Practice Area:Child Custody & Visitation, Commercial, Contract, Divorce, Employment, Family, Medical Malpractice, Partnership Disputes, Personal Injury, Workplace
Hayden Lait has been in the private practice of law since 1975, with an emphasis on commercial, personal injury, and domestic relations litigation. He has been serving as a neutral in the capacity of a mediator and arbitrator since 1995. Until May 2000, Hayden was certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the State of Tenn. Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization and the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
Due to the change in focus of his practice from litigation to serving as a neutral, he has not maintained his certification. He was an Honorary & Emeritus Fellow of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators and served as President from 2005 to 2007.
Hayden is a certified arbitrator and mediator by FINRA/ National Association of Securities Dealers, listed by the Tenn. Supreme Court as a Rule 31 mediator and is a member of the mediation panel for US District Courts, Western District of Tenn.
Since 1994, Hayden has participated in excess of 600 hours of mediation training as a trainer and participant and has conducted over 2200 mediations and arbitrations. He served as chairperson of the ADR Committee of the Memphis Bar Association for three years and co-chair of the Memphis chapter of the Mediation Association of Tenn.
From 1997 to 2019, Hayden served as an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis School of Law, teaching negotiation and ADR skills.
In 2002 he was appointed by the TN Supreme Court to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission and served on the training committee. He served as Commission Chairperson from January 2006 to March 2012 and then served as chair of the Education committee. His term expired in December 2015.
Professional Organizations
The American College of Civil Trial Mediators, Past President
Memphis Bar, Past Director and chairperson of the ADR C/ee 3 years
Leo F. Bearman, Inns of Court – Emeritus Member
Fellow Memphis Bar Foundation
Education
Juris Doctor, University of Memphis School of Law, 1975
University of Oklahoma, Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance, 1969
