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Mr. Dietz joined Bass, Berry & Sims PLC in 1983 and has been a Member since 1989. He previously served as chair of the Litigation Practice Area and as the litigation representative on the firm's Executive Committee and currently serves as co-chair of the Internal Investigations and Special Projects group. Mr. Dietz focuses his practice on complex business and commercial litigation, including cases involving shareholder class action litigation, business torts, trade secrets, internal investigations, banking and commercial law, breach of contract/warranty claims, healthcare law and mergers and acquisitions. He represents a wide range of business and individual clients in state and federal court, in mediation and arbitration and in pre-litigation dispute resolution. Mr. Dietz is listed in The Best Lawyers in America®, the 2008 Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition and has been named one of Tennessee's leading litigation lawyers since 2003 by Chambers USA .

Representative cases include the following:

Shareholder Class Action Cases

Co-counsel for Dollar General Corporation in successful defense of motion to enjoin shareholder vote on $7.3 billion "going private" transaction.
Lead counsel for Intergraph Corporation in successful resolution of shareholder class action regarding "going private" transaction.
Lead counsel for significant shareholder in Central Parking Corporation shareholder class action regarding "going private" transaction.
Local counsel for HCA Inc. in successful resolution of shareholder class action regarding $33 billion "going private" transaction.

Internal Investigations and Special Projects

Nationwide internal investigation for a national accounting firm to assess compliance with SEC remedial order.
Lead counsel in internal investigation for health care administrative services provider in federal and state public corruption probe involving Tennessee's Medicaid (TennCare) program.
Lead counsel in internal investigation at a national bank regarding embezzlement by bank President and CEO and serving as lead counsel in litigation with numerous parties, including fidelity bond and D&O bond litigation. Case also involved investigation by the FBI, the OCC and the United States Attorney.
Lead litigation counsel in several cases for numerous healthcare companies, including qui tam/whistleblower cases.
Representation of various healthcare companies in response to a federal or state grand jury subpoena.
Participant in eight-year investigation of business activities of Tennessee banker Jacob F. Butcher including search for concealed assets and unwinding of complex business transactions involving multiple banks.

Other Representative Cases

Lead counsel for insurance company in nationwide class action alleging failure to provide refunds on policy premiums.
Lead counsel for individual board members and officers charged with breach of fiduciary duties and various business torts.
Lead counsel for automobile parts manufacturer in $250+ million breach of warranty case filed by automobile manufacturer.
Successful representation of various clients in healthcare business and insurance business involving claims of breach of fiduciary duty, misappropriation of trade secrets, violation of restrictive covenants and tortious interference with contract and prospective business relationships.
Lead defense counsel in large consumer class action case in federal court for a national bank client.
Successful defense of $151 million lender liability claim against national bank client.
Lead counsel in case to prevent a competitor from obtaining injunctive relief against newspaper publisher for alleged trademark infringement claims.
Several cases involving breaches of representations and warranties in asset purchase or merger/acquisition agreements.
Co-counsel for automobile finance company in defense of nation-wide class action case alleging violation of Equal Credit Opportunity Act.
Lead counsel in defense of two ERISA class action cases.
Successful resolution of two trade secret cases involving theft of trade secrets by employee (theft of manufacturing formulae and theft of confidential information by former employee via company computer system).
Lead counsel in obtaining injunctive and other relief for shareholders in corporate control contest.
Successful defense of litigation challenging client's merger and acquisition agreement, preventing injunction of $100 million plus transaction.
Numerous cases regarding enforcement of covenants not to compete.
Successful litigation to enforce option to purchase multi-million dollar property at conclusion of long term lease.
Successful representation of oil company franchisee in federal court to enforce federal and state petroleum marketing statutes.

Mr. Dietz graduated from Emory University in 1977 and received his law degree, cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center in 1982 where he was associate editor of The American Criminal Law Review. Upon graduating from law school, he served as a judicial law clerk for the Hon. Thomas A. Wiseman, Jr., U.S. District Judge, Middle District of Tennessee. He was a legislative assistant and media aide to former U.S. Senator Jim Sasser from 1977 to 1981.

Mr. Dietz is active in civic and political affairs. He is past president and chair of Nashville Pro Bono, Inc. and served as board chair at Martha O'Bryan, Inc. a Section 501(c)(3) community organization. He formerly served on the board of the Nashville Bar Association and the Nashville District of the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ). He is currently an Elder at First Presbyterian Church.