Long, Ragsdale & Waters, P.C.

09/08/2026

Best Lawyers named Long, Ragsdale and Waters, P.C. as a “Best Law Firm” and “Tier 1” Law Firm in Knoxville in seven categories, namely Banking and Finance Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Commercial Finance Law, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Real Estate, Real Estate Law, and Trusts and Estates.

Additionally, 12 LRW Attorneys were honored by Best Lawyers either as “Best Lawyers” or “Ones to Watch”. A full list of the individual Best Lawyer recognitions are listed on our website:

Best Lawyers named Long, Ragsdale and Waters, P.C. as a “Best Law Firm” and “Tier 1” Law Firm in Knoxville in seven categories, namely Banking and Finance Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Commercial Finance Law, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Real E...

08/10/2026

12 LRW Attorneys were voted by their peers as "Top Attorneys" for 2026 per CityView Magazine. LRW Attorneys were recognized in seventeen (17) different categories, including receiving the "Golden Gavel" for highest votes in Banking Law (Oliver Adams), Contract Law (Oliver Adams), Franchise Law (Alexander Waters), Securities - Defense (Lee Popkin) and Securities - Plaintiff (W. Michael Baisley).

A full list of LRW "Top Attorneys" and their designations are listed on our website:

12 LRW Attorneys were voted by their peers as “Top Attorneys” for 2026 per CityView Magazine. LRW Attorneys received recognition in seventeen (17) different categories, with LRW attorneys receiving the “Golden Gavel” designation in five (5) categories for the highest votes in Banking Law (Ol...

08/03/2026

Earlier this year, the Tennessee Supreme Court appointed Alexander O. Waters and reappointed Garrett P. Swartwood to the Board of Professional Responsibility's Hearing Committee for District II. Hearing Committees made up of three volunteer committee members conduct formal hearings upon charges of misconduct of Tennessee attorneys as well as review, approve and modify recommendations by Disciplinary Counsel for dismissals and private informal admonitions. LRW is proud to recognize Waters' and Swartwood's commitment to serving our State, Bar and profession!

03/28/2025

Congratulations to Alexander Waters in representing entities owned by entrepreneurs Austin Williams and Jay Benson in the successful acquisition of all residential units within The Emporium condominium project in Downtown Knoxville. Additionally, Ryan McNally with Appalachian Title Company, LLC handled title and closing work for the transaction, and Oliver Adams assisted with the financing portion. For more information on the sale, Inside of Knoxville ran a story on the transaction:

Your Urban Connection

02/03/2025

LRW is thrilled to welcome Leah W. McClanahan as a new attorney with the firm.

Leah joins LRW after serving nearly a decade as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. In such role, Leah defended the United States in civil suits, including litigating 250 cases in the District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee and many more in Chancery and Circuit Courts throughout East Tennessee as well as briefing multiple cases to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Leah focuses her practice on defending clients in federal court, including cases involving commercial litigation, employment discrimination, bankruptcy (creditor), and healthcare litigation.

For more information on Leah, please visit our website:

Leah W. McClanahan focuses her practice on defending clients in federal court. Having served nearly a decade as an Assistant United States Attorney defending the United States in civil suits, she has litigated 250 cases in the District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee and many more in Cha...

09/03/2024

Thirteen individual LRW attorneys were named "Best Lawyer" for 2025 and two LRW attorneys were recognized as "Best Lawyers - Ones to Watch" for 2025 by Best Lawyers, which compiles lists of outstanding lawyers by conducting exhaustive peer review surveys in which tens of thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.

The full list of recognized attorneys and their award categories can be found on our website:

07/22/2024

Ten LRW Attorneys were voted by their peers as "Top Attorneys" for 2024 per CityView Magazine. LRW Attorneys received recognition in nineteen (19) different categories, with three (3) LRW attorneys receiving the "Golden Gavel" designation for the highest votes in Banking Law (Oliver Adams), Securities - Defense (Lee Popkin), and Securities - Plaintiff (Kyle Baisley).

A full list of LRW "Top Attorneys" and their designations are listed below:

1. David W. Long: Banking Law; Contract Law; Real Estate Finance and Development; Securities – Defense

2. Dennis B. Ragsdale: Banking Law; Business/Commercial Law; Real Estate Finance and Development

3. Garrett P. Swartwood: Appellate Practice; Bankruptcy-Creditor; Collections/Foreclosures; Construction Law; Securities – Defense; Securities – Plaintiff

4. Lee A. Popkin: Aviation/Admiralty; Entertainment/Sports; Securities – Defense (Golden Gavel); Securities – Plaintiff; Taxation; Wills/Probate

5. W. Michael Baisley: Aviation/Admiralty; Banking Law; Corporate Law; Securities – Defense; Securities – Plaintiff

6. Taylor D. Forrester: Administrative Law; Banking Law

7. Kyle A. Baisley: Aviation/Admiralty; Banking Law; Bankruptcy – Creditor; Securities – Defense; Securities – Plaintiff (Golden Gavel)

8. Oliver D. Adams: Banking Law (Golden Gavel); Bankruptcy – Creditor; Business/Commercial Law; Contract Law; Collections/Foreclosures; Real Estate Finance and Development

9. William D. Edwards: Aviation/Admiralty; Entertainment/Sports; Estate Planning/Trusts; Taxation; Wills/Probate

10. Katherine Sanford Goodner: Adoption; Income Tax/IRS Resolutions

05/28/2024

LRW Shareholder and Founder David W. Long was recently honored as a Fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation, an association of 811 attorneys across the state of Tennessee which recognizes attorneys who have distinguished themselves in the community and the profession and which has awarded grants in excess of $27,000,000 to law-related, public interest projects throughout Tennessee. David joins 28 other attorneys and judges inducted as “Fellows” in the 2023 class.

Photo Credit: Tennessee Bar Foundation, https://www.tnbarfoundation.org/

01/23/2024

Multiple LRW Attorneys received recognition from Super Lawyers for 2023, including Alexander O. Waters (Mid-South Rising Star – Real Estate), W. Michael Baisley (Super Lawyer – Business Corporate), John B. Waters III (Super Lawyer – Real Estate).

Notably, John Waters and Alexander Waters were the only two attorneys in the Knoxville, Tennessee area to receive Super Lawyer and Rising Star recognition in the "Real Estate" category in 2023.

Multiple LRW Attorneys received recognition from Super Lawyers for 2023, including Alexander O. Waters (Mid-South Rising Star – Real Estate), W. Michael Baisley (Super Lawyer – Business Corporate), John B. Waters III (Super Lawyer – Real Estate). Notably, John Waters and Alexander Waters were ...

01/22/2024

Long, Ragsdale & Waters, P.C. was named “Best Law Firm” in six categories by peer-reviewed Best Lawyers for 2024, including (1) Banking and Finance Law; (2) Commercial Finance Law, (3) Litigation – Construction, (4) Litigation – Real Estate; (5) Real Estate Law; and (6) Trusts and Estates Law.

Long, Ragsdale & Waters, P.C. recently was named “Best Law Firm” in six categories by peer-reviewed Best Lawyers for 2024, including (1) Banking and Finance Law; (2) Commercial Finance Law, (3) Litigation – Construction, (4) Litigation – Real Estate; (5) Real Estate Law; and (6) Trusts and E...