A Law Firm That Handles Only Social Security Disability

Managing Attorney

J. Ray Akers Jr.

Ray has been with Downard & Associates since February 2016. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Cumberland University in 1996, and his Juris Doctor from Nashville School of Law in 2004. After passing the Bar Examination in 2004, Ray focused his practice in Family Law, where he was an Adjunct Faculty Instructor for Bethel University's Master of Conflict Resolution program and a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 Listed Mediator.

Ray was admitted to practice by the Tennessee Supreme Court in November 2004, the United States District Court for Middle Tennessee in 2006, the United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit in 2007, and the United States District Court for Western Tennessee in 2016. Ray is also authorized to practice before any Social Security Administration Judge in the United States. He is a member of the National Association of Disability Representatives, the Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber of Commerce, and the 15th Judicial District Bar Association.

rakers@downardlaw.com / TN BPR #023471

Associate Attorney

Lauren Inocencio

Lauren has been with Downard & Associates since February 2026. Born and raised in Texas, Lauren earned her Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University in 2015, and Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law–Houston in 2018.

After passing the Bar Examination in 2019, Lauren served as a Judge Advocate (JAG) in the United States Air Force, providing legal counsel to military commanders and service members on a wide range of legal matters, including military justice, family law, administrative law, and regulatory compliance. Her role required strong advocacy, careful legal analysis, attention to detail, and the ability to work within complex government systems. Lauren is authorized to practice before any Social Security Administration Judge in the United States.

linocencio@downardlaw.com

Attorney

Eugenia R. Grayer McGhee

Eugenia R. Grayer McGhee is a Nashville attorney with more than 20 years of experience in criminal defense, family law, federal practice, and administrative adjudication. Licensed in Tennessee since 2004, she spent two decades as a solo practitioner representing both retained and indigent clients in state and federal courts. From 2020 to 2024, she also served as Second Chair on the Federal CJA Panel for the Middle District of Tennessee.

She has since built a second career on the bench side of the courtroom. She is a Part-Time Davidson County Judicial Commissioner, where she sets bonds, rules on search warrants, committal warrants and forfeiture warrants, and determines probable cause. She also served as a TennCare Administrative Law Judge, issuing written decisions on Medicaid appeals. She is a Rule 31 Certified Family Mediator with a Domestic Violence emphasis.

Eugenia holds a J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law and a B.A., cum laude, from Tennessee State University. She co-coaches the Father Ryan High School mock trial team and is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.

TN BPR #023276

CEO | Attorney

Jonathan Richardson

Jonathan Richardson is a North Carolina attorney whose practice focuses primarily on estate planning, disability law, and entertainment law. With more than two decades of legal experience, Jonathan brings a practical and personal approach to helping individuals and families work through important decisions and protect the people and things that matter most to them.

A native of Burlington, North Carolina, Jonathan attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before earning his law degree from the University of Dayton School of Law in 2003. He began his legal career with Taft, Taft & Haigler in Greenville, North Carolina, and later worked with Brock & Scott in Raleigh. In 2004, he established his own law practice in Cary, where he spent the next two decades serving clients throughout North Carolina.

In November 2024, Jonathan relocated to Middle Tennessee to begin a new chapter with his wife, acclaimed singer, songwriter, and author Cindy Morgan. Following his move, he joined Equitus Law Alliance in Nashville and subsequently became Chief Executive Officer of Downard & Associates, a law firm based in Lebanon, Tennessee, where he oversees business operations, management, and growth.

Although he now calls Tennessee home, Jonathan maintains his North Carolina law practice and continues to travel throughout the state to conduct estate-planning seminars. He particularly enjoys helping people understand the importance of thoughtful planning, explaining complex legal concepts in everyday language, and making the estate-planning process feel less intimidating and more approachable.

Jonathan believes the practice of law is ultimately about people, not paperwork. He values the relationships he develops with clients and works to bring warmth, patience, and a genuine sense of humor to every interaction. He is also known for an occasionally questionable collection of "Dad Jokes." Consider yourself warned.

Outside the legal profession, Jonathan is an avid songwriter whose compositions have been recorded by a number of artists. Music has long been an important part of his life, and his interests in songwriting and the creative community complement his work in entertainment law.

When he is not working or writing music, Jonathan enjoys life in Middle Tennessee with Cindy and remains a devoted fan of the Carolina Panthers, an allegiance that has taught him a great deal about patience, perseverance, and maintaining hope in the face of adversity.

Managing Member & Trustee

Joseph M. Dalton, Jr.

Joe was born and raised in Colonie, New York and graduated from Notre Dame–Bishop Gibbons School in Schenectady. He became a Tennessean when he graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He went on to obtain his Master of Science Degree from the University of Miami in Florida, then attended the Nashville School of Law, where he earned his law degree in 1981.

Joe is a lifetime member of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, former board member of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, and has spent 35 years as a trial lawyer. He has helped people all over Nashville with their Social Security Disability claims since 1984.