Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel

What Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel does

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C. is a full-service law firm headquartered at 605 Chestnut Street in Chattanooga, Tennessee, tracing its origins to 1886. The firm operates as a private professional corporation under a shareholder-attorney ownership model with no external private equity or venture capital involvement, led by President and Managing Shareholder Stephen D. Barham and Executive Director Tony B. Young. With approximately 100 personnel including 66 attorneys and 34 support staff, the firm delivers counsel across more than 20 practice areas spanning Business, Real Estate, Litigation and Risk Management, Health Care, Labor and Employment, Intellectual Property, Tax, Mergers and Acquisitions, Estate Planning, Construction, Environmental, Financial Services, Cybersecurity and Data Privacy, and General Counsel services.

Revenue is generated through traditional hourly fee-for-service billing, with client invoice and retainer payments processed through a LawPay portal; specific rates are not publicly disclosed. The firm sells primarily through direct client engagement and referral networks, supplemented by its Meritas global affiliation for cross-border matters, and markets via thought leadership content, podcasts, industry symposiums, and active participation in organizations such as ACG Tennessee. Its customer base spans business clients, financial institutions, nonprofits, families and individuals, and notably real estate developers and manufacturers in the Southeast and adjacent states (Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, New York, Texas).

The underlying technology stack is standard for a mid-size regional law firm: WordPress CMS, Google Analytics, Cloudflare bot management, Vimeo for video content, and cookie consent tooling. There is no proprietary technology platform, no public API, no AI/ML product, and no app product. The firm's primary assets are human capital, brand reputation, and client relationships rather than technology infrastructure.

Name

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel

Legal name

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C.

Website

https://chamblisslaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

Keywords

• Legal services
• Business law
• Real estate law
• Litigation services
• Estate planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Billing: Traditional hourly billing for legal services with time tracking. Online payment portal available through LawPay for invoices and retainers. Clients include businesses, financial institutions, families, individuals, and nonprofits requiring legal counsel across various practice areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel is a full-service law firm providing legal counsel across more than 18 distinct practice areas, including Business, Litigation and Risk Management, Real Estate, Health Care, Labor and Employment, Intellectual Property, Mergers and Acquisitions, Financial Services, Estate Planning, Tax, Construction and Design, Environmental, and Cybersecurity and Data Privacy. The firm serves businesses, financial institutions, families, individuals, nonprofits, and government entities through specialized practice groups led by attorney-shareholders. Services are delivered by approximately 66 attorneys and 34 support staff from a single Chattanooga, Tennessee headquarters, with international reach via the Meritas global legal network.

