Butler, Vines & Babb

Knoxville Attorneys for the Tough Times

Through 40 years of practice we have developed a reputation for effective trial preparation and client representation, throughout Tennessee, the region, and the nation.

Representing Injured People

An injury can mean pain, suffering, medical expenses, physical rehabilitation, occupational training, special equipment, lost wages or other losses. Our law firm has the experience and compassion to tell your story to an insurance company, a big corporation, a government agency or, if necessary, to a jury.

Business and Defense Law

As a business person, you expect your lawyer to have the experience and knowledge to guide you toward your specific objectives. Since 1973, the Butler, Vines & Babb law firm in Knoxville, Tennessee, has represented businesses of all sizes in a wide range of issues.

Results

We have participated in many prominent cases and have achieved multiple verdicts, judgments, and settlements where the firm represented the injured party and businesses.

Our results show in detail our success stories.

Business Defense Results Personal Injury Results

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Bill Vines of Butler, Vines & Babb Law

Check out Our New Car Wreck App

The Car Wreck Reporting App Helps You to Gather the Facts & Evidence You Need in the Event of an Accident.

Features an In-App Camera to Document Evidence of Damage
Use the Built-in Text Notepad to Record Important Information
The App Will Help Locate Nearby Emergency Services to Contact
Gather Witness Reports Using the Included Data Capture Forms

Latest news

James C. Wright Honored in 2018 Judicial AV Preeminent® Rankings

It gives us great pleasure to announce that James C. Wright has been awarded the highest possible distinction in the 2018 Judicial AV Preeminent® Rankings from Martindale-Hubbell®. The Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® rating is the peer-rated honor awarded to lawyers with superb legal ability and distinguished professional excellence. It is the highest of three awards issued...

Keaton Jones: This is my platform; I can’t turn away now

Butler Vines & Babb’s Jarrod Casteel is working with 12-year-old boy Keaton Jones on a mission to fight bullying! Keaton’s video went viral…with much public support and debate. Casteel states “the family was backed into a corner and made the video as a last resort”. Get the full story at http://bit.ly/2EY05Ri

James C Wright Named One of America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®

We are very proud to share that James C. Wright has been named as one of America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®. Consideration for this honor is by invitation only, and less than 0.5% of active attorneys in the United States achieve this recognition. Those who make the list are among the most exclusive and...

Annual Meeting of ABOTA’s Tennessee Chapter

The December 2017 annual meeting of the TN chapter of ABOTA (American Board of Trial Advocates) was held at the Four Seasons in Chicago. This year’s guest speakers were Justice Holly Kirby and Justice Roger Page of the Tennessee Supreme Court. The Justices are pictured with outgoing Chapter President Weldon Patterson and wife Mary Patterson....

At the recent awards dinner during the STLA (Southern Trial Lawyers Association) annual convention in New Orleans.

We Put a Priority on Continued Education. Staying Informed is Key to Representing Our Clients Successfully.

Our firm’s managing partner, Ned Babb, recently attended the Defense Research Institute’s Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium in New York along with other leading members of the insurance bar. The symposium included outstanding presentations on numerous cutting edge topics including recent insurance coverage decisions, bad faith, and negotiating strategies.

December 2016

Congrats! to Weldon Patterson being sworn in as President of the Tennessee American Board of Trial Advocates this past weekend in Chicago. This is a very important organization for protecting US Constitutional rights of citizens to a trial by jury. Members consist of the upper attorneys in the nation composed of civil trial attorneys, both...

February 2016

Butler, Vines and Babb attorney Weldon Patterson and his wife Mary recently attended the Southern Trial Lawyers Association meeting held in New Orleans. Here Weldon and Mary pose with former STLA President Randy Hall and Board Member Mattie Hall at the annual War Horse Dinner: L to R: Randy Hall, Mattie Hall, Mary Patterson, Weldon...

October 2015

Butler, Vines and Babb was proud to host its 10th Annual Big Orange Tailgate Party this past weekend, cheering the Vols on to victory over Georgia! It was another outstanding success as we welcomed well over 300 guests. To see some wonderful photos of the event, courtesy of our friends at Temple Photography, visit the...

August 2015

We are pleased to announce that Butler, Vines and Babb attorneys Edward U. Babb, Weldon E. Patterson and William D. Vines, III have been admitted to the Tennessee Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the most prestigious legal organization in the nation. Every ABOTA member has the highest degree of integrity, ethics and...

June 2015

William D. Vines III, Ronald C. Koksal, James C. Wright, Donna R. Davis and James Kelly Giffen have been selected as 2015 Mid-South Super Lawyers. Mr. Wright has also been selected for the Business Edition of Super Lawyers. The announcement from Super Lawyers states: Because you have demonstrated excellence in the practice of law, you...

