About Our Firm

Joe Ford practices primarily personal injury and worker’s compensation law as partner at Ford & Nichols. He has maintained a private practice in Loudon since 1997. Joe has extensive experience dealing with insurance companies and all facets of handling cases through the trial and appellate levels of the legal system. He has devoted his entire legal career to civil litigation involving car wrecks, wrongful death, workers’ compensation, premises liability and retaliatory discharge. Joe was born is Augusta, Georgia in 1965 and moved to Loudon, Tennessee in 1978 when his father took a job at Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant as a pipe-fitter working out of Local #150 of the Plumbers and Steamfitters Union of Augusta. Joe is a 1983 graduate of Loudon High School as is his partner and life-long friend, Brian Nichols. He obtained his undergraduate degree (B.S. Business, 1987) and law degree (J.D. 1990) from the University of Tennessee. Joe is licensed to practice in Tennessee state courts and the U.S. District Court for Eastern Tennessee.

Kris Frye serves as the Loudon City Attorney and Loudon County Delinquent Tax Attorney. Kris helps families and individuals with their estate planning needs by crafting wills and trusts that fit their needs. He has experience representing individuals and businesses in civil litigation relating to contract disputes, property disputes, and all manner of probate proceedings. Kris grew up in Maryville, Tennessee and graduated from the University of Tennessee with a B.A. in Political Science. He later earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2011. During law school, Kris participated in the Business Clinic assisting small business and non-profits while also serving as a member of Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law. Kris is licensed to practice in Tennessee state courts, the U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts for Eastern Tennessee, the U.S. District Court for Western Tennessee, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Brian Nichols practices primarily criminal and family law as partner at Ford & Nichols. He has extensive experience conducting jury and bench trials, as well as handling matters before state agencies. Brian accepts clients in need of legal representation for custody, divorce, and all criminal charges. Brian was born and raised in Loudon County, Tennessee. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree in English. After a career as a high school English teacher and football coach, Brian returned to law school in 2001. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2004 at the top of his class and won the Tennessee Attorney General’s Award for Excellency in Trial Advocacy. Brian is licensed to practice in Tennessee state courts and the U.S. District Court for Eastern Tennessee.

Blake Lee, a Chattanooga native, graduated from Lee University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, where he was also a member of the university’s rugby club. In 2021, he and his wife relocated to Loudon, Tennessee, seeking to be equidistant from his law school in Knoxville and her work in Meigs County. Blake earned both his Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from Lincoln Memorial University in 2023, where he served as a senior editor for the Duncan School of Law’s Law Review. He joined Ford, Nichols & Frye in early 2023 as a legal intern and transitioned to an associate attorney after in October 2023. Blake’s practice spans a variety of areas, including personal injury, domestic relations, and criminal defense. He is licensed to practice in Tennessee State Courts and is a registered appointed representative for the Social Security Administration.