Hudson T. Ellis, Managing Partner
Biography:
Hudson Ellis is an attorney driven by a simple question: “How can we make our client’s case stronger?” As the firm’s managing partner, he applies that mindset to every long-term disability claim he works on or supervises, constantly refining arguments, strategy, storytelling, and evidence presentation to make sure our clients receive the benefits they deserve.
Hudson has represented clients in courts across the country, and is one of the few attorneys in the country to have tried a long-term disability case to a jury verdict and won—a rare achievement that reflects his ability to combine storytelling with creative problem-solving.
Hudson guides each client with care, empathy, and clarity, helping them navigate processes often cluttered with confusing forms, unnecessary hurdles, and sometimes misleading evidence from insurance companies. He also leads the firm’s appeals and litigation work, mentors other attorneys, and develops innovative tools like Job Sleuth, an iOS app used nationwide to help attorneys prepare and present disability cases more effectively. Colleagues note that Hudson has a knack for improving every system he touches.
He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law and graduated summa cum laude from Bryan College, where he played college baseball as a pitcher and third baseman. Whether crafting strategies in court, mentoring other attorneys, or building technology to make the process smoother, Hudson focuses on continuous improvement to help clients prevail against insurance companies.
Speaking, Publications, & Awards:
Hudson regularly speaks at national and state conferences on ERISA, long-term disability claims, and vocational and medical evidence. His presentations focus on practical strategies for attorneys to tell their clients’ stories effectively and navigate complex claims with confidence. Some of his recent speaking engagements and publications are:
- Tennessee Trial Lawyers, Subrogation Seminar, Nashville, November 2018, Ethics and Civil Liability in ERISA Subrogation and Reimbursement
- Tennessee Trial Lawyers, Bad Faith Seminar, Nashville, TN, August 2020 – “A Good Bad Faith Claim Begins a Great Insurance Claim”
- NOSSCR, Annual Conference, May 2021 – “How to Use the DOT to Win Your Next Hearing”
- Michigan Trial Lawyer Social Security Section, Michigan Trial Lawyer Annual Conference, Boyne Mountain, MI, September 2021 – “ERISA for SSDI Attorneys” and “Understanding Composite Jobs to Win Your SSDI Case”
- TTLA Magazine, Fall 2022, “What Makes Courts Pay Attention to an Insurer’s Bias in ERISA-World?”
- NOSSCR LTD Group, Webinar, September 2022 – “ERISA Discovery”
- TTLA Magazine, Spring 2023 –“You Should Fight for Doctor Discovery in ERISA Benefit Cases”
- NAPB (National Association of Practice Brokers), Webinar, September 2023 – “Guiding Dentists Through Disability”
- TTLA Magazine, Fall 2024 –“Issue Preclusion in ERISA-Claimants should make their best argument in Court (even if it is a new one)”
- National Business Institute, Understanding and Countering Vocational Expert Testimony, Webinar, August 2024 – “Challenging Job Findings” and “Objections and Stipulations”
- National Business Institute, Improving SSDI Claim Outcomes for Office Workers, Webinar, February 2025, “Vocational Data: Countering Office-Based Job Findings”
- TTLA Magazine, Fall 2025, “Severance Agreements and Disability Claims: How to Protect—and Rescue—Your Client’s Benefits”
Hobbies & Interests:
When he is not in court or at the office, Hudson enjoys spending time with his wife and five children, supporting their sports and artistic endeavors through various combinations of coaching, ferrying, and cheerleading. Hudson enjoys playing sports himself—including golf, hockey, ping pong, and foosball—and spending quiet moments reading, playing strategy games, or plotting the solution to his current legal puzzle. Hudson is also the President of the Board of Canyon Creek Christian Academy, a hybrid homeschool that his wife founded and where his children attend.
