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Amy Rao Mohan

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(615) 742-4571

(615) 742-4539

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Amy Rao Mohan provides a practical, problem-solving approach for her clients whether it involves litigation, crisis management or general counsel work.

As a former Emmy-award winning television journalist, Amy brings a unique approach to the law to develop effective approaches to protect her clients’ interests and reputations inside and outside of the courtroom. She takes pride in her ability to connect with clients, ease their minds during a crisis, and provide them with a clear path forward.  Founder and leader of the firm’s crisis management/media relations practice group, Amy represents individuals and businesses in civil litigation and criminal cases and assists clients with media training and press strategies.

Amy also spends much of her time as a litigator, primarily handling business litigation, health care liability actions, and defamation and other tort cases. Amy has tried several complex multi-week jury trials during her career.

When not handling a crisis or arguing in a courtroom, Amy focuses her practice on general counsel work, providing counsel to businesses on corporate, employment and litigation matters. Much of this work involves advising public charter schools and independent schools throughout the Middle Tennessee area, providing schools with practical, student-focused solutions.

A graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Amy worked as a television reporter and anchor for nearly eight years, most recently at WTVF NewsChannel 5 in Nashville, before attending law school. During that time, she received several awards, including two Emmy awards for her coverage of the 2004 Asian tsunami. Amy earned her J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif. In law school, she served on the National Moot Court Team, which placed second in the nation her first year on the team.

Prior to joining Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison, Amy served as a law clerk to the Honorable Gilbert S. Merritt, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Amy is passionate about her pro bono work, primarily representing individuals on Tennessee’s death row.

When not serving her clients, Amy enjoys spending time with her two boys, which often involves exploring Middle Tennessee’s soccer fields.

  • University of Tennessee College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, Concentration in Advocacy and Dispute Resolution
    • 2011 National Moot Court Competition, Second Best Oralist
    • James L. Powers III Excellence in Criminal Advocacy Award
    • Member, Order of the Barristers
    • Member, Order of the Coif
    • Robert E. Pryor Award of Excellence in Advocacy
    • Susan B. Devitt Award for Excellence in Oral and Written Advocacy
  • Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, B.S.J.

  • Tennessee
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee

  • Best Lawyers in America®, Appellate Practice, Civil Rights Law, Commercial Litigation (2024 – 2025)
  • Best Lawyers in America® “Ones to Watch” (2021 – 2023)
  • Nashville Business Journal “Best of the Bar” (2023)
  • Nashville Business Journal “40 Under 40” (Class of 2019)
  • Selected for inclusion in the Nashville Bar Foundation’s Leadership Forum program (2018 – 2019)
  • Super Lawyers “Rising Star,” Business Litigation, General Litigation, Communications (2015 – 2022)
  • Tennessee Supreme Court Attorneys for Justice Pro Bono Honor Roll (2020)

  • Provided media training for attorneys, Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Law Program (2022 – 2024)
  • “Investigative Journalism,” Moderator, Tennessee Bar Association Reporters Workshop (April 19, 2024)
  • Provided media training for attorneys, Tennessee Public Defenders Conference (2023)
  • “An Inside Look at Investigative Journalism,” Moderator, Tennessee Bar Association Reporters Workshop (April 28, 2023)
  • “Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: How the Tennessee Innocence Project & the Davidson County District Attorney Review Wrongful Conviction Cases,”
  • Moderator, Lawyers’ Association for Women – Marion Griffin Chapter (March 15, 2022)
  • “Turning Participation Into Power: A Water Justice Case Study,” Panelist, Vanderbilt Law School and the Environmental Law Institute’s Annual Symposium, (February 28, 2022)
  • Interviewer of Exoneree Amanda Knox, The Innocence Project’s Continuing the Fight (November 2021)
  • “A Review of Media/Defamation Cases Nationwide in the Past Year” Tennessee Bar Association’s Communications Law Forum (April 16, 2021)
  • Co-Presenter with Dewey Branstetter, “Managing Media Madness: Crisis Communications for All Lawyers” (March 19, 2015)
  • Co-Presenter with Ryan Holt, “Casting a Wide Net: How to Ethically Use Social Media to Advertise,” Tennessee Bar Association (February 5, 2015)
  • Co-Presenter with Mark Ison, “A Lawyer’s Role in Crisis Communications: What Every Lawyer Needs to Know,” Nashville Bar Association (December 16, 2014)
  • Co-Presenter with Mallory Lyon, “Social Media Discovery: How to be an Internet Sleuth,” Making the Most of Discovery: What You Don’t Know Can Come Back to Haunt You Program, Tennessee Bar Association (April 7, 2016)

  • Advisory Council Member, The Tennessee Innocence Project
  • Associate Member, Harry Phillips American Inn of Court (2017 – 2019)
  • Board Member and Former Executive Committee Member, Tennesseans for Alternatives Against the Death Penalty
  • Executive Committee and Former Chair, Tennessee Bar Association’s Communications Law Section
  • Fellow, American Bar Foundation
  • Fellow, Nashville Bar Foundation
  • Former Adjunct Professor, Belmont University
  • Nashville Bar Association Representative, Davidson County Board of Ethical Conduct (2019 – 2022)

  • Board of Directors (2015 – 2018) and Chair, Communications Committee (2016 – 2010), FiftyForward