Thomas W. Shumate iv

Founder & Managing member

Tom Shumate founded Meridian Law, PLLC in 2014 in response to requests from numerous clients asking for a new type of law firm. Clients were tired of paying for bloated overhead and not getting the personal attention they desired. Tom answered their call and pledged to become the most client-centric law firm in Tennessee. Driven by the highest standards of personal and professional integrity, Tom will go to the greatest lengths for his clients; analyzing their issues and providing honest, objective feedback about the risks and cost-benefits of their options.

Because Tom works so hard for his clients, he strives to spend every free minute enjoying his two passions; reading and being outside. He doesn’t really care if it is working in the yard, or checking off one of his “top 100 hikes in Tennessee.” The running joke around the office is to guess how many books he is reading at one time. Maybe we should up the ante on the joke and add in where all those books are located too.

When not resolving his clients' matters as efficiently as possible, Tom enjoys spending time with his wife and children, reading, running, and supporting Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, and Centre College athletics.

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Activities & Affiliations

  • American Bar Association

  • Tennessee State Bar Association

  • Nashville Bar Association

  • Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Connect - 2023 Cohort

  • Strategic planning committee of Saint Matthew School

  • Active guest speaker and author on topics such as covenants not to compete, legal ethics, legal marketing, and technology.

  • Editorial Board Member of

-Law Practice Today webzine

-Law Practice magazine

-Law Practice Section of the ABA

  • Notre Dame Legal Association (1998-present)

  • Two-time Chair of the Law Office Technology and Management Section of the TBA

  • Past Chair, School Board of Christ the King School

  • Former Member, Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of TN, 2007-2020

  • Former Alumni Board Chair of Father Ryan High School

  • Member of inaugural class of Nashville Emerging Leaders

  • Member of 2016 Class of the Tennessee Bar Association’s Leadership Law

  • Member of 2007 Class of Young Leaders Council

Bar Admissions

  • Tennessee

Court Admissions

  • Tennessee Supreme Court

  • United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee

  • United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee

  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee

  • Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

  • United States Supreme Court

Awards

  • Included in both the 2024 and 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation

  • Recognized as a “Superlawyer” by the Mid-South Edition of Super Lawyers Magazine in 2020 - 2023

  • Vanderbilt Executive Education Leadership Coaching Graduate- 2023

  • “AV Preeminent” rating from Martindale Hubbell

  • Fellow of the American Bar Foundation

  • 2023 Bar Fellow of Nashville Bar Association

  • Legal Process Improvement Professional (LPIP) certified

  • Recognized as a “Rising Star” by the Mid-South Edition of Super Lawyers in 2011 and 2013

  • Perfect 10 rating by Avvo.com

Education

Vanderbilt University, BA

University of Notre Dame, JD