A periodic Q & A session with a Lewis Thomason (LT) lawyer
LT: When did you decide to become a lawyer?
Dale Bay: I was a sophomore in college when I had a professor accuse me of plagiarizing a paper I wrote on a book assignment. He was angry he couldn’t flunk me because he couldn’t find any “proof” that I cheated. I refused to accept the A he said he was “forced to give me”, sat down in the classroom, by myself, and demanded that he give me another book and watch me re-do the assignment. He refused (fortunately), apologized and gave me the A anyway. We became close friends during that whole process and from other classes I took with him. Later, he told me that I should become a lawyer; so, I did.
LT: What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Dale Bay: Trying cases with Charlie Lewis and traveling with him during the process. Literally, there was never a dull moment.
LT: What do you enjoy most about being a lawyer?
Dale Bay: Two things; interaction/relationships with the people I work with both inside and outside of the firm (well, for the most part), and the challenges of plotting strategies and going toe-to-toe with good experts and good lawyers.
LT: What’s the best lesson you ever learned?
Dale Bay: If you think you have screwed up, let one of the old farts know immediately. As a one or two-year lawyer, I thought I had made a huge mistake. I called and told George Morton (senior partner) what I thought I had done. We attacked the issue together and figured out how to deal with it. As it turned out, I had not screwed up; however, if I had waited another few weeks, I would have had a big mess.
LT: What do you do in your spare time?
Dale Bay: I enjoy spending time at the beach and in the Rockies with my wife and family. I also enjoy cooking and reading.
LT: When I was in high school my friends would describe me as ____?
Dale Bay: A country boy. I actually carried guns in the gun rack on the rear window of my pick-up truck that I drove to school.
LT: What book is on your bedside table (or on your e-reader)?
Dale Bay: The Bible. I read it every morning.
LT: If you had to choose a new hobby or to learn a new skill, what would you choose and why?
Dale Bay: I have always wanted to learn a second language (third if you count “Southern” as one). Just because I think it would be cool to speak two languages.
R. Dale Bay is a shareholder in the firm’s Nashville office, where he served as managing shareholder for 20 years. Since beginning his practice with the firm in 1984, Mr. Bay has concentrated in the area of civil jury trial litigation in state and federal courts throughout the southeastern United States. Mr. Bay’s litigation work includes tort, product liability, professional malpractice defense, transportation/trucking law, aviation law, personal injury automobile/personal lines, employment discrimination, and business and commercial litigation. Mr. Bay has defended numerous complex, multimillion-dollar personal injury claims in both state and federal courts, representing a variety of national and international clients as well as local companies and professionals.