Product overview

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel P.C. is a full-service law firm offering legal counsel across multiple practice areas rather than a technology product company. The firm provides services through distinct practice groups including Business, Health Care, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, Litigation and Risk Management, Mergers and Acquisitions, Real Estate, and Tax, among others. Each practice area operates as a specialized service line with sub-practices such as the Chambliss Startup Group for emerging companies, Cybersecurity and Data Privacy for technology-related legal matters, and comprehensive Estate Planning services. The firm serves diverse industries including manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, real estate development, and startups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Audit Counsel: PPP Loans and Other Investigations Provides audit counsel services related to PPP loans and other investigations for businesses and individuals requiring representation in loan-related reviews and inquiries.
• Business Legal Services Comprehensive business legal services including business organizations and planning, capital equipment and materials, commercial contracts, corporate governance and risk management, and trade regulation for business clients ranging from startups to international corporations.
• Chambliss Startup Group Dedicated practice group serving startups and emerging companies with legal guidance across formation, funding, contracts, and growth-related matters.
• Charitable and Public Purpose Organizations Legal services for charitable organizations and public purpose entities including governance, compliance, and structuring matters.
• Construction and Design Legal counsel for construction projects and design professionals covering contracts, disputes, and regulatory matters.
• Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Advisory services on cybersecurity practices and data privacy compliance for organizations handling sensitive data.
• Environmental Law Environmental law and regulatory compliance services for businesses facing environmental obligations and disputes.
• Estate Planning Comprehensive estate planning including asset protection, charitable planning, conservatorships, elder law, estate and trust litigation, family business planning, prenuptial agreements, probate administration, and special needs planning for individuals and families.
• Financial Services Legal Counsel Financial services legal counsel including bankruptcy and restructuring, commercial lending, credit unions, financial institutions, and private equity and securities.
• General Counsel Services Ongoing general counsel services for business clients needing continuous legal support.
• Health Care Legal Services Health care legal services covering eHealth and data privacy, fraud and compliance, health care facilities, litigation, physician practices, and revenue cycle management.
• Intellectual Property IP protection services including advertising and entertainment law, copyrights, IP litigation, license and manufacturing agreements, patents, software and domain names, trade secrets, and trademarks.
• Labor and Employment Employment law services including affirmative action compliance and workplace legal matters for employers.
• Litigation and Risk Management Full-service litigation practice covering arbitration, bankruptcy, class actions, commercial litigation, estate litigation, family law, insurance matters, medical malpractice, municipal litigation, personal injury, product liability, and professional liability.
• Mergers and Acquisitions M&A legal counsel for transactions and corporate combinations, advising buyers, sellers, and investors.
• Real Estate Legal Services Commercial real estate legal services including transactions, development, financing, and land use matters for developers, lenders, and investors.
• Regulatory and Administrative Proceedings Representation in regulatory and administrative hearings and proceedings before government agencies.
• Tax Legal Services Tax planning and controversy legal services for businesses and individuals.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) TennesseecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 June 2026Chambliss co-hosts events with ACG Tennessee including summer socials at Erlanger Park during Chattanooga Lookouts games. ACG Tennessee is the state chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, a global community for middle market M&A and business leaders with operations in 61 local markets and a network of over 100,000 professionals.
• MeritascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeritas is a global affiliation of independent law firms providing Chambliss with international referral network capabilities. The partnership enables the firm to serve clients with legal needs across multiple jurisdictions through vetted member firms.
• Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization for healthcare compliance professionals. Jennifer Vessels, senior counsel in health care practice, is actively involved in HCCA and holds Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC) credential.
• American Health Law AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization for health law practitioners. Jennifer Vessels is actively involved in AHLA providing professional development and networking for health care legal practice.
• American Telemedicine AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization for telemedicine and digital health. Jennifer Vessels maintains membership supporting health care practice's telemedicine expertise.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Burr & Forman LLP: Southeast regional firm offering full-service counsel with similar industry concentrations (real estate, banking, healthcare, construction) and shared middle-market clients across the region.
• Bradley Arant Boulton Cummings: Birmingham-headquartered regional firm with a wide Southeast footprint and comparable practice breadth; competes for large real estate, construction, healthcare, and litigation engagements in the same geographies.
• Baker Donelson: Largest Tennessee-headquartered law firm with deep Tennessee/Southeast presence and a much broader multi-office platform; competes for the same enterprise and middle-market mandates while offering more jurisdictions.
• Husch Blackwell LLP: Multi-office full-service firm with comparable practice mix including real estate, healthcare, construction, and labor/employment; overlaps on enterprise and middle-market mandates, though anchored in the Midwest.
• Bass, Berry & Sims PLC: Nashville-headquartered full-service firm with strong Tennessee roots and a broader mid-South footprint; competes across corporate, healthcare, M&A, and litigation matters with similar enterprise-grade clients.
• Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP: Southeast-rooted full-service firm with broad practice coverage and significant Tennessee presence; competes for the same corporate, real estate, healthcare, and litigation engagements as Chambliss.

Direct peers

• Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan PLLC: Chattanooga-based full-service law firm of similar size and regional scope, with overlapping practice areas including employment, business, litigation, and health care, serving comparable Southeast clients.
• Miller & Martin PLLC: Chattanooga-headquartered full-service law firm with comparable size, broad practice mix (litigation, labor, business, real estate, healthcare), and similar mid-market/enterprise client base across Tennessee and the Southeast.
• Wagner, Myers & Sanger LC: Knoxville-based mid-size Tennessee firm offering full-service legal counsel in similar practice areas to regional businesses and individuals; competes for shared Southeast Tennessee and middle-market work.

Emerging players

• Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete: Labor and employment-focused national firm with growing Southeast presence; competes most directly with Chambliss's Chambers-ranked Labor & Employment practice for employer-side mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cbslawfirm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel