The Tennessee Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments for two cases on April 9, 2025, in Jackson, Tennessee. The proceedings will occur at the Tennessee Supreme Court building in Jackson, starting at 9:00 a.m. CST, and will be available via livestream on the TNCourts YouTube page.
The first case involves Alan C. Cartwright and the law firms Thomason Hendrix, P.C., et al. Alan Cartwright has filed a legal malpractice lawsuit against his former attorneys, Jerry Mitchell and Justin Mitchell, and their respective law firms. He claims they prolonged litigation concerning his trust to increase their fees. The defendants sought dismissal under the Tennessee Public Participation Act (TPPA), asserting that the claims involved the right to petition, protected by the TPPA. Although the trial court sided with Mr. Cartwright, denying the petition, the Court of Appeals reversed this decision. The Tennessee Supreme Court granted Cartwright’s request to appeal, aiming to clarify whether the TPPA pertains to legal malpractice actions based on lawsuit filings.
The second case concerns Alice Cartwright Garner, who has sued Mr. Cartwright's former attorneys, including the law firms Thomason, Hendrix, Harvey, Johnson & Mitchell, PLLC, et al., alleging they unnecessarily extended the litigation concerning a trust for her brother Alan Cartwright. Garner's complaint suggests that the attorneys' actions depleted the trust assets. The defendants also invoked the TPPA for dismissal, which was initially denied by the trial court, agreeing with Garner's assertion that the TPPA does not apply to claims of an attorney acting against a client’s interests. On appeal, the Court of Appeals overturned the denial, and now the Tennessee Supreme Court will evaluate the applicability of the TPPA to tort actions stemming from lawsuit filings.
Media planning to attend should review Supreme Court Rule 30 and submit any necessary requests to Samantha Fisher, Communications Director at the Administrative Office of the Courts.