A senior trial lawyer with significant experience in the state and federal courts in Santa Clara County, Bill’s expertise in representing businesses and individuals in complex civil litigation has provided clients many noteworthy results. In addition, Bill works with individuals and families in cases involving litigation such as will contests, trust disputes, and related issues. Bill is often called on in family law matters when specific litigation expertise is required in cases where business concerns are involved.
Full Bio »
A senior trial lawyer with significant experience in the state and federal courts in Santa Clara County, Bill’s expertise in representing businesses and individuals in complex civil litigation has provided clients many noteworthy results. In addition, Bill works with individuals and families in cases involving litigation such as will contests, trust disputes, and related issues. Bill is often called on in family law matters when specific litigation expertise is required in cases where business concerns are involved.
Armed with years of experience helping keep business clients out of court, Bill assists many of the firm’s clients in transactional and contract matters.
Highlights
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Recognized among The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Real Estate and Litigation - Trusts & Estates for four consecutive years.
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Named a Fellow of Litigation Counsel of America in 2011 (limited to top one-half of one percent of trial lawyers).
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Named to the Northern California Super Lawyers and listed in the Corporate Counsel Edition.
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Extensive trial experience involving a wide range of business issues, including trade secrets, lease and real estate matters, corporate and partnership disputes, construction matters, and class action cases.
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Acts as counsel to dozens of businesses, including those in the high technology, professional services, retail, manufacturing, and restaurant industries.
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Serves as mediator and early neutral evaluator, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California.
Representative Matters
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Represented spouse in multi-million dollar litigation involving Marvin cohabitation claims, the validity of premarital agreements and other marital property issues.
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Obtained an arbitration award of more than $15 million to recover debt owed for clients in a real estate partnership. Subsequently secured a series of arbitration orders that allowed the clients to buyout their partners on favorable terms.
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Obtained a judgment of more than $1,000,000 for an elderly couple swindled by a financial planner and his controlled parties, avoiding the emotional toll a trial would have taken on his 90 year-old clients.
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Successfully recovered a substantial portion of sums paid through early settlement on behalf of a major telecommunications client that was overcharged under the terms of a commercial lease.
Reported Cases
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County of Santa Clara v. Superior Court (Atlantic Richfield Co. (2010) 50 Cal. 4th 35.
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County of Santa Clara v. Superior Court (Atlantic Richfield Co.) (2008) 161 Cal.App. 4th 1140.
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Estate of Wong (1995) 40 Cal.App. 4th 1198, 47 Cal.Rptr. 2d 707.
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In re Romo (1987) 190 Cal.App. 3d 279, 235 Cal.Rptr. 377.
Professional and Community Contributions
Bill is a member of the Santa Clara County Bar Association and the Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association. He has long been a trustee and officer of the San Jose Museum of Art and serves as the managing attorney for the Legal Counseling Office, Associated Students of Stanford University. Bill previously served as a trustee of the Los Altos Educational Foundation.
Articles
Admissions
State Bar of California
U.S. District Court, Northern, Central, Southern, and Eastern Districts of California
U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and Federal Circuits
U.S. Supreme Court
Education
J.D., University of California, Hastings College of Law, 1978
B.A., Stanford University, 1973