William J. (Paz) Haynes III
Overview
William J. (Paz) Haynes III serves as the Public Trustee for Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee, where he oversees, administers, and manages assets held in trusts, estates, conservatorships and guardianships over several states. He maintains a portfolio of inter vivos trusts and testamentary trusts. Paz also maintains a practice drawing on his extensive experience in labor and employment and health care law, representing clients before a variety of regulatory boards, including the Board of Medical Examiners, and other administrative agencies.
Paz has represented physicians and other health care providers in negotiating a variety of contracts and business arrangements, providing responsive day-to-day legal advice on all aspects of operation critical to success. He has diligently helped resolve operations issues and disputes with hospitals, practice management companies, payers, and other medical professionals.
Distinguished by years of public service in Tennessee, Paz has held many notable positions which support his critical, people-centric work within the public and private sectors. In 2017, he was appointed to the board of the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance, a position he still holds, and served as board chairman from 2019-2020.
In addition, Paz has served as president of both the Napier-Looby Bar Association and Napier-Looby Bar Foundation, and as secretary of the Tennessee Bar Association. He has served on the board of the Nashville Bar Association and is a fellow of both the Nashville Bar Association and Tennessee Bar Association.
Outside of his legal work and related initiatives, Paz has served as chair of Christ the King School Board, on the Board of Trustees for St. Bernard Academy, on the Pastoral Council of Christ the King Church, on the Father Ryan High School Board of Trustees, and on the boards of the Belcourt Theatre and Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors. He is also involved in the arts, with a background in advising and supporting visual artists and musicians during his career. He has published two of his own poetry collections.
Credentials
Education
- Vanderbilt University Law School, 1995 (J.D.)
- Johns Hopkins University, 1992 (B.A.)
Labor and Employment
- Represents employers of various sizes in workplace discrimination litigation involving claims under Title 7, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Tennessee Human Rights Act, and other common law claims.
- Served as counsel to employers in arbitration conducted under collective bargaining agreements.
- Conducted workplace investigations in response to complaints of unlawful employment practices.
- Successfully negotiated and/or mediated numerous claims involving unlawful discrimination or workplace practices.
- Counseled employers of all sizes on best employment practices and drafted numerous employee handbooks and workplace policies.
Health Care Law
- Advised health care professionals, providers and practice groups on compliance issues involving state and federal regulations.
- Negotiated and drafted employment agreement for health care providers including practice groups.
- Represented health care providers and other licensed health care professionals in investigations of contested case proceedings and license applications, including certificates of need for Tennessee regulatory boards.
- Christ The King School, School Board, President, 2012-2014
- Belcourt Theatre, Board of Directors
- Christ The King Church, Pastoral Council
- Young Leaders Council, Alumnus
- Tennessee Bar Association, Leadership Law, Class of 2005
- Nashville Exchange Club, Board of Directors
- Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors, Board of Directors
- Nashville Diversity in Dialogue, Board of Directors
- Father Ryan High School, Board of Directors
- Nashville Interfaith Group
- Nashville Business Journal, Best of the Bar, 2024
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent Rating
- Best Lawyers in America, 2024-2025
- Employment Law
- Administrative / Regulatory Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Health Care Law
- Litigation – Health Care
- Napier-Looby Bar Association
- Nashville Bar Association
- Tennessee Bar Association
- American Bar Association
Speaking Engagements
- “Keys to Contractual Agreements,” Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance
- “Counsel for the Children: Defending the Nashville Sit-In Trials,” Nashville Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education Seminar
- “Faith In The Workplace,” Tennessee Christian Chamber of Commerce
- “Policies, Posts and Practices – Social Media and the Law of the Workplace,” Sterling Education Services
- “Health Care Reform Seminar – What You Need To Know,” Heritage Financial Group
- Panel on the Nashville Student Movement, featuring Rev. James Lawson and Diane Nash, Tennessee Alliance of Black Lawyers Convention
- “Danger Zones That Lead to Liability in the Workplace,” Tennessee Human Rights Commission
Publications
- “The ‘E’ Age: Proposed E-Discovery Amendments to the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure,” Tennessee Bar Association General Practice Summit
- “Expanding the Definition of Disability: Enforcement of the ADA Amendment Act of 2008 Takes Shape,” E-Blast Newsletter, Bone McAllester Norton PLLC
- “Namepeace: the book of soulms,” Namepeace Soulms, LLC, 2007
- “Frontage: ten soulms and then some,” Namepeace Soulms, LLC, 2007
- “150 Years of Amendment 15: The Continual Struggle for African American Voting”,” Nashville Bar Journal, June / July 2020