Katherine Sanford Goodner

Attorney

Kati Sanford Goodner focuses her practice in the areas of commercial representation and tax controversy – specifically, the representation of individuals and businesses involved in all levels of tax controversy, including audit, collections, litigation, criminal investigations, and appeals.  A small business owner herself, she regularly serves as outside counsel for small to mid-sized businesses to assist in matters ranging from formation to mergers and acquisitions.  Kati values developing long-term relationships with her business clients and getting to know their needs and goals so that she can act quickly and intelligently in advising her clients on growth opportunities and risk management.  Her practice also routinely includes commercial litigation, estate and trust litigation, and conservatorships, along with the tax-related issues that arise in these areas. Kati has extensive experience representing taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service and the Tennessee Department of Revenue in both civil and criminal tax matters.

Kati is admitted to practice in all state courts in Tennessee, as well as the Eastern and Middle Districts of Tennessee, the United States Tax Court, the Sixth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. She is a member of the Knoxville, Tennessee, and American Bar Associations, and is a Fellow of the American Bar Association as well as the Tennessee Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division.  Kati serves on the Executive Council of the Tax Section for the Tennessee Bar Association and has lectured and published on various tax-related topics for various bar associations and law reviews.

A native of Knoxville, Kati has been involved in a variety of community endeavors and served on various boards and committees over the years.  She is currently completing a second three-year term on the City of Knoxville’s Better Building Board after first being appointed in 2019 by former Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero.  Her love of animals led her to a position on the board of directors for the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley, where she presently serves in the role of Vice President and sits on the Finance and Executive Committees.  Kati also enjoys being actively involved in the student ministries at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, where she has served for a number of years.

When not practicing law or running a family business, Kati loves playing tennis, gardening, and getting away to the mountains to hike.  She spends as much time outdoors and traveling with her husband Nathan and their two children as she can.