MIKEL & HAMILL

Doug has been practicing employment law since 2004.  He primarily represents victims of employment discrimination, unlawful retaliation, and workplace harassment.  Doug also has represented small businesses against whom employment discrimination charges have been asserted.  He has successfully tried employment cases to juries in both federal and state courts.  In some cases, Doug’s clients obtained sizeable punitive damages awards from the jury.  Doug frequently handles employment cases involving retaliatory discharge and whistleblower protection claims, as well as employment claims involving disability discrimination, age discrimination, race discrimination, religious discrimination, sexual harassment, military discrimination, Family & Medical Leave Act violations, and pregnancy discrimination.

Doug is a native of Mississippi, but has lived in Chattanooga since 2003.  He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from King College in Bristol, Tennessee in 1999 and his law degree from the University of Tennessee in 2003.  In law school, Doug was a member of the Tennessee Law Review, which published his article, “The Fifty Dollar Fines Clause Re-Emerges After Thirty-Five Years of Slumber,” 70 Tenn. L. Rev. 887 (2003).  After law school, Doug served a one-year judicial clerkship for the Chancery Court of Hamilton County.  He has been in private practice since 2004.

Doug is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell, which is the highest rating for lawyers. He is also listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America for employment litigation.  He is admitted to practice in all courts in Tennessee, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Tennessee and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.  He has also litigated employment claims before various federal administrative agencies.  

Doug’s professional memberships include the National Employment Lawyers Association, past board member of the Tennessee chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association, past chair of the Tennessee Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section, the Federal Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, and the Chattanooga Bar Association.

Doug spends most of his free time with his wife, Julie, and his six children (four boys and two girls).  He is also active in his church, Mountain Fellowship, and Boy Scouts.