Monterey’s New Attorney Brett Knight

The town of Monterey has a new city attorney.

Cookeville Attorney Brett Knight has accepted the invitation from Mayor J.J Reels. Knight said his friendship with Reels made the decision easy.

“I am very excited at the direction Monterey is heading, and the opportunity that they are seeking out to grow and expand and bring in new businesses,” Knight said. “And to get a chance to be one of the advisors to help them accomplish that, I am very excited about that.”

Knight is a member of the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys and currently practices with Fry, Fry, Knight and Looper. Reels said Knight was the best choice for his administration.

“I have known Brett a long time,” Reels said. “He is a Navy veteran and in the IT field for a while. Then he became a lawyer later on. He has years and years of experience. He is just a good guy.”

The primary responsibility for a city attorney is to advise the mayor and city officials of the ramifications of legal decisions. Knight said he has already got up to speed with current lawsuits the town is involved in.

“That is one of the first things when I was officially asked to take the position and it was the appropriate time to begin that, one of the first things I did was to reach out to the attorneys handling that litigation,” Knight said. “They spent time with me and advised me of their strategies.”

Knight resides in Overton County, where he enjoys his hobby of goat farming. He is a graduate of Belmont School of Law and began his law career as a prosecutor for the 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Reels said mayors have the right to have the attorney of their choice. Knight replaced Nolan Goolsby, who served the town for five years.