Scott Simmons Chattanooga Litigation Attorney

Scott E. Simmons

Chattanooga

Office: 423.785.8475 | Fax: 423.321.1675

scott.simmons@millermartin.com

Practice Areas

Overview
Experience
Education
Involvement
In-Depth

Overview

Scott Simmons focuses his practice heavily on: (1) provision of general-counsel and dispute-resolution services; (2) preventative employment counseling, including due-diligence review of private-equity mergers and acquisitions; and (3) defense of workplace-related disputes. Mr. Simmons regularly counsels his clients on a myriad of employment-related topics, including wage-and-hour compliance, restrictive covenants, hiring, termination, leave laws, and general personnel policies. He also has significant experience defending employment-related disputes in multiple forums, including both state and federal courts, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (and similar state agencies), the U.S. and Tennessee Departments of Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Mr. Simmons serves as national outside employment counsel to one of the world’s largest outdoor recreation manufacturers, and counts as clients a variety of businesses across the healthcare, manufacturing, construction, transportation, distribution, and service industries.

Previously, Mr. Simmons spent several years as a partner, COO (and licensed agent) in a commercial insurance agency, where he managed operational, financial, and legal risks for the company. Relying on his past business experience (and his MBA), Scott draws heavily on his background to advice clients not only from a legal perspective, but also to provide business solutions that address his clients’ challenges.

Mr. Simmons also is an ordained minister, and he served several years full-time as Senior Pastor of a multi-tiered church that averaged more than 300 in weekly worship attendance. Using the empathy and negotiation skills he fostered in that position, Mr. Simmons is carving out an alternative dispute resolution practice as a mediator and arbitrator of all types of employment-and-commercial-related disputes.

Mr. Simmons also is an experienced and sought-after speaker who injects humor and real-life storytelling to teach on a variety of employment- and business-related topics. Within the firm, he serves as Co-Chair of Miller & Martin’s Workplace Environmental, Health and Safety/OSHA practice group, and he has served a member both of the firm’s Hiring and Recruiting Committees.
Experience

Speaking Engagements
- Tennessee Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) HR Business Leadership & Strategy Conference, “Assembling Your Team of Specialists – A True Love Story (Or, Maybe, “I Think We Should Take a Break”)” (2024)
- Associated General Contractors (AGC) East Tennessee Construction Leadership University, “Construction Law – Contracts and Safety Compliance” (2022, 2023, 2024)
- PlayCore Human Resources Leadership Summit, “Annual Legal Update” (2022, 2023, 2024)
- SouthEast Tennessee Society for Human Resource Management, “Annual Legal Roundtable” (2022, 2023, 2024)
- Tennessee Personnel Management Association (TPMA), “Is that Reasonable Accommodation Request Actually ‘Reasonable’?” (2023)
- Chattanooga Bar Association John Bode and Friends: Labor & Employment Law CLE (2014, 2023)
- Tennessee Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Statewide Conference, Keynote Speaker, “AI, HR and U?” (2023)
- Client Leadership Training, “Michael Scott on Management: Lessons Learned from ‘The Office’” (2023)
- Client Supervisor, Medical & HR Training, “Appropriately Handling Employee Accommodation Requests under the ADA” (2022, 2023)
- Tennessee Personnel Management Association (TPMA), “Shot in the Dark? Making Sense of OSHA’s ETS Vaccine Mandate” (2022)
- Coca-Cola Bottlers Association, “Shot in the Dark? Making Sense of OSHA’s ETS Vaccine Mandate” (2021)
- Tennessee Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Statewide Conference, “Money Matters: An Overview & Update of the FLSA” (2019)
- Client Leadership Training, “Help! ICE is Here – What Should we Do?” (2019)
Articles Authored
- Tennessee Labor & Employment Law Newsletter, “Will High Court Expand Scope of Adverse Employment Action?” (March 2024)
- Tennessee Labor & Employment Law Newsletter, “By Your Leave: Milman Clarifies the Scope of the Family and Medical Leave Act” (July 2023)
Education
- J.D., magna cum laude, University of Tennessee College of Law, 2010
  - Order of the Coif
  - Editor-in-Chief, Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law
  - Editor, Tennessee Law Review
- M.B.A. (Finance), summa cum laude, University of Tennessee, 2008
- B.S., Business Administration (Finance), magna cum laude, University of Tennessee, 2005
Involvement
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
Accolades
- The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch - Commercial Litigation; Labor and Employment Law Management; Labor and Employment Litigation, since 2023
Memberships
- Chattanooga Bar Association
- Tennessee Bar Association
Community
- Signal Mountain Soccer League, Age-Group Commissioner
- The Point Church at Signal, Personnel Committee Chairman
- The Point Church at Signal, Deacon Chairman (Past)
- Chattanooga Chamber International Business Council, Board of Directors (Past)
- The Benjamin House (Kampala, Uganda), Board of Directors (Past)
- Southeast Tennessee Society of Human Resource Management, Board of Directors (Past)
News
Alerts
Event

Prior to practicing law, Scott was a sportswriter, during which time he had opportunities to interview such legends as Lou Holtz, Pat Summitt, Johnny Majors and Rick Pitino, among many others.

Scott E. Simmons

Practice Areas

Overview

Experience

Education

Involvement

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