Attorneys

Daniel Clayton is certified as a Civil Trial Specialist and a Medical Malpractice Specialist. He is one of only nine attorneys in the state of Tennessee to hold both certifications. Daniel was selected for inclusion on the 2007 Mid-South Super Lawyers list featuring the top 5% of attorneys in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. The list is compiled by Law and Politics magazine. Because of his success and insight, he is a much sought after speaker on the subject of trial practice. He has given presentations across the state of Tennessee not only to other attorneys, but also to judges. This past spring, he was a featured speaker at a convention held for Tennessee judges. He has tried cases in Alabama, Kentucky and across the state of Tennessee. He has represented clients in Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, Michigan, Illinois and Florida.

Daniel currently serves as the President-Elect of the Tennessee Association for Justice, formerly the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association. He also serves on the Board of Governors for the Tennessee Association for Justice, the Medical/Legal Committee for the Nashville Bar Association and is a member of the American Association for Justice, formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. He is a member of the Circle of Advocates and the Nashville Bar Foundation. Daniel was selected as a Senior Counsel member of the American College of Barristers. The status of Senior Counsel is a distinction honoring the skill and experience as a trial lawyer as well as his demonstrated commitment to promoting excellence in the art of trial advocacy.

Daniel is a graduate of David Lipscomb University (B.A. 1984) and the University of Tennessee College of Law (J.D. 1987). While in law school, he was a national semifinalist member of the National Trial Moot Court Team. He was also a recipient of the Supreme Court Justice, Lewis Powell Medal for Excellence in Advocacy. He is listed in Who's Who in American Law and is a past recipient of the Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the legal community. Daniel enjoys an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell, which identifies lawyers with a very high to preeminent legal ability, indicating they demonstrate the highest professional and ethical standards.

Giving back to the community is an important part of Daniel's life. In 1994, he was elected to the Franklin Special School District Board of Education. He served as the treasurer of the Franklin Special School District Board of Education from 1994-1997. During his tenure, the Franklin Special School District received the Tennessee School Board of the Year Award from the Tennessee School Board Association. Daniel is an active member of the church he attends – often being asked to teach classes. He and his wife are members of the Williamson County Foster Parent Association. During the past 12 years, they have served as foster parents to over 35 children including special needs and disabled children. They actively support Gracework Ministries, Mercy Children's Medical Clinic and Faith Family Medical Clinic. Daniel also served as a Youth Basketball Coach for 12 years with the YMCA, Williamson County Recreational League and Grassland Athletic Association. He and his wife, Stacy, along with their four children, live in Franklin, Tennessee.

Daniel has handled numerous high-profile cases that have received local and national media attention including the death in an automobile wreck of the world’s most decorated aerobatic pilot (whose planes are on exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.); the wrongful death of a woman after the car she was driving was hit in the rear-end by a tractor-trailer, causing the car to burst into flames; the permanently disabling injuries a man received when a deck collapsed because of improper construction, causing him to fall 20 feet; the death of a well-known pharmacist after his CT scans were misread and severe injuries a lady received after pure 99.9% acetic acid, instead of a 4% solution, was used on her during a gynecologic procedure. He has successfully handled multiple brain injury cases including birth trauma injuries.

His areas of practice include catastrophic and personal injury, automobile and tractor trailer litigation, wrongful death, medical negligence, and product liability. For more information regarding Board Certification, please visit www.abpla.org and www.cletn.com.