East Tennessee Attorney and Litigator
E. Michael Brezina, III
E. Michael Brezina, III’s career includes nearly 20 years of litigation experience in the private and public sectors, including diverse litigation background and extensive small business, contract drafting and negotiating experience.
Michael graduated Summa Cum Laude in three years from the University of Tennessee (“UT”) in Knoxville, where he was selected Phi Beta Kappa. He was also a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. In 2004, he graduated Cum Laude from UT College of Law. He was a partner for many years at Hodges, Doughty & Carson, PLLC, one of the region’s oldest and well-respected law firms, starting his practice there after graduating from law school in 2004. During his 15-year tenure there, Michael’s practice focused in large measure on defending Medical Malpractice cases and representing a variety of small business/commercial clients. He has also had significant practice experience in Personal Injury cases (ex: Car Wrecks, Premises Liability cases, etc.).
Between 2019 – 2020, Michael served as Assistant Attorney General at the Office of the Attorney General, U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Justice, in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, V.I., focusing his practice in the areas of Medical Malpractice, Health Care Law and Risk. He also served as an Advisor to Cabinet-level officials on healthcare-related policy and drafted proposed legislation for the Virgin Islands. He started Atkins Brezina, PLLC , in July, 2020, which rapidly grew and expanded several areas of its practice, including in the Medical Malpractice, Healthcare, Small Business/Commercial and Sports & Entertainment Law spaces. In June, 2023, Atkins Brezina, PLLP, was founded.
Michael served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the UT College of Law, teaching Pre-Trial Litigation between 2015-2023. He has been selected as a CityView Magazine “Top Attorney” over 20 times across a number of categories throughout his career and was named a “Mid-South Rising Star” for 7 consecutive years by “Super Lawyers” Magazine. In 2010, he was selected as a member of the TBA Leadership Law Class.
Michael’s clients have repeatedly remarked they appreciate his attention to detail, diverse professional experience and background, toughness, persistence and communication.
Michael also owns Name, Image & Likeness (“NIL”) companies, serving collegiate and high school athletes. Next Level Athletics is an NIL company dedicated to serving collegiate Student-athletes at the University of Tennessee, (“UT”), locating NIL deals for them and operating the Player Development Fund, an NIL Collective devoted solely to UT Volunteer Student-athletes. These Student-Athletes include/have included some of UT’s most elite athletes across Men’s and Women’s sports, including: Christian Moore (Baseball), Tobe Awaka (Men’s Basketball), “Squirrel” White (Football), Dylan Sampson (Football), Nolyn Bartholomew (Women’s Soccer) and Abby Ekeler (Volleyball). Varsity Sports Group (“Varsity”), focuses on NIL deals/opportunities for High School athletes. Varsity provides a wide range of services across 3 divisions: 1) Community Collective services; 2) NIL marketing services for specific, individual High School athletes; and 3) Operation and fundraising services for The Varsity Fund, a Varsity-owned NIL Collective created to provide compliant NIL opportunities to High School athletes from disadvantaged communities.
He is active in the Knoxville community and remains an active member of the Tennessee Bar Association (“TBA”) and Knoxville Bar Association (“KBA”). He formerly served on the Board of Directors for The Sertoma Center in Knoxville and as Treasurer for multiple Campaigns to Elect/Re-Elect Andrew Jackson, VI, as Judge of the Knox County General Sessions Court. He also served as the Chapter Advisor to the Sigma Chi Fraternity at UT for over a decade. He previously served as an elected member of the KBA Board of Governors and as Chairman/Co-Chairman of the KBA Legislative Committee for over twelve (12) years. Michael also regularly speaks at seminars and to parents and athletes on a wide range of NIL-related topics, including at the 2023 Tennessee Bar Association’s Annual Convention.
Michael has lived in East Tennessee for most of his life, moving to Knoxville when he was thirteen (13) years old. He attended the Christian Academy of Knoxville and graduated from Farragut High School in 1998. He initially signed a Division I college soccer scholarship out of high school, but ultimately returned to Knoxville to attend and graduate from UT. His family and friends call him “Breezy.”
He enjoys spending time with his wife, Lindsay, who is a Social Worker at the UT Cancer Center. He also enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, college and high school athletics, playing piano and guitar, listening to music and playing with his dogs.
