For more than 45 years, Hartzog & Silva, PLLC, has served clients throughout Middle Tennessee with professionalism, integrity, and commitment. During that time, our community has undergone major changes, becoming one of the most vibrant and prosperous in the country. We provide clients with personalized solutions in keeping with those changes, with the skill and knowledge necessary to help them reach their goals.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our founding father, Edward P. Silva.
Ed passed away Monday morning, September 28, 2026, after a brief illness. Ed was born and raised in Marlborough, Massachusetts, but moved permanently to Tennessee after two tours in the US Navy. Ed ultimately settled in Franklin where he began his career as a lawyer working for his father-in-law, Dave Alexander, and alongside his life-long friends, Mark Hartzog and Don Harris. In the late 1970s Ed, Mark, and Don established their own firm, Hartzog, Harris & Silva (now Hartzog & Silva), which has been in continuous operation since.
Although a native New Englander, Ed adopted Franklin as his home. He was actively involved in his law practice and his community throughout his life. He was well respected across Tennessee as a family lawyer and mediator, and as a community activist in and for Franklin and Williamson County. His counsel and advice were constantly sought in both arenas.
Among other accomplishments, Ed was past president of the Williamson County Bar Association, a Fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation, named Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers as a family lawyer on multiple occasions, past chairman of the Tennessee Supreme Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission, past president of the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County, founding director of the Downtown Franklin Association, and recipient of the Heritage Foundation Legacy Award, and Franklin Tomorrow’s Anne T. Rutherford Exemplary Community Volunteer Award.
Ed is survived by his wife, Suzanne, children, Tony Silva and Alexandra Silva, and two grandchildren, Jack & Jane Fannon.
From all of us at Hartzog & Silva and Heritage Title & Escrow, Godspeed, Ed. You will be sorely missed.
Experience and Innovation
Hartzog & Silva offers a broad range of legal services to individuals and business clients. Our members are regularly awarded the highest possible peer review ratings, reflecting the esteem in which we are held by lawyers and judges throughout Middle Tennessee. Two former partners have been elected as judges by the citizens of Williamson County in recognition of their legal expertise.
Building on a rich tradition, the attorneys of Hartzog & Silva look forward to serving our clients with sound legal advice and superior representation for years to come.
Divorce and Family Law
Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning
Probate and Estate Administration
Real Estate Transactions and Litigation
Adoptions
Conservatorships and Guardianships
Juvenile Law
Personal Injury
The law firm of Hartzog & Silva, PLLC was named in the 2023 and 2022 editions of U.S. News - Best Lawyers in the category of "Best Law Firms" for the greater Nashville area. The Downtown Franklin Association has awarded our firm with Legal Service of the year for 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Hartzog & Silva is located in the historic McEwen-German House, at 123 Fifth Avenue North in downtown Franklin. The house dates from 1870 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
➤ LOCATION
123 5th Avenue North
Franklin, TN 37064
☎ CONTACT us
info@hartzogsilva.com
(615) 790-1500
Please be advised that contacting us through this online contact form does not create or constitute an attorney-client relationship. The information sent through this online contact form is not confidential.
Hartzog & Silva, PLLC Firm Facebook Page
