Chip Rieger was born in Indianapolis but spent his formative years in Connecticut before moving to Tennessee in 1983. Chip earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Tennessee and graduated from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis. While a law student, he was a member of Phi Alpha Delta (Chief Justice) in addition to serving as a Bankruptcy Court Extern and as Vice President of the Student Bar Association.

Chip is the Department Managing Attorney for the Nashville, TN office of Vernis & Bowling. Prior to joining the firm, he was a partner at a national law firm. Chip was also the founding Member of The Rieger Law Firm and was a founding Member and Managing Partner of Oakley Rieger PLLC. He founded Oakley Rieger after spending the majority of his career as a partner in a large regional litigation defense firm, where he also served as a Managing Partner.

Prior to receiving his Juris Doctorate, Mr. Rieger was a Manager of a National Bank, responsible for operations and personnel at the retail level.  After Law School, Chip started with a boutique employment law firm in Memphis before moving to Nashville and joining a regional firm. Mr. Rieger subsequently became a partner with his previous firm, where he served as a Managing Member of the Nashville office, overseeing operations and personnel. After 15 years, Chip decided to take his entrepreneurial spirit to another firm with a goal toward developing closer, more personal relationships with his clients by learning their business operations and goals, and partnering with them to achieve those goals.

Chip has a broad range of experience in litigation, including cases involving employment discrimination, FLSA, FMLA, ADA, retaliation, harassment, products liability, premises liability, transportation, personal injury, workers’ compensation, insurance law and general civil defense. Chip has extensive experience supervising litigation teams in complex civil lawsuits. A part of his practice is also spent in the representation of management in employment law and related matters, pre-litigation corporate counseling, preventive strategies to avoid discrimination, management training and the creation of human resource tools.

Chip is proud to serve as a founding Board Member of Old School Farm, where he has served since its founding in 2013. Old School Farm is a non-profit dedicated to producing quality farm-to-table food while providing vocational training and employment for individuals with disabilities. Old School Farm was founded on the belief that creating a sustainable farm can also produce sustainable jobs while giving back to the community at large.

When Chip is not defending lawsuits or counseling clients, he is a frequent seminar speaker on a variety of industry topics. He is also a regular presenter for The Society of Human Resource Managers, Lorman Education Services and Sterling Education Services. Chip also offers more personal in-house training and counseling for his business clients.

Mr. Rieger is a Member of The Society of Human Resource Managers. He has served on the Employment Law and Civil Rights Committee of the Nashville Bar Association and as the Legal Counsel and Director of the Nashville Area Junior Chamber of Commerce. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Young Lawyers Division of the Nashville Bar Association and was a Professor of Employment Law and Tort Law at the Southeastern Career Institute. He is a member of the Memphis, Nashville, and Tennessee Bar Associations.

Chip is admitted to practice in all Federal Courts in the State of Tennessee and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.

Chip was motivated to go to law school by a friend who convinced him he could take his law degree and apply it in any industry that interested him. That concept holds true today, as Chip gets the most enjoyment out his practice by meeting people in a wide variety of industries, learning what is important to them and helping them to achieve their goals.

Chip is an avid hockey player, snow skier and water skier. He loves to travel the world but lately spends most of his travel visiting his kids at Clemson, Tampa and Tennessee Universities.

DeSharné Carroll was born in Birmingham, Alabama.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Mississippi State University and earned her Juris Doctor from Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University where she was recognized on the Chancellor’s List and Dean’s List for her academic achievements.

Since joining Vernis & Bowling, she concentrates her practice on civil litigation.  DeSharné handles a wide range of matters including automobile liability, premises liability, trucking litigation, and products liability representing individuals, businesses, and insurers in complex disputes. DeSharné is admitted to practice law in all state courts in both Georgia and Alabama, including the U.S. District Courts for the Middle and Northern Districts of Georgia; as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Middle and Northern Districts of Alabama. She is a member of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association and Georgia Association for Women Lawyers.

Prior to joining the firm, DeSharné practiced in insurance defense, medical malpractice litigation, and transportation defense in both Alabama and Georgia. She has managed cases from inception through resolution, achieving favorable outcomes for her clients. DeSharné’s favorite part of practicing law is working with clients. She is committed to ensuring that clients feel supported and informed through every stage of the legal process.

Beyond her work, she enjoys a well-rounded life and loves spending time with friends and family, working out, traveling and experiencing new cultures.  You can also find her doing Pilates, hiking, cooking, and reading.

Darcy Tsikerdanos was born and raised in Central Florida. She graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in History. While at the University of Florida, Darcy was heavily involved in volunteer work on and off campus, UF’s Premed AMSA where she served as a Committee Director, and the Greek Community.

Following her graduation from the University of Florida, Darcy attended Stetson University College of Law where she obtained her Juris Doctorate. While at Stetson Law, she served as a campus ambassador, the treasurer of Stetson’s Health Care Law Association, and as a research assistant and teaching assistant for Stetson’s Legal Research and Writing Department. She also clerked with a private firm specializing in contract, real property, and business litigation, as well as corporate transactional law, where she gained invaluable transferable experience.

Since joining Vernis & Bowling, Darcy’s practice primarily focuses on automobile liability, general liability defense, and premises liability claims.

Outside the practice of law, Darcy enjoys traveling both locally and internationally, spending time with her family and friends, and exploring local parks and dog-friendly beaches with her dog, Dixie.

Geoffrey Marcus graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Behavior Biology and a minor in Anthropology. Surprisingly, a single elective course shifted Geoffrey’s path from the medical field to the legal field. Thus, Geoffrey continued his education at the University of Miami School of Law, graduating Cum Laude in 2019.

Upon graduating from law school, Geoffrey and his wife (who he met in law school) relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina. Geoffrey initially began his legal career at a Plaintiff firm that specializes in employment law and litigation. Thereafter, Geoffrey worked at a civil defense firm in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he handled civil litigation matters, involving the following: third party litigation, including employment law, OSHA investigations and citations, premises liability, vehicle accident defense, trucking defense, wrongful death, construction defects, and the defense of government and municipalities; and insurance coverage/first party litigation.

Geoffrey has represented, among others, a trillion dollar e-commerce company, a multi-billion dollar food and beverage supply company, a multi-million dollar hospitality business, and a multi-million dollar real estate development firm, as well as local health care providers and restaurants. He is experienced at managing all stages of litigation – pre-litigation through appellate work.

Notably, Geoffrey recently prevailed on summary judgment, which was later affirmed by the Fourth Circuit, after oral argument, pertaining to the issue of employer drug testing policy for new and current employees and an employer’s related obligations under the ADA and N.C.G.S. § 95-28.2 (lawful use of lawful products statute) when an employee tested positive for THC use. Anderson v. Diamondback Inv. Grp., LLC, 117 F. 4th 165 (4th Cir. 2024).

In his personal life, Geoffrey enjoys spending time with his wife, Natasha, and embracing being a “girl dad” to his daughter, Olivia.

Mariana Orbegozo was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations. After college, Mariana attended Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad College of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor and participated in the Journal of International Law and Comparative Studies as a Lead Article Editor. While at Nova, Mariana also participated in the Disability Inclusion and Advocacy Law Clinic where she was able to provide pro bono legal work to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This experience not only solidified her passion for advocacy but also furthered her knowledge concerning crucial elements of the legal system.

Mariana joined the Vernis & Bowling Team as a law clerk and was admitted to the Florida Bar soon after. She primarily works on liability defense cases where she continues to advocate for clients.

When not practicing, Mariana enjoys teaching Pilates and spending time with family and friends.