Atty. Michael J. King
Michael J. King currently serves as managing partner for the firm.
Profile Summary
About Michael J. King at a glance
Michael J. King is a product liability attorney based in Knoxville, Tennessee, practicing at Paine, Bickers, Elder, King & Williams LLP. Educated at The University of Tennessee (J.D., 1992). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Product Liability Litigation - Defendants (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Special Focus: (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — COVID-19 (2026). Serands clients in Knoxville, TN and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Michael J. King currently serves as managing partner for the firm
- He graduated from Syracuse University with a B.A. in mathematics and political science
- Upon graduation, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, with a deferred service commitment to attend law school
- Mike obtained his law degree from The University of Tennessee College of Law in 1992
- He then served for four years in the United States Air Force as a Judge Advocate
- He is licensed in Tennessee and North Carolina
- Mike has nearly 30 years of litigation experience
- He has handled a wide variety of civil litigation cases in both federal and state court ranging from product liability and toxic tort to business and commercial disputes
- He has tried commercial disputes including complex contract cases, shareholder derivative suits, and covenants not to compete
- He currently serves as lead counsel for several companies in Tennessee asbestos litigation
- In that role, Mike has worked as coordinating counsel for defense groups in numerous cases throughout the state
- He has been involved in all aspects of asbestos litigation – from jury trials to appellate work
- In May 2020, he served as lead appellate lawyer and successfully argued to the Tennessee Supreme Court that equipment manufacturers did not have liability for the subsequent integration of third party asbestos-containing parts into their products
- See Coffman v
- Armstrong International, Inc. — S.W.3d —, 2021 WL 22180 (Tenn. 2021)
- Mike dedicates a substantial portion of his practice to the representation of owners and management companies in the multifamily housing industry
- This area of practice includes handling tenant disputes and evictions, drafting residential leases, representation of landlords in fair housing cases and speaking on issues of importance to the multifamily industry
- He previously served on the board of the Apartment Association of Greater Knoxville and currently serves as general counsel for the association
- He is also a member of the Tennessee Apartment Association, and the National Apartment Association
- He previously served as President of the Knoxville Bar Association and as co-chair of the publications committee
- In 2011, he was inducted as a Fellow in the Knoxville Bar Foundation
- Mike is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association
- He is a graduate of the TBA’s Leadership Law Program and has served on the steering committee for the program
- He is also a member of the Defense Research Institute and the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association
- Mike also served a three-year term with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville Chancellor’s Associates, a group of business, professional and community leaders from the Knoxville area that help build public understanding of and support for the university
- Since 2016, Mike has been recognized in The Best Lawyers of America for his work in Product Liability Litigation – Defendants and was named Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in 2020
- He has been selected to Super Lawyers, a designation of top-rated practicing attorneys and in 2020 was named to the Top 100 Tennessee Super Lawyer List
Practice Areas Explained
Michael J. King's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Michael J. King handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Michael J. King is one of 66,193 product liability attorneys indexed nationally. Browse product liability attorneys in Tennessee →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Tennessee
Practicing law in Tennessee. Legal matters in Tennessee are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Knoxville are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Tennessee state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Tennessee brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Tennessee courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Tennessee attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Knoxville or all attorneys in Tennessee.
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