Will Routt has nearly 20 years of complex litigation experience. His practice is focused on contract disputes and business torts across a wide variety of industries including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, real estate, insurance, and entertainment. Will also has significant experience litigating legal malpractice cases, class actions, and trust disputes. He has prosecuted and defended cases in all phases of litigation, from pleadings to appeals.
His practice includes:
- Breach of Contract & Business Torts – Litigation of disputes arising from the alleged breach of contractual obligations and related torts, including fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and conversion.
- Securities Disputes – Experience counseling broker-dealers and registered representatives in FINRA arbitrations and related litigation involving claims such as misrepresentation, unsuitability, and regulatory compliance issues under SEC and FINRA frameworks.
- Complex Business Litigation – Advising public and private companies across a wide variety of commercial disputes, including putative class actions, mass torts, products liability, governmental investigations, and legal malpractice.
- Appellate Proceedings – Representation of clients throughout the appellate process with substantial experience in the Tennessee Supreme Court and Court of Appeals and the Sixth Circuit.
Prior to joining Bass, Berry & Sims, Will was a litigation attorney at law firms Watson Burns, PLLC (Memphis), Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC (Memphis), and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan, LLP (Los Angeles).
Memberships
American Bar Association
Tennessee Bar Association
Memphis Bar Association
Memberships
American Bar Association
Tennessee Bar Association
Memphis Bar Association
Additional Experience
- Defense of subsidiary of prominent publicly traded real estate investment trust in arbitration of claims asserted against it in connection with claimant’s installation of an ineffective water valve on its properties.
- Representation of general contractor in connection with subcontractor breach of contract for failure to perform agreed-upon labor.
- Prosecution and defense of competing breach of contract claims arising from dispute between record label and music publisher and distributor.
- Representation of employee benefit brokerage company in ~$22 million acquisition by a leading North American insurance broker.
- Defense of broker-dealer and registered representatives in FINRA arbitrations initiated by institutional customers against claims of wrongdoing asserted in connection with the sales of trust preferred CDO notes.
- Defense of broker-dealer and registered representative in FINRA arbitration against claims of wrongdoing asserted in connection with the sale of auction rate securities.
- Representation of broker-dealers and registered representatives in litigation and arbitration involving disputes related to claims of unsuitability, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, misrepresentation, unauthorized trading, and failure to supervise.
- Representation of subsidiary of multinational medical devices, pharmaceutical, and consumer packaged goods manufacturing company in connection with alleged violations of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and False Claims Act and related governmental investigations.
- Defense of managing trustee of trust of wealthy individual against claims of wrongdoing asserted by beneficiary and co-trustee.
- Representation of trust and estate of wealthy individual in connection with the refund of inheritance taxes.
Accolades
Mid-South Super Lawyers “Rising Star” (2015-2016)
American Journal of Criminal Law — Manuscript Editor, Membership Committee (2006-2007)
Accolades
Mid-South Super Lawyers “Rising Star” (2015-2016)
American Journal of Criminal Law — Manuscript Editor, Membership Committee (2006-2007)
