Judge Thomas Wyatt retires from the Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims at the end of this month, after 12 years of distinguished service as a trial judge and decades as an accomplished attorney in Chattanooga.
When I first met Tom 22 years ago, he was in private practice and I was a staff attorney for the Division of Workers’ Compensation (now called the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation). Tom and I were cordial, but I never thought that I’d one day work with him and consider him a close friend.
Tom’s faith is his bedrock. For approximately 35 years, he’s taught Sunday school. He now teaches seniors, and when he retires, he also plans to work closely with a senior outreach program at his church.
Beyond his strong faith, family is most important to Tom. He married Linda, now a retired CPA and former bookstore owner, almost 46 years ago. They have two sons.
John is a sales and training consultant for corporate legal departments and is married to Lindsey, while Mark manages a logistics cost-engineering department and is married to Lindsay. (Yes, both daughters-in-law have the same name.)
Over the years, Tom frequently shared stories about his five grandchildren, ages four to 16. Tom previously coached his sons in baseball, basketball and soccer, and now he attends his grandchildren’s games.
Tom says he “stumbled into becoming an attorney.” He attended UTC and majored in political science. One of his professors encouraged him to become a lawyer, which resulted in Tom applying for an internship with the legislature, where he worked for the Senate Judiciary Committee. Tom graduated from the UTK College of Law in 1980.
Afterward, Tom ran into a friend, David Hensley (later a judge on the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board from 2014 to 2022). David said his clerkship with the late Judge Herschel P. Franks of the Tennessee Court of Appeals was ending. So, Tom called Judge Franks, who offered him the clerkship.
Reflecting on his time with Judge Franks, Tom said he learned how to be an effective judge: focus on what’s important; maintain a calm demeanor; and research and follow the law.
Tom then practiced law from 1982 to 2014 at Summers & Wyatt, P.C., primarily in personal injury, Social Security disability and workers’ compensation. He estimated he practiced in approximately 40 counties across the state.
In the 1980s, Tom also accepted criminal defense appointments. Later, Tom handled federal criminal court appellate work before the Sixth Circuit.
While practicing, Tom also frequently served as the chair of Hearing Panels for the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility from approximately 2002 to 2010. The panels heard evidence on attorney complaints, issued judgments and made recommendations about ethical violations and disciplinary actions.
Over the years, Tom was recognized for his achievements. The Justices Ray L. Brock, Jr.-Robert E. Cooper American Inn of Court named Tom as a barrister. The American Inn of Court is an invitation-only legal organization that promotes civility, professionalism and ethics among the legal community.
Later, the Chattanooga Bar Association inducted Tom as a fellow, which requires outstanding legal service to the CBA and the community.
Tom appeared before Chancellor Jeff Stewart frequently as a practitioner. Like Judge Franks, Chancellor Stewart served as a judicial role model for Tom. He recalled that Chancellor Stewart, who retired in 2018, always remained calm, made litigants feel heard, kept his docket moving and entered well-reasoned orders.
In July 2014, Tom’s career changed dramatically: He was one of eight judges appointed by Administrator Abbie Hudgens to the newly created Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims. This appointment stemmed from the Reform Act of 2013, which created the Court and the Appeals Board.
Hudgens, who reappointed Tom in 2020, recalls her first impressions:
“I remember when I met Tom. He was waiting for his interview in the seating area at the front of the office. The interviews were behind schedule, and I had stepped out of the conference room for a moment. I saw Tom and went up to apologize for the delay. We sat and talked, and I was impressed with his friendliness, experience and interest in helping the new court get off to a good start. I was glad his interview later went well.”
Tom considered it a significant honor to be part of a newly created court from its inception and said that his best professional memory is the day he was appointed. From a personal standpoint, Tom felt it was a blessing at age 60 to suddenly develop a new circle of colleagues who ultimately became close friends.
Everyone who knows Tom knows that he’s outgoing. When practicing law, he loved dealing with people and interacting with clients. The practice taught him how to de-escalate high-stress situations.
Tom not only maintained an excellent rapport with his clients but also fostered productive relationships with opposing counsel. He developed a reputation for honesty and professional courtesy.
Moreover, Tom kept his jovial personality despite handling a heavy volume of high-stakes cases throughout his career.
Looking back on his career as a plaintiff’s attorney, Tom recalled some cases that he considered to be his greatest professional accomplishments. In a negligence case, he succeeded in obtaining a $9.5 million settlement for a young woman who became a quadriplegic due to her injuries. He also recalled two appellate decisions.
In addition, Tom prevailed when handling the first white lung case in Tennessee, and in another case, the Tennessee Supreme Court held in his favor and changed the law.
As Tom’s judicial career ends, Troy Haley, the current Administrator of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, shares his thoughts:
“Throughout your time as a judge, you earned the respect of attorneys, injured workers, businesses and colleagues because of your fairness and integrity. What always stood out most to me was your ability to approach every case without bias and to ensure that all parties were heard and treated fairly.
“Although your background in private practice was representing injured workers, you consistently demonstrated a balanced and impartial approach from the bench that reflected the very best qualities of the judiciary. Your thoughtful demeanor and commitment to justice have left a lasting impact on Tennessee’s workers’ compensation system.”
Chief Judge Kenneth Switzer also shares parting words after serving with Tom:
“Judge Wyatt is not just a judge that I supervise; we have become friends. We talked about lots of things other than the law or the court. I will miss that far more than talking about some procedural rule. Tom is Tom. We would not want it any other way.”
What else does the future hold for Tom? He plans on volunteering for various ministries in the community. Tom additionally hopes to visit every courthouse in Tennessee, documenting each visit and creating a book about his experiences. Because of his love of history, Tom also wants to finish reading every presidential biography. He only has five left.
My life and Tom’s share some parallels. He lives about five minutes away. I interacted with Tom as a staff attorney in a quasi-judicial role for 10 years. After Tom’s judicial appointment, we quickly became friends, and he supported my judicial appointment the next year.
Tom became not only a colleague but also a mentor, a prayer partner and, most importantly, a close friend.
As Judge Switzer said, “Tom is Tom.” Anyone who is lucky enough to call him a friend is very fortunate.
Saying goodbye implies finality, so I prefer to say, “See you later.” Our work relationship will end, but our friendship will continue.
Tom, we wish you the best!
Judge Headrick is a trial judge on the Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims in Chattanooga.