Martin L. Pierce

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Martin L. Pierceis a native of Memphis, Tennessee, and received his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from Tennessee Technological University in 1978.  He received that institution's Outstanding Young Alumnus Award in 1988.  Martin received his law degree, with high honors, from the University of Memphis in 1981, where he was a published member of the University of Memphis Law Review.  He is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Georgia, as well as before the U.S. Tax Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Martin works primarily in the areas of: (1) Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Elder Law, Probate, Business and Family Succession Planning, Medicaid & VA Planning, Special Needs Trusts (Disability Planning), Miller Trusts, Qualified Income Trusts, Conservatorships, Guardianships and Charitable Planning; (2) Business Entity Law, including Corporations, LLCs and Partnerships, Nonprofits, Tax-exempt (501(c)(3)) Organizations, Contracts, Agreements, Buy-Sell Agreements, Leases, Real Estate documents, Foundations, etc.; (3) Employee Benefits, Retirement Plans, Cafeteria Plans, Health Savings Accounts, COBRA and ERISA; and (4) various other Tax law matters.

He is a Certified Estate Planning Specialist through the ABA-accredited National Association of Estate Planners & Councils and the Tennessee Supreme Court Commission on Specialization (TNSpecialists).  An AV Preeminent rated lawyer with Martindale-Hubbell, he is also a Mid-South Super Lawyer® in the areas of Estate Planning and Elder Law, was selected to Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates, and is an AVVO Top-Rated Lawyer.  He is also a member of theNational Academy ofElder Law Attorneys, and he is an Accredited Attorney with the Department of Veterans Affairs.  He is an Accredited Estate Planner® by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils, a member of the Chattanooga Estate Planning Council (Past President, 2006-07) and the Chattanooga Tax Practitioners (President, 2007-08), and he was a Charter Member of the Chattanooga Planned Giving Council.  He is also a member of the Georgia, Tennessee and Chattanooga Bar Associations. 

Martin is the co-founder of several local nonprofit organizations, including First Things First () and the IMPACT School at Silverdale Baptist Academy.  He has served on the Boards of many nonprofits, including the Chattanooga Christian School, Chattanooga Resource Foundation, the Bryan College President’s Roundtable, Bethel Bible Village, Lighthouse Counseling Center, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Chattanooga, Chattanooga Optimist Club, and Paraclyte Counseling Resources.  He currently serves as a Member of the Boards of Choices (), LifeLine (), and Relevant Hope ().  He has extensive experience in establishing, counseling, operating, representing, teaching about, and speaking about nonprofits and tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) ministries and charities as well as various legal, business and tax aspects concerning them.

Martin is in his 37th year of law practice in Chattanooga, where he began with Stophel, Caldwell & Heggie, P.C., in 1981.  In 1984, he moved to Chambliss & Bahner, PLLC (where he became a Partner in 1987 and was the Head of the Firm’s Tax & Estates and Employee Benefits Sections).  In 2002, Martin joined the national law firm of Husch & Eppenberger, LLC (where he was Head of the Estate Planning and Employee Benefits practice areas for the Firm’s three offices in the State of Tennessee).  On January 1, 2005, Martin opened his own practice to more personally and cost-effectively serve his clients. 

A Member of the Christian Legal Society and a Certified & Charter Member of Kingdom Advisors, Martin and his family attend Harvest Bible Chapel Chattanooga, where he is a Deacon.