Attorneys
John Ray Clemmons
John Ray Clemmons, a native of Lebanon, Tennessee, earned admission to the Tennessee Bar in May, 2007. John Ray received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Columbia University in 1999 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Memphis School of Law in December 2006.
John Ray is a Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator and experienced civil litigator. As a certified mediator, he brings the unique perspective of having represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of cases in state and federal courts. As a litigator, John Ray represents businesses and individuals, as plaintiffs and defendants. He has successfully helped defendants avoid liability on claims, achieved significant settlements and verdicts for plaintiffs, and successfully argued issues on appeal before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
For his work in business litigation, Super Lawyers Mid-South has named John Ray a "Rising Star" every year since 2014. He was invited to join the Harry Phillips American Inn of Court as a Barrister in 2015, and the Nashville Bar Foundation named him a "Fellow" in 2017. John Ray is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association, the Nashville Bar Association, and the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association.
John Ray was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives on November 4, 2014 and re-elected in November 2016. As a member of the Tennessee General Assembly, he represents District 55 which is located entirely within Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County. He serves on the Health Committee and the Business and Utilities Committee.
John Ray has deep roots in our community and has served in various leadership capacities for local non-profits and civil organizations. Over the years, he has served as: Chairman of the board of directors of Nashville RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner-Cities), a program of the Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee; President of Belmont-Hillsboro Neighbors, Inc., the longest continually operating neighborhood organization in Nashville; a Commissioner on the Metro Board of Fair Commissioners, as an appointee of former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean; and, a Member of the Tennessee Civil Service Commission, as an appointee of former Governor Phil Bredesen. John Ray also helped form Friends of Sevier Park, Inc. and was elected to its inaugural board of directors. He is an active member of the Columbia University Alumni Association of Greater Nashville and Columbia University's Alumni Representative Committee. He also John Ray provides pro bono legal services to deserving local artists and entrepreneurs as an active member of the Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts through the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville.
Prior to law school, John Ray worked in the U.S. House of Representatives as a congressional aide and served as the Political Director of the Tennessee Democratic Party.
While attending Columbia University, John Ray rowed on the Columbia lightweight crew, performed research for visiting professor George Stephanopoulos, and met his wife.
John Ray and Tamara are the proud parents of John, Finn and Henry, and their dog, Wrigley. Outside the office and between civic activities, John Ray spends time with his family, supports local sports teams, and plays ice hockey.
J. Michael Clemons
Michael Clemons earned admission to the Tennessee Bar in 2005. He practices civil litigation, with experience in jury and non-jury litigation, in both the state and federal courts of Tennessee, representing corporate and individual clients on issues including civil rights, banking, business and contract disputes, employment law, and personal injury. Michael has also assisted Tennessee financial institutions in contract disputes and foreclosures.
He has been selected by Super Lawyers Mid-South as a Rising Star in civil litigation (defense) every year since 2013. Michael is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association and Nashville Bar Association.
Michael was born and raised in Lebanon, Tennessee. He received his undergraduate degree in Business Marketing from the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) in 1999. Immediately following graduation from UT, Michael was employed by BellSouth in Nashville where he worked in small business sales. While attending law school, Michael worked at the law firm of Lowery, Lowery & Cherry in Lebanon. He received his doctor of jurisprudence from the Nashville School of Law in 2005. Later that year he joined the law firm of Rochelle, McCulloch & Aulds, PLLC in Lebanon.
While practicing and living in Lebanon, Michael served on the board of directors of the Lebanon Noon Rotary Club and the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce and was the Chairman of the Board of Historic Lebanon Tomorrow, a local non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of Lebanon's historic districts.
Prior to co-founding Clemmons & Clemons, PLLC, Michael worked with and learned from veteran litigators at Rochelle, McCulloch & Aulds, PLLC, Blackburn & McCune, PLLC, and Chaffin & Burnsed, PLLC.
Prior to practicing law, Mr. Clemons held several public relations internship positions with companies such as The Ingram Group (Nashville, TN); Dye, Van Mol & Lawrence (Nashville, TN) and MTV Networks (New York, NY).
