Chad E. Wallace

Shareholder

Johnson City (Tri-Cities)
T: 423.975.7639
F: 423.979.7639

Chad E. Wallace advises businesses on employment-related and general business topics and represents clients in litigation in employment and commercial disputes. He also represents insurers in defense of first-party claims.

Featured Experience

Obtained defense jury verdict for a national provider of funeral and cemetery services after a three-day trial in an age and gender discrimination case in which plaintiff sought over $350,000 in back pay and compensatory and liquidated damages, and an additional sum for punitive damages.

Obtained jury verdict after a four-day trial in Tennessee state court in the successful defense of an insurer on a homeowners' policy after establishing that the homeowner/insured committed arson.

Successful enforcement against former employees in Tennessee and Kentucky federal and state courts of non-competition and non-solicitation covenants, including obtaining temporary restraining orders for clients' immediate protection and more permanent injunctions for the duration of the covenants.

Professional Biography

Working in the Firm's Tri-Cities, Tennessee/Virginia office, Mr. Wallace represents clients in addressing daily employment law needs, defending against employment law claims, and enforcing non-competition and related covenants. Mr. Wallace represents businesses, including the long-term care industry, in defense of personal injury claims and in commercial litigation. Mr. Wallace has significant experience representing insurers in defense of life, health, and disability matters and property and casualty matters, including bad faith and other extra-contractual claims. He is licensed in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia and has represented clients and tried jury and non-jury trials in numerous other federal and state courts across the United States.

He is a member of the Firm's 24 Hour Motor Carrier Emergency Response Team, a group of attorneys dedicated to providing rapid post-accident intervention and investigation throughout the Firm's footprint and beyond, whenever and wherever you need us.

Obtained summary judgment and dismissal of all claims for a national restaurant chain in a slip-and-fall personal injury case.
Obtained summary judgment and dismissal of all claims in Kentucky federal court for a life insurance company in a case claiming breach of contract and bad faith claims practices.
Obtained defense jury verdict for a national provider of funeral and cemetery services after a three-day trial in an age and gender discrimination case in which plaintiff sought over $350,000 in back pay and compensatory and liquidated damages, and an additional sum for punitive damages.
Obtained summary judgment and dismissal of all claims for a regional staffing service in a case in which the plaintiff alleged unlawful retaliatory discharge in violation of the Tennessee Public Protection Act and Tennessee common law and claimed more than $2 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
Obtained bench trial judgment and dismissal of all claims in Tennessee state court for an insurance company in a case involving breach of contract and potential damages under Tennessee's bad faith statute.
Obtained summary judgment and dismissal of all claims in Tennessee federal court for a regional staffing service in a case in which the plaintiff alleged gender discrimination and retaliation under Title VII.
Obtained summary judgment and dismissal of all claims in Tennessee state court for an insurance company in a case in which the plaintiffs claimed breach of contract and bad faith damages relating to a total loss fire in a dwelling extension.
Obtained summary judgment and dismissal of all claims for an insurance company in a breach of contract, uninsured motorist and bad faith case in Tennessee federal court.
Obtained a Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal of a plaintiff's claim for damages under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act against an insurance company in Tennessee federal court. Thereafter, the plaintiff abandoned all remaining claims and the entire suit was dismissed by the court.
Obtained summary judgment and dismissal of the plaintiffs' main claims in a case against an insurance/investment company involving claims of misappropriation of funds by the company's representative. The summary judgment reduced the plaintiffs' possible damages by approximately $600,000 and resulted in a very reasonable settlement shortly thereafter.
Obtained summary judgment and dismissal of all claims in federal court for a life insurance company on breach of contract and bad faith refusal-to-pay claims by plaintiff.
Four-day jury trial in defense of assisted living facility in personal injury/death case involving claims of negligence and various statutory causes of action.
Spearheaded several pre-lawsuit investigations and mediations of claims of liability against long-term care facilities.
Obtained jury verdict after a four-day trial in Tennessee state court in the successful defense of an insurer on a homeowners' policy after establishing that the homeowner/insured committed arson.
Successful enforcement against former employees in Tennessee and Kentucky federal and state courts of non-competition and non-solicitation covenants, including obtaining temporary restraining orders for clients' immediate protection and more permanent injunctions for the duration of the covenants.
Successfully defended an international friction materials manufacturer and its United States subsidiary in a federal asbestos lawsuit alleging exposure to asbestos from brake components. The court granted the subsidiary company's motion for summary judgment, as well as the international manufacturer's motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction.

