Biography

William is a member of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group. A seasoned litigator with both law firm and in-house experience, William has practiced in federal courts throughout the country.  He has drafted dozens of briefs in the Illinois Appellate Court, the various Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal, and the United States Supreme Court, and successfully argued many of them.

As a litigator, William has conducted all phases of litigation in Federal District Courts from coast-to-coast.  In foreign jurisdictions he selected local counsel, appeared pro hac vice or was admitted to the bar, served as lead counsel, directed the case and local counsel, took the laboring oar on case-related filings, and appeared before the courts.  In both foreign and local jurisdictions (Illinois federal and state), he has engaged in every facet of litigation.  William has drafted countless briefs and motions, conducted and defended hundreds of depositions, propounded and responded to written discovery, made extensive use of summary judgment motions, argued motions, and tried cases as both first and second chair.  He has counseled clients – both plaintiffs and defendants – through all phases of litigation.  William’s litigation practice has afforded him the opportunity to handle complex commercial matters, employment/labor issues involving the ADA, FMLA, Title VII, and FLSA, as well as ERISA, employee benefits, bankruptcy, along with some class action, antitrust, and LMRDA matters.

One of William’s cases, Board of Trustees v. Board of Education of the City of Chicago, 978 N.E.2d 692 (1^st Dist. 2012), rehearing denied (2012), appeal denied by 982 N.E.2d 77 (2013), was headlined in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and gathered a good deal of local public interest as the outcome determined the application of a taxing statute for the next 40 years.  There, William secured a reversal and remand with directions to the Cook County circuit court to enter summary judgment for his client and a judgment of more than $37 million for that particular fiscal year.  The court on remand entered summary judgment and the entire judgment amount was collected.

Another of William’s cases, Anderson v. AB Painting, Inc., 578 F. 3d 542 (7^th Cir. 2009), also was headlined in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.  There, the Seventh Circuit held that attorney’s fees in ERISA cases are not subject to a proportionality standard.

And, in Chicago Truck Drivers v. Brotherhood Labor Leasing, 406 F. 3d 955 (8^th Cir. 2005), rehearing and rehearing en banc denied, petition for certiorari denied, the Eighth Circuit upheld the entry of contempt sanctions against the defendants’ attorneys for advising their clients not to pay debts owed to the plaintiffs.  The case was selected by the Missouri Lawyers Weekly as one of the 10 most important opinions of 2005.

• Board of Trustees v. Board of Education,

  978 N.E.2d 692 (1st Dist. 2012), reh’g denied (2012), appeal denied by 982 N.E.2d 767 (2013)

• Lofton v. SP Plus Corporation, et al.,

  578 Fed. Appx. 603 (7th Cir. 2014)

• Anderson v. AB Painting and Sandblasting,

  578 F. 3d 542 (7th Cir. 2009)

• Chicago Truck Drivers Pension Fund v. El Paso CGP Co., et al.,

  525 F. 3d 591 (7th Cir. 2008)

• Chicago Truck Drivers Pension Fund v. Brotherhood Labor Leasing et al.,

  406 F. 3d 955 (8th Cir. 2005), reh’g and reh’g en banc denied, petition for certiorari denied

• Moriarty v. George R. Justen & Son,

  No. 99-2179 (7th Cir. 2000)

• Central States Health & Welfare Fund v. Neurobehavioral Assoc.,

  53 F. 3d 172 (7th Cir. 1995)

• Central States Pension Fund v. Hartlage Trucking Co.,

  991 F. 2d 1357 (7th Cir.1993)

• Whitworth Brothers v. Central States,

  982 F. 2d 1006 (6th Cir.1992), cert denied, 510 U.S. 816 (1993)

• Perez v. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1700,

  174 F. Supp. 3d 395 (D.D.C. 2016)

• Scruggs v. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1700,

  2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 116175 (E.D. Mo. 2013)

