K. Chris Collins

Dedicated. Skilled. Effective. With more than 14 years of experience representing clients across the industry spectrum - healthcare, manufacturing, real estate, construction, and financial services - clients know Chris to be a trusted advisor, a skilled negotiator, and a premier trial attorney, looking to Chris for his leadership and guidance on a variety of business-critical subject areas. As a trusted advisor, Chris routinely partners with his clients to identify and implement timely solutions to pressing business and legal challenges. He devotes himself to first gaining a deep understanding of the clients industry, the clients business, and the clients goals, before searching for a potential solution. Without a deep understanding of the clients business and the clients goals, Chris says, finding a long-term, cost-effective solution to a complex issue is like searching for a needle in a haystack - it is simply a matter of luck.Chris is also a skilled negotiator, and clients often look to him to resolve disputes before they escalate to the point of overt involvement of outside counsel or, worst case, litigation. Chris works closely with his clients to find the right path to resolution, often doing so behind the scenes so as not to unnecessarily escalate the dispute or damage any underlying processes or relationships. Though he strives to keep his clients out of litigation, the courtroom is where Chris does his best work. Chris is a highly skilled, experienced, and knowledgeable litigator with a proven track record of success. He handles every phase of the litigation process for his clients, including investigation, pleadings and discovery, pre-trial, trial, settlement and appeal. When it is time to go to trial, Chris is organized, articulate, and passionate. He is a natural storyteller, well-regarded for his ability to craft compelling arguments that appeal to judges and juries alike. No matter the issue or the industry, Chris applies the same skill set - a solid grasp of the clients industry, command of the operative facts, a strong opening statement, surgical cross-examinations, a compelling closing argument, and instant rapport with judges and juries. It is a formula that has led Chris to numerous successful outcomes across a wide variety of cases, including multimillion-dollar class actions (successfully defended a client in a $250 million class action alleging violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act), complex construction disputes (obtained a full defense verdict and an award of attorneys fees in excess of $500,000 on behalf of a real estate developer/contractor against allegations of breach of contract, fraud, and violations of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act), and trade secrets litigation (secured a multi-million dollar jury verdict on behalf of a highly specialized manufacturer in a trade secrets battle against the companys former supplier and employees). Chris has spent his entire career in the world of high stakes litigation.is well respected by his peers and has been identified in Mid-South Super Lawyers as one of the publications Rising Stars since 2016. When not in the office, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife (Elizabeth) and three children (Claire, Hal, and Frank) and their dog (Bogey). He is also an avid golfer and jiu jitsu practitioner. In the community, Chris devotes a substantial amount of his time to coaching baseball and football and is an active member of Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church. This year, Chris and his three other leaders will be wrapping up a seven-year commitment to the churchs D-Group ministry, having led their group of rising senior boys since they were in the sixth grade.