Faculty Profile: Henry Phillips III

H. Edward Phillips is actively engaged in the practice of law having been barred in Tennessee in 1994, and his depth of experience and knowledge in the area of administrative law stems from working not only in Tennessee, but throughout the South.  Beginning in 1995, Mr. Phillips started his long journey in administrative practice when he was hired as an attorney with the Tennessee Public Service Commission, which was in its last full year of existence. After the creation of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA), Mr. Phillips seamlessly transitioned to the new agency under the leadership of General Counsel Diane Neal. Upon Mrs. Neal leaving the TRA, Mr. Phillips acted as interim General Counsel. Thereafter, Mr. Phillips served as the lead appellate attorney for agency under General Counsel Richard Collier. During his tenure with the TRA and its predecessor, Mr. Phillips honed his skills both as advisory counsel to the agency's leadership as well as acting as first chair in defending eleven agency orders before the Court of Appeals for the Middle Section of Tennessee. He was also appointed by the TRA's leadership to serve as a hearing officer and an administrative law judge in numerous matters before the agency. After leaving the TRA, Mr. Philips served as in-house counsel for Sprint at the company's Mid-Atlantic Headquarters in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Not only did he continue to appear in Tennessee, he actively engaged in a demanding utilities practice in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, with additional appearances in Kentucky, Florida and Mississippi. After leaving Sprint and its legacy landline company, he continued in private practice and assisted litigants in North Carolina before the North Carolina Medical Board. In 2013, Mr. Phillips once again returned to work as a government attorney with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. In so doing, he continued to add to his skills and his depth of knowledge. Based on his experience, Mr. Phillips has seen the hearing room from three unique vantage points; in the role of a prosecuting attorney, a litigator representing the interests of his clients, and as a trier of fact. Moreover, he has learned how agency orders can withstand appellate scrutiny and how a strong and well-developed record can ensure the best result before a reviewing court. This perspective and experience are rare, and offer an invaluable balance for those desiring to learn more about administrative and appellate proceedings within Tennessee.