Joel P. Surber

Contact

615-997-1921

[email protected]

Education

J. D. University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, 1998.  B. S. University of North Texas, 1994.  Admitted, State Bar of Texas, 1998, State Bar of Tennessee, 2000.  Mr. Surber is a member of the Tennessee and Texas Bars, their respective bar associations, the Nashville Bar Association and is a member of Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys.  Mr. Surber has received an AV rating (the highest available) from Martindale-Hubbell for legal ability and general ethical standards.

Practice Areas

  • Tort and Personal Injury Litigation
  • Premises Liability Defense
  • Motorcycle Injury Litigation
  • Products Liability
  • Insurance Law
  • Collections
  • Construction Defect Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation

Professional

Mr. Surber represents a broad spectrum of clients throughout the State including individuals, large and small corporations, business entities, and insurance companies. He has represented his clients in many diversified areas, and his representative successes include:

  • Defended large hospitality, professional sports franchises, entertainment venues, restaurants and motorcycle training courses in over 100 personal injury and property damage cases.  Many of these cases were resolved by summary judgment short of trial or by settlement far short of the amount sought;
  • Defended a local businessman sued for professional negligence in arbitration and obtained a complete defense verdict that resulted in the award of all of his client’s legal fees;
  • Handled successful appeals as lead appellate counsel in multiple premises liability and personal injury cases;
  • Successfully handled litigation for, and provided strategic guidance to, businesses involved in contractual disputes;
  • 2013 – Recovered over $150,000.00 dollars for local businesses in multiple collection matters;

Mr. Surber aggressively pursues and prepares each case for trial from the outset.  He seeks to achieve the best result for his clients in a cost-effective manner, whether through trial, settlement or other creative means. Mr. Surber focuses his efforts for his clients to provide a full defense in instant matters and works wherever possible to help his clients avoid future claims.  To that end, Mr. Surber is a frequent speaker to his clients and their employees on relevant training topics designed to help his clients avoid liability in the present and the future.

Personal

Mr. Surber and his wife, Jennifer, are the parents of two daughters, Carissa and Riley. Jennifer is a firm co-founder.  His daughters excel in sports and the arts.  Mr. Surber is a sportsman who enjoys golf, motorcycle riding, weight training, and many other competitive sports.

Client Testimonials

“I’ve not heard good things about lawyers in general but Joel is one of the nicest men you would ever meet.  He is a great communicator and understood everything I had to say.  Joel is one of the good ones.  He should be every motorcyclist’s lawyer!” Kelly Appleton, President of MidTenn Motorcycle

“My experience with Joel was a good one.  It was a smooth process and he and his team kept me informed every step of the process.   I was very satisfied with the results and would recommend their services to everyone, especially motorcyclists.” Ross Turner

“He is a forceful advocate for his clients.”  – S.L.

“Joel is one of the best litigators I have worked with. I have hired Joel to defend many different matters for my company, and I have always been pleased with his work. He is very knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with. He is a forceful advocate for his clients.” S.L.

“Joel is one of the most down-to-earth, just plain good people I’ve ever met.  When I’ve needed legal advice or help, he has always been courteous, helpful, and highly responsive.  I strongly recommend him for his ethics, professionalism, and generally just for being such a great guy.  I wouldn’t think of reaching out to any attorney other than Joel Surber.”  G.J.