |
| Research Misconduct | Lela Young | Frank Lancaster |
| Student Affairs (e.g., housing; health; student conduct; disability accommodations) | Rachel Powell; Yousef Hamadeh (UTC) | |
| Title IX | Rachel Powell; Yousef Hamadeh (UTC) |
Athletics
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| General | Ryan Stinnett; Yousef Hamadeh (UTC) | |
| Compliance | Ryan Stinnett | |
| Athletics Game Contracts | Ryan Stinnett | |
| Athletics Employment Agreements | Ryan Stinnett |
Business Transactions, Real Property and Construction
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts Payable/Collections | Katie Lane; Yousef Hamadeh (UTC) | Ryan Stinnett; Walt Schuler (UTHSC) |
| Bankruptcy | Katie Lane; Yousef Hamadeh (UTC) | Ryan Stinnett |
| Construction | Ryan Stinnett; Katie Lane | |
| Contracts | Katie Lane; Frank Lancaster; Yousef Hamadeh (UTC); Walt Schuler (UTHSC) | Ryan Stinnett |
| Contracts – Health Care Related (e.g., affiliation agreements; graduate medical education residency & rotation agreements; professional services; management services; billing services; business ventures; faculty practices) | Walt Schuler | Ryan Stinnett; Katie Lane |
| Contracts – Research | Katie Lane; Frank Lancaster; Walt Schuler (UTHSC) | |
| Debt Financing/Bond Issues | Katie Lane | |
| Estates & Gifts | Katie Lane | |
| Financial Aid | Katie Lane | Ryan Stinnett |
| Information Technology | Katie Lane | Ryan Stinnett |
| Investments | Katie Lane | |
| Payroll, Benefits, & Retirement | Katie Lane | Mike Fitzgerald |
| Procurement | Katie Lane | Ryan Stinnett |
| Real Estate | Katie Lane | Ryan Stinnett |
| Tax | Katie Lane |
Conflicts of Interest and Commitment
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| General | Ryan Stinnett | Katie Lane |
Employment, HR, Benefits and Immigration
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Background Checks | Mike Fitzgerald | |
| Disability Accommodations | Mike Fitzgerald | |
| Employment Policies & Disputes – Faculty | Lela Young (UTK); Frank Lancaster (UTM, UTC) | Lela Young (UTHSC, UTM); Yousef Hamadeh (UTC); Frank Lancaster (UTK) |
| Employment Policies & Disputes – Staff | Mike Fitzgerald; Yousef Hamadeh (UTC) | |
| Immigration | Mike Fitzgerald | |
| Worker’s Compensation | Josh Walker; Becky Tuttle (UTHSC) | Mike Fitzgerald |
Freedom of Speech and Expression
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| First Amendment | Frank Lancaster | Lela Young |
| Use of University Property for Free Expression Activities | Frank Lancaster |
Government Relations
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| General | Ryan Stinnett | Katie Lane |
Healthcare
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Compliance, Regulation, & Contracting | Walt Schuler | Ryan Stinnett; Katie Lane |
| Healthcare – Corporate/ Business (e.g., faculty practices; business ventures) | Walt Schuler | Ryan Stinnett; Katie Lane |
| Healthcare – Compliance & Regulatory (e.g., False Claims Act; Stark and Anti-Kickback Laws; HIPAA; faculty practice plans; business ventures; health professional licensure and scope of practice issues; student licensure exemptions and supervision requirements) | Walt Schuler |
Intellectual Property
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Copyrights & Patents | Frank Lancaster | |
| Trademarks & Licensing | Frank Lancaster | Katie Lane |
Litigation
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| General Litigation | Harold Pinkley | |
| Employment & Civil Rights | Mike Fitzgerald; Yousef Hamadeh (UTC) | |
| Tennessee Claims Commission (Healthcare Liability/Malpractice; Personal Injury; Breach of Contract) | Josh Walker; Becky Tuttle; Heather Colturi | |
| Subpoenas and Complaints |
Open Meetings
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| General | Ryan Stinnett; Frank Lancaster |
Policies
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Drafting and Development | Katie Lane | Ryan Stinnett |
| Board of Trustees Policies | Ryan Stinnett; Katie Lane | |
| General Policies | Katie Lane | Ryan Stinnett |
| Fiscal Policies | Katie Lane | Ryan Stinnett |
| Human Resources Policies | Mike Fitzgerald | |
| Information Technology Policies | Katie Lane | Ryan Stinnett |
| Research Policies | Katie Lane | Ryan Stinnett; Walt Schuler |
| Safety Policies | Katie Lane |
Political Activity
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| General | Ryan Stinnett; Frank Lancaster |
Privacy
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| General | Katie Lane | Ryan Stinnett |
| Privacy and Security – Health Information (e.g., HIPAA, FERPA, state confidentiality laws) | Walt Schuler | Katie Lane |
| EU GDPR | Ryan Stinnett; Harold Pinkley | Katie Lane |
Research and Research Compliance
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Research Compliance (e.g., Animal Subjects; Conflict of Interests; Export Controls; Human Subjects; Laboratory Safety) | Ryan Stinnett; Katie Lane; Walt Schuler (UTHSC) | Lela Young |
| Environmental Compliance | Frank Lancaster | |
| Occupational Health and Safety | Katie Lane |
Rulemaking
| Legal Topic | Primary Contact(s) | Secondary Contact(s) |
|---|---|---|
| General | Ryan Stinnett |