Leathers III

Rowan is a member of the Labor and Employment and Commercial Litigation Groups. He concentrates his practice in the areas of advising and representing employers in a broad spectrum of employment related matters; advising and representing CPAs in ethical, regulatory, operational and professional liability matters; and advising and representing financial institutions concerning fiduciary, transactional and operational disputes.

• Employment Counseling
• Employment Litigation
• Labor & Employment
• Financial Services Litigation
• Professional Liability
• Director & Officer Liability

Rowan Leathers is recognized as a high-level employment lawyer practicing on the management side.  He holds a 29-year membership in the American Employment Law Council, whose membership is limited to experienced and accomplished lawyers whose practice principally involves the representation of employers at a significant level of responsibility.  Mr. Leathers is additionally recognized in Best Lawyers in America® in the category of Employment Law – Management.  He has represented employers in more than 20 jury trials that were tried to verdict in both Tennessee and federal courts, before both Tennessee and federal appellate courts, and in numerous administrative proceedings.  He most recently represented a religious educational institution successfully at a jury trial in Davidson County, Tennessee and then through the appellate process before the Tennessee Court of Appeals and an attempted appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court.

Mr. Leathers is considered by the accounting profession to be one of the go to lawyers in Tennessee for many accounting related matters.  He possesses a unique understanding of the accounting industry having been licensed as a CPA in Tennessee since 1984, working for an international accounting firm, representing the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy while serving as an Assistant Attorney General, and serving as a board member for the Tennessee Society of CPAs.  He has represented numerous CPAs in administrative proceedings before the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy, and in litigation throughout the state trial courts in Tennessee.  He most recently represented a CPA firm successfully in a jury trial in Davidson County, Tennessee.

He received his J.D. from Emory University School of Law, and his B.S., cum laude, in accounting from Lipscomb University where he was a member of the golf team.  Prior to engaging in the private practice of law, he served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the Tennessee Attorney General.  He is admitted to practice law in Tennessee.

• BL Rankings, The Best Lawyers in America®
  • Employment Law – Management, 2021-2025
  • Litigation - Labor and Employment, 2024-2025
• Martindale-Hubbell®
  • AV®– Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated, 2009-2022
• Certified Public Accountant, Tennessee

• Tennessee, 1982
• U.S. District Courts
• Tennessee: Eastern, Western, Middle
• U.S. Court of Appeals
• 6th Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Tax Court

• Emory University, J.D., 1982
• Lipscomb University, B.S., Accounting, 1979

• American Bar Association
  • Labor and Employment Law Section
    • Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee
    • Equal Employment Opportunity Committee
  • Litigation Section
• American Employment Law Council
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)
  • Employment Law Section
    • Steering Committee
    • Disability Law Sub-Committee
  • Professional Liability Section
• Tennessee Bar Association
  • Labor and Employment Section
  • Litigation Section
• Nashville Bar Association
  • Civil Rights and Employment Section
    • Past Chair
  • Chancery and Circuit Court Practice Committee
  • Federal Courts Committee
  • Ethics and Professionalism Committee
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA)
  • Board Member
  • Council Member
  • Nashville Chapter
    • Board Member, 2021-2022
    • Past President
• Tennessee Bankers Association
  • Human Resources Committee
    • Member

