Tennessee Government & Administrative Law

Nashville Government & Administrative Law Attorneys

Today’s regulatory world is massive. Federal, state, and local agencies investigate, license, regulate, audit, and discipline individuals and businesses—often with the power to create their own rules and decide their own cases. If you find yourself in front of a board, commission, or agency, you are not just “having a meeting”—you are in a legal proceeding that can permanently affect your license, your livelihood, your property, or your business.

Freeman & Fuson’s government and administrative law practice is focused on guiding clients through this complex landscape. We represent individuals and businesses in contested hearings before administrative agencies, in negotiations with regulators, and in court challenges to agency actions. We understand the statutes and procedures that govern Tennessee agencies, including the Tennessee Uniform Administrative Procedures Act (UAPA), T.C.A. § 4-5-101 et seq., and we use that knowledge to protect our clients’ rights at every stage.

Practice Areas 

What Is Government & Administrative Law in Tennessee?

In Tennessee, many agency actions—licensure, discipline, benefits, permits, zoning, and tax assessments—are governed by the UAPA (T.C.A. § 4-5-101 et seq.) and the specific statutes creating each agency.

These laws:

• Define how agencies adopt rules and regulations
• Set out procedures for contested case hearings
• Provide standards for judicial review of agency decisions
• Establish rights to notice, a hearing, and due process

Agencies can:

• Investigate allegations
• Issue subpoenas or demand records
• Hold hearings before administrative law judges or boards
• Impose discipline, fines, or other penalties

Because agencies often act as investigator, prosecutor, and judge, it is crucial to have counsel who understands how to navigate these systems and keep them within the bounds of the law.

Types of Cases We Handle in Government & Administrative Law

Freeman & Fuson handles a broad range of matters involving Tennessee state and local agencies, including:

• Medical Professional Licensing Board / Disciplinary Actions
  Proceedings before boards created under T.C.A. Title 63 (health-related boards), such as the Board of Medical Examiners, Board of Nursing, and other professional health boards.
• State Licensing Disciplinary Actions
  Licensing issues under various statutory schemes, including professional boards and commissions governed by T.C.A. Title 62 (professions, businesses, and trades) and Title 68 (health-related institutions and facilities).
• Unemployment and Employee Benefits
  Disputes involving unemployment benefits and appeals, often governed by provisions in T.C.A. Title 50 (Labor and Employment), including contested hearings and review of benefit determinations.
• Taxing Agencies
  Matters involving the Tennessee Department of Revenue and local taxing authorities under T.C.A. Title 67, including assessments, audits, and appeals.
• Zoning Commissions & Planning Commissions
  Land use, zoning, variances, and development approvals governed by T.C.A. Title 13 (Planning and Zoning), including hearings before local boards and appeals to court.
• Housing Authorities
  Disputes involving local housing authorities and housing programs, including administrative challenges and hearings.
• Property Tax Assessment Appeals
  Appeals from county assessors to local boards of equalization, then to the State Board of Equalization under T.C.A. Title 67, Chapter 5, and subsequent judicial review.

Whether your issue involves a professional license, tax bill, land use decision, or government benefit, the common thread is this: the agency has power—and you need someone who knows how to hold that power accountable.

Unemployment, Benefits & Agency Determinations

When you are denied unemployment or other state benefits, it is not just a paperwork issue—it can affect your ability to pay rent, support your family, or keep your business afloat.

Tennessee’s unemployment and benefits systems, governed in part by T.C.A. Title 50 and agency rules, provide for:

• Initial determinations
• Appeal and hearing rights
• Further administrative review

We help clients:

• File timely appeals
• Prepare for hearings (including evidence, witnesses, and testimony)
• Challenge incorrect findings of “misconduct” or disqualification
• Seek review of adverse agency decisions under the UAPA
  

Zoning, Land Use & Property Tax Appeals

Local governments exercise significant control over land use and property taxation.

Disputes in these areas often involve:

We represent property owners and businesses in:

These cases frequently turn on both legal and factual issues—statutory interpretation, procedural compliance, appraisals, and the practical impact on your property or project.

How Freeman & Fuson Approaches Government & Administrative Cases

Our administrative law practice is built around: