Education

  • J.D., Vanderbilt University Law School
  • B.S., U.S. Naval Academy

Bar Admissions

  • Tennessee

Selected Experience

  • Crisis defense of a prominent Nashville independent school in a widely publicized institutional matter involving reputational risk and leadership exposure.
  • Defense of a high-profile, privately held corporation in a federal criminal investigation alleging a multi-year conspiracy to defraud customers in excess of $50 million.
  • Crisis and litigation counsel to a privately held company during a nationally publicized employment dispute implicating executive leadership and public scrutiny.
  • Representation of a nationally recognized state university defending a Title IX action involving institutional governance and compliance issues.
  • Representation of a well-known country music entertainer in a contract dispute with a major recording label.
  • Representation of a prominent music group in litigation against its former manager in federal district court and on appeal before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • Representation of health-care providers, home health companies, and qui tam relators in federal civil and criminal investigations and False Claims Act actions, including matters resulting in multi-million-dollar settlements.
  • Defense of corporate officers and financial professionals in securities fraud litigation and parallel civil, criminal, and regulatory proceedings.
  • Defense of aviation component manufacturers in complex civil litigation arising from aircraft accidents involving fatalities.
  • Defense of high-profile defendants in state and federal criminal proceedings involving financial and white-collar allegations.

Honors & Awards

  • Best Lawyers in America® (Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation (2019–2025); Criminal Defense: White-Collar (2025))
  • Mid-South SuperLawyer (2019-present), Top 100 lawyers in Tennessee (2025)
  • “AV” Rating by Martindale-Hubbell
  • Nashville Business Journal 2015 Veterans Award

Publications

  • Combatants Status Review Tribunals and the Unique Nature of the War on Terror, 58 Vand. L. Rev. 1629 (October 2005)

Professional Activities

  • Harry Phillips American Inn of Court
  • Nashville Bar Foundation Fellow
  • Nashville Bar Association Chancery and Circuit Court Committee Co-Chair (2021-2024)
  • Leadership Counsel on Legal Diversity
  • Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Law Class of 2015

Civic Activities

  • Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)
  • Davidson County Mental Health and Veterans Court Foundation Board of Directors
  • Nashville Bar Foundation Fellow; Board of Directors
  • Board of Directors, Brentwood Ball Club
  • Veterans of Foreign Wars, Lifetime Member

Rob Peal is a Nashville-based trial lawyer who represents businesses, executives, and high-profile individuals in complex commercial disputes and high-stakes litigation. His practice centers on matters that threaten core business operations, leadership, or reputation — including bet-the-company disputes, crisis-driven litigation, internal investigations, and parallel civil, criminal, and regulatory proceedings.

Rob is frequently engaged when routine disputes escalate — advising clients facing reputational risk, media scrutiny, time-sensitive decision-making, and government investigation. In addition to commercial litigation, his practice includes federal white-collar criminal defense and False Claims Act matters, often arising alongside civil litigation or regulatory enforcement.

Before entering private practice, Rob served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps.  He initially flew the F/A-18D as a Naval Flight Officer before transitioning to the Judge Advocate Corps, where he served as a senior prosecutor and law center director.  Rob deployed three times in support of Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), and Iraqi Freedom — experience that continues to inform his approach to high-pressure, high-consequence matters.

Prior to joining Sims | Funk, Rob was a partner at a prominent Nashville law firm, where he developed a practice handling complex litigation and criminal matters for institutional and individual clients.

Rob graduated Order of the Coif from Vanderbilt University Law School, where he served as an Associate Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review and as a member of the Moot Court Board. He earned a Bachelor of Science (with Merit) in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy.

Recent News

Sims|Funk Successfully Defends Am Law 100 Firm

The United States Circuit Court for the Sixth Circuit recently affirmed summary judgment obtained by Sims|Funk attorneys Scott Sims, Michael O’Neill and Erik Lybeck in a legal malpractice action against an Am Law 100 firm where the “case within the case” involved complex breach of fiduciary duty claims under Delaware law.  This win continues Sims|Funk’s […]

Rob Peal and Evan Rothey Secure Court of Appeals Victory in Tennessee Anti-SLAPP Case for Singer-Songwriter Blessing Offor

Rob Peal and Evan Rothey recently secured a published victory in the Tennessee Court of Appeals in a case interpreting the Tennessee Public Participation Act (TPPA).  The Court affirmed dismissal of an anti-SLAPP petition filed against our client, recording artist and songwriter Blessing Offor. The decision holds that private commercial communications asserting ownership of intellectual […]

Sims|Funk Shortlisted for Tennessee Firm of the Year by Benchmark Litigation

Sims|Funk has been shortlisted for Tennessee Firm of the Year by Benchmark Litigation as part of its 2026 U.S. Awards. Benchmark Litigation is a litigation-focused legal research publication that evaluates firms based on peer review, client feedback, and recent case work. The Tennessee Firm of the Year shortlist recognizes firms demonstrating sustained excellence in complex […]

Sims|Funk adds Grace Peck to the Firm

Grace has experience representing individuals, businesses, healthcare entities, and entertainment professionals in complex litigation matters in state and federal courts. She has handled a broad range of disputes, including those involving contracts, trusts and estates, business torts, intellectual property, insurance reimbursement, and other commercial matters.  Grace earned her law degree, magna cum laude, from Belmont University […]

Creson Elected to serve as NBA President-Elect

Sims|Funk attorney Beau Creson has been elected to serve as the President-Elect of the Nashville Bar Association in 2026.  He will begin his term in 2027. Founded in 1831, the NBA is one of the oldest and most active metropolitan bar associations in Tennessee. With a membership of more than 2,600 attorneys, the NBA is […]