Our Team

Meet some of our employees
Vanessa Coates
Intake Coordinator

Vanessa Coates is from Sunnyvale, CA and went to college at Cal State Fresno, where she earned her B.A. in Mass Communication and Journalism. After college she worked throughout California in advertising before moving to Las Vegas, NV, where Vanessa worked in marketing for casinos. In 2019 Vanessa moved to Knoxville to continue working in advertising, but soon joined the Garza Law Firm team in the intake department. She loves cooking, traveling, spending time with family, friends and especially her cat Winston. She enjoys exploring the beauty of East Tennessee and finding all the hidden gems in the South… including the best barbecue.

Mallory Garrison
Civil Operations Manager

Mallory Garrison is originally from Conway, AR and moved to Johnson City, TN at a young age. She has been in Knoxville since 2020 and loves working for the people of East Tennessee. Mallory started her paralegal career working with Tony Seaton before moving to the Garza Law Firm. She is now the Civil Operations Manager who oversees the firm’s civil division. Mallory has done mission work in Haiti and El Salvador and enjoys volunteering at Garza Law-sponsored motorcycle events. She enjoys spending time with friends and family as well as taking care of her dog, Payton. She also loves trying new restaurants in Knoxville and around the world!

Chad Harrison
Head of People

Chad Harrison, a Tennessee native with roots in Gallatin, moved to Knoxville in 2002. He, his wife, and three kids love exploring the Great Smoky Mountains, indulging in activities like hiking, hunting and fishing. Despite his educational background in industrial engineering, Chad’s extensive experience in applied behavior science and psychometrics forms the foundation of his HR career. With over 20 years experience, he has developed leaders and provided executive coaching in 10 countries. As Head of People at Garza Law, Chad focuses on talent management strategies, leveraging his insights into both people and processes gained through a career spanning Fortune 500 companies in the retail, travel, finance, and technology industries.

Breckenridge Morgan
Professional Legal Administrator

Commander Breckenridge Morgan is a retired Surface Warfare and Human Resources Officer and Commanding Officer in the Navy. His tours as Commanding Officer include the Military Entrance Processing Station Knoxville and Navy Recruiting District Atlanta.

An adept administrator, Cmdr Morgan joined the team in 2021 and is an advocate for Garza Law clients in providing exceptional client support. A native of Knoxville, he can be found cheering on the Volunteers throughout the year or poolside as a USA Swimming Referee, Starter, or other official positions supporting all levels of swimming.

bmorgan@garzalaw.com

Bill Muhlfeld
Investigator

Investigator William “Bill” Muhlfeld is a U.S. Navy Veteran, Firefighter, EMT-A, Emergency Manager/Public Safety Director and Criminal Investigator with a combined 38 years of public safety experience. Bill has protected communities from NAS Keflavik Iceland, Orlando, FL and Knoxville, TN.

Bill joined the Garza Law Firm in 2015 and investigates all aspects of our clients’ cases. On his off-time, Bill is a recognized Formula 1 i-Race Car Driver/Streamer and avid fisherman.

Lyndsay Southern
Jacksboro Office Manager

Lyndsay Southern is a native of Campbell County, TN. She’s always had a strong desire to work with the public in the legal field. Lyndsay began her legal career in the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office in Campbell County where she worked for over 16 years before joining Garza Law. She is now operating the new Jacksboro, TN office as a legal assistant for the Garza Law criminal defense team. Lyndsay helps prepare attorneys for court while ensuring that every client’s needs are being met

Lyndsay is married with one young son. She loves traveling to new places and making memories with her family. In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her son, shopping, running, being outdoors, and hiking in East Tennessee. She can also be found at community events in Campbell County and surrounding areas.

April Violet
Motorcycle Advocate

April Violet serves as the firms Motorcycle Advocate. She’s an avid rider and is deep-rooted in the local motorcycle community. Her time spent at the Harley-Davidson dealership in Knoxville allowed her to develop long-lasting relationships within the community. April, aka Heelz on Wheelz, is not only an advocate for ALL motorcyclists in Tennessee, but also passionate about promoting safety amongst fellow riders. She works diligently to bring the riding community together through benefit rides, fundraisers, bike nights, and themed events. When April is not busy with work or doing the Ride Reports on WIMZ, you’ll find her riding her BMW R-NineT, out enjoying local live music, or spending quality time with her three grandchildren.

Adam Woody
Investigator

Investigator Adam Woody was born in Rogersville, TN and raised in Rockwood, TN. He was in the Tennessee Army National Guard and served time in Iraq. He also has twenty years law enforcement experience with the Oak Ridge Police Department and Tennessee Highway Patrol. He has a Master of Professional Studies from the Tennessee Technological University in Public Safety and a Bachelor of Science from Bethal University in Criminal Justice. He attended the Northwestern School of Staff and Command, Tennessee Governors Leadership Program, and specializes in crash reconstruction. In his spare time, Adam loves spending time with his family and flying general aviation aircraft.

100%

Percentage of employees with certification in their specific field.

100%

Employee participation in community service and outreach programs organized by the Garza Law Firm.

110%

What our employees give to each and every legal matter we take on at the Garza Law Firm.

The Garza Law Firm is proud to employ a diverse team of talented individuals from all over the country. In addition to a large percentage of employees being female or minorities, we are also honored to have a number of former military, law enforcement, and paramedic professionals on staff.

Our Attorneys

61% Female Employees
13% Minority Employees
15% Employees with Military Service

We are here to serve

The team at Garza Law is ready to assist with your legal matter. We strive to exceed your expectations in all that we do. Expect nothing less than to be treated like family at the Garza Law Firm in Knoxville, TN. Call us today at 865-540-8300.