About Us and Our Home

The law firm of Cornelius & Collins was founded in Nashville in 1942 by Charles L. Cornelius, Charles L. Cornelius Jr. and W. Ovid Collins Jr. As one of the city's oldest firms, Cornelius & Collins was built upon the philosophy of individual client service and dedication to excellence.

When Charles Cornelius began his practice in the Nashville of 1912, he could not have envisioned that one day this city would be home to more than half a million people.

Today, Nashville has wide appeal and diversity, including not only its well-known music industry, but numerous other business sectors as well. Within the city's economic environment flourish healthcare, insurance, finance, printing and publishing, tourism and manufacturing industries. In recent years, many manufacturers have chosen Middle Tennessee as the site of major production facilities, and several major league professional sports teams have established franchises in the area. As the state capital, Nashville is the center of a constant whirlwind of governmental and political affairs.

Within a 15-minute drive of the metropolitan skyline lie more than 6,650 acres of parks. There are lakes for boating, skiing and swimming, as well as facilities for softball, polo, ice-skating, tennis and annual steeplechases. Golfers have countless courses on which to hone their skills.

Nashvillians enjoy Broadway shows, ballet and symphony performances, concerts at the large amphitheater and tours of museums, art galleries and antebellum homes. From the simplicity of the lakes and parks to the sophistication of the city, Nashville offers a quality of life unequaled in other urban areas. Nashville will continue to progress as one of the South's premier cities by refusing to sacrifice quality of life in pursuit of growth.

A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE.

As a mainstay in the downtown Nashville business community, we at Cornelius & Collins strive to reflect the city's emphasis on quality rather than quantity. While maintaining our small-to-medium size, we have sought to build upon the reputation of excellence brought to the firm by its founders. Our strengths lie in our dedication and commitment, coupled with gradual, consistent growth.

The lawyers of Cornelius & Collins are experienced in a wide variety of practice areas. Expertise in a broad spectrum of law not only provides the firm's clients a higher quality of service, but also gives new associates the opportunity to develop an extensive base of skills.

We are notably associated with litigation. The firm's litigation practice encompasses a wide range of areas, including:

• Products liability
• Medical malpractice
• Labor relations and employment
• Real estate
• Corporate
• Bankruptcy
• Entertainment and intellectual property
• General insurance defense

In addition, the firm's nonlitigation practice continues to grow to meet the ever-changing needs of its clients. We assist business, health care, and entertainment clients in a variety of nonlitigation roles.

We represent clients such as corporations, hospitals, physicians, engineers, product manufacturers, insurance companies, educators, musicians, and entertainers. The firm also provides counsel to fellow lawyers. Professionals can receive no higher compliment than the trust of their peers.

Since 1942, our firm has maintained a professional standard of perfection while retaining a personal commitment to each client, for which the name Cornelius & Collins is known and respected.

DEDICATION TO QUALITY.

Cornelius & Collins' reputation is the result of diligence and dedication. Our lawyers share a commitment to quality, and we employ only those attorneys who share the firm's dedication to excellence, professional responsibility and integrity. New associates are hired with the expectation that they will eventually become partners in the firm.

Through a combination of hands-on experience and learning by observation, new associates are given the opportunity to gradually develop their skills. Our associates typically gain experience in different practice areas by working with a number of lawyers in the firm. They are encouraged to develop their own styles while staying within the tenets of the firm's philosophy. Progress in the firm is largely a product of each associate lawyer's individual commitment. Associates are encouraged to progress as fast and as far as their talents and dedication warrant.

With our extensive library, computerized research facilities and an excellent support staff, the firm provides its attorneys with the physical resources needed to render top quality legal services to its clients.

In addition to their commitment to excellence in the office and in the courtroom, the lawyers of Cornelius & Collins share strong external social and professional commitments. Some of the activities in which our lawyers take part include:

• Officers and members of the Nashville Bar Association
• Officers and members of the Tennessee Bar Association
• Panels and committees of bar-related activities
• Law school professor
• American College of Trial Lawyers
• American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
• Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference
• Pro bono legal representation of indigent clients
• Chamber of Commerce
• Business organizations
• Sports leagues and events
• Patrons of the arts
• Volunteer Coaches of Youth Sports

By imbuing associates with a commitment to succeed and the desire to excel, we encourage them to become valued members of the community and lawyers of uncommon ability.

DILIGENCE. PROFESSIONALISM. INTEGRITY.

These are the principles upon which our firm was built, and they are the same principles that have accompanied us into the new century. The firm was founded on the belief that an emphasis on quality, a demand for excellence and a commitment to each client are the soundest bases upon which to build.

The firm's clients require informed, thorough counseling - counseling that is focused on their best interests and the interests of professionalism. At Cornelius & Collins, we deliver the highest level of service through careful attention to detail and thorough preparation.

By adhering to these fundamentals, the firm, like Nashville, continues to meet the ever-changing demands of the local community and the business world. With a tradition of consistent progress, Cornelius & Collins celebrates its 60th year of service with confidence and determination to merit continuing recognition as one of Nashville's premier law firms.