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William (Bill) Norton III
Mediate Lawsuit Editorial Board Verified Member

Verified Editorial Reviewer

William (Bill) Norton III

Tennessee Rule 31 Mediator | Commercial Bankruptcy & Real Estate | Fellow, American College of Bankruptcy | Adjunct Professor, Vanderbilt Law

William (Bill) Norton III is a Nashville-based commercial mediator and arbitrator with extensive experience in commercial real estate, lending, financial workouts, commercial bankruptcy, and contract disputes. A Tennessee Rule 31 Mediator since 1997, he is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, the Tennessee Bar Foundation, and the Nashville Bar Foundation.

Profile

Biography

William (Bill) Norton III is a Nashville-based commercial mediator and arbitrator with extensive experience in commercial real estate, lending, financial workouts, commercial bankruptcy, and contract disputes. A Tennessee Rule 31 Mediator since 1997, he is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, the Tennessee Bar Foundation, and the Nashville Bar Foundation. He is a former member of the AAA Commercial Arbitration Panel, past chair of the ADR Committee for the Nashville Bar Association, and past chair of the Board for the Nashville Conflict Resolution Center. Bill is the co-author of the Norton Creditors' Rights Handbook (Thompson Reuters, 2020) and managing editor of Norton Bankruptcy Law and Practice 3d. He has served as an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University Law School teaching bankruptcy since 1999. He holds a J.D. and B.A. from Vanderbilt University and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, and the State Bars of Tennessee and Georgia.

Editorial scope

Areas Of Editorial Expertise

  • Business & Partnership Disputes
  • Commercial Bankruptcy & Creditors' Rights
  • Commercial Mediation & Arbitration
  • Commercial Real Estate Disputes
  • Contract & Lease Disputes
  • Foreclosure Mediation
  • Lending & Financial Workouts
  • Mediation vs. Arbitration
Review role

Editorial Responsibilities

Editorial responsibilities will appear here.

Verification

Verified Credentials

Business Bankruptcy Law Certification Tennessee Commission on Legal Education 2002
Fellow, American College of Bankruptcy American College of Bankruptcy
Fellow, Nashville Bar Foundation Nashville Bar Foundation
Fellow, Tennessee Bar Foundation Tennessee Bar Foundation
Former Member, AAA Commercial Arbitration Panel American Arbitration Association ·
Past Chair, ADR Committee — Nashville Bar Association Nashville Bar Association
Past Chair, Board — Nashville Conflict Resolution Center Nashville Conflict Resolution Center
Tennessee Rule 31 Mediator Tennessee Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission 1997
Reviewed work

Content Reviewed By This Expert

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Help Forum Question

Can a foreclosure be resolved through mediation?

Yes. Foreclosure disputes — whether involving residential or commercial property — can often be resolved or restructured through mediation, and many jurisdictions have at various times operated foreclosure mediation...

Published September 4, 2026 Last reviewed September 4, 2026
FloridaForeclosure
Help Forum Question

Can disputes between a business and its lender be mediated?

Yes. Disputes between a borrower and a lender — over loan defaults, the interpretation of loan covenants, forbearance terms, or the enforcement of security interests — are well suited to mediation.

Published September 4, 2026 Last reviewed September 4, 2026
FloridaFinancial Workouts & Commercial Finance
Help Forum Question

What is a financial workout, and how does mediation fit in?

A financial workout is a negotiated restructuring of a borrower’s obligations that takes place outside of, or as an alternative to, a formal bankruptcy filing — for example, renegotiating the terms of a loan,...

Published September 4, 2026 Last reviewed September 4, 2026
FloridaFinancial Workouts & Commercial Finance
Help Forum Question

Is a bankruptcy mediation voluntary, or can the court order it?

It can be either. Parties may agree to mediate voluntarily, or a bankruptcy court may order the parties into mediation, often under the court’s local rules or a specific order in the case. The mediator may be a sitting...

Published September 4, 2026 Last reviewed September 4, 2026
FloridaBankruptcy
Help Forum Question

What kinds of bankruptcy disputes are most often mediated?

A wide range of bankruptcy disputes are commonly mediated. In Chapter 11 reorganizations, mediation frequently addresses plan confirmation objections, negotiations among competing classes of creditors, and the treatment...

Published September 4, 2026 Last reviewed September 4, 2026
FloridaBankruptcy
Independent sources

External Authoritative Profiles

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Professional record

Publications, Speaking & Recognitions

Adjunct Professor — Vanderbilt University Law School (Bankruptcy)
1999 to Present
Recognition
Norton Bankruptcy Law and Practice 3d
Publication
Norton Creditors' Rights Handbook (2020)
2020
Publication
Ethics

Disclosures & Ethics Statement

Disclosures and ethics statement will appear here.

Corrections

Editorial Contact

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