Lisa Helton’s practice areas include estate and trust litigation, appellate practice, general and commercial litigation, landlord/tenant law, representation of homeowners associations, homeowners association disputes, and IRS tax litigation and controversy. Lisa was recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” in Nashville for both Trust and Estate Litigation and Tax Litigation and Controversy. In addition to her law practice, Lisa serves as Professor of Rigorous Writing Exercise at Nashville School of Law.
Lisa graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she was admitted to the College Scholars program and deemed a top graduate in the College of Arts and Sciences: Social Sciences. In 2004, she received a J.D., magna cum laude, with a concentration in advocacy and dispute resolution, from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Lisa was Order of the Coif, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, president of UT Law Women and a member of the Tennessee Law Review. Prior to joining the firm, she served as judicial law clerk to the Honorable William C. Koch Jr., Tennessee Court of Appeals, Middle Section.
- Belmont Law Review Symposium – Shifting Landscapes: 21st Century Property Law (Panelist on “Developing Tennessee: Balancing Modern Property Interests”) (2022)
- Bellevue Harpeth Historic Association: Tennessee Cemetery Law 2017 (Speaker)
- Tennessee Preservation Trust, Tennessee Historic Preservation Conference: Presenter and Panelist on Discussion of Historic Cemeteries and Grave Removal Actions in Tennessee (2017)
- Tennessee Bar Association:
- Making the Most of Discovery: What You Don’t Know Can Come Back to Haunt You 2015 (Speaker and Producer)
- The Business of Lawyers: Professional Development for Today’s Attorneys 2015 (Producer)
- Transactional Practice 2014 (Producer)
- Tennessee Attorneys Memo:
- Tennessee Real Estate Law Conference: Ethical Considerations in Real Estate Law 2015 (Speaker)
- Tennessee Landlord and Tenant Law: Evictions, Court, and Litigation 2015 (Speaker)
- The Nashville Chapter and Vanderbilt University Law School Student Chapter of the American Constitution Society: Inside Chambers: Demystifying the Judicial Clerkship Experience 2013 (Speaker)
- National Business Institute: Successfully Navigating the Appeals Process 2009 (Speaker)
- Nashville Bar Association, Appellate Practice Committee: The Role of Law Clerks in Appellate Procedure 2005 (Speaker)
Education
- J.D. (magna cum laude),University of Tennessee, 2004
- B.A. (summa cum laude),University of Tennessee at Knoxville, 2001
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
- United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Tax Court
Honors & Publications
- 2023 Lawyer of the Year in Nashville by The Best Lawyers In America for both Litigation and Controversy-Tax and Litigation-Trusts and Estates
- Unearthing the Dead: Protocol, Process, and Reverence, Nashville Bar Journal, 2021 (author)
- Nashville Bar Foundation Fellow
- The Best Lawyers In America 2019-Present (Litigation and Controversy-Tax; Litigation-Trusts and Estates)
- Selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers 2012-Present (Estate and Trust Litigation) (“Mid-South Rising Star”)
- Selected for inclusion in the Young Leaders Council 2017 Spring Class
- Selected for inclusion in the Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Law Class of 2016
- The American Society of Legal Advocates: Top 40 Litigation Lawyers Under 40 in the State of Tennessee for 2013-2016
- TBA Young Lawyers Division “Star of the Quarter” 2015
- Selected as a Woman of Outstanding Leadership by the International Women’s Leadership Association 2015
- Nashville Post Law Leaders Rising 2012
“It’s not surprising Lisa Helton graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee. And, it’s equally expected she would graduate magna cum laude from UT’s law school. All because sources familiar with Helton’s work repeatedly used words like ‘extremely intelligent,’ ‘smart,’ ‘very thorough’ and ‘good lawyer’ to describe her legal acumen and work.” – Nashville Post
Professional Activities
- Professor of Rigorous Writing Exercise at Nashville School of Law (Present)
- Member of the Harry Phillips Inn Executive Committee and Chair of the Membership Committee (Present)
- Master of the Bench of the American Inns of Court, Harry Phillips Inn (Present); Barrister (2010-2014); Associate Member (2005-2007)
- Member of the Nashville Bar, Tennessee Bar, and American Bar Associations, and the Lawyers’ Association for Women, Marion Griffin Chapter
- Secretary/Treasurer of the Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Law Alumni Association (2020-2021)
- Chair of the CLE Committee of the Tennessee Bar Association (2019-2020)
- Chair and Co-chair of the Nashville Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (2018-2019)
- Member of the Board of Directors, CLE Committee Vice Chair, and Middle Division CLE Captain of the Young Lawyers Division of the Tennessee Bar Association (2014-2015)
- Co-chair of the Nashville Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Committee (2008-2009)
- Vice Chair of the Nashville Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Committee (2008)
- Participant in the Tennessee Supreme Court SCALES Project
Civic Activities
- Board of Trustees, Adventure Science Center
- Adventure Science Center, Young Leaders Council Board Intern (2017-2018)
- Member, Bellevue Harpeth Chamber of Commerce
- Nashville Shakespeare Festival (Vice-Chair 2011-12, Secretary 2010-11, Member of Board of Directors 2009-2012, Former Co-Chair of Volunteer and Educational Outreach Committee)
Practice Areas
Blog Posts
