Attorney Bios

John Anderson began working at Stewart, Estes & Donnell in 1992, and presently is serving as the firm's hiring partner.  Throughout his legal career, John has handled and tried a number of lawsuits in both state and federal courts. 

John's practice includes the defense of clients in products liability litigation throughout the state of Tennessee , including the defense of product manufacturers for products such as medical implant devices, household appliances, and motor vehicles.  Also, John's representation of clients in the transportation industry include the representation of shippers, carriers, and transportation brokers.  Throughout his 15 years at Stewart, Estes & Donnell, John has represented automobile dealerships throughout the state of Tennessee , as well as amusement park owners and racetrack owners throughout Tennessee .  John's workers' compensation defense includes the representation of clients on a state-wide basis.  John's practice includes commercial and civil litigation and workers' compensation defense.

As counsel for the defense, John has obtained favorable results for clients in numerous cases, such as the successful dismissal of a fire loss claim on behalf of a product manufacturer in a case involving allegations of a defective and unreasonably dangerous washer/dryer unit; the successful representation of a party rental store involving a significant claim for serious bodily injury involving the use of a sumo wrestling suit; the representation of a product manufacturer at trial in federal court in the defense and counter-claim of multi-million dollar litigation involving breach of contract and fraudulent misrepresentation arising out of the licensing and sale of technology in the tire industry; summary judgment in the defense of a racetrack owner in which a customer sought extensive damages following a devastating injury at a racetrack; successful defense of litigation involving serious bodily injury (including a severe closed head injury) in which the claimants were seeking millions of dollars in damages following a motor vehicle/truck/motorcycle accident; and the dismissal of an uninsured/underinsured motorist client at the conclusion of all proof at a jury trial in state court in a case in which the claimant sought recovery for spinal injuries, lost wages and loss of earnings capacity.  John's workers' compensation defense has resulted in the benchmark decision of the Tennessee Supreme Court of Wausau v. Dorsett, clarifying an employer's obligation for payment of indemnity benefits.  Frequently, John represents his clients with preparation of opinion letters involving insurance coverage issues, such as coverage of issues including construction litigation involving a multimillion dollar mold loss claim, permissive use of a motor vehicle involving a motor vehicle accident involving death and serious bodily injury, and the financial responsibility of motor carriers for compliance with federal motor carrier legislation.

In addition to his extensive trial practice, his appellate practice includes arguing and obtaining successful decisions for his clients in the United State Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Tennessee Supreme Court and the Tennessee Court of Appeals.  Also, John's practice includes an active practice in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and he has obtained successful results for clients through mediation and arbitration.

John received his B.S. (with honors) from the University of Tennessee in 1984 and graduated from the Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1989.  Also, he is a graduate of the International Association of Defense Counsel trial academy in Boulder, Colorado in 1996.

He is a member of the Nashville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations as well as the Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association, Defense Research Institute and National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators.

John is admitted to practice before all Tennessee State Courts, the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Tennessee, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.