Hunter, Smith & Davis, LLP Partner Michael Forrester Recognized as Seaton Hall of Fame Inductee

November 2019

Johnson City, Tennessee—November 6, 2019—Hunter, Smith & Davis, LLP is honored to announce that partner Michael Forrester was named as the first ever Seaton Hall of Fame Inductee at the Legal Aid Heritage of Justice Jubilee on August 22 in Johnson City, Tennessee. He was also recognized as an Access to Justice Award recipient.

“We are very pleased that Mike Forrester is recognized for his extensive pro bono work in East Tennessee communities,” said managing partner Steve Darden. “Many of the men and women who practice law with Hunter, Smith & Davis volunteer their time, talents and experience in ways that benefit the legal profession and the Tri-Cities region.”

As an example of Mr. Forrester’s civic involvement, he has been the Coordinator of the Kingsport Bar Association Free Legal Clinic since its inception in 2013. The Clinic provides no-cost legal assistance on a monthly basis in areas such as housing, domestic, property, benefits and collections issues for Tri Cities citizens.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) provides civil legal representation to East Tennesseans who would otherwise have no one to help them secure their basic legal rights. LAET established the Seaton Hall of Fame Award in 2017. The annual award is named after Tennessee lawyer Tony Seaton, who served on the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission from 2012 to 2018. During this time Mr. Seaton recruited lawyers to start free legal advice clinics in most of the judicial districts in the state.

About Michael L. Forrester

Michael Forrester first joined Hunter, Smith & Davis, LLP in 1984. Since becoming a partner in 1990, he has enjoyed a varied and challenging state and federal court civil law practice. His primary emphasis is on employment-related litigation, particularly workers’ compensation and civil actions brought under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). He is certified by the Tennessee Supreme Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee as a Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator.

Mr. Forrester has been fortunate to represent and work with some of the most respected and dynamic employers in Northeast Tennessee.  His work includes employer representation in court and administrative trials and hearings, workplace training and investigations, discipline and termination matters, benefits and leave issues, accommodation and disability disputes, and drafting and enforcement of company policies and procedures.

He is the recipient of many awards, is a current member of the Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission, and is AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

About Hunter, Smith & Davis, LLP

Hunter, Smith & Davis, LLP has deep roots in the Tri-Cities region dating back to its founding in 1916. The firm played an active role in the drafting of plans and overall design for the City of Kingsport, Tennessee. Today the firm’s more than 25 attorneys actively practice throughout most of Tennessee and in southwest Virginia, as well as eastern Kentucky and western North Carolina. Attorneys are also licensed in Florida, Georgia, Montana, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia.

Members of the firm regularly defend civil litigation claims on behalf of clients, often through their insurance carriers. Hunter, Smith & Davis, LLP represents clients in the areas of general liability, medical malpractice defense, products liability, property damage, employment practices liability (EPL), and director and officer (D&O) liability. Additional practice areas include general corporate, immigration, family law, and estate planning.

Hunter, Smith & Davis, LLP represents the major industrial and professional segments of the Tri-Cities region. Clients include public utilities, regional hospital systems, manufacturing businesses, financial institutions, and physician practice groups.

The firm also maintains longstanding client relationships with local public governments and quasi-governmental bodies, including airport commissions, city, county and regional economic development partnerships, industrial development boards, and health, educational and housing facility boards. Details are online at colleenc11.sg-host.com.

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