Hunter, Smith & Davis Celebrates a Century of Excellence

KINGSPORT, Tennessee- April 15, 2016 — the law firm of Hunter, Smith & Davis, LLP celebrates its 100-year anniversary this year. The Firm was formed in 1916, headed by Judge Hugh G. Morison who worked with community and industry leaders, city planners, railroad executives, and real estate development companies to develop railroad and city rights of way for neighborhoods, roads, sidewalks, industrial land development and rail traffic through our region. This original law firm of Morison, Kelly & Penn, now known as Hunter, Smith & Davis LLP, drafted the charter to incorporate Kingsport as a municipality in the State of Tennessee.

“The 100th anniversary of Hunter, Smith & Davis is special because of the longevity of our firm in serving the communities in our region for an entire century” said Bill Argabrite, Managing Partner. “We are proud that our firm has played a meaningful role in the history of our region, particularly Kingsport. We have employed more than 500 people over the course of the century, many of those with decades of loyalty to our firm. The partners of the firm have always honored the responsibility that we have to our community, our clients, our employees, and their families. We look forward to another 100 years of excellence in fulfilling these commitments.”

Community involvement has always been a driving principle throughout the long history of Hunter, Smith & Davis, LLP. The list of civic and charitable organizations both founded and supported by the firm and its members is extensive–including, but not limited to, Hospital Foundations, Chambers of Commerce, United Way, Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement, Second Harvest Food Bank, American Heart Association, CASA, Legal Aid, Symphony of the Mountains, Kingsport Board of Education, Boys and Girls Clubs, and scholarships awarded to local high school students to attend the region’s colleges and universities.

Today, the firm has 26 attorneys in Kingsport and Johnson City. The firm’s attorneys are licensed to practice law in 8 states including Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, Montana and Massachusetts. The firm’s members are represented in national, state and local bar associations and related organizations including the Kingsport Bar Association, the Washington County Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, and the Tennessee Bar Foundation. Five attorneys for the firm have served in the Tennessee House of Delegates for the Tennessee Bar Association and two attorneys have served on the Johnson City Commission, including a partner who served as both Mayor and Vice Mayor of Johnson City. While the practice of law has changed over the course of the last 100 years, Hunter, Smith & Davis, LLP’s standard of excellence in its legal services remains unchanged.