Obituary for Philip J. Lawson

Philip J. Lawson, age 77, of Knoxville passed into the hands of his Lord on Saturday August 29, 2020, at his home. He was a member of Corryton Baptist Church. Phil overcame severe hardship in his life by faith, perseverance, and hard work. Like thousands of other children in the 1940’s, Phil became afflicted with the Polio virus. Phil did not let his disability control him.

During his high school years at Greenbrier Military School, he was one of the few cadets assigned to carry fellow students from the parade ground after fainting from extended drills. He received an award for public speaking. Phil was known as “bull dog”. After receiving his college degree in 1965 from ETSU, Phil began working at SESCO Management Consultants. While working at SESCO he attended the University of Tennessee Law School and graduated in 1975. He was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 1976, the U.S. District Court in 1977, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit in 1985. He founded one of the premier labor and employment law firms in the south, Wimberley Lawson. He specialized in Labor and Employment Law, as a defense attorney. Phil was a thoughtful and far-sighted business man, and a great mentor to many who worked for his law firm. His business acumen was evidenced by a profound business and marketing strategy that made his firm very successful. He helped his clients implement innovative approaches to employee relations management. Phil served many years as a hearing committee officer of the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee and served as an arbitrator/mediator with the American Arbitration Association.

Phil lectured and taught widely on a variety of aspects of labor, employment law and leadership and wrote column, The Eagle’s Nest, in The Laison, a publication of The Smoky Mountain Paralegal Association. Phil was a founding member of Knoxville Fellowship Luncheon, member from 2008- 2013, and always pursued and developed personal relationships with the speakers he was responsible for scheduling. What gave Phil the greatest sense of peace was his faith in God, and his commitment to expressing Christ in everything he did, from caring for exotic animals on his farm, to caring for disadvantaged children in third world countries. He had a loving heart. He had his demons, as we all do, but he preserved.