Testimonials

William Kennedy

Having RJS for Our Company Made the Difference

William Kennedy is a business owner who is like just about every other business owner: the less he had to deal with attorneys and the legal process, the happier he would be. Until he was sued, and he had no choice.

“I’d always avoided attorneys like the plague,” he said. “It’s just not something I ever wanted to go through. But there it was, in front of me.”

This was his first time using a law firm, and his accountants gave him a list of several attorneys.

“We chose Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall, P.C. Why? I had a comfortable feeling. Wayne Ritchie answered all my questions, and I was reassured by his very calm demeanor. He obviously knew what he was doing.

“Whenever I’d ask a question, he’d explain the answer. I never felt lost in the shuffle. He always returned my calls. That was important.

“The firm worked out a positive resolution for us,” he said. “They make you, and what you need, their priority.”

James and Sherri McKamey

Faced with life-changing circumstances, the McKameys realized they needed legal help. They turned to Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall, P.C. because of the Firm’s reputation.

The work of Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall, P.C. has made a great difference, for the better, in their lives, they said.

“What struck me about the firm is that, as a client, they put you on a pedestal,” James says. “They want you to be comfortable and to know that you are their priority.

The attorney who worked with them “was diligent and thorough . . . He doesn’t just take a case: He evaluates your case, decides what is needed, and gives you great legal service. . . . Anytime we needed him or his terrific assistant, they responded. Again, you’re their priority.”

RJS was able to successfully resolve the McKamey’s case.

“They were all about character, and all about truth,” James says. “They did for us what we needed, which was life-changing in a good way.”

Joe Espino

One moment Joe Espino was driving toward his destination; the next, a car from out of nowhere – hit by yet another car – hit Joe’s vehicle almost head-on. In seconds he was transformed from a healthy man to one with broken ribs; broken backbone; a bruised aorta; an open head wound; a broken toe; and more.

“They had to use the Jaws of Life to cut me out of my car,” he said. “When I woke up in the hospital I couldn’t feel my body; I thought I was paralyzed.”

He turned to Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall, P.C. for representation because, quite literally, his future depended on the outcome. RJS, he said, “worked on my behalf as if I were the firm’s only client. What stood out to me was their honesty; due diligence; and that they put themselves in my circumstances and were very sensitive to my needs throughout the entire case. They spent time with me.”

RJS was able to settle Mr. Espino’s case before it went to trial. His confidence in his future was bolstered by the outcome. “The case was extremely important because of the long-term effects of the crash and the physical handicaps of my injuries and what I had to deal with long-term,” he said. “My work requires me to travel, and it can be painful.”

Christos Christopoulos

When Our Company Needed Help the Most

Christos Christopoulos, partner of a well-established business, says Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall, P.C. provided critical help for his company when decisions made by others – and that were unknown to him – created a dire situation.

“A great thing about Wayne is he is even-keel; he doesn’t get emotional or fretful. He carefully analyzes the situation, looks at it from different angles, and comes up with a strategy and plan of action. That’s worth a lot. Many attorneys will feed off of you and do what you ask them to do, but you don’t know what to ask.”

Ritchie reviewed the circumstances, found the issue that addressed Christos’s problems, and the matter was resolved to Christos’s satisfaction.

“We were in a defensive situation,” Christos said. “Wayne was able to analyze it and turn it around. It was a deal-changer.

“He’s a great lawyer, and it’s a great firm.”

Mrs. Curtis Tate (Celisa)

When My Husband Was Seriously Injured, We Were Grateful for RJS

I want to say from my point of view as a wife, when we first went in to meet, I’ve never seen people who greeted you the way they did and made you feel at home. After they made you feel at home, they told you the different scenarios. You could ask any questions, on the first day, trying to see who could help us.

We never experienced anything like this in our life — Mr. Ritchie and Linda Carter embraced us as if we were part of their family. He wanted me to know everything that was going on and everything it was going to take. These people go the extra mile with no hesitation. It changed our lives.

I can’t say enough good things that God directed me to these people. My husband had been seriously injured. Their firm had us feeling that it was going to be OK. They went above and beyond when it came to physical therapy, anything with workman’s comp, even if I needed to show that I was helping and doing things for my husband, they were going the extra mile.

Their firm was referred to me by someone else; they had spoken tremendously about Mr. Ritchie and his office. Everything they told me they surpassed that and more.

I can’t say how much blessing I received. I’d refer them to anyone and can’t say enough good things about them. God sent us there, they gave me what God meant for us to have.

