Christopher Gilreath

<br /> <p><img alt="Christopher Gilreath" hspace="5" src="http://www.sidgilreath.com/images/img_chris-gilreath.jpg" align="right" vspace="5" border="1" /></p> <p>Chris Gilreath is a managing member of the Memphis office of Gilreath &amp;&nbsp;Associates, a plaintiff-exclusive law firm in Tennessee, with offices in Knoxville, Nashville, and Memphis.&nbsp; Chris' practice focusses on representing seriously injured clients in personal injury cases, as well as representing individuals and small businesses in consumer antitrust class action cases.<br /> <br /> In particular, Chris handles individual cases in the following fields: products liability, tractor trailer collisions, motor vehicle collisions, workers' compensation, FELA, premesis liability, and other personal injury situations.<br /> <br /> Chris has also handled class action cases against major corporations, typically alleging illegal use of their market power to overcharge consumers or otherwise gain profits from illegal activities.&nbsp; Examples include overcharging for computer chips, requiring that consumers buy a bad product tied to a good product, treating independent contractors like employees without fair compensation, and charging illegal fees in hidden transactions.&nbsp; Chris also handles cases on a class-wide basis where employers have systematically underpaid their workers for tasks they should have been paid for in wage and hour cases.</p> <p>Chris has been a leader in his community and in the legal profession.&nbsp; Before attending law school, Chris went to work in Washington, D.C. on the U. S. Senate Budget Committee.&nbsp; Then, Chris worked for Congressman Jim Cooper, representing the 4th Congressional District for Tennessee.&nbsp; After returning home, Chris quickly began working within the legal community to protect the civil justice system from attack.&nbsp; In 2000, Chris was elected to the Board of Governors of the Tennessee Association for Justice, a position has held ever since.&nbsp; Likewise, Chris has worked to ensure that new classes of lawyers starting their careers do so with an appreciation of the fundamental fairness provided by our system of trial by jury.&nbsp; From 2003 to 2006, Chris served as an officer of the New Lawyers Division of the American Association of Justice, serving as Chairperson in 2005.&nbsp; From that position, Chris directed projects and programs on a national level, designed to train young lawyers how to work in the public interest and preserve equal justice under law, receiving the NLD's Soaring Eagle Award in 2006.&nbsp; Chris then served on the Board for the American Association for Justice until 2008, including one year on the Executive Committee.&nbsp; Currently, Chris serves as Chairman of the AAJ&nbsp;Key Person committee, charged with mobilizing action with members of Congress&nbsp;on&nbsp;key legislative issues, or when business interestes threaten to terminate the rights of citizens through access to courts.&nbsp; At home, Chris was also appointed to serve on the Knox County Election Commission by Governor Phil Bredesen, the local body in charge of administering and certifying elections.&nbsp; These experiences have provided Chris with a multitude of opportunities to demonstrate in positive ways how attorneys working to preserve rights can have a positive impact on their community.<br /> <br /> Chris' understanding of the issues raised by seriously injured clients is reflected in the fact that family is a strong priority.&nbsp; As a devoted husband to his wife Crystal, and their two sons, Andrew and Samuel, Chris has worked to balance devoting time to clients, but also devoting time to raising a family.&nbsp; &quot;Whether or not my sons ever step foot in a courtroom, I want them to understand and appreciate that the law, used for the right reasons, is the ultimate protector of liberty in our society.&nbsp; I wanted them to grow up knowing that their father was someone who wanted to help people.&nbsp; Without the ability to right wrongs, we cannot honor the deeds of those in our community when they are hurt by the actions of others.&nbsp; Representing people when they are hurting the most, and trying to make things right, allows me to give back to the community in more ways than I could ever imagine.&quot;</p> <p><img alt="Christopher Gilreath" hspace="5" src="http://www.sidgilreath.com/images/img_chris-family.jpg" align="right" vspace="5" border="1" /></p> <p>Chris supplements his time with family by travelling.&nbsp; &quot;Seeing other places gives me a chance to appreciate life through the eyes of others, many of whom are very different.&nbsp; Doing so teaches me lessons in how to relate to people of divergent backgrounds, which is crucial when presenting a client's case to a jury.&quot;&nbsp; Chris adds to this by focusing his interest in cooking.&nbsp; Understanding where food from a certain culture comes from, and how that food came to be, helps Chris appreciate the history and customs of the many cultures that make up America, points that are not lost as teaching moments with his boys.&nbsp; &quot;I want my sons to know that there are many people that make up this great country of ours, and that many are different from us.&nbsp; Appreciating others for the good they have to contribute to society is an important attribute of being part of a community.&nbsp; I can do my part to make sure my sons understand that everyone has something of value to contribute.&quot;</p> <p>Presently, Chris lives in midtown Memphis, Tennessee with his family.&nbsp; He attends Idlewild Presbyterian Church regularly, and gives of his time freely to his family and others.<br /> <br /> <br /> <strong>Born:</strong> Knoxville, Tennessee, 1971</p> <p><strong>Education:</strong> Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee, B. A. Political Science, 1994; Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, Birmingham, AL, Doctor of Jurisprudence, 1997</p> <p><strong>Licenses and Admissions: </strong>Tennessee, 1997; District of Columbia, 1998; Arkansas, 2009; U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee; U. S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee; U. S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee; U. S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; United States Supreme Court</p> <p><strong>Reported Decisions: </strong><u>Knowles, et al. v. State of Tennessee</u>, 49 S.W. 3d 330 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2001), cert. den.</p> <p><strong>Other Associations: </strong>Barrister, Hamilton Burnett Chapter, American Inns of Court; Phi Delta Phi, Robinson Inn; Memphis Bar Association; Boy Scouts of America; Kappa Sigma Fraternity; Habitat for Humanity</p>