PETER SUGLIA

Attorney

"Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts."

- John Wooden

Peter “Pete” Suglia is a skilled trial lawyer who brings more than 27 years of rich experience in a breadth of legal fields to Rocky McElhaney Law Firm. He applies his aptitudes and years of experience for the benefit of his clients, and he is committed to doing whatever it takes to achieve successful results for the special people he serves. His dedication, care, and empathy for his clients are attributes our gladiators share and make him a true asset to our team at RML.

Pete was born and raised in Reading, Pennsylvania, located about an hour northwest of Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, where horse and buggies, and tractors, are as commonplace on the roads as automobiles. He grew-up in a warm, tight-knit, Italian-Polish household grounded on faith, family, and good food. His dad was an accountant and the head coach of the football team at a local high school, and his mom, a human-resources, personnel assistant for a battery manufacturer. From a young age, his parents imparted upon him the importance of hard work, integrity, and kindness.

Pete first learned about “the law” when he was in high school. A large sinkhole had opened-up in the street in front of his parents’ house, causing considerable damage to several homes, including his. The damage was so significant that two of the damaged homes were ultimately condemned. It was determined by the engineers that the sinkhole was caused by a municipal water main leak that had gone undetected for several days. The city, however, refused to accept responsibility for the failure of its water main, blaming the homeowners instead, including Pete’s parents, for poor drainage on their properties. His parents had to hire a lawyer to help them fight city hall and, after much legal wrangling, the lawyer was eventually able to work out a settlement that adequately compensated his parents for their property damage. It resonated with Pete that when it seemed that everyone else was against them, the lawyer was able take on the city and its insurers and obtain a just result for his parents. It was then that Pete decided that he wanted to help and be of service to others, like the lawyer who helped his parents.

Pete went on to college and graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1992. After earning his law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1995, Pete began his career as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York. Pete spent several years in the DA’s Office investigating and trying cases, seeking justice for crime victims. After honing his trial skills, he entered private practice in 1999 and continued his trial practice with several well-respected firms in New York and Florida, practicing in fields that included legal malpractice, insurance, premises liability, construction accidents, and motor carrier and auto liability. After gaining considerable experience and insight working on behalf of insurance companies, Pete decided that it was time  to put his experience and insight to better use, seeking justice for accident victims. So, in 2014, Pete joined a premier New York City plaintiffs’ firm representing construction workers who suffered serious injuries as a result of lax safety practices at construction sites throughout New York City. Aiding these injured workers and their families in their darkest hours proved immensely gratifying to Pete, and he has limited his practice to representing personal injury plaintiffs exclusively since then. Pete is honored to be an RML gladiator, fighting on behalf of those injured by the fault of others.

Pete and his wife Kim, who was born and raised in Nashville, recently returned to Middle Tennessee to be closer to family. They now call Gallatin home and are very happy to be able to spend time with their family after just a short drive, rather than hours on a plane. When he’s not fighting for his clients, Pete enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, checking out the local musical talent in Nashville, and sharing his love of food by cooking his favorite dishes for his family and friends.