Entering its 64th year of service to the Middle Tennessee community, the law firm of Cornelius & Collins continues its leadership role both in the legal community, and as a mainstay of the thriving economy its attorneys have been vital in developing for over half a century.

The legacy of Cornelius & Collins can be traced back to 1913, when Charles L. Cornelius, Sr. began practicing law with William Hume. Founded in 1942 by Mr. Cornelius, Charles L. Cornelius, Jr. and W. Ovid Collins, the present firm is one of Nashville's oldest and most respected legal providers. Charles L. Cornelius, Sr. recognized what the firm's members have never forgotten despite the passage of time - namely, that a primary emphasis on quality, a demand for professional excellence, and an individual commitment to each client are the sound cornerstones upon which to build a legal practice.

Cornelius & Collins has been instrumental in developing many of the companies and organizations that now define the Tennessee business and healthcare communities. In 1975, the firm incorporated State Volunteer Mutual Insurance Company, Tennessee's leading physician-owned liability insurer. State Volunteer has steadily grown and prospered over the years, and now insures over 90% of practicing physicians in Tennessee, as well as hundreds of practice groups and associations throughout the state. The firm also organized the Tennessee Medical Association and the Nashville Academy of Medicine, which have been instrumental in the growth and success of Nashville's burgeoning medical industry. The early years marked the creation and growth of businesses that now serve as integral parts of the dynamic economy that is Nashville today.

As Nashville changed over the years, so too did the firm. By the 1970's, Cornelius & Collins had built its practice to include a wide range of legal services from business formation, to estate and probate practice, and general civil litigation across a broad spectrum of practice areas from medical malpractice and product liability defense to catastrophic injury, labor and business-related litigation. As the practice grew, so too did the reputations of the firm's attorneys as professional, successful and result-oriented trial lawyers. The firm's clientele grew to include leading corporations and businesses of national, regional and local stature. Its lawyers have included the finest of their profession - Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and the Tennessee and Nashville Bar Foundations; two former Presidents of the Nashville Bar Association; Life Members of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference; a United States Federal District Judge; law professors; as well as contributing members to numerous national, state and local bar committees and professional organizations.

Today, Cornelius & Collins continues to build on the solid foundation laid by its founders. Having held the profession's highest ranking for decades, the firm continues its traditionally strong litigation practice, and has steadily expanded its services to meet the needs of Tennessee's growing economy. The firm counsels and serves its clients and the community in the areas of business formation and litigation, bankruptcy litigation, estate and financial planning, healthcare entity formation and litigation, professional liability litigation , labor and employment, workers' compensation , product liability, and general tort and accident litigation, as well as entertainment and intellectual property law. The firm's attorneys regularly practice in all local, state and federal courts, United States Courts of Appeals, and handle a wide range of litigated matters before various government agencies and administrative tribunals. Several of the firm's attorneys also provide alternative dispute resolution services, including arbitration and mediation.

The firm also values its legacy of public service, and recognizes the responsibility of assisting others in need. A longstanding supporter of local and national charities, and a member of the Leadership Cabinet of the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee, Cornelius & Collins provides much needed pro bono legal services as well as annual financial support to its fellow citizens and community.

In the new century just as at the time of its creation, Cornelius & Collins stands ready to serve with lawyers who value diligence, professionalism, integrity and result-oriented commitment to the individual needs of each client. With a tradition of consistent progress and service to the community, Cornelius & Collins is determined to merit its continuing reputation as one of Tennessee's premier law firms.