Originally from Humboldt, Tennessee, Heather graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Tennessee in 1995 where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omicron Pi. She earned her law degree from the University of Memphis School of Law in 1998. During her time as a law student, Heather was a member of the Tennessee Journal of Practice & Procedure and received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy and Excellence.
Heather joined the Bernstein, Stair & McAdams firm in 2017 in an Of Counsel role and became a partner in January of 2018. Heather practices in the areas of business & corporate law, real estate development & finance, employment law, civil litigation, divorce & family law, and construction law. In addition, she is listed as a Rule 31 Family Law and General Civil Mediator.
Practicing law for over 20 years, Heather has the rare distinction of being named a Top 40 Under 40 honoree in two major cities and regions in the state, including the Knoxville Business Journal (2013) and the Memphis Business Journal (2003).
She is a current member of the Tennessee Bar Association, Knoxville Bar Association, and the East Tennessee Lawyers’ Association for Women. In addition, she is a 2007 member of the Tennessee Bar Association’s Leadership Law Class. In the community, Heather serves on the Board of Directors for the Public Building Authority of Knox County and Knoxville at the appointment of former Knox County Mayor and now U.S. Representative, Tim Burchett. Heather served for several years (including in the role of President) on the Sertoma Center’s Foundation Board, a Knoxville-based non-profit which serves adults with intellectual disabilities. She has also served on the Board of the YWCA Knoxville.
In her free time, Heather enjoys traveling, organizing fun parties (when there isn’t a global pandemic), and spending time with her family, including her two children and Walker Coonhound named Stella.
B.A., Magna Cum Laude, University of Tennessee
J.D., University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
United States District Court, Western and Eastern Districts of Tennessee,
United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Tennessee
U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
Tennessee State Courts
AV Preeminent Peer Rated for Highest Level of Professional Excellence by Martindale-Hubbell
Peer-review recognition by Cityview Magazine as Top Attorney in Employment Law for multiple years
Listed as a Rule 31 Family Law and General Civil Mediator
Best Lawyers in America, Lawyer of the Year in Employment (2020)
Recognized by Best Lawyers in America (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
Tennessee Bar Foundation, Fellow (2018)
Knoxville Bar Foundation, Fellow (2013)
Knoxville Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40, Honoree (2013)
Memphis Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40, Honoree (2003)
Recipient of Dean’s Award for Trial Excellence
