Brandon McWherter

J. Brandon McWherter

Attorney/Founder

Brandon McWherter has dedicated his practice to assisting insurance policyholders with their claims against insurance companies, including claims for bad faith. He is licensed in the state courts of Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi, along with numerous federal court admissions around the country. Born and raised in rural West Tennessee, he now resides in the Nashville area.

For more than a decade, McWherter's practice has been focused almost exclusively on the prosecution of first party property insurance claims for policyholders. His interest in this area of the law first started around 2003 when a tornado struck Jackson, Tennessee, where he was living and working at the time. Since then, McWherter has represented hundreds or thousands of policyholders whose claims have been underpaid or denied. He advises and advocates for owners of commercial properties, industrial facilities, residential properties, churches, business owners, municipalities, school districts, business owners, condominiums, apartment complexes, and other insurance policyholders.

Since 2013, McWherter has assisted his clients in obtaining well in excess of $200,000,000 in settlements, awards, and jury verdicts against insurance companies. Dozens of claims have resulted in seven and eight-figure results for his clients.

In 2018, McWherter was inducted as a fellow in the American College of Coverage Counsel, which is an invitation-only organization designed to facilitate and encourage the association of lawyers who are distinguished for their skill, experience, and high standards of professional and ethical conduct in the practice or teaching of insurance coverage and extra-contractual law and who are dedicated to excellence in this area of practice.

McWherter has been featured as a "Super Lawyer" or "Rising Star" by Super Lawyers every year since 2010. Since 2013, he has been selected each year for inclusion in U.S. News and World Report's The Best Lawyers in America© in the field of Insurance Law. He has earned an AV Preeminent ranking by Martindale-Hubbell for legal ability and ethical standards.

McWherter received his law degree from the University of Memphis. While in law school, he was a member of the University of Memphis Law Review, and served on the Editorial Board as Notes Editor.

In advocating for clients, McWherter has trudged through fire scenes and crawled roofs, quizzed consulting construction experts for hours on end, and deposed and cross-examined hundreds of adjusters, experts, consultants, and other professionals within the insurance industry. He reads insurance policies nearly every day and has a working knowledge of the customs and practices of insurance companies in investigation, estimating, and payment of claims. McWherter counsels clients on presentation of claims, assists in compiling the evidence necessary to validate the amounts owed, and then enforces his clients' rights, if necessary, via the judicial system and other alternative dispute resolution options, such as appraisal.

Several of McWherter's cases have developed the law governing insurance disputes in the State of Tennessee, most recently including the Tennessee Supreme Court's decision in Lammert et al. v. Auto-Owners Ins. Co., which held that insurers may not depreciate the costs of labor in determining their actual cash value payment obligations when the policy does not clearly allow it.

In addition to individual insurance disputes, McWherter has also served as lead or co-lead counsel in dozens of certified or putative class actions against insurance companies.

When not working, you will usually find Mr. McWherter with his wife, Angela, and his two daughters. He is an avid golfer and a lifelong bass fisherman, neither of which he does as often as he would like.

Practice Areas

  • Representation of policyholders in claims and litigation against insurance companies
  • Bad faith insurance litigation
  • Insurance-related consumer class actions

Professional Associations

Education

Bar Admissions

  • State Court Admissions
    • Tennessee
    • Mississippi
    • Arkansas
  • Federal Appellate Court Admissions
    • Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
    • Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
    • Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Federal District Court Admissions
    • Western District of Tennessee
    • Middle District of Tennessee
    • Eastern District of Tennessee
    • Northern District of Mississippi
    • Southern District of Mississippi
    • Eastern District of Arkansas
    • Western District of Arkansas
    • Northern District of Illinois
    • Central District of Illinois
    • Southern District of Illinois
    • Eastern District of Michigan
    • Western District of Wisconsin
    • Western District of Texas

Awards