Attorney Profile: Bob E. Lype

Bob E. Lype was born on May 19, 1958, and grew up in the small town of Rogersville (Hawkins County) in Northeast Tennessee.

After graduating from East Tennessee State University in 1980, he taught American History, Sociology and Contemporary Issues to eleventh and twelfth graders, and he also coached the boys' and girls' tennis teams, at Volunteer High School in Church Hill, Tennessee from 1980-87.

He then attended the University of Tennessee College of Law, where he graduated with high honors in 1990. Mr. Lype has practiced law in Chattanooga, Tennessee since 1990, except for a brief period in 1995-96 when he practiced law in Morristown, Tennessee. He has practiced law with large and mid-sized law firms, and he began his solo practice in Chattanooga in November, 2003.

Bob lives in Ooltewah, Tennessee (located just northeast of Chattanooga, and also adjacent to Collegedale, Tennessee) with his wife, Brenna, and their two sons, Bryson and Braden. Bryson is a 2013 graduate of Ooltewah High School, where he was class Valedictorian, and he has attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville as a Haslam Scholar, 2013-2017. Bryson attends the University of Tennessee College of Law. Braden graduated from Ooltewah High School in 2016, and he attends the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, also as a Haslam Scholar, beginning in the fall of 2016. (The UTK Haslam Scholars Program is "a unique in-depth academic enrichment program for top students at UT to complete independent research, study abroad, and become community leaders," offered to fifteen entering students each year, and Haslam Scholars "serve as high-profile undergraduate leaders whose lofty academic ambitions match those of the program and the institution," per the University's description). Bryson and Braden both played varsity tennis at Ooltewah High School, where they both enjoyed outstanding success. Bryson and Braden have made their parents extremely proud. Bob and Brenna were also parents to Betsy, who was called home to be with the Lord on July 26, 2004, at the age of 15. Betsy was a unique blessing and will forever be an inspiration to her family, as well as to all who knew her.

Betsy, Braden and Bryson, in 2004

Education:

• J.D., with high honors, University of Tennessee College of Law, 1990.
• Completed two-week trial advocacy training, National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), Rocky Mountain Regional Program, August, 1994.
• B.S., magna cum laude, East Tennessee State University, 1980.
• Completed twelve semester hours of graduate studies in secondary education, East Tennessee State University, 1982-86.

Honors / Awards:

• Member, Order of the Coif (highest scholastic honor conferred by University of Tennessee College of Law), 1990.
• J.D. degree with high honors, University of Tennessee College of Law, 1990.
• John Green Scholarship recipient, University of Tennessee College of Law, 1987.
• Dean's List, all semesters, University of Tennessee College of Law, 1987-90.
• American Jurisprudence Award, Commercial Law.
• Recipient, Justice Joseph W. Henry Award for Outstanding Legal Writing, presented by the Tennessee Bar Association, for the article, "Violence at Work: How to Deal with Bullying, Intimidation, Threats and Physical Violence," Tennessee Bar Journal, Vol. 53, No. 5, April, 2017 (presented June, 2018).
• Recipient, Justice Joseph W. Henry Award for Outstanding Legal Writing, presented by the Tennessee Bar Association, for the article, "A Murky Intersection Between Employment Law and 'Business Torts,'" Tennessee Bar Journal, Vol. 38, No. 11, November, 2002 (presented June, 2003).

Bar Admissions:

• State courts of Tennessee (1990)
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee (1991)
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (1995)
• Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (1997)
• Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (1998)
• United States Tax Court (1997)

Memberships:

• Tennessee Bar Association
• Chattanooga Bar Association

Primary Areas of Practice:

• Labor and Employment Law
• Litigation
• Insurance Defense
• Commercial Law
• Business Law
• Contracts
• Trade Secrets
• Business Torts
• Appellate Practice

Publications:

• "Violence at Work — How to Deal with Bullying, Intimidation, Threats and Physical Violence," Tennessee Bard Journal, Vol. 53, No. 4 (April, 2017)
• "Employment Law and New Technologies: Emerging Trends Affecting Employers," Tennessee Bar Journal, Vol. 47, No. 5 (May, 2011)
• "A Murky Intersection Between Employment Law and 'Business Torts'," Tennessee Bar Journal, Vol. 38, No. 11 (November, 2002)
• "The Handwriting on the Wall — The State of Handwriting Expert Testimony in Tennessee," Tennessee Bar Journal, Vol 34, No. 5 (September/October, 1998)
• "After-Acquired Evidence in Defending Employment Discrimination Claims," Defense Counsel Journal, Vol. 61, No. 3 (October, 1994)
• "How to Get Patient Records from Federally Assisted Substance Abuse Education and Rehabilitation Facilities," Tennessee Bar Journal, Vol. 30, No. 3 (May/June, 1994)
• "Revisiting the Americans With Disabilities Act: Ideas for Assuring Compliance," Chattanooga Business Journal, Vol. III, No. 4 (Feb./Mar., 1994)
• "Race in America: How Far Have We Come?" Human Rights (a publication of the section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities of the American Bar Association), Vol. 19, No. 3 (Summer, 1992)
• "Students Need Questions Answered" (essay on the importance of teaching about AIDS in schools), Tennessee Teacher (January, 1988)

