Our core mission is to leverage our knowledge and skills in order to provide you with practical, economical legal solutions. Our attorneys understand what it means to be a good listener. When in times of crisis, you need an attorney who will listen to your needs. If you’re looking for Family Legal or Criminal Defense Services in East Tennessee, look no further than our attorneys – we are passionate and prepared to help you find the best solutions for you and your family.
Deno Cole
Mr. Cole has been licensed in the State of Tennessee since 1997 and has spent his entire legal career working hard for the people he represents from start to finish. Mr. Cole is an experienced and proven trial attorney with years of court experience in both civil and criminal cases; in front of both judges and juries. He simply won’t take a civil case unless he thinks there is a very good chance to win at trial and he prepares every case as though it is going to trial.
Mr. Cole has represented both corporate and individual clients in all areas of state and federal courts in Tennessee. He has robust experience in jury trials in courts across the Tennessee Valley. He has obtained acquittals on behalf of numerous criminal defense clients and recovered many monetary judgments for plaintiffs. He has obtained defense verdicts for defendants in both jury and non-jury trials. In addition, Mr. Cole has been recognized as a CityView Top Attorney for Adoption in 2026, a CityView Top Attorney for Family Law, Child Custody, Divorce, and Child Support in 2026, a CityView Top Attorney for Juvenile Defense in 2026, and a CityView Top Attorney for Nursing Home Liability – Plaintiff in 2026. If you are looking for a defense attorney, you need not look any further.
Mr. Cole has gained a high level of trust from my fellow lawyers as well as from the bench, having been selected by Judges to sit as a special master to hear order of protection cases. He has been appointed as a Hearing Committee member of the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee. As a Hearing Committee member, he presides over disciplinary hearings, along with two other Hearing Committee members, to determine whether or not a licensed attorney, accused of violating the ethical rules, should be censured, suspended, or disbarred. Mr. Cole has given seminars to lawyers on how to be a better trial lawyer as well as other specific areas of legal expertise This is this level of trust you should expect to have in an attorney representing your legal interests.
Sherif Guindi
He was recruited by the Harlan County Commonwealth’s Attorney and turned his efforts to the just prosecution of criminal cases. As a prosecutor, Mr. Guindi prosecuted felonies, ranging from theft to murder, from the grand jury level to trial or settlement. As a prosecutor, Mr. Guindi never forgot that his mission was to promote justice and not just to win cases. Even as a prosecutor, he worked to make sure that the results of his prosecution were fair for all of those he served, including the defendants themselves.
Now, Mr. Guindi is proud to represent clients charged with crimes, once again. Most criminal cases are resolved through settlement agreements, and Mr. Guindi uses his experience on both sides of the courtroom to help him reason with the State. But, sometimes, a fair settlement cannot be reached.
Mr. Guindi has tried cases ranging from criminal trespass and driving under the influence to kidnapping and rape, both as a prosecutor and as a defense attorney. Sometimes it is in his clients’ best interest to work out a just settlement, but sometimes it is time for a fight. Mr. Guindi does not shy away from a fight and uses his knowledge of the rules of criminal procedure and evidence and his experience in front of a jury to aggressively defend his clients. Mr. Guindi has been recognized as a CityView Top Attorney for Adoption in 2026, a CityView Top Attorney for Family Law, Child Custody, Divorce, and Child Support in 2026, and a CityView Top Attorney for Juvenile Defense in 2026. If you are looking for a defense attorney, you need not look any further.
Mark Pienkowski
Born and raised in Knoxville, Mark Pienkowski graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 2005. After graduation, Mark earned his Bachelors in History, magna cum laude, from Emory College in 2009. Furthermore, Mark was also recognized as a George P. Cuttino Scholar and invited to join the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society. Mark was also recognized as a Kosciuszko Foundation Scholar and, as a result, studied abroad for two years in Poland. Upon returning to the United States, Mark enrolled at Emory Law with a merit scholarship and earned his J.D. in 2016. Due to Mark’s fondness and love for East Tennessee, he settled back in Knoxville.
Pienkowski is a member of the Knoxville Bar Association and the Tennessee Bar Association, and serves as a two term member on the Board of Directors for CASA of East Tennessee. He has earned the Advocate Designation from the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, been recognized as a CityView Top Attorney for Adoption in 2025, earned the CityView Top Attorney for Adoption in 2026 title, and been recognized as a CityView Top Attorney for Family Law, Child Custody, Divorce, and Child Support in 2026.