• Presenter, "Current Issues to Consider In Your CPA Practice," Updating the Professional Accountant Seminar, Lipscomb College of Business, December 6, 2023.
• Co-Author, “Bazemore v. Papa John's USA: Pitfalls With the Enforcement of Arbitration Agreements,” TBA Connect, Labor and Employment Law Section Newsletter, October 24, 2023.
• Presenter, "Business Law Update," Updating the Professional Accountant Seminar, Lipscomb College of Business, December 6, 2022.
• Presenter, "Workplace Investigations," Tennessee Bankers Convention Human Resources Conference, March 11, 2022.
• Co-Author, "Can your employees claim religious exemption from a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy?" Westlaw Today, September 29, 2021.
• Presenter, "Looking Around the Leave Curve – Continuing to Navigate FMLA and ADA Leave Issues in 2021," Tennessee Bankers Association Human Resources Conference, April 6-7, 2021
• Presenter, “Straight Answers to Tough Questions – a Q&A Panel,” Tennessee Bankers Association, HR Hot Topics: Conquering COVID Chaos, November 5, 2020.
• Author, “Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Reiterates That a Plaintiff’s Conjecture and Speculation Are Not Enough to Create Pretext,” Tennessee Bar Association Labor & Employment Connect, July 31, 2020.
• Author, “LGBTQ status now protected by Title VII,” Nashville Business Journal, June 22, 2020.
• Presenter, “Ethics for Accountants: A Road Map for 2020,” The Knowledge Group, March 24, 2020.
• Quoted, “Use of Website Not Necessary to Sue for Discrimination,” American Bar Association’s Litigation News, January 27, 2020.
• Presenter, “Service Animals: Legal Obligations for Providing ADA Accommodations for Employees, Clients, and Third Parties,” BLR Webinar, January 16, 2020.
• Presenter, “Managing Risks: Insurance, Claims & Litigation,” Lipscomb University, Updating the Professional Accountant – 39th Annual Seminar, December 12, 2019.
• Author, “Lamps Plus, Inc. v. Valera: Do Ambiguous Arbitration Agreements Provide ‘Consent’ Necessary for Class Arbitration?” Tennessee Bar Association Labor & Employment Connect, August 13, 2019.
• Presenter, “Emotional Support & Service Animals: Legal Obligations for Providing ADA Accommodations for Employees, Clients, Customers & Other Third Parties,” BLR Webinar, August 1, 2019.
• Panelist, “Developing Standard Operating Procedures,” Tennessee Bankers Association Human Resources Conference, April 3, 2019.
• Presenter, “Pigott v. Battle Ground Academy,” University of Minnesota School of Law, Law In Practice Program, April 2, 2019.
• Panelist, “Deconstructing an EPLI Policy from the Inside Out,” American Bar Association ERR Committee Mid-Winter Meeting, “Deconstructing an EPLI Plicy from the Inside Out,” March 25, 2017.
• Panelist, “Worklife Balance,” Tennessee Society of CPAs, Nashville Chapter, March 21, 2017.
• Presenter, “From the Trench to the Bench - Expert Witness Testimony,” AICPA Litigation Support Conference, November 6, 2016.
• Panelist, “Worklife Balance,” Tennessee Society of CPAs, Nashville Chapter, March 17, 2016.
• Presenter, "Risk Management in the Accounting Practice," Lipscomb University College of Business, December 16, 2014.
• Author, "Supreme Court Extends Coverage of Sox Anti-Retaliation Provisions," Tennessee Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Section Newsletter, April 14, 2014.
• Presenter, "Corporate Governance," Lipscomb University College of Business, December 16, 2013.
• Presenter, "Ethical Issues for In-House Counsel," Butler Snow Corporate Counsel Legal Update, November 28, 2013.
• Presenter, "Engagement Letters," Tennessee Society of CPAs Federal Tax Conference, November 20, 2013.
• Presenter, "Malpractice: The Risk is Real," Rodeter Morr & Co. PLLC Annual Seminar, May 22, 2013.
• Author, "The Labor and Employment Environment for the Next Four Years - Will Anything Really Happen?" Tennessee Bar Association's Labor and Employment Section Newsletter, February 5, 2013.
• Tennessee Editor, Covenants Not to Compete: A State-by-State Survey, Eighth Edition, Bloomberg BNA.
• Presenter, "Tennessee Employment Law: Trends, Recent Cases, and New Laws," M. Lee Smith Publishers Webinar, December 2012.
• Presenter, "Expert Roundtable Panelist-Legal Forum," Tennessee Society of Association Executives, November 27, 2012.
• Presenter, "Avoiding Malpractice: A Primer, Tennessee Society of CPAs," Federal Tax Institute, November 15, 2012
• Presenter, "TBA Court Square Series," Labor & Employment Law Update, September 20, 2012.
• Author, "State Deceptive Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Acts: Should Accountants Be Held Liable?," DRI, Riding the E & O Line, Vol. 4, Issue 2, The Newsletter of the Professional Liability Section, Spring 2012.
• Chapter Monitor, Employment Discrimination Law, Fourth Edition, 2010 Cumulative Supplement & 2011 Cumulative Supplement, ABA and BNA Books.
• Author, "Court of Appeals Weighs In on Refusal to Participate in Illegal Activities," Tennessee Employment Law Letter, February 2010.
• Presenter, "Employment Law Risk Management," 2010 Nashville HR/Finance Conference, November 2010.
• Presenter, "Auditor Liability," Lipscomb University Business School, December 17, 2009.
• Presenter, "An Accounting Malpractice Primer," Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 14, 2009.
• Presenter, "Employment Law From A to Z in Tennessee," Lorman Educational Seminars, September 12, 2007.