Cheryl Gilley Rice

Cheryl Rice 5

Cheryl Gilley Rice

Shareholder

(865) 525-5293

Overview

Cheryl Rice focuses her practice primarily in the area of civil and commercial dispute resolution, with emphasis in

  • Business and Commercial Litigation
  • Trade Practice Litigation
  • Estate and Trust Disputes
  • Creditors’ Rights
  • Banking Law

Cheryl is licensed in Tennessee, Virginia and the District of Columbia. She has extensive experience handling civil litigation matters for individuals and businesses in both state and federal courts in multiple states and regularly assists large and small companies with contract disputes, unfair trade practice claims, entity governance and other matters involving business relationships. She also represents the interests of businesses and individuals in matters including enforcement of non-compete and confidentiality agreements, trade secret matters, creditors rights issues and issues of banking law. Cheryl enjoys helping her clients resolve issues in the courtroom as well as through arbitration and mediation, and serving as their voice with opposing parties, judges and others.  In 2023, her fellow shareholders elected her Firm President.

Ms. Rice carries an “AV” rating, as voted by her peers, in the national Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. Ms. Rice has been voted a Top Attorney in Knoxville by her peers as recognized in CityView Magazine numerous times. She is a Past President of the Knoxville Bar Association and of the Tennessee Lawyers’ Association for Women, and has served on both the Tennessee Governor’s Commission for Judicial Appointments and the Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments, which she Chaired for two successive terms.

Cheryl also enjoys community involvement, serving locally on the boards of the McNabb Center and the Tennessee Memory Disorders Foundation. She is an officer in the alumni chapter for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at her alma mater, George Mason University.  Over the years, she has been an active PTA/PTSO member in local schools, assisted various youth sports teams, and taught Sunday School at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church.  In 2022 she Co-chaired the Steering Committee for the Knoxville Challenger Tennis Tournament, Tennessee’s only professional tennis tournament. In her down time, you may find her cycling, hiking, gardening or watching college sports, especially basketball.  She and her husband, Bill, are blessed with two lovely daughters and a fantastic son-in-law.

Areas of Practice

Business Law: Bankruptcy, Employment

Litigation: Business and Commercial Disputes, Employment Litigation, Estate Litigation and Probate, Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights, Breach of Contract Actions, Personal Injury Litigation, Mediation and Arbitration

Education

J.D., George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School

B.A. English Literature, George Mason University

Admissions

Virginia

District of Columbia

Tennessee

U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee

Sixth Circuit United States Court of Appeals

U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia

Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals

U.S. Supreme Court

Distinctions

Chair, Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments, 2015-2017

Member, Governor’s Commission for Judicial Nominations, 2013-15

President, Tennessee Lawyers’ Association for Women, 2014-15

Member, Knoxville Bar Association Board of Governors, 2016-present

Leadership Knoxville, 2017

 President, Knoxville Bar Association, 2021

President, Hamilton Burnett American Inn of Court

Captain and 4-year letterman, GMU women’s tennis team

Fellow, Knoxville Bar Foundation, Tennessee Bar Foundation and American Bar Foundation