Jonathan Tepe - Nashville, TN
Attorney at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP
Public Interest Litigation Lawyers in Nashville, TN
611 Commerce Street Suite 3100 Nashville, TN 37203
- Free Consultation
- 1 Super Lawyers®
-
7
Years
Experience
Nashville Public Interest Litigation Lawyer
Updated: 10/09/2026
Areas of Practice
- Public Interest Litigation
- Civil Rights
- Employment
- Complex Civil Litigation
Attorney Information
Overview
Jonathan Tepe is a Partner at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, a Co-Chair of the firmâs Public Interest Practice Group, and the Chair of the firmâs Fellows and Junior Associates Program.
Since joining Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, Jonathan has been named to each Super Lawyersâ Mid-South Rising Stars list since 2022, each Benchmark Litigationâs 40 & Under â South list since 2023, the 2026 Best Lawyers Ones to Watch list, and Lawdragonâs 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers.
At Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, Jonathanâs practice has focused on public interest litigation, civil rights and employment cases, and complex civil litigation. Jonathanâs representations have included:
- A proposed class action on behalf of mistreated and abused disabled youth in the Tennessee juvenile justice system in Disability Rights Tennessee, et al. v. The State of Tennessee, et al.
- Dozens of counties and cities across the nation in their claims against opioid manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies, and pharmacy benefit managers
- Helping to secure a settlement on behalf of more than 700 auto-workers in a class age discrimination claim against Volkswagen in Manlove v. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft et al.
- Helping to secure an $8.3 million arbitration verdict on behalf of the co-founder of a global semi-conductor company following his termination in Chen v. InnoGrit Corporation, et al.
- Health care executives who were terminated after reporting violations of laws and regulations in Kyrimis, et al. v. Palomar Health et al.
- An asylum seeker in his appeal before the Tenth Circuit
- Successfully resolving many cases involving employment discrimination and retaliation
Jonathan received his law degree from Columbia Law School and his Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Political Science and History, with Honors in Arts and Sciences, from The Ohio State University. While at Columbia Law, Jonathan was a member of the Human Rights Law Review, Public Relations Chairman of Rightslink (a student-run human rights law organization), and a participant in the Human Rights Internship Program. As an intern with the Legal Resources Centre in Makhanda, South Africa, Jonathan contributed to litigation that ultimately secured a judgment finding that severe furniture shortages in Eastern Cape schools violated the constitutional right to a basic education and ordering the government to provide sufficient desks and chairs to all Eastern Cape schools. He also helped to defend low-income families as an extern with The Bronx Defenders and to expand voting rights as an extern with The Center for Popular Democracy. While at Ohio State, Jonathan worked as an intern for the Ohio Attorney Generalâs Office, Employment Law Section and for U.S. Congressman Steve Driehaus.
Jonathan is a member of the Tennessee and Ohio bars. He is also a member of the Tennessee Bar Association.
Before joining Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, Jonathan completed a clerkship for the Honorable Sarah A. L. Merriam, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. Prior to his clerkship, Jonathan was an Associate at Taft Stettinius and Hollister LLP in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he gained substantial experience in complex commercial litigation, as well as various pro bono matters representing low-income individuals.
When Jonathan is not lawyering, he enjoys traveling, running, and cheering on the Ohio State Buckeyes, Cincinnati Reds, and Cincinnati Bengals.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- Nashville Super Lawyersâ âRising Starâ Selectee, 2022 - 2026
- Best Lawyersâ Ones to Watch Selectee for âLabor and Employment Law â Employeeâ and âLitigation â Labor and Employmentâ, 2026 - Present
- Benchmark Litigationâs 40 and Under List, 2023 - 2026
- Lawdragonâs â500 Leading Civil Rights and Plaintiff Employment Lawyersâ Selectee, 2025 - 2026
- Super Lawyersâ Mid-South Rising Stars, 2022 - Present
Other Sources of Feedback About Jonathan Tepe
Included on the 2026 Mid-South Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2025 Mid-South Super Lawyers list
- 2024 Mid-South Super Lawyers list
- 2023 Mid-South Super Lawyers list
- 2022 Mid-South Super Lawyers list
Education
Legal Education
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Columbia Law School, New York, New York
J.D.
Honors: Public Relations Chairman of Rightslink
Honors: Human Rights Internship Program
Law Review: Human Rights Law Review, Member
Non Legal Education
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Ohio State University
B.A.
Honors: cum laude
Honors: Honors in Arts and Sciences
Major: Political Science and History
Current Employment Position(s)
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Nashville Partner
Past Positions
- Honorable Sarah A. L. Merriam, Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, Clerkship
- The Bronx Defenders, Extern
- The Center for Popular Democracy, Extern
- Ohio Attorney Generalâs Office, Employment Law Section and for U.S. Congressman Steve Driehaus, Intern
- Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Cincinnati, Ohio, Associate
- Legal Resources Centre in Makhanda, South Africa, Intern
Representative Cases
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Volkswagen in Manlove v. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft et al.
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Chen v. InnoGrit Corporation, et al.
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Kyrimis, et al. v. Palomar Health et al.
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Disability Rights Tennessee, et al. v. The State of Tennessee, et al.
Published Works
Articles
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Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnightâs letter in support of California Senate Bill 1137 amending Californiaâs civil rights laws to expressly prohibit discrimination based on the intersection of two or more protected characteristics, Co-author, March 26, 2024
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Working-Class Rights: I Was Laid Off. Now What?, Co-Author
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Workers Succeed in Class Age Discrimination Settlement, But Much Remains to be Done
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee
- Ohio
- U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Tennessee
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Tennessee
Other Affiliations
- Tennessee Bar Association (Member)
Photo
Contact
611 Commerce Street
Suite 3100
Nashville, TN 37203
Phone Number: 888-681-5583
Fax Number: 615-434-7020
Email: Send a message
Website: https://sanfordheisler.com/
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30AM-5:30PM
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