Burch, Porter & Johnson, PLLC

Burch, Porter & Johnson was founded in downtown Memphis in 1904 by Clinton H. McKay, who served in the Tennessee Legislature, H.D. Minor, who served as president of the Lawyers Club of Memphis (the predecessor of the Memphis Bar Association), and Charles N. Burch, who was a founder of the Memphis Bar Association. After the deaths of Messrs. Burch, Minor and McKay in the 1940s, the firm was led by Lucius E. Burch, Jr., John S. Porter, and Jesse E. Johnson. Lucius Burch and John Porter were among the most active and respected trial lawyers in Tennessee. Lucius Burch earned a national reputation for his progressive leadership in the areas of political reform, civil rights, and the conservation and protection of the environment. John Porter served as President of the Memphis Bar Association among other offices, and was the very first recipient of the Memphis Bar Association's ?Lawyer's Lawyer? Award, the highest award given by the organization.

The firm has been a pillar of the Memphis legal community throughout its history, representing both business clients and individuals in a wide range of significant matters. It has also been at the forefront of matters of historical importance, representing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Memphis sanitation worker?s march in 1968 and championing the environment and conservation in a number of important cases, including one that resulted in a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Former members of the firm include a senior judge on the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, a sitting Justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court, a Tennessee Attorney General and United States Attorney, several present and former Tennessee Circuit Court judges, a State Treasurer of Tennessee, a United States congressman, and members of the Tennessee General Assembly.

Locations	No. of Attorneys
Memphis, TN	40

Practice Areas	No. of Attorneys
Bankruptcy	2
Corporate - General	7
Education	9
Environmental and Land Use	3
Family Law	2
Government and Government Relations	13
Health Care	6
Labor & Employment	9
Litigation	9
Litigation - General (consumer)	24
Real Estate	6
Tax	1
Tax - Controversy and Dispute Resolution	2
Trusts and Estates	3