William (“Bill”) Rutchow joined the firm in 1988. After several years in the Greenville, South Carolina office, he moved to the Nashville office in 1995. He is currently a Shareholder in the Nashville office. Bill handles a wide array of cases, including representing clients in every facet of labor and employment law, from union election campaigns to unfair labor practice proceedings before the NLRB to arbitrations to TOSHA matters to employment litigation in state and federal court. His litigation experience includes employment litigation, litigation of restrictive covenants, ERISA litigation, product defect litigation, personal injury litigation and commercial contract litigation. Bill has defended class and collective actions brought under Title VII, the FLSA and Tennessee common law.
Bill is a member of the firm’s Ethics Committee, the Restrictive Covenants Practice Group and the Traditional Labor Law Practice Group. He is a frequent author and speaker on employment-related topics.
Bill was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio.
Experience
- Defense verdict for major clothing retailer in race discrimination and retaliation trial in Tennessee federal court
- Defense verdict for major retailer in personal injury jury trial in Tennesee federal court
- Obtaining directed verdict in Kentucky state court jury trial for international office equipment manufacturer in disability discrimination case
- Defense verdict for international construction company in one of the first ADA cases to go to jury trial in South Carolina federal court
- Obtaining favorable verdict for regional construction client in Tennessee Consumer Protection Act jury trial in Tennessee state court
- Defense verdict in a race discrimination and retaliation jury trial for a steel processor in Tennessee federal court
- Successfully defended national auto parts supplier in workers compensation retaliatory discharge trial in Ohio state court
- Representing clients in over a dozen union election campaigns
- Obtaining a directed verdict in breach of warranty jury trial in Tennessee state court for a major mobile home manufacturer
- Successfully defended an international banking institution in Tennessee federal court against fraud claims involving several million dollars in wire transfers
- Represented international mining client in WARN class action resulting in favorable settlement
- Successfully represented multiple clients in arbitration in both union (CBA) and non-union (mandatory ADR agreements) settings
- Obtained dismissal of 301 action by union seeking to enforce arbitration award against national security services company
- Represented manufacturing client before Tennessee OSHA and United States Chemical Safety Board regarding multiple fatal incidents
- Obtained dismissal of unfair labor practice charges against hotel client involving allegations of protected concerted activity through social media
- Has prosecuted and defended numerous non-compete cases in state and federal court in Tennessee
- Has obtained summary judgment in a wide variety of employment litigation matters, including discrimination litigation, whistleblower litigation and breach of contract cases
South Carolina
Tennessee
Ohio
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Eleventh Circuits
U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina
U.S. District Court, Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Tennessee
U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio
Professional Activities
- Tennessee Bar Association (Member, Ethics and Professionalism Committee)
- South Carolina Bar Association
- Nashville Bar Association
- Ohio Bar Association
- American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section)
In The News
- 2007/2011 - Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry - "Model Policies and Forms for Tennessee Employers"