Thomas Wormouth Shumate IV

I employed Mr. Shumate to fully research non-competition agreements related to Tennessee and Indiana and to provide effective counsel related to my specific information and details, noting which side of each article had the better argument. I received far more than I asked for and for that I’m extre...mely grateful. First of all, Mr. Shumate was very personable and relatable and not legally condescending, but kept everything at my level of understanding. That created a relationship and trust, which are the two most important aspects of attorney and client. His research was spot on to address the bullet points I needed to be adressed so I could make informed decisions about each aspect of the non-compete in question. At the end of our meeting I was confident about where I needed to go and where I needed to stay away from regarding the points in the non-compete. That is the highest praise I can give any attorney and it is well deserved. I can highly recommend Mr. Shewmate.

I retained Tom primarily to negotiate a settlement with my ex-employer. These are my impressions: (+) Tom was very open and honest with his opinions. (+) Tom promptly replied to my questions. (+) Billing amounts were as expected based on our communication. (-) Tom has published papers on ...avoiding legal malpractice. Perhaps due in part to this concentration, he appeared to devote much of his time to "covering" his position. This manifested itself in conservative recommendations (he advised to settle earlier in the process than warranted), communication (he repeated positions he had already provided and often diverted discussion necessitating follow-up communication in order to re-focus the activity), and general lack of tactical creativity (he preferred to pass communications between me and my ex-employer's counsel rather than take steps to possibly increase my recovery). I often felt that Tom was more concerned with minimizing risk to himself or his firm as well as facilitating a professional appearance than with advocating for me. (-) Tom was either unaware of one avenue of law available to me or else he did not think it was relevant to negotiations. I found it during an internet search. (-) At one point I asked Tom whether or not legal recommendations were reviewed by other lawyers in his firm. Apparently they are not. I was not contacted at any point by a partner with his firm nor was I asked for feedback on the services provided. I presumed that I would receive some added benefit by engaging a lawyer with a firm (e.g., second opinion, review of recommendations, a wider range of experience brought to bear on my case) rather than an individual. In this case it would have made more sense to engage a professional negotiator. A negotiator or paralegal can pass communications back and forth at significantly lower cost.

I was introduced to Tom Shumate and Meridian Law firm through a mutual friend at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee who connected us based on us being Notre Dame Alumni. ' Meridian Law helped me update my estate planning documents from South Carolina to Tennessee. Tom and the entire Me...ridian Law Firm were fantastic throughout the process giving me sound advice to accomplish my desired outcomes. Everyone was very professional and went out of their way to finish in a timely manner while accommodating my busy work schedule. Tom personally followed up with me even after we were officially finished to ensure that all of my needs were met. I would definitely recommend Meridian Law without reservation and will certainly engage them for any future needs. TOP NOTCH!

I've hired Tom twice to date and I've been very pleased with the results. Each time my situation centered on Employment agreements. Most recently, we worked through a Non-Compete and Non-Solicit agreement dispute with my previous employer. Throughout the process, Tom was responsive and knowledgable. ...His letters on my behalf were convincing with cases cited to support our position. I'm happy to have had Tom in my corner, and recommend him to others.