April 2014

Butler, Vines and Babb attorney Darren Berg seeks to change laws regarding prison sentencing and parole guidelines for multiple DUI offenders. Mr. Berg represents the family Ben Woodruff, killed by a multiple DUI offender in August of 2013. Also severely injured in the crash was his seven year old son and five others. Five time...

March 2014

Butler, Vines and Babb attorney Weldon Patterson recently attended the Southern Trial Lawyers Association annual convention in New Orleans. During the convention, Weldon was elected to the Board of Governors! Pictured below are Weldon and his wife Mary at the event, along with a photo of Weldon and Mary with Randy Hall, outgoing president of...

Our Team

The lawyers at Butler, Vines & Babb in Knoxville, Tennessee, have built their reputations case-by-case, client-by-client. We bring in-depth understanding of legal, personal and business issues to every case we handle.

Bill Vines attended the University of Tennessee College of Law, graduating in...

William D. Vines, III

Ron Koksal was born in Russell, Kansas and graduated from the University...

Ronald C. Koksal

Lawyer James Wright | Top Attorney Brain Injury Jim Wright...

James C. Wright

Kevin Hardin was born in Sevierville, Tennessee and was admitted to the...

Gregory Kevin Hardin

Ned Babb was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. He attended the University of...

Edward U. (Ned) Babb

John Butler was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and earned his Bachelor of...

John W. Butler

Weldon Patterson was born in Harlan, Kentucky. He attended Tennessee Technological University...

Weldon E. Patterson

As an Air Force brat Donna Davis attended the first twelve years...

Donna Davis

Leslie Muse obtained her undergraduate degree in 1992 from the University of...

Leslie Muse

Jim Giffen began his law practice in 1967 after obtaining his law...

James Kelly Giffen

Billy Ringger represents a diverse clientele across the State of Tennessee, comprising...

Louis W. Ringger, III

Grant Mitchell is an associate at Butler, Vines & Babb. He litigates...

Grant Mitchell

Fred Grello, M.D. – Medical Consultant Dr. Fred Grello joined Butler, Vines...

Dr. Fred Grello

Medical Malpractice

The emphasis of several of the members of Butler, Vines and Babb is medical negligence law. William D. Vines, III is a Civil Trial Advocate, certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Members of the firm have been called upon by groups including bar associations to give seminars regarding the handling of medical negligence cases. Butler, Vines & Babb also employs a medical doctor and former critical care nurse as medical consultants for the evaluation of medical issues in our cases.

About Our Firm

Founded in 1973, and representing the Tennessee region for over 40 years. Butler, Vines & Babb law firm is known for effective trial preparation and client representation.

Highly Placed

Our firm is rated AV Preeminent®* by the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating System. Some of our lawyers are recognized as Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 Listed Mediators. Some of our attorneys are members of the Litigation Counsel of America.

Highly Qualified

Litigation is complex and demanding. It requires thorough preparation and the ability to think and act quickly. At Butler, Vines & Babb, we work for early settlement of cases, but when it is in your best interests, we will fight for you in negotiations and in court.

There when you need us

Butler, Vines & Babb law firm has an airplane that allows us to be where you need us within hours of your call. At client request, our attorneys have arrived at accident scenes in other states before the vehicles were moved. That responsiveness is available throughout our law firm because we are well-aware that rapid response can build a stronger case for our client.

Our Blogs

Learn more from us

Billy Ringger Featured in DICTA Magazine

I thank you, John Butler, for guiding me to make the correct decision regarding our bankruptcy.

H.R.

John, we could never find the words to express our appreciation for you and your staff for your concern and professionalism in handling our litigation and just being our friend. May God continue to bless you in business and good health. Til His return, Allan and Alice

Allan & Alice

Thank you! We can't tell you how relieved we are and appreciative we are of how well you represented and fought for us. We are truly grateful!

Annonymous

I wish to thank you for your conduct of the recently concluded case against me. You were efficient in your work. I am especially appreciative of the incisiveness of your questions during depositions. You didn’t ask many questions, but they were the certainly right ones to ask. Your questions and the answers received strengthened our case.

Louise Orr

I’m very grateful for all your help and support with my issues with the state Board and Examiner. You made a difficult time infinitely better. Thank you,

John

Thank you very much for all of your help, and most importantly, your soothing presence at my deposition. It was very nice to have someone like you with me to help me get through this experience. Thank you again for all of your assistance.

Dr Janet Blair-Wells

I just wanted to share with you how pleased I am about our representation by Kevin. His comprehension of a myriad of details, clarity of statement, obvious depth of knowledge of the law and always cordial manner were and continue to be a source of deep confidence. In particular, his closing argument after nearly fifteen hours of exhaustive argument was crisp, clear minded, to the point and inspiring. With Kevin's help, I don't believe we could have possibly done better for Bert.

Joe Raibley Advocate