Laura
F.
Ketcham
Member
423.785.8383
423.321.1556

Laura Ketcham, Chair of the firm’s Commercial Department, focuses her practice in the areas of bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, commercial finance and leasing, and providing general business counsel. She has represented various stakeholders in commercial bankruptcy cases across the country. She has also represented parties in a variety of finance transactions, office and medical office leases, loan workouts, foreclosures, receiverships, lien priority disputes, judgment enforcement actions, lawsuits asserting the breach of loan documents, distressed asset sales and preferential transfer cases.

  • Represent local and regional banks and other creditors in bankruptcy, loan workout, foreclosure and litigation matters.
  • Manage the leasing teams for several firm clients. 
  • Ten years’ experience serving as bankruptcy counsel for an international floorplan lender and a chemical manufacturing company.
  • Represented a real estate company in over thirty retail bankruptcy cases.
  • Completed secondees with two lending divisions of a Fortune 100 company.
  • J.D., Vanderbilt University Law School, 2005
  • B.A., magna cum laude, Political Science and Economics, Vanderbilt University, 2002

Bar Admissions

  • Tennessee

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Tennessee
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan

Clerkships

Certifications

Accolades

  • The Best Lawyers in America® - Commercial Transactions / UCC Law, since 2025
  • Chattanooga Bar Foundation - Fellow, 2024
  • Mid-South Super Lawyers® - Rising Stars, 2014-2019
  • Leadership Chattanooga - Graduate, Class of 2012

Memberships

  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Chattanooga Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law Section
  • Federal Bar Association
  • Tennessee Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law Section Executive Council - Past Chair
  • American Inns of Court, Justices Ray L. Brock Jr. and Robert E. Cooper Chapter - Former Member
  • Mid-South Commercial Law Institute Board of Directors 

Community

  • Chattanooga Friends - Past President
  • CHI Memorial Foundation - Board of Directors, Treasurer
  • Chattanooga Rotary - Member
  • Delta Delta Delta, Alumnae Association
  • Junior League of Chattanooga - Past President
  • Leadership Chattanooga, Alumni Association
  • Mars Hill Presbyterian Church - Past Clerk of Session
  • St. Peter’s Episcopal School - Past Chair of Board of Trustees
  • Vanderbilt Alumni - Volunteer

In-Depth

Did You Know?

In Laura’s free time, you can find her on the tennis court, cheering on her son at a baseball game or volunteering in the Chattanooga community.