H. Stephen Whitson

RJS Has Represented Us Well for More Than 20 Years | Whitson Construction Company

“You’ve got a great legal team taking care of everything.”

H. Stephen Whitson is like many other people in business: The construction company owner sometimes requires legal advice. For more than 20 years, his choice of attorneys has been Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall, P.C.

“Legal matters can be simple or they can be emotionally draining,” Mr. Whitson said. “Wayne Ritchie does a great job of checking everything out and making you feel at ease because someone who really knows what he’s doing is in charge of protecting your interests.

“The time and energy and passion they put into their clients is over the top. I’d used several other law firms before working with Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall, P.C., and I’ve never seen one as effective and aggressive on behalf of clients as Wayne and the RJS team,” said Mr. Whitson, “You come out well with RJS doing your work because you’ve got a great firm taking care of everything.”

Gloria Goad

Gloria Goad had never needed legal help in the past and certainly never expected to be involved in litigation. A civil engineer, unexpected events turned her life upside down.

As she tried to deal with the issues on her own, the legal issues only increased her stress. She had never hired an attorney, but knew it was necessary and based on the firm’s reputation, she contacted Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall, P.C. When she met members of the firm, she knew immediately who she wanted to hire. “(The Firm) didn’t tell me what I wanted to hear; (but that) this would be a process that would take some time.” The Firm helped her address many aspects that ultimately led to a successful outcome, some of which she never would have been aware of or had even considered. The Firm “really helped me.”

Gloria said that the attorney with whom she primarily worked “was ethical, honest, and always took the high road; he had my best interests at heart 100 percent of the time. Anytime I had a problem or question I could call, e-mail, and I would get a quick response. If there was going to be a delay in getting back to me someone would call to tell me why.”

Gloria was very pleased with the results obtained for her and says she feels blessed to have hired the Firm.

Rob Stooksbury

RJS Made the Difference in Complex Business Litigation

Rob Stooksbury was staring at a legal problem of monumental proportions, a business-related action he would bring against another individual that would be the first East Tennessee RICO Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) case since the fall of the Jake Butcher-led banking empire in the early 1980s.

Rob sat down with Wayne Ritchie at Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall, P.C., and asked him to take the case. The complexity, size, and scope were daunting, Rob says, adding that events validated his choice of attorneys.

“We made attempts to settle, but eventually Wayne said we’d have to sue them. He’s unbelievable in how he works; he’s one of the best multi-taskers and time-management people I’ve ever seen. If he said something was going to be done, it was done.

Rob was awarded a $35 million judgment at trial.

“In court the other side had four or five attorneys, but Wayne was the major leaguer in the room. The difference was so noticeable, and a jury, and especially a judge, picks up on that. Wayne and the firm couldn’t have done a better job.”

Ryan Dobbs

The facts were clear: a driver crossed the road on a curve and plowed head-on into Ryan Dobbs’ car. Twice deployed to Iraq as a member of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, Ryan sustained greater injuries from a careless driver than he’d experienced in a war zone: a broken collarbone; fractured jaw; bruised sternum; damage to his neck muscles and lacerations to his head.

Complicating matters further was that when the crash occurred Ryan and his wife had a four-month old baby girl. Rather than helping his wife with the new baby, Ryan had to be assisted himself.

“Being somewhat naïve in the insurance world I called the other driver’s insurance company and thought it was going to be a smooth process,” Ryan says. “It was obvious in the police report that the other driver crossed the center-lane and hit me head-on.

“I got immediate resistance from the other person’s insurance company,” he says. “They began talking in circles, twisting facts, and so I stepped on the brakes in terms of speaking with them. I knew I was out of my league, so I immediately sought legal help.”

A partner in the architectural firm for which Ryan works recommended Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall, P.C.

“I explained my situation and asked if (they) would take the case,” Ryan says. From the start it was obvious the attorney he worked with was “a high-caliber attorney. He’s easygoing and at the same time instills a lot of confidence in you. “

The Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall, P.C. office’s environment makes a statement as well, Ryan says.

“It’s a top-flight office; professional, highly organized, but not intimidating. Most people aren’t used to working in that world and don’t have an accurate grasp of legal terms and the legal process, but they help you through it.”

Ryan’s case was settled before going to trial.

“I needed legal help and I went to a firm that exceeded any expectation I had,” he says, “I can’t say enough good things about Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall, P.C.”