David G. McDowell has been elected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.
Gearhiser, Peters, Elliott, & Cannon, PLLC
Individuals are invited to become members of the Fellows, which is an honorary organization of attorneys, judges, law faculty, and legal scholars, because of the outstanding achievements and high character they have demonstrated in their legal careers.
At the 144th Annual Tennessee Bar Association Convention, David McDowell was elected to serve as the Vice President of the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Fellows, and began another term of service as the East Tennessee Governor on the Tennessee Bar Association Board of Governors.
On July 1, 2025, Sam D. Elliott, a member of the firm, assumed the chairmanship of the Tennessee Bar Foundation Board of Trustees. A member of the Board since 2019, Sam will serve a one-year term as chairman. The Tennessee Bar Foundation was established in 1982. Its mission is to administer Tennessee’s IOLTA (Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Accounts) program, honor distinguished attorneys as "Fellows," and support law-related public interest projects. The IOLTA program supports Tennessee’s Legal Aid programs and other non-profit organizations which provide legal services to the poor and/or work to improve the administration of justice. Sam is a former president of the Tennessee and Chattanooga Bar Associations and also currently serves as Chairman of the Tennessee Historical Commission.
