Legal Services & Lawyers

Consumer financial services practice focusing on state and federal regulatory compliance matters.

Patrick A. Cruise is licensed in Tennessee, Georgia, and Louisiana. In over a decade of practice Patrick Cruise has handled over one thousand cases, including trials in Tennessee, Georgia, and Louisiana. He has obtained millions of dollars in compensation for his clients, including two judgments in excess of $700,000.00. After practicing personal injury law for over three years in Louisiana, Patrick Cruise joined the Hamilton Firm in 2005, focusing on personal injury, automobile negligence, workers' compensation, Social Security disability, long term disability, and premises liability cases.

Mr. Cruise also serves as an arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau and has served as an adjunct faculty member at Chattanooga State Technical Community College teaching classes on Criminal Law and American Government.

Martin L. Pierce is a native of Memphis, Tennessee, and received his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from Tennessee Technological University in 1978. He received that institution's Outstanding Young Alumnus Award in 1988. Martin received his law degree, with honors, from the University of Memphis in 1981, where he was a published member of the University of Memphis Law Review. He is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Georgia, as well as before the U.S. Tax Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Martin works primarily in the areas of (1) Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Elder Law, Probate, Conservatorships, Guardianships and Charitable Planning, (2) Business Entity Law, including Corporations, LLCs and Partnerships, with a special emphasis on work for Nonprofits, Tax-exempt organizations and Foundations, and (3) Employee Benefits, Retirement Plans, Cafeteria Plans, Health Savings Accounts, COBRA and ERISA.

He is a Certified Estate Planning Law Specialist through the ABA-accredited National Association of Estate Planners & Councils and the Tennessee Commission on Specialization. See www.cletn.com/Specialists.aspx. He is also a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Among other professional organizations that he is a member of are the Chattanooga Estate Planning Council (Past President, 2006-07), the Chattanooga Tax Practitioners (President, 2007-08), and the National and Chattanooga Planned Giving Councils, as well as the Georgia, Tennessee and Chattanooga Bar Associations, where he is involved with the Technology, Tax and Probate, and Trust Sections.

Martin is the co-founder of several local ministries and organizations, including First Things First and the IMPACT School at Silverdale Baptist Academy. He has served on the Boards of many ministries and nonprofits, including the Chattanooga Christian School, Chattanooga Resource Foundation (Chattanooga Matters), Bethel Bible Village, Lighthouse Counseling Center, Changing the Future, Student Venture of Chattanooga (a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ), Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Chattanooga, and the Chattanooga Optimist Club. He currently serves on the Boards of Paraclyte Ministries Counseling Resources and the Chattanooga Generous Community Initiative. Martin is also the Chairman of the Alpha Fund, a component fund of the Chattanooga Christian Community Foundation, a member of the Christian Legal Society, and he is a Budget Coach with Crown Financial Ministries. Martin is a Qualified and a Charter Member of Kingdom Advisors (formerly Christian Financial Professionals Network, CFPN) and founded and has led the Chattanooga Area Kingdom Advisors Group since its inception in 2005. See www.KingdomAdvisors.org.

Martin is a frequent speaker to professional groups, business organizations, civic organizations, churches and other groups on Estate Planning, Elder Law, Charitable and Planned Giving, Employee Benefits, Business entities, tax-exempt entities, nonprofits, stewardship, and financial planning topics. Additionally, he has often written articles for the Chattanoogan.com online “newspaper.” See www.Chattanoogan.com.

Martin is in his 30th year of law practice in Chattanooga, where he began with Stophel, Caldwell & Heggie, P.C. in 1981. He moved to Chambliss & Bahner, PLLC in 1984 (where he became a Partner in 1987, and he was the Head of that Firm’s Tax & Estates Section for 8 years). In 1997, Stophel & Stophel, P.C. merged with Chambliss & Bahner, forming Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C., where Martin practiced until 2002, when he joined the national law firm of Husch & Eppenberger, LLC (where he was Head of the Estate Planning and Employee Benefits practice areas for the Firm’s three offices in the State of Tennessee). On January 1, 2005, Martin opened his own practice to more personally and cost-effectively serve his clients. On September 1, 2010, Jodi Reece Harris joined Mr. Pierce to form the law firm of Pierce & Harris, an association of attorneys.

Martin’s office is located at 4513 Hixson Pike, Suite 109, Hixson, Tennessee 37343. His office telephone number is (423) 648-4303, and his fax number is (423) 648-4305. He may also be reached by e-mail at mpierce@martinpiercelaw.com.

As an attorney in private practice in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Norman Sabin provides extensive estate and tax planning services to individuals and businesses. Mr. Sabin’s primary focus is protecting families from the devastating legal effects of disability and death. Through proper planning, individuals and families can avoid probate, protect their assets, continue their legacies through strategic charitable giving, and provide for the security of their loved ones. He will take the time to get to know you as individuals, to learn about your life and values, and work closely with you through an ongoing relationship to ensure your personal and financial goals are met as your life and the laws change over the years.

Mr. Sabin combines a background in business with a wide range of legal and personal experience to provide his clients with a uniquely practical perspective. An attorney since 1994, he now devotes his practice primarily to estate and legacy planning. Mr. Sabin has taught legal courses at the college level as an Adjunct Instructor at Chattanooga State Technical Community College and Bryan College. Mr. Sabin also offers educational seminars on a variety of estate planning topics to both the general public and private groups.

Mr. Sabin is the only member of the prestigious American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys in Chattanooga and Eastern Tennessee, an organization committed to promoting the highest standards of excellence in the profession. He is also a member of the Estate Planning Council of Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Bar Association and the Tennessee Bar Association. He is admitted to practice law before the Supreme Court of Tennessee as well as the U.S. District Courts and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Education
Mr. Sabin received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and received his Juris Doctorate from Regent University. While in law school, he was Editor-in-Chief of the Regent Law Review, and a member of the Regent University National Moot Court Team. Mr. Sabin also served as co-chairman of Regent’s Intramural Moot Court competition. In addition, he served on the University President’s Committee for Academic Affairs. Mr. Sabin was listed in Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.

Personal
Mr. Sabin is married to Patricia Sabin. They have three children, Daris, Kelsey and Zachary. He also has two grandchildren, Joshua and Madyson. Outside the office, Mr. Sabin enjoys a wide variety of activities, including golf, attending theater and concert events and spending time with his family. He attends church at Grace Calvary Chapel and has actively participated in ministries in the Chattanooga area.