Mark W. Litchford, Esq.

Attorney / Director

LICENSED IN TENNESSEE & GEORGIA

Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Mark is a founding member of Litchford, Pearce & Associates, PLLC. Mark is licensed to practice in Tennessee and Georgia and concentrates his practice in government law, commercial litigation, estate planning (wills & trusts), real property, personal injury, business transactions, and criminal defense. In 2016, Mark was named a “2016 Rising Star” by Super Lawyers of Thomson Reuters and in 2020 was nominated for inclusion in the 2020 SuperLawyers Profile published by Thomson Reuters.

Mark has extensive trial experience in representing clients in a variety of areas, including governmental regulations, personal injury, criminal defense, federal and state constitutional law, real property disputes, and public records and annexation actions.  Mark also serves as general representation counsel to various companies involved in the following markets: oil & lubricant distribution, logistic freight, restaurant, medical, and real estate.  The services provided to these companies include labor & employment counseling, collections, contract negotiations, and member/shareholder agreements. Mark also represents and/or serves as trustee for various trusts in connection with estate planning services.

Mark also routinely practices at the appellate level, having represented clients on appeals in federal and state courts involving a variety of subjects, including landowner tax disputes, federal and state constitutional law, civil rights, competitive business practices, and the Tennessee Open Records Act.

A native of Crossville, Tennessee, Mark attended The McCallie School of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and David Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, for both his undergraduate and Master's degrees. Mark received his J.D. degree, cum laude, from the Cecil C. Humphries School of Law at Memphis University and was a member of the Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity and an active participant in the Mock Trial and Advanced Moot Court competitions. Mark was also the recipient of the CALI Award given to the student with the top overall score in Property and was also the recipient of the Cicero Award for outstanding oral argument performance in Legal Methods.

Mark clerked for the Honorable W. Neil Thomas, III, of the Circuit Court for Hamilton County, Tennessee, and practiced at a prestigious law firm in Chattanooga before forming Litchford, Pearce & Associates, PLLC. Mark also taught calculus, geometry and algebra at the Boyd Buchanan School in Chattanooga, Tennessee prior to attending law school.

Since 2017, Mark has served as the city attorney for East Ridge, Tennessee, and has extensive experience in drafting municipal contracts and ordinances, assisting with land use regulation, industrial and commercial development, local government budgeting, and public-private partnerships.     

Mark has also successfully completed training on Advanced Plaintiff Strategies for Automobile Injuries held by the National Business Institute, one of the nation's leading providers for specific skill-based legal education and training.  The training focused on advanced strategies in negotiating resolutions on complicated subrogation issues and maximizing compensation for automobile victims well-above the insurance adjuster's settlement authority. 

Mark is a member of the Federal, Tennessee, Georgia and local Chattanooga Bar Association and is licensed to practice in Tennessee, Georgia, the Eastern District of Tennessee and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Mark is also actively involved with the Tennessee Municipal League, the National League of Cities, Municipal Technical Advisory Service, and the Tennessee Municipal Attorneys Association and serves on the board of directors for Boyd Buchanan School. 

When Mark is not practicing law, he spends time with his wife Amanda and three children.  Mark's hobbies include swimming, golfing, traveling and reading.  

Education

Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, Memphis, Tennessee

J.D. cum laude – 2008

Honors: Member, Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity

Honors: Mock Trial and Advanced Moot Court Competitions

Honors: Recipient, CALI Award

Honors: Recipient of the Cicero Award

David Lipscomb University

M.Ed. – 2004

David Lipscomb University

B.S. – 2001

Bar Admissions

• Tennessee
• Georgia
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
• United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Publications

Owens v. Hamilton County, et al., No. E2017-02395-COA-R3-CV, 2018 WL 6253818 (Tenn. Ct. App. November 28, 2018)

• Argued case before the Tennessee Court of Appeals and successfully represented claimant in restoring her ownership in her residence after defective back tax sale.

State ex rel. Commissioner, Department of Transportation v. Dyskin, No. E201302286COAR3CV, 2015 WL 382709 (Tenn. Ct. App. January 29, 2015)

• Argued case before Tennessee Court of Appeals and successfully represented claimants in eminent domain action and tax disbursement dispute between land owners.

United Pet Supply, Inc. v. City of Chattanooga, No. 13-5181, 768 F.3d 464 (6th Cir. September 18, 2014)

• Obtained partial reversal for defendants in interlocutory appeal challenging denial of qualified immunity in 42 U.S.C. 1983 action.

Rebecca Little v. City Of Chattanooga, No. E2013-00838-COA-R3CV, 2014 WL 605430 (Tenn. Ct. App. February 14, 2014)

• Successfully represented Chattanooga citizen on appeal to obtain all attorneys' fees, expenses and costs in connection with Tennessee Open Records action under T.C.A. § 10-7-501 et seq.

Rebecca Little v. City of Chattanooga, No. E2011-027-24-COAR3CV, 2012 WL 4358174 (Tenn. Ct. App. September 25, 2012)

• Argued case before Tennessee Court of Appeals and successfully represented Chattanooga citizen to obtain access to public documents willfully withheld by government officials.

Konvalinka v. Chattanooga Hamilton County Hospital Authority, 2009 WL 1530194 (Tenn. Ct. App. June 02, 2009)

• Handled appeal and successfully obtained reversal for client on appeal challenging claim by defendant that certain documents were protected from disclosure by Tennessee Public Records Act.

Rudek v. Frederick J. Hanna & Associates, P.C., No. 1:08–CV–288, 2009 WL 385804 (E.D. Tenn. Feb. 17, 2009)

• Successfully defended client by obtaining summary judgment on fair debt collection practices action.

Marion Anthony Allen d/b/a Associated Roofing Service v. Steven B. Hobbs, Neil A. Highfield and Foametix of Chattanooga, LLC, Hamilton County Chancery Court, Case No. 11-0058 (Hamilton County, Tennessee)

• Successfully defended clients in obtaining denial of injunctive relief action for alleged breach of employee non-compete agreement.

Andrews v. East Tennessee Children's Hosp. Ass'n., Inc., No. 1:07-CV-288, 2008 WL 4646115 (E.D. Tenn. Oct. 17, 2008).

• Successfully represented plaintiff in obtaining denial of summary judgment in claim for racial discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Tennessee Human Rights Act.

Presentations

 2018 Municipal Law Border Region Retail Tourism Development District Act:

• Presented seminar focused on the Tennessee Border Region Retail Tourism Development District Act, T.C.A. § 7-40-101 et seq., which provides state sales tax funded incentives to large-scale retail developments

2016 Employee & Employer Rights; Avoiding Company Liability

• Presented seminar focusing on employee rights and Employer avoiding liability

2016 The Business of Lawyering: Professional Development for Today's Attorney's

• Presented seminar focusing on ethical aspects of the legal profession involving attorney-client relationship

2014 Driving Under the Influence Seminar (Chattanooga, Tennessee)

• Presented seminar on current Tennessee DUI laws and minimum sentencing requirements.

2013 Landlord-Tenant Law (Sterling Education Services) Seminar

• Presented seminar on Uniform Residential Landlord Tenant Act of Tennessee T.C.A. § 66-28-101.

2013 Estate Planning Needs (Daughters of American Revolution) Seminar

• Presented seminar on estate planning matters involving trusts, tax-exempt gifts, and other related testamentary tax planning issues. 

2012 Fair Labor Standards Act (Tennessee Bar Association) Seminar

• Presented seminar on current FLSA exemptions and changes on executive employee exemptions.