Donald K. Vowell – Mr. Vowell is Certified as a civil trial specialist by the Tennessee Commission on C.L.E. and Specialization. He has completed 30 appeals, including three successful appeals to the Tennessee Supreme Court in the fiber-optics right-of-way litigation and a successful appeal to the United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, sitting en banc, in Moore v. City of Harriman. For his appellate practice highlights click here.

Mr. Vowell has been in private practice in Knoxville since 1978. He was certified as a Civil Trial Specialist in 1997. He is a 1978 graduate of the University of Tennessee Law School and a 1975 graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin (B.S., Political Science). He is a 1996 graduate of the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer’s College near Dubois, Wyoming. He is admitted to practice by the Tennessee Supreme Court (1978), the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee (1979), the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (1997), the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit (1981), the United States Court of Appeals for the 7 th Circuit (2003), and the United States Supreme Court (1987). He has been admitted to practice pro hac vice by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

He is a member of the Knoxville Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Trial Lawyers Association.

Reported decisions: Spangler v. Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc., 313 F.3d 356 (6 th Cir. 2002); Frye v. Frye, 80 S.W.3d 15 (Tenn. App. 2002); Moore v. City of Harriman, 272 F.3d 769, 51 Fed.R.Serv.3d 641 (6th Cir. 2001) (en banc); Moore v. City of Harriman, 218 F.3d 551 (6 th Cir. 2000); National Gas Distributors v. Sevier County Utility District, 7 S.W.3d 41 (Tenn. App. 1999); Meighan v. Sprint, 942 S.W.2d 476 (Tenn 1997); Pratt v. Smart Corp., 968 S.W.2d 868 (Tenn. App. 1997); Meighan v. Sprint, 924 S.W.2d 632 (Tenn. 1996); Buhl v. Sprint, 840 S.W.2d 904 (Tenn. 1992); In re Woods, 139 B.R. 876 (Bankr. E. D. Tenn. 1992); National Gas Distributors v. State of Tennessee, 804 S.W.2d 66 ( Tenn. 1991); In re Freels, 79 B.R. 358 (Bankr. E. D. Tenn. 1987); In re Hutchens, 69 B.R. 402 (Bankr. E. D. Tenn. 1987); In re Hutchens, 69 B.R. 806 (Bankr. E. D. Tenn. 1987); In re Phillips, 60 B.R. 166 (Bankr. E. D. Tenn. 1986); Janzen v. Knox County Bd. of Educ., 790 S.W.2d 484 (6 th Cir. 1986); Ratcliffe v. Ratcliffe, 709 S.W.2d 609 ( Tenn. App. 1986); Womack v. Gettelfinger, 808 F.2d 446 (6th Cir. 1986); In re Deatherage, 55 B.R. 268 (Bankr. E. D. Tenn. 1985); In re Crabtree, 48 B.R. 528 (Bankr. E. D. Tenn. 1985); Soldano v. Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corp., 696 S.W.2d 887 ( Tenn. 1985); In re Hines, 37 B.R. 553 (Bankr. E. D. Tenn. 1984); Knoxville Rod and Bearing v. Bettis Corporation, 672 S.W.2d 203 ( Tenn. App. 1983); and Kelly v. Adroit, Inc., 480 F.Supp. 392 (E.D. Tenn. 1979).

Unreported decisions include Smith v. Sprint Communications Co., 2004 WL 2341276 (7 th Cir. Ill.); Keith v. Howerton, 2004 WL 2412615 (Tenn. Ct. App.); Keylon v. Hill, 2003 WL 22927143 (Tenn. App. 2003); Keith v. Howerton, 2002 WL 31840683 (Tenn. App. 2002); Gabel v. Gabel, 2001 WL 1089521 (Tenn. App. 2001); Frye v. Frye, 2001 WL 108952 (Tenn. App. 2001); Ashley v. Snapp, 2000 WL 1015887 (Tenn. App. 2000); Keister v. Lewis , 1999 WL 76063 (Tenn. App. 1999); Meighan v. U.S. Sprint Communications Company, 1994 WL 529955 (Tenn. App. 1994); Buhl v. U.S. Sprint Communications Company, 1991 WL 16250 (Tenn. App. 1991); Clinton Seafood, Inc. v. Harrington, 1991 WL 50218 (Tenn. App. 1991); Satterfield v. Satterfield, 1990 WL 130823 (Tenn. App. 1990); Sovran Bank v. ICB Transportation Services, Inc., 1990 WL 311594 (E. D. Tenn. 1990); Lloyd v. Hensley, 1988 WL 98740 (Tenn. App. 1988); Daniel v. Hopson, 1988 WL 1734 (Tenn. App. 1988); Cox v. Cox, 1986 WL 7434 (Tenn. App. 1986); Hammonds Wholesale Glass Co. v. Keller, (Tenn. App. 1985); and McGinnis v. PetroSystems Int'l., Inc. (Tenn. App. 1985).

Mr. Vowell grew up in Martin, Tennessee. He is a member of the Foothills Land Conservancy, and the Sierra Club. He enjoys kayaking, snow skiing and hiking. He and his wife Mary Alice live in Knoxville with their son, José, three dogs (Snowman, Charley and Archie) and two cats (Amos and Edye).

T Note to Volunteer football fans: Mr. Vowell’s grandfather, Morris Vowell, played tackle on the U.T. football team and was named All Southern in 1916. He holds the Tennessee record for the second longest intercepted pass return (99 yards). He played side-by-side with his brother, Graham Vowell (end), who was also named All Southern.