About Ogle, Rowell & Penland, P.C.

Mission Statement
We care deeply about the community we live in and fiercely protect our neighbors and friends when they are going through the most challenging times in their lives.

History of the firm

W. Henry Ogle founded what is known today as Ogle, Rowell & Penland, in Sevierville, TN in 1952. Mr. Ogle continued in private practice for twenty-eight years until his death in 1980.

Mr. Ogle was a well-respected civil and criminal law litigator who was known as a fierce advocate for his clients. He represented both individuals and business entities including the Bank of Sevierville and successfully litigated one of the first product liability cases in the state. Mr. Ogle also served as the Juvenile Court Judge for Sevier County.

Mr. Ogle was respected not only for his top-notch legal abilities, but also because he provided excellent legal services while battling the effects of cerebral palsy, which afflicted him from birth. He never let his disability get in the way of meeting the challenges of practicing law nor meeting the needs of his clients, but instead used his physical challenges as a tool to motivate him to excel. In fact, he even earned his legal degree from the John R. Neal School of Law by taking classes at night while working full time.
Prior to commencing his legal career, Mr. Ogle served as the County Court Clerk for Sevier County, Tennessee, and at the time of his election in 1946, was the youngest County Court Clerk in the State. He was also service-minded, serving as the Secretary for the Sevier County Bar, and as a member of the 1965 Tennessee Constitutional Convention. Additionally, Mr. Ogle taught school in Sevier and Knox counties.

1952

W. Henry Ogle founded the firm as a solo practitioner in 1952.

1979

Henry Ogle’s son and daughter-in law, Rex Henry Ogle and Norma McGee Ogle, joined the practice, and it became a partnership known as Ogle and Ogle.

1980

When W. Henry Ogle passed away, the firm was transferred to his son and daughter-in-law. They continued to operate the partnership under the name of Ogle and Ogle.

1984

Deborah Campbell joined the firm as office manager. She is still with the firm today.

1989

Jeff D. Rader joined the firm.

1990

Rex Henry Ogle, W. Henry Ogle's son, took the bench as a Circuit Court judge for the Fourth Judicial District of Tennessee. Ownership of the firm was then transferred to Norma McGee Ogle, W. Henry Ogle's daughter-in-law.

1996

Cynthia Richardson, now Cynthia Richardson Wyrick, joined the firm as an associate attorney, and in 1997 the firm transitioned to the joint ownership of Norma McGee Ogle and Jeff D. Rader. Once again, the firm changed its name to become Ogle and Rader.

1998

Jeff D. Rader became a General Sessions Court Judge for Sevier County with jurisdiction to hear both Juvenile Court and Probate Court cases.
Norma McGee Ogle was appointed as a judge on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, and James L. Gass joined the firm. Firm ownership was transferred to James L. Gass and Cynthia Richardson Wyrick at that time, and the firm became known as Ogle, Gass & Richardson.

2006

Sara Hamilton joined the firm as a paralegal. She is still with the firm today.

2012

Anna C. Penland joined the firm as an associate attorney in 2012 after serving as a law clerk for the firm in 2011.

2017

James L. Gass was appointed as a Circuit Court Judge in the Fourth Judicial District of Tennessee to fill the vacant seat of the late Richard R. Vance and was subsequently elected to that position in 2018. As a result of his appointment, the firm changed its name to Ogle, Wyrick & Associates and ownership was transferred to Cynthia Richardson Wyrick.

2019

Less than two years after the appointment of James L. Gass to the Circuit Court bench, Cynthia Richardson Wyrick was appointed as a United States Magistrate Judge. Additionally, in the same year, ownership of the firm was transferred to Nathan D. Rowell and Anna C. Penland, who became partners. The firm then became known as Ogle, Rowell & Penland P.C. Nathan Rowell then became the City Attorney for Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The firm also moved from the Ogle Building to its current location on E. Main Street.

Nathan Rowell

Nathan Rowell is an attorney who has been helping people face difficult legal challenges since 1995.

Nathan is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law. He is a Rule 31 listed mediator, a Fellow of the Tennessee Bar Association and the Knoxville Bar Association, a member of the Leadership Sevier Class of 2022, and serves as the City Attorney for Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.


Nathan believes in serving the community and has been on numerous boards of his church and non-profits throughout East Tennessee. 

Anna Penland

Anna Penland is an East Tennessee native who attended undergraduate school at both Ohio State University and the University of Tennessee. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Honors Political Science and a Minor in Women’s Studies. After her time as an undergraduate student, Anna obtained her Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law.

Anna has been a member of the firm since it was called Ogle, Gass & Richardson, P.C., and in 2019, she became a partner. She has served as a judicial clerk for the Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge, D. Michael Swiney, and has interned for the Forsyth County District Attorney’s office. She has been secretary, treasurer, vice president, and president for the Sevier County Bar Association, sits on the planning committee for the Sevier County Juvenile CLE, and is a board member of Legal Aid of East Tennessee.

Anna is committed to her clients and strives to provide compassionate support and passionate advocacy. She has extensive experience in divorce, child custody, child support, juvenile court litigation, wills and estates, probate, contract disputes, and personal injury law. Anna is also one of a very small group of local attorneys who has training in the collaborative divorce process.

To learn more about the collaborative divorce process, please visit https://www.collaborativepractice.com/.

Deborah Campbell

Deb Campbell, a Sevier County native, is the firm’s office manager and a seasoned administrative assistant with over 37 years of experience.

Throughout her career, Deb has served as an assistant to Circuit Court Judge, Rex Henry Ogle; Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge, Norma McGee Ogle; General Sessions Judge, Jeffrey D. Rader; and Circuit Court Judge, James L. Gass.

Deb is a qualified bookkeeper and has extensive administrative experience. Deb’s administrative experience, which includes tasks such as scheduling, transcribing, drafting correspondence, assisting with the drafting of pleadings and business documents, billing, payroll, and accounts payable and receivable, among other obligations, allows her to provide significant assistance in meeting the needs of the firm’s diverse client base. Deb aims to mitigate stress for both potential and current clients.

Deb has a husband, Phil, with whom she shares two daughters, Brooke and Emily, and has two grandchildren, Reid and Hallie.

Sara Hamilton

Sara Hamilton began her journey with Ogle, Rowell & Penland in May 2006, just two years after moving from New Orleans, Louisiana to Sevier County to be closer to family.

Sara has more than 30 years of legal assistant and paralegal experience in areas including product liability, maritime, asbestos and silicosis, insurance defense and personal injury, family law, and probate matters.

Sara has worked in both plaintiff and defense-oriented litigation firms, offering an important perspective to our team. She currently serves as a paralegal for Anna Penland and Nathan Rowell and performs a myriad of critical functions, including client, opposing counsel, and court personnel liaisons; new client intake; drafting pleadings; review and summary of medical records; preparation of deposition summaries; and handling discovery and trial preparation issues.

Sara enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband of over thirty years, Tom; their three children, TJ, Taylor, and Preslie; and their six grandchildren, Aubree, Trace, Amayah, Abel, Alinah, and the newest addition, Emma.

Sara’s legal experience, along with her strong work ethic and her care and commitment to the firm and our clients, has led her to become a highly valued member of our team.

Contact Us

Monday - Friday 
8:30am - 5:00pm

Visit Us

100 East Main Street
Suite 400
Sevierville, TN 37862
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram