About Us
R. Wayne Culbertson, P.C. is a mid-sized firm located in Kingsport, Tennessee.
We consist of four (4) attorneys and two (2) paralegals
At first glance, this may seem like your normal law firm. But what sets this firm apart is what this team brings to every case. We have over 50 years of experience. We have an attorney that is also a licensed physician. We have two registered nurses in our staff. Additionally, two of our attorneys were former Assistant District Attorney Generals. With depth in an array of skills, we are better prepared to handle any case, whether civil or criminal, than any other firm in the area.
R. Wayne Culbertson
Founder & Lead Attorney
The Law of R. Wayne Culbertson, P.C. was founded in 1967 and is located at 119 West Market Street, Kingsport, Tennessee. Mr. Culbertson was admitted to the Tennessee Bar Association in 1967 and began his practice shortly thereafter. Mr. Culbertson received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree from East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee in 1964 and went on to attend The School of Law at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, receiving his Juris Doctorate in 1967. He has practiced law in Kingsport, Tennessee for over 50 years.
Practice areas include: General practice in state and federal courts with concentration on personal injury, medical malpractice, workers’ compensation, wrongful death, and criminal law.
Mr. Culbertson in a member of the Kingsport and Tennessee Bar Associations having served as President of the Kingsport Bar Association from 1986 to 1987. He is also a member of the Trial Lawyers Association. He served as an Assistant District Attorney for the Stat of Tennessee in Sullivan County, from 1968 to 1970.
Joseph W. McMurray
Partner
Joseph W. McMurray has been a licensed attorney since 2010, currently serving clients in Tennessee and Virginia. Mr. McMurray was born and raised in Scott County, Virginia. He attended James Madison University and received a scholarship to attend Charleston School of Law. After graduating law school, he clerked for Charleston County Judge Honorable Irv Condon. Following his clerkship, Mr. McMurray began private practice which eventually lead him to accepting a position as an Assistant District Attorney General in the Second Judicial District in Sullivan County, Tennessee. While serving in that role he was the supervisor of General Sessions Court, Juvenile Court and Domestic Relations for the Second Judicial District for over six years. He gained valuable knowledge and connections as a prosecutor which have garnered him tremendous success, both at bench trials and jury trials.
In January 2018, Mr. McMurray left the District Attorney General’s Office and accepted a position as an associate attorney with Mr. R. Wayne Culbertson’s office. Since that time Mr. McMurray has found great success in many areas of law including criminal defense, personal injury, social security disability, probate/estate issues as well as family law. Given his education and experience, Mr. McMurray prides himself as a trial attorney and devotes himself to most areas of litigation in the firm.
In addition to his work at the firm, he is also adjunct professor at King University, teaching criminal procedure, criminal law, ethics in criminal justice and juvenile justice. Also, Mr. McMurray is currently working on his first publication with Belmont Criminal Law Journal, which should be published in spring 2020. Additionally, he serves as the Kingsport Bar Association’s Treasurer for the 2019-2020 term.
Suresh K. Nekuri
Internist/Hospitalist & Attorney
Suresh K. Nekuri is a board certified internist/hospitalist and an attorney certified in healthcare law. He has worked as an expert and consultant on multiple medical malpractice and personal injury cases and is a Clinical Associate Professor for ETSU Quillen College of Medicine in Johnson City, Tennessee. He practices inpatient and outpatient clinical care and he is an independent medical examiner.
Samuel G. Hall
Attorney
Samuel Hall was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and grew up as a child in both Morristown, TN and Bybee, TN. Samuel graduated from Jefferson County High School in 2009, and then graduated Walters State Community College in 2011 with his Associates of Applied Science in Nursing. He then began working at Covenant Health in 2012 as a Registered Nurse. He worked as a Registered Nurse with Covenant and also with Ballad Health, at Indian Path Medical Center. He received his Bachelors of Science in Nursing at South University in Savannah, Georgia, in 2015.
Mr. Hall graduated law school from Lincoln Memorial University’s Duncan School of Law in May of 2019 magna cum laude. His law school accolades include being awarded the Lincoln Lawyer Award for service, founder of the Young American's for Freedom law school chapter, Sergeant in Arms of the Sons of Justice, and Vice President of the Federalist Society. In law school, his article was also published, below. Samuel received CALI awards in Lincoln's Constitution, Advanced Trial Advocacy, and MEE studies II. The article, titled "President Lincoln: Bending the Iron and Cracking the Code," delves into the constitutionality of President Lincoln's use of executive orders during the Civil War, more specifically, in regards to taking control of the private railroads and telegraph companies.
Samuel has been, and still is, an active Registered Nurse, working in the Emergency Department. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Lanna, who is also a nurse. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he has also served as an expert witness on medical malpractice cases. His practice areas include contract law, personal injury law, family law, and other general civil law. In his spare time, Samuel enjoys playing a round of golf while enjoying a cigar.
Christy Blair
Legal Assistant
