Russell Reviere

Mr. Reviere is a Member of Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell, P.L.C.. His practice involves handling first party insurance cases involving issues such as fraud and insurance coverage, defense of professional liability claims, premises liability and complex litigation in both state and federal courts.  He is a member and the Group Leader of the Firm’s Tort & Insurance Practice Group.  He frequently speaks/lectures at professional continuing legal education programs in these areas as well as on trial practice tactics and strategies.

 

Mr. Reviere is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.  He has also repeatedly been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the specialty of Insurance Law and is currently so recognized.   In 2015 and 2014 he was named “Lawyer of the Year” for the Memphis-area, based on peer reviews conducted by Best Lawyers®.  He has also been named one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the State of Tennessee for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 by Super Lawyers.  He has also been selected for inclusion in Mid-South Super Lawyers for Civil Litigation Defense and also Super Lawyers Corporate Edition for Insurance Coverage. He has been recognized by Defense Research Institute for significant defense verdicts he has received. In addition, he has handled well over 100 jury trials with a success rate in excess of 95% as lead counsel in both state and federal courts in Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky and Alabama.  In addition, he has served a chair of the Civil Subcommittee on the Local Rules Committee and chair of the Magistrate Selection Committee for the United States District Court of the Western District of Tennessee.

 

Certifications

Certified Civil Trial Specialist (beginning 1996) and Certified Pretrial Specialists by The National Board of Trial Advocacy

Mediator by the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee

 

Community Involvement

League Director, West TN Inline Hockey Association (2004-2011)

Coach of Trinity High School/Madison High School Hockey teams

Coach of recreation hockey teams (1998-2011)

Committee to Establish Greenways in Jackson, TN

United States District Court for Western District of Tennessee – Standing Local Rules Committee

 

Recent Publications and Speaking Engagements

Presenter, Tennessee Bar Association CLE program in Squaw Valley, CA on Hot Topics in Law, February, 2019

Presenter at the Trial Skills for Tennessee Practitioners put on by Tennessee Attorneys Memo on December 14, 2018 on the subjects of Direct and Cross Examination at Trial. Nashville, TN

Presenter on Impact of New Rules of Discovery in Federal Court at Memphis/Shelby County Bench Bar Conference in Sandestin, Florida in September 2016.

Presenter at Advanced Trial Tactics Program in Jackson, Tennessee for National Business Institute in July 2016 on “Opening Statements and Direct Examination” and also appeared for Roundtable Discussion.

Presenter, Tennessee Bar Association CLE Seminar on “Changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on Electronic Discovery”; January 2016, Vail, Colorado

Speaker at the Memphis/Shelby County Bar Association Bench Bar in Sandestin, Florida on May 9, 2014, “Premises Liability Cases Based Upon Third-Party Criminal Acts”

Presenter, Tennessee Bar Association Seminar on “Taking and Defending Depositions”; January 2014, Snowmass, Colorado

Speaker at the Memphis/Mid-South Chapter of the Federal Bar Association in Jackson, TN on November 7, 2013, Changes to the Local Rules

Presentation to the Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association Meeting in Lexington, Kentucky on October 11, 2013, Jury Selection not Just Q&A.

Presenter at 2013 Memphis/Mid-South Chapter of the Federal Bar Association Annual Seminar at the University of Memphis Law School in Memphis on October 4, 2013 as Chair of the Civil Sub Committee of the Standing Local Federal Rules Committee giving local rules update.

Report to the U.S. District Court Judges at the Judicial Retreat for the Western District of Tennessee in Oxford, Mississippi on Standing Local Rule Committee Reports and Recommendations on February 13, 2013.

Presenter, Tennessee Bar Association CLE/Ski Seminar on “Voir Dire/ Opening Statements in State and Federal Court in Tennessee”; February 2012, Snowmass, Colorado

Speaker, West TN Chapter of CPA’s on “What’s in your E-Mail”; August 2011, Jackson, Tennessee

Instructor, Tennessee Advisory Committee on Arson Fire Investigation School on “NFPA 921- Legal Considerations”; May 2011, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Presenter, 15th Annual Training Conference, American National Property And Casualty Company, June 23, 2010

Speaker, 2010 Memphis/Shelby County Bar Association Bench Bar Conference, “10 Things You Should Know About Insurance”; April 28, 2010, Destin, Florida

Instructor, Memphis Bar Association Trial Academy regarding “Cross-examination of Lay Witnesses”, October 21, 2009, Memphis, Tennessee

Tennessee Bastardy Act – A Due Process Comparison – Memphis State University Law Review, Fall, 1979

Frequent presenter/speaker at Continuing Legal Education programs for The Tennessee Bar Association and other professional organizations on topics dealing with trial and appellate practice and other subject such as electronic discovery, insurance coverage, etc.