Seminars and Speaking Engagements:

• "Sexual, Racial and Other Harassment and Discrimination" and "Privacy and Social Media in the Workplace," at the Sterling Education Services seminar titled "Employment Law Beyond the Basics," Chattanooga, Tennessee (September, 2012)
• "Privacy, Social Media and Employment Law: Balancing an Employer's Right to Know vs. Employee Privacy," at the Sterling Education Services seminar titled "Beyond the Basics in Employment Law," Chattanooga, Tennessee (January 27, 2011).
• "Employment Law Developments" and "Privacy in the Workplace and Conducting an Internal Investigation," at the Sterling Education Services seminar titled "Employment Law Update," Chattanooga, Tennessee (October 15, 2008)
• "Business Torts and Employment Law" and "Interference Claims," at the Lorman Educational Services seminar titled "Business Torts in Tennessee," Nashville, Tennessee (July 20, 2005)
• "Employment Law Update, News and Notes," to the Chattanooga Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants, Chattanooga, Tennessee (September 16, 2004)
• "Employment Law Update, News and Notes," to the Chattanooga Chapter of the American Payroll Association, Chattanooga, Tennessee (August 19, 2004)
• "Business Torts and Employment Law" and "Interference Claims," at the Lorman Educational Services seminar titled "Business Torts in Tennessee," Nashville, Tennessee (July 15, 2004)
• "Legal Issues for Small Businesses," at the "Kick Start Your Small Business" workshop/seminar sponsored by the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, Chattanooga, Tennessee (May 4, 2004)
• "Time Off: State and Federal Laws on Employee Leave, Vacations, and Holidays," Lorman Educational Services, Chattanooga, Tennessee (October 9, 2003)
• "Employment Issues for the Small to Mid-Sized Employer," Ooltewah/Collegedale Chamber of Commerce (May 21, 2003)
• "Employee Misconduct and Workplace Torts" and "The Lurking Threat of Employee Retaliation Claims," Sterling Education Services "Recent Developments in Employment Law" seminar, Chattanooga, Tennessee (May 8, 2003)
• "Time Off: State and Federal Laws on Employee Leave, Vacations, and Holidays," Lorman Educational Services, Chattanooga, Tennessee (October 16, 2002)
• "Issues in Overtime" and "Litigation of Wage and Hour Claims," NBI Basic Wage and Hour Law in Tennessee seminar, Chattanooga, Tennessee (April, 2001)
• "Sexual Harassment Law Update," "Privacy Issues in the Electronic Workplace," and "Overview of Common Wage & Hour Issues," Walker County, Georgia Chamber of Commerce seminar (March, 2001)
• "Issues in Overtime" and "Litigation of Wage and Hour Claims," NBI Basic Wage and Hour Law in Tennessee seminar, Chattanooga, Tennessee (August, 1998)
• "FMLA Overview — Employer Rights and Obligations" and "Sexual Harassment Investigations," Royal Care, Inc. Human Resources Coordinator Meeting, Cleveland, Tennessee (June, 1998)
• "Interplay of FMLA, ADA and Workers' Compensation" and "Monitoring Employee Conduct — Privacy Issues," Royal Care, Inc. Administrators' Meeting, Cleveland, Tennessee (February, 1998)
• "Current Topics in Employment Law," South Pittsburg Rotary Club (November, 1997)
• Personnel Manual Development Workshop, Cleveland/Bradley County Chamber of Commerce (February, 1997)
• "Covenants Not to Compete, Solicit, Disclose or Recruit – Are Employers Blowing Smoke, or Can These Agreements Be Enforced?" (including authorship of related article), Wimberly & Lawson Annual Labor Relations Update Conference, Nashville, Tennessee (November, 1996)
• "Hot Topics in Employment Law," Hawkins County Job Service Employer Committee, Rogersville, Tennessee (November, 1996)
• "Hot Topics in Employment Law," Bristol Job Service Employer Committee, Bristol, Tennessee (October, 1996)
• "Interplay of ADA, FMLA, Workers' Comp Law, and Leave Policies," Lakeway Human Resources Association, Morristown, Tennessee (May, 1996)
• "What a Plaintiff's Attorney Looks for in Your Employee Handbooks and Job Applications," Wimberly & Lawson Annual Labor Relations Update Conference, Atlanta, Georgia (November, 1995)

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