R. Kent Francis

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Biography

Kent Francis is a shareholder in the firm’s Memphis office. He focuses his litigation practice primarily on healthcare liability defense, commercial transportation, and general liability actions. He regularly defends wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. He is a member of the firm’s rapid response team and frequently assists motor carriers with accident investigation and evaluation. Mr. Francis also has significant experience representing insurance carriers in first-party actions brought by insureds related to coverage matters, claims of breach of contract and bad faith, and extra-contractual matters. He advises small businesses on operations and business disputes. Mr. Francis is Tennessee counsel for a multinational rideshare company.

Mr. Francis practices in state and federal court in Tennessee and Arkansas. He has tried civil matters to defense verdicts. He has also achieved successful results for his clients through dispositive motions, mediation, and on appeal. Mr. Francis serves on the firm’s recruitment committee and strategic planning committee.

Mid-South Super Lawyers

•Mid-South Super Lawyers - Professional Liability Defense
•Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America - Health Care Law
•Memphis ADR Inn of Court
•Barrister member, 2025 - present
•New Memphis fellow, Class of 2023
•Leo Bearman, Sr. American Inn of Court
•Associate member, 2017-2020
•Memphis Area Legal Services
•Volunteer, Saturday Legal Clinic
•Cabinet member, Equal Justice Young Lawyers Committee, 2018-2020
•Tennessee Bar Association
•Member, 2015-present
• Mentoring Program, 2024-present
•District 14 Representative, Young Lawyers Division, 2020-2022
•Sponsorship, Meetings & Awards Coordinator, Young Lawyers Division, 2019-2020
•Sponsorship Coordinator, Young Lawyers Division, 2018-2019
•Memphis Bar Association
•Member, 2015-present
•Tennessee Law Review, Articles Editor, 2013-2015

PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND ACTIVITIES

• Mid-South Super Lawyers - Professional Liability Defense

• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America - Health Care Law

• Memphis ADR Inn of Court

• Barrister member, 2025-present

• New Memphis fellow, Class of 2023

• Leo Bearman, Sr. American Inn of Court

• Associate member, 2017-2020

• Memphis Area Legal Services

• Volunteer, Saturday Legal Clinic

• Cabinet member, Equal Justice Young Lawyers Committee, 2018-2020

• Tennessee Bar Association

• Member, 2015-present

• Mentoring Program, 2024-present

• District 14 Representative, Young Lawyers Division, 2020-2022

• Sponsorship, Meetings & Awards Coordinator, Young Lawyers Division, 2019-2020

• Sponsorship Coordinator, Young Lawyers Division, 2018-2019

• Memphis Bar Association

• Member, 2015-present

• Tennessee Law Review, Articles Editor, 2013-2015

See more ›

Areas of Practice (8)

  • General Civil
  • Health Care Law
  • Hospitality
  • Insurance
  • Litigation & Dispute Resolution
  • Personal Injury Litigation
  • Professional Liability
  • Transportation

Education & Credentials

University Attended:
Furman University, B.A., 2012
Law School Attended:
University of Tennessee College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2015
Year of First Admission:
2015
Admission:
2015, Tennessee; 2016, U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee; 2016, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee
Memberships:

AFFILIATIONS

•Memphis Bar Association
•Tennessee Bar Association

Reported Cases:
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS: Obtained a defense verdict in a wrongful death healthcare liability trial. The plaintiff alleged that a urology clinic's staff members failed to document and forward clinical complaints, which caused the patient's death. After four days of trial, the court awarded a directed verdict at the close of all proof, finding that the plaintiff could not carry her burden of proving that the staff members deviated from the applicable standard of care or caused the patient's death. The verdict was not appealed.; Obtained a defense verdict in a healthcare liability matter. The plaintiff alleged that the defendant surgeon improperly performed a hernia repair surgery on her in May of 2019. Following a six-day trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendant surgeon, finding that he did not deviate from the standard of care.; Obtained a defense verdict in a healthcare liability matter in which he represented an OB/GYN in a case involving a fetal death at 37 weeks gestation. Following a seven-day trial, the jury returned a defense verdict, finding that our client complied with the standard of care in his treatment of the baby's mother.
ISLN:
1000283308

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Location

Video Call Options

  • Zoom

Contact R. Kent Francis

Contact Information:

901-525-6722  Fax

www.lewisthomason.com/attorneys/r-kent-francis

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