About Ethan
R. Ethan Hargraves joined Gary Massey Injury Lawyers in 2017, making the firm his first full-time employment after completing law school and two judicial clerkships.
Before joining the firm, Ethan spent two years serving as a law clerk for justices on the Alabama Supreme Court and Tennessee Supreme Court. That experience gave him valuable insight into how courts evaluate cases and reinforced the importance of preparing every case correctly from the very beginning.
As part of the Gary Massey Injury Lawyers team, Ethan has focused his career on representing regular people who have been injured or wrongfully discriminated against by their employers. He understands how painful it can be to feel mistreated, ignored, or tossed aside. He works to give every client honest, compassionate, and serious representation.
Ethan was born and raised in the Chattanooga area and spent much of his childhood on his family’s farm in Harrison, Tennessee. His local roots and rural upbringing continue to shape his straightforward, hardworking approach to practicing law.
Litigation Experience & Results
Ethan has been practicing law since 2014 and is licensed in both Tennessee and Georgia. His practice includes personal injury claims, employment discrimination cases, and other matters involving people who have been harmed and need an advocate willing to stand up for them.
His litigation experience includes:
- Taking more than a dozen cases to trial
- Securing two trial verdicts in 2025 valued at $8.5 million and $6.6 million
- Negotiating multiple settlements of $1 million or more
- Representing clients in personal injury and employment-related disputes
Ethan believes his willingness and ability to take cases to trial makes a meaningful difference for his clients. Trial experience allows him to make a credible threat that he is prepared to present a case to a jury. It also gives him a more informed understanding of how juries may evaluate injuries, losses, and misconduct when negotiating with defendants and insurance companies.
Practice Areas
Ethan represents individuals who have been injured or wrongfully treated in matters involving:
- Car wrecks
- Premises liability
- Dog bites
- Employment discrimination
- Wrongful termination
- Whistleblower retaliation
- Race discrimination
- Religious discrimination
- Disability discrimination
- Other forms of workplace discrimination
Local Roots
Ethan grew up on his family’s farm in Harrison and remains closely connected to the Chattanooga community.
When he is not working on behalf of his clients, he enjoys raising poultry, growing crops, and hunting deer and turkey to help put food on his family’s table.
He also enjoys playing the banjo and growing extremely hot peppers, including the Carolina Reaper. In 2022, Ethan took first place in the Extreme Hot Pepper Eating Contest at the Bristol Pepper Fest in Bristol, Tennessee.
Education & Credentials
Ethan earned his undergraduate degree from Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee, before receiving his law degree magna cum laude from Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, Virginia.
During law school, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Liberty University Law Review and received numerous academic, advocacy, writing, and service honors.
Ethan is licensed to practice law in:
Education & Law School Honors
Ethan’s education includes:
- Bryan College
- Bachelor of Arts
- Liberty University School of Law
- Juris Doctor, magna cum laude
- Dean’s List, 2011–2013
His law school honors and accomplishments include:
- Editor-in-Chief, Liberty University Law Review
- Distinguished Service Award—Law Review
- Trial Advocacy Award
- Certificate of Excellence in Lawyering Skills
- ABA National Arbitration Competition Champion
- Carolina Invitational Mock Trial Competition Champion
- ABA Section of International Law’s Rona R. Mears National Student Writing Competition Winner
Professional Recognition & Leadership
Ethan’s trial work, legal training, and commitment to his profession have earned recognition from legal organizations and his peers.
Community Involvement
Ethan remains active in the Chattanooga community and works with young people through educational and character-building programs.
His community involvement includes:
- Volunteer high school mock trial coach
- Troop leader with Trail Life
Ethan and his wife, Alanna, are high-school sweethearts. They and their family are followers of Jesus Christ and members of Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Red Bank.
A Serious Approach to Client Representation
Ethan became a lawyer because he enjoys the challenge of competition and finds personal fulfillment in helping people through difficult circumstances.
His practice is focused on individuals—not corporations. Whether a case involves a car wreck, an unsafe property, workplace discrimination, a dog bite, or another serious act of wrongdoing, his clients share one thing in common: they have been harmed and need someone prepared to help them.
When defendants refuse to accept responsibility for the harm they have caused, Ethan works to hold them accountable through careful preparation, direct negotiation, and, when necessary, trial.
“I try to treat every other person as more important than myself and to recognize every person’s value and dignity. I also take excellence in my craft extremely seriously. My clients pay me for serious representation, and I am committed to giving them their money’s worth.”
— Ethan Hargraves