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America^® for Litigation - Labor and Employment (2023 – 2025)
Member – Federal, American, Tennessee, Kentucky, Washington County and Kingsport Bar Associations
Board of Directors – Holston Valley Futbol Club-FC Dallas-TRI, 2016
Recipient – Baker Donelson's 2014 Johnson City Office Public Service Award
Recipient – Baker Donelson's 2009 Johnson City Office Pro Bono Award
Board of Directors – Junior Achievement of Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia (Chairman, 2013)
Named to The Business Journal of Tri-Cities, TN/VA's "40 Under Forty" (2011)
Member, Board of Directors – Mountain Region Speech & Hearing Center (2002 – 2009)
Chairman, Board of Directors – Mountain Region Speech & Hearing Center (2008)
Research Editor – Tennessee Law Review (2000 – 2001)
Member – Baker Donelson's 24-Hour Transportation Emergency Response Team

"Vaccine Mandates: What Employers Need to Know," republished in Corporate Counsel Insights (August 2021)
"Employers' Top Five COVID-19 Vaccination Questions Answered," republished in HR Daily Advisor (May 2021)
"New OSHA COVID-19 Enforcement Efforts Lead to Substantial Penalties" (April 2021)
"Protecting the Impeachment Value of Surveillance Evidence During Discovery," For the Defense (December 2015)

Moderator – "Your Burning HR and Employment Law Questions Answered: An Interactive Panel Session," 27th Annual Urgent Legal Issues for the Modern Business (April 2025)
"Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Legal Considerations and Business Strategies," 27th Annual Urgent Legal Issues for the Modern Business (April 2025)
"Recent Employment Law Changes," Hawkins County Personnel Association (May 2024)
"Recent Developments in EEOC Enforcement," client presentation (March 2024)
"Virginia Employment Law Update," Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing, Inc. Mid-Year Employment Law Training (August 2022)
"Workplace Bullying 101," Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing, Inc. Mid-Year Employment Law Training (August 2022)
"Virginia Employment Law Update," Southwest Virginia SHRM (July 2022)
"The DOL's New Salary Regulations—How to Plan For and Live With Them," Tennessee Human Resource Agency board meeting in Nashville, Tennessee (September 2016)
"Fallout from the Supreme Court's DOMA Decision," Labor & Employment Law Seminar (March 2014)
"The Evolution of Discrimination Laws and How to Remain Compliant," Labor & Employment Law Seminar (February 2013)
"Bulletproof Documentation," Labor & Employment Law Seminar (February 2012)
"Restrictive Covenants in the Workplace: New Developments and Limitations," Labor & Employment Law Seminar (February 2012)
"Social Media in the Workplace: The Next Steps," Labor & Employment Law Seminar (February 2011)
"A Review of Labor & Employment Law's 2010 Highlights," Labor & Employment Law Seminar (February 2011)

New Rules About Your Rules: A Deep Dive Into the New NLRB Standard for Handbooks and Workplace Policies (June 2024)

Baker Donelson Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 Listing (August 15, 2024)
Baker Donelson Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America^® 2024 Listing (August 17, 2023)
Baker Donelson Attorneys Earn Recognition in The Best Lawyers in America® 2023 Listing (August 18, 2022)

Practices

Industries

Education

University of Tennessee College of Law, J.D., 2001, magna cum laude
University of Tennessee, B.S., 1998, magna cum laude

Admissions

Tennessee, 2001
Kentucky, 2009
Virginia, 2018
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2008
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, 2001
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, 2012
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, 2016
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, 2015
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Kentucky, 2015
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, 2009
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, 2009
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, 2018
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 2019
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 2025
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia, 2024

Featured Media

Baker Donelson Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 Listing

Press Release / August 15, 2024

New Rules About Your Rules: A Deep Dive Into the New NLRB Standard for Handbooks and Workplace Policies

Webinar / June 20, 2024

Baker Donelson Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America^® 2024 Listing

Press Release / August 17, 2023

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Baker Donelson is a national law firm with more than 700 attorneys and public policy advisors representing more than 30 practice areas to serve a wide range of legal needs. Clients receive knowledgeable guidance from experienced, multi-disciplined industry and client service teams, all seamlessly connected across more than 20 offices in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.