Scott Evan Simmons focuses his practice on employment litigation and preventative counseling in the firm's Labor and Employment practice. Scott regularly counsels clients on a wide range of employment-related topics, including wage-and-hour compliance, hiring, termination, and creation and modification of general personnel policies. He also has significant experience defending a wide variety of employment-related lawsuits in front of a myriad of employment-related forums, including state and federal courts in multiple states, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, similar state agencies, and the National Labor Relations Board. Previously, Scott spent several years as a partner, chief operating officer, and licensed agent in an independent commercial insurance agency, where he managed operational and legal risks as well as regulatory compliance. In this role, he became well-versed in state insurance laws and regulations, and assisted with compliance with the agency’s multi-state insurer licensing, as well as negotiation of contracts with clients, carriers and other industry partners. Relying on his past business experience (and his MBA), Scott draws on his background to advise clients not only from a legal perspective, but also to provide a fresh set of business eyes to address his clients' immediate and long-term challenges. Scott also is an ordained Southern Baptist minister, who served several years full-time as Senior Pastor of a medium-sized church. Using the leadership, empathy, and negotiation skills he fostered in this position, Scott is carving out an alternative dispute resolution practice as a mediator and arbitrator of all types of employment-related disputes. He also is an experienced and sought-after speaker who injects humor and real-life storytelling to teach on a variety of employment- and business-related topics. Scott has served on Miller & Martin's Hiring Committee and as co-chair of the firm's Workplace Environmental, Health & Safety/OSHA practice group. Bar Admissions Tennessee Court Admissions U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida Accolades Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America - Commercial Litigation; Labor and Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment, since 2023 Memberships Chattanooga Bar Association Southeast Tennessee Society of Human Resource Management, Board of Directors Tennessee Bar Association Community Chattanooga Chamber International Business Council, Board of Directors (Past) Red Bank Baptist Church, Deacon Chairman and Personnel Committee The Benjamin House (Kampala, Uganda), Board of Directors (Past)