Lloyd R. Tatum

Attorney at Law

An Experienced, Versatile Lawyer You Can Trust

Since earning my law degree and passing the Tennessee Bar in 1985, I have had a busy, fulfilling career. Serious cases and complex problems are no stranger to me, as my work has included intensely contested divorces to death penalty trials, criminal appeals and other litigation in federal court.

Continuing a Family Tradition of Dedicated Legal Work

I spent a year as a prosecutor in Henderson County before entering private practice. My approach to the law is modeled on figures such as Abraham Lincoln and the literary hero Atticus Finch of "To Kill a Mockingbird." My father, F. Lloyd Tatum, was a renowned Tennessee lawyer and longstanding Court of Appeals judge – known to some as the criminal defense attorney for Buford Pusser, a legendary 1960s law officer made famous in the "Walking Tall" movies.

Across my practice areas, a reputation for personal service, hard work and vigorous protection of my clients’ rights has brought many referrals from attorneys and people I have helped. In 2009, I was selected by my peers for inclusion on the 2009 Mid-South list of Super Lawyers* in Tennessee. I was also selected as one of the best lawyers in Tennessee in 2005 and included on the list of the Top 101 Lawyers in Tennessee in 2004.

If you need experienced legal counsel to deal with a criminal or traffic charge, family matter, probate or real estate matter, please call or send me a message. Tatum & Tatum is conveniently located on Main Street across from the old courthouse in Henderson, Tennessee.

*Super Lawyers® is a Thomson Reuters business.

Bar Admissions

• Tennessee, 1985

Education

• J.D. - Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, 1984
• B.A. - Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College)
• United States History, 1978

Honors & Awards

• Selected as one of the best lawyers in Tennesse in 2005 and one of the top 101 lawyers in Tennessee in 2004

Professional Associations & Memberships

• Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Member
• Tennessee Bar Association, Member
• Tennesee Bar Association's House of Delegates, Past Member
• Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, Member

Experience

• Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Charles O'Brien
• Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, 1983
• Madison County Prosecutor for the District Attorney General
• 26th Judicial District,  Jackson, TN, 1985-1986
• Diverse private practice of law in an around Henderson, Tennessee, from 1986 to present
• Tried to jury verdict approximately 125 criminal cases, including death penalty case, as prosecutor or defense attorney in state and federal trial courts.
• Tried to jury verdict approximately 30 civil cases in all courts, including as pro hac vice in Virginia.
• Appellate counsel in approximately 75 appeals in state and federal appellate courts. Counsel of record in many reported appellate cases:
• Simmons v. O'Charley's, Inc., 914 S.W.2d 895 (Tenn.App. 1995)
• State v. Simpson, 968 S.W.2d 776 (Tenn. 1998)
• State v. Vincent, 737 S.W.2d 561 (Tenn.Crim.App. 1987)
• Leek v. Powell, 884 S.W.2d 118 (Tenn.App. 1994)
• United States v. McNeil, 923 F.2d 450 (6th Cir. 1991)
• Odle v. Decatur County, 421 F.3d 386 (2005)