Bill Leader, Member of Leader, Bulso, Nolan & Burnstein
Bill Leader focuses his practice on representing victims of wrongful conduct, negligence, and fraud. He has successfully tried, litigated and resolved cases for those who have been catastrophically injured or killed due to inappropriate medical treatment, reckless operation of tractor-trailer trucks, automobile collisions, defective roadway design and signage, over serving of alcohol at bars and restaurants, aviation crashes, and burns from chemicals, as well as victims of crime and assault. In the commercial context, Bill represents victims of fraud, misrepresentation, dishonest practices, and breach of contract.
Bill was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1952 and grew up in Signal Mountain, Tennessee. He received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University in 1974. Upon graduating, he entered the United States Navy and served aboard a destroyer escort. After his honorable discharge from the Navy, Bill attended Vanderbilt Law School, receiving his law degree in 1981. He has practiced law in Nashville since that time. Bill founded what is now Leader, Bulso, Nolan & Burnstein, PLC in 2005.
Since he was first eligible, Bill has received an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell, identifying him as a lawyer with preeminent legal ability and the highest professional and ethical standards, as determined by other lawyers. He has been routinely chosen by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America (2003-2010) and as a Mid-South Super Lawyer (2007-2010). Bill is listed by the Nashville Business Journal as Best of the Bar for 2008 and 2009.
Areas of Practice:
- Medical Negligence
- Professional Liability
- General Negligence
- Products Liability
- Commercial Litigation
- Commercial Tort Litigation
- Trucking/Motor Vehicle
Litigation Percentage:
- 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Certification/Specialties:
- Civil Trial Specialist, Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, 1992
- Civil Trial Specialist, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 1992
Bar Admissions:
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Tennessee
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Tennessee
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia
- U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit
Education:
- Vanderbilt University School of Law, Nashville, Tennessee, 1981
- J.D.
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, 1974
- B.A.
Representative Cases:
- Thomas, ex rel., Thomas v. Oldfield, 2008 WL 2278512 (Tenn. App. 2008)
- Blackburn & McCune, PLLC v. Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., 2007 WL 2409671 (Tenn. App. 2007)
- Wicks v. Vanderbilt University, 2007 WL 858780 (Tenn. App. 2007)
- In Re: Swann Land, LLC, 2007 WL 4146680, Bkrtcy (E.D., Tenn. 2007)
- Woo Jun Ki v. State of Tennessee, 78 S.W.3d 876 (Tenn. 2002)
- Gleaves v. Checker Cab Transit Corp., Inc., 15 S.W.3d 799 (Tenn. 2000)
- Turner v. Jordan, 957 S.W.2d 815 (Tenn. 1997)
- Hogins v. Ross, 988 S.W.2d 685 (Tenn. App. 1998)
- Still by Erlandson v. Baptist Hospital, Inc., 775 S.W.2d 807 (Tenn. App. 1988)
Honors and Awards:
- Martindale Hubbell AV Rated
- The Best Lawyers in America, 2003 - 2009
- The Mid South Super Lawyers, 2006 - 2009
- Best of the Bar - Nashville Business Journal, 2008 & 2009
- Fellow, Tennessee Bar Foundation
Professional Associations and Memberships:
- Nashville Bar Association Member
- Tennessee Bar Association Member
- American Bar Association Member
- State Bar of Georgia Member
- American Association for Justice Member
- Tennessee Association for Justice Member
- American Inns of Court Member, Harry Phillips Chapter
- Nashville Bar Foundation
Past Employment Positions:
- United States Navy, Lieutenant, 1974 - 1978
