Tennessee Attorneys Memo has assembled a stellar cast of attorneys well-versed in estate planning and probate practice. Plus, you'll hear from probate judge Larry D. Brandon.


Judge Larry D. Brandon was elected in 2006 to the Rutherford County General Sessions Court, Part III. By private act, the general sessions judge of Part III serves as the probate judge. The judge hears all probate matters in Rutherford County and is charged with making all determinations regardless of the size of the estate.

Kristen Amonette, of Dodson, Parker, Behm & Capparella, P.C., focuses her practice on estate planning, probate, family law and general civil litigation. She received her J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law where she served as editor of student materials for The Tennessee Law Review.

Harlan Dodson, of Dodson, Parker, Behm & Capparella P.C., focuses his practice on work for individuals, corporations, and their businesses – including general business advice, real estate law, estate planning, and litigation in all courts. He has taught estate planning at the Nashville School of Law for over 20 years. He is the author of a book on estate planning entitled, Introduction to Estate Planning and Administration in Tennessee, which he updates annually and is a contributing editor to West Publishing Company's Tennessee Practice series on planning and business entities.


Brad Dozier, CFP, CSA, is a Certified Financial Planner and a Certified Senior Advisor and is currently working toward the completion of the Chartered Financial Consultant credential. Before becoming an attorney, he worked with the owners and employees of family-owned and closely-held businesses for more than a decade in the areas of estate, insurance, investment and retirement planning.


As an attorney, he works with other financial advisors to help combine this valuable experience with the ability to design and draft effective and practical legal documents. Brad has worked with estates of all sizes, being able to put together cost conscious simple estate packages for the young married couple with children as well as drafting more complex tax wise estate plans for high net worth clients.


Paul A. Gontarek is a partner in Waller Lansden Dortch and Davis, LLP’s trial and appellate litigation section. His experience includes representing both fiduciaries and beneficiaries in trust and estate litigation in federal and state courts in the Southeast. Recently, he successfully defended a banking institution in a lawsuit alleging breach of fiduciary duty related to the management of a trust.




Bryan Howard is a founding member of Howard & Mobley, PLLC. He assists families whose net worth exceeds $10 million with wealth transfer planning, tax reduction planning, charitable giving and asset protection planning. He also advises the owners of closely-held businesses with respect to tax and business succession issues and represents fiduciaries and beneficiaries with regard to trust and estate administration and litigation issues.

He is listed as one of the top 7 Trust & Estate attorneys in the state by BusinessTN magazine. He is also listed in the Best Lawyers in America (2001-2009 editions) in both the Tax and Trusts and Estates categories.


Carla Lovell is a member of Sherrard & Roe with 17 years of experience in the areas of estate planning, probate and estate administration, as well as charitable, business and tax planning. She is a member of the Probate Court, Estate Planning and Tax Committees of the Nashville Bar Association.

Anne L. Russell is Special Counsel, Transactions and Corporate Advisory Services, with Adams and Reese LLP. Her practice focuses on civil litigation with emphasis on probate litigation, antenuptial agreements, alternative dispute resolution, and probate. She has served as an instructor (Wills, Probate and Trusts) at the Nashville School of Law since 1995.