 

Representative/Published Cases

  • • (Parties names not included for privacy reasons) – Shelby County Circuit Court (Memphis) – Judgment for Defendant in Legal Malpractice Case (December, 2019)
  • Bodine v American National Insurance Company, Circuit Court for Marshall County (Alabama) – jury defense verdict on fraud/bad faith case (May, 2017)
  • Stutte v. American National Property & Casualty Company, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tenn (Knoxville) – jury defense verdict on insurance fraud/bad faith case.
  • Garvin v. Malone, 2016 WL769835 (Tenn. Ct. App. February 26, 2016), Defense Verdict at Trial upheld
  • Klink v. Grange Insurance Company, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tenn (Chattanooga) – jury defense verdict on insurance coverage case in which plaintiffs were seeking well over $600,000 plus interest/costs.
  • Ledbetter v. Schacht, 395 S.W.3d 130 (Tenn. Ct.App. 2012)
  • Rochelle v. Grange Mut. Cas. Co., 2012 WL 3104901 (Tenn. Ct. App. July 31, 2012)
  • Clark v. Sputniks, LLC, 368 S.W.3d 431 (Tenn. May 30, 2012)
  • Wardlow v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 2012 WL 1022292 (W.D. Tenn. March 26, 2012)
  • Farley v. State Farm Fire & Cas.Co., 2012 WL 668801 (M.D. Tenn. February 29, 2012)
  • State Farm Fire and Casualty Company v. Bonetti, 2011 WL 6780920 (W.D. Tenn. December 27, 2011)
  • Sexton v. State Farm Fire & Cas.Co., 2011 WL 2516742 (E.D. Tenn. June 23, 2011)
  • Farley v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 2011 WL 1627310 (M.D. Tenn. April 29, 2011)
  • Howell v. Nautilus Ins. Co., 2010 WL 908676 (W.D.Tenn. February 22, 2010)
  • Sports Belle, Inc. v. Travelers Property Cas. Co. of America, 2009 WL 4573922 (E.D. Tenn. December 01, 2009)
  • Howell v. Nautilus Ins. Co., 2009 WL 2168724 (W.D.Tenn. July 17, 2009)
  • Snead v. Nationwide Property and Cas. Ins. Co., 653 F.Supp.2d 823 (W.D. Tenn. June 29, 2009)
  • Sainaam Inc. v. American Nat. Property & Cas.Co., 2009 WL 3757711 (W.D. Tenn. May 01, 2009)
  • Mann v. Nationwide Mut. Fire & Cas. Ins. Co., 2009 WL 1155400 (N.D.Miss. April 28, 2009)
  • Odom v. Oliver, 310 S.W.3d 344, Tenn. Ct. App. 2009
  • Talley v. State Farm, 223 F.3d 323, Sixth Circuit Tenn., August 10, 2000
  • Harriet & Henderson Yarns v. Castle, 75 F. Supp. 2d 818 W.D. Tenn., December 3, 1999
  • Hampton v. Allstate Ins. Co., 48 F. Supp. 2d 739 M.D. Tenn., May 6, 1999
  • Barker Bros. v. Dyer County, 923 F. Supp. 1042 W.D. Tenn., January 16, 1996
  • Blackwell v. Madison County, 2000 W.L. 236419, Tenn. March 1, 2000
  • Tillman v. Madison County Sheriff’s Department, 1999 W.L.102617, Tenn. March 1, 1999
  • Cohn v. City of Savannah, Van Cleave v. Markowski, 966 S.W.2d 34, Tenn. March 30, 1998
  • Freeman v. Madison County Sheriff’s Department, 1998 W.L. 38138, Tenn. February 2, 1998
  • McCadams v. Henry County Board of Education, 1997 W.L. 50467, Tenn. February 10, 1997
  • Walk v. Fayette County, Tennessee, 1995 W.L. 319065, Tenn. May 24, 1995
  • Bobo v. Harris, 1994 W.L. 71531, Tenn. Ct. App., February 28, 1994
  • Sharp v. Allstate, 1992 W.L. 289660, Tenn. Ct. App., October 16, 1992
  • Doggett v. Allstate Insurance Company, 1992 W.L. 483286, Tenn. Ct. App., March 10, 1992
  • Burgess V. CNA Insurance Company, 1991 W.L. 96542, Tenn., June 10, 1991
  • Florida Steel v. Case Heavy Hauling, 1989 W.L. 138915, Tenn., November 20, 1989
  • Struther v. CNA Insurance Company, 1988 W.L. 61280,Tenn., June 20, 1988
  • Langford v. Arnold, 707 S.W.2d 521, Tenn. Ct. App., December 5, 1985