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William  N.  Ozier
Member
Nashville
P:(615) 742-6232
F:(615) 742-2732
E-mail William N. Ozier
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Education
Vanderbilt University - J.D., 1969
Vanderbilt University - B.A., 1966

Court Admissions
U.S. District Court, Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Tennessee
U.S. Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals Eleventh Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court

Bar Admissions
Tennessee, 1969

Memberships
Nashville Bar Association
Tennessee Bar Association
National Association of College and University Attorneys
American Inns of Court
Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Chair 2012 and 2013, Board member 2006-present, General Counsel 2008-2011)
Tennessee Business Roundtable (Secretary of the Board, Executive Committee)

Honors & Distinctions
Fellow, American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
Listed in: Best Lawyers® (2012 Nashville Employment Law - Management Lawyer of the Year); Chambers USA (Band 1); Who’s Who in American Law®; Lawdragon 500; Lawdragon 3000 Leading Lawyers in America; Mid-South Super Lawyers; Top 100 Tennessee Mid-South Super Lawyers 2011; Nashville Business Journal's "Best of the Bar;" Human Resource Executive's "2012 Nation's Most Powerful Employment Attorneys – Top 100"



Mr. Ozier has exclusively represented management in labor and employment matters since 1970. He has represented employers throughout the state of Tennessee in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, retail, education and healthcare.

Representative matters handled by Mr. Ozier include:
  • Successful defense of private university in defense of state law claims based on denial of tenure. (Summary Judgment)
  • Successful defense of numerous Fortune 500 companies in various types of employment discrimination claims including sexual harassment, age discrimination, race discrimination and disability discrimination.
  • Successful defense of private university in race and national origin claim based on denial of tenure.
  • Representation of numerous employers with a wide variety of labor unions in negotiating initial collective bargaining agreements and renegotiations of collective bargaining agreements.
  • Successful defense of private university in defense of breach of contract claim by former student based on Honor Council proceeding. (Summary Judgment)
  • Representation of numerous companies in a variety of businesses in the arbitration of all types of issues under collective bargaining agreements including both disciplinary actions and contract interpretation.
  • Successful defense of private university in a federal court jury trial involving a claim of retaliatory discharge under Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972.

Representative speaking engagements:
  • "Guns Legislation," Tennessee Railroads, Inc., December 2012
  • "Updates on the current labor laws" panelist, 25th Annual Tennessee Labor-Management Summer Conference, August 2012
  • "Hot Topics" panelist, 72nd Farm Bureau Presidents’ Conference, August 2012
  • "Guns Legislation," Tennessee Chamber of Commerce Executives meeting, August 2012
  • "Employee Free Choice Act," Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry seminar, August 2009

Mr. Ozier currently serves on the Board of Directors for the two leading business organizations in the state. He serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry and is also the Secretary and a member of the Executive Committee and Board of the Tennessee Business Roundtable. Mr. Ozier has served as chairman of the Labor Law Committee of the Tennessee Bar Association. He is a frequent lecturer to attorneys and human resource professionals on current labor and employment law topics and trains supervisors in union avoidance and compliance with various state and federal laws.

Mr. Ozier joined Bass, Berry & Sims in June 1969, and was named a Member of the firm in 1974. He served as managing partner from 1987 through 1992 and as marketing partner from 1998-2001. He is also a former chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice.