J. Ross Pepper

J. Ross Pepper is a trial lawyer with over 29 years of experience representing clients in civil trials and arbitration proceedings. Mr. Pepper has handled cases all over the state of Tennessee in both federal and state courts and at both the trial and appellate level. He has handled cases outside of Tennessee, including business litigation in the Superior Court of Delaware, and has argued appeals before the Court of Appeals of Tennessee, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Mr. Pepper has received numerous awards and distinctions throughout his career including a Martindale-Hubbell “AV” rating- – – the highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards given by the oldest, most widely recognized and most respected lawyer rating organization. Martindale-Hubbell bases its ratings on the opinions of lawyers and judges familiar with a lawyer’s work. Mr. Pepper has successfully represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of cases including complex commercial and business cases, real estate cases, will contest and trust cases, employment cases, shareholder and LLC dispute cases, construction cases, tort cases, and cases involving serious personal injuries and wrongful death. Mr. Pepper is a Nashville native who has deep ties to Middle Tennessee as well as to the Nashville and Tennessee legal communities. Mr. Pepper has been an active member of the Nashville Bar Association for years and is a Fellow of the Nashville Bar Foundation. He is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association Litigation Law Executive Counsel; a board member and executive officer of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee; a board member of the Nashville City Club; and serves on the Nashville Bar Association’s Chancery and Circuit Court Committee. In 2018, Mr. Pepper was appointed by the Mayor of Nashville to serve on the Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals where he serves as vice-chairman. Mr. Pepper also devotes time to fundraise for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Nashville and has himself been a “Big Brother” for years. Besides being a lawyer, Mr. Pepper is an avid outdoorsman. Awards and Honors Super Lawyers® Selectees J. Ross Pepper included in a Super Lawyers® list Honors Recipient, Hunton & Williams Law Review Award for Best Legal Comment American Jurisprudence Award, Contracts Order of the Coif Martindale-Hubbell “AV” rating Nashville Bar Foundation, Fellow Other Sources of Feedback About J. Ross Pepper Included on the 2025Mid-South Super Lawyers list Past Lists 2024 Mid-South Super Lawyers list 2023 Mid-South Super Lawyers list 2022 Mid-South Super Lawyers list 2021 Mid-South Super Lawyers list 2020 Mid-South Super Lawyers list 2019 Mid-South Super Lawyers list 2018 Mid-South Super Lawyers list 2017 Mid-South Super Lawyers list 2016 Mid-South Super Lawyers list 2015 Mid-South Super Lawyers list

• Member

• U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, Judicial Clerk, 1990
• Lassiter, Tidwell, Davis, Keller & Hogan, PLLC, Senior Litigation Counsel, 2006

• Adjunct Professor (former), Business Law, Belmont University, 2005 - 2006
• Tutor, Nashville Adult Literacy Council

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee, Board Member and Executive Officer
• Nashville City Club, Board Member
• Representative Clients
• Individuals
• Businesses (corporations, LLCs, partnerships, sole-proprietors)
• Technology Companies
• Construction Companies
• Manufacturers
• Banks
• Brokers
• Small and Medium-Sized Companies
• Third-Party Administrators
• Private Investors
• Consumers

• Tennessee, 1990
• U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1990
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Tennessee, 1990
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Tennessee, 1993

• Tennessee Bar Association, Litigation Law Executive Counsel (Member)
• Nashville Bar Association (Member)
• Nashville Bar Association, Community Relations
• Nashville Bar Association, Chancery and Circuit Court Committee
• Lawyer Referral Service Committees
• Belmont-Hillsboro Neighborhood Association (Officer/Member)
• American Arbitration Association (Arbitrators and Mediators)
• Wilderness Society (Member)
• Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Nashville (Fundraiser)
• Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals (Vice-chairman)
• Tennessee Association for Justice
• Fraternities and Sororities
• Phi Kappa Phi