Dustin E. “Dusty” Sharp is a civil defense trial attorney and a Knoxville, Tennessee native. He received his B.A. in Political Science and History from King University in 2003, where he attended on an athletic scholarship for the soccer team. Mr. Sharp worked in corporate sales for several years after college before deciding to attend law school, and he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the Nashville School of Law in 2012.

During law school Mr. Sharp developed a passion for criminal defense and civil law while interning for the Davidson County Metro Public Defender’s Office and working for a prominent insurance defense firm in Nashville. He began his practice in Nashville, where he defended hundreds of clients in matters ranging from simple misdemeanors to first degree murder charges. Mr. Sharp has successfully defended murder prosecutions at jury trial and has represented persons wrongfully convicted of serious felonies on direct appeal and in state post-conviction proceedings, including successfully arguing to have a first degree murder conviction overturned at the trial court level. During his three years in Nashville he also handled a wide range of civil matters involving personal injury and family law.

Mr. Sharp joined Stokes, Williams, Sharp, Cope and Mann, P.C. in 2016 and was named a partner in 2021. His practice is devoted primarily to the defense of civil litigation, and he tries cases. He has successfully tried numerous jury cases in civil and criminal court throughout Middle and East Tennessee, and he approaches every matter as one that may be tried — an approach that serves his clients whether a case resolves at mediation or is presented to a jury.

Mr. Sharp was recently selected to the trial panel of a major national insurance carrier, one of only ten attorneys nationwide chosen for the panel and the only attorney selected from the State of Tennessee.

A significant focus of Mr. Sharp’s practice is the defense of real estate agents and brokerage firms. He defends licensees and firms in all types of civil litigation, as well as in regulatory complaints, licensing matters, and professional ethics proceedings, and he is retained both directly by agents and brokerages and through their professional liability insurers. He also handles a substantial volume of civil defense work arising from automobile accidents, major commercial trucking collisions, construction defect disputes, and premises liability claims on behalf of hotels, hospitality companies, and other property owners and managers. His practice further includes business and commercial litigation, construction law, general civil litigation, subrogation, and the defense of misdemeanor and felony charges.

Mr. Sharp works closely with insurance claims professionals and in-house counsel, and he assists every client — whether an individual, a small business, or a national company — with defining, understanding, and executing their objectives to achieve efficient and effective results. Clients and carriers rely on him for early, candid case assessment, disciplined discovery and expert work, and a willingness to take a defensible case to verdict.

Dusty is married to his wife, Kasey Sharp, and they have two daughters, Cameron and Callie. He is a devoted sports fan and supports the UT Vols, Tennessee Titans, and Nashville Predators, and he enjoys hiking in the Smokies and skiing whenever possible. He has been active in the community for many years as a nationally licensed soccer coach at the club and high school levels in Middle and East Tennessee.