On Monday, March 24, 2025, the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility publicly censured attorney Eric Preston Egbert for professional misconduct. The decision followed a complaint that alleged several violations related to his conduct as a legal representative.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Eric Preston Egbert,” with case no. 100444-2024-8-SC-INV.
The charges cited Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.7, 1.9(c), 8.4(d), and 8.4(e).
Egbert initially agreed to represent two clients in the probate of their deceased brother’s estate in May 2023. The estate’s primary asset was a parcel of real estate located in Gibson County. However, the clients opted not to proceed with the probate process, and Egbert closed his file on May 23, 2023.
Subsequently, on December 12, 2023, Egbert was appointed as the delinquent tax attorney for Gibson County, where he received a list of properties with unpaid taxes for the year 2022. Notably, this list did not include the real estate associated with the estate he had previously represented.
On May 31, 2024, after discovering through public records that the estate’s property was subject to delinquent taxes, Egbert contacted his former clients, offering to purchase the land in his capacity as a real estate investor. The former clients rejected his offer and proposed a counteroffer, which Egbert also declined, resulting in no sale being finalized. This situation created a conflict of interest, as Egbert’s dual roles as a real estate investor and a tax attorney were in direct contradiction.
The Board found that Egbert’s actions constituted violations of multiple rules of professional conduct, including conflicts of interest and duties to former clients. As a result, he received a public censure for his actions, which were deemed detrimental to the integrity of the legal profession.
According to avvo.com, Mr. Egbert is a family attorney in Trenton, Tennessee. He acquired his law license in Tennessee in 2008.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
