Litson PLLC Becomes the Only Firm in Tennessee with Four Former Federal Prosecutors

Former Criminal Division Chief Brent Hannafan has joined Litson PLLC as partner. With Hannafan’s arrival, Litson becomes the only law firm in Tennessee with four former federal prosecutors — and a team that has collectively tried more than 90 jury trials.

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Hannafan served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Middle District of Tennessee, where he tried more than 20 federal criminal jury trials and received the Department of Justice Director’s Award in 2017. That same year, he was appointed Chief of the Criminal Division, overseeing all federal criminal investigations and prosecutions in the district until 2023. He also spent 13 years as a faculty member at the DOJ’s National Advocacy Center, training federal prosecutors nationwide in trial advocacy.

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Most recently, Hannafan was a Partner and Co-Chair of the Trial Practice Group at a national plaintiffs’ firm. He served as lead trial counsel in the employment discrimination case against actor Robert De Niro, securing a $1.2 million jury verdict.

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“Brent is one of the most accomplished trial lawyers in the state,” said Alex Little, Managing Partner of Litson PLLC. “His experience running the Criminal Division in Nashville gives him an unparalleled understanding of how federal prosecutors build and try cases. That insight is invaluable to our clients.”

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Hannafan joins former federal prosecutors Alex Little, Ted Canter, and John Ross Glover at the firm.

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“I’ve spent my career in courtrooms, and there’s no substitute for knowing what it takes to win at trial,” said Hannafan. “I’m excited to bring that perspective to Litson’s clients.”

Hannafan earned his J.D. from Washington University School of Law and his B.A. from Vanderbilt University. He is admitted to practice in Tennessee, New York, and the Supreme Court of the United States.