• Anderson v. Liles,

  774 F. Supp. 2d 902 (N.D. Ill. 2011)

• Boudreau v. Gentile et al.,

  646 F. Supp. 2d 1016 (N.D. Ill. 2009)

• Boudreau v. Gentile et al.,

  545 F. Supp. 2d 814 (N.D. Ill. 2008)

• Chicago Truck Drivers v. Loyal Casket Co.,

  2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27832 (N.D. Ill. 2008)

• Midland Logistics, Inc. v. Chicago Truck Drivers,

  2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27823 (N.D. Ill. 2008)

• Chicago Truck Drivers v. Acme Motor Freight Serv.,

  2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 70600 (N.D. Ill. 2007)

• Chicago Truck Drivers Pension Fund v. El Paso CGP Co.,

  38 E.B.C. 1380 (N.D. Ill. 2006)

• Moriarty v. Svec,

  429 F. 3d 710 (7th Cir. 2005)

• Board of Trustees v. Hyde (In re Hyde),

  2004 Bankr. LEXIS 2410 (D. Mass. 2004)

• Zajac v. Chicago Area I.B. of T. Pension Trust et al.,

  34 E.B.C. 1399 (N.D. Ill. 2004)

• Gonzalez v. Farmington Foods, Inc.,

  296 F. Supp. 2d 912 (N.D. Ill. 2003)

• Nunez v. Pizza Nova, Inc.,

  2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 23279 (N.D. Ill. 2003)

• Anderson v. Norman Rice Painting, Inc.,

  2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15283 (N.D. Ill. 2003)

• Chicago Truck Drivers Pension Fund v. Brotherhood Labor Leasing,

  230 F. Supp. 2d 963 (E.D. Mo. 2002)

• Moriarty v. Hills Funeral Home,

  221 F. Supp. 2d 887 (N.D. Ill. 2002)

• Moriarty v. Pepper,

  93 F. Supp. 2d 910 (N.D. Ill.), rev’d and remanded, 256 F. 3d 554 (7th Cir.2001)

• Moriarty v. LSC Ill. Corp.,

  1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19929 (N.D. Ill. 1999)

• Central States Pension Fund v. Quickie Transport Co.,

  174 F.R.D. 50 (E.D. Pa.1997)

• Central States Pension Fund v. Express Freight Lines, Inc.,

  971 F. 2d 5 (7th Cir. 1992)

• Central States Pension Fund v. Hayes,

  789 F. Supp. 1430 (N.D. Ill. 1992)

• Central States Pension Fund v. Tank Transport, Inc.,

  779 F. Supp. 947 (N.D. Ill. 1991)

• Chicago

  Illinois 60603

  10 South LaSalle Street

  Chicago, Illinois 60603

  T: 312.855.1010 TF: 800.826.3505 F: 312.606.7777 Office Managing Partner: Dennis D. Fitzpatrick

• New York

  New York 10005

  28 Liberty Street 39th Floor

  New York, New York 10005

  T: 212.805.3900 TF: 800.826.3505 F: 212.805.3939 Office Managing Partner: Carl M. Perri

• Mission Viejo

  California 92691

  27285 Las Ramblas

  Suite 200

  Mission Viejo, California 92691

  T: 949.260.3100 TF: 800.826.3505 F: 949.260.3190 Office Managing Partner: Ian R. Feldman

• Florham Park

  New Jersey 07932

  100 Campus Drive

  Florham Park, New Jersey 07932

  T: 973.410.4130 TF: 800.826.3505 F: 973.410.4169 Office Managing Partner: Carl M. Perri

• Michigan City

  Indiana 46360

  200 Commerce Square

  Michigan City, Indiana 46360

  T: 219.262.6106 TF: 800.826.3505 F: 312.606.7777 Office Managing Partners: Paige M. Neel, Kimbley A. Kearney

• Milwaukee

  Wisconsin 53202

  250 E. Wisconsin Avenue

  Suite 1800

  Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

  T: 414.279.5525 TF: 800.826.3505 F: 312.606.7777 Office Managing Partner: James M. Weck

• Stamford

  Connecticut 06902

  68 Southfield Avenue

  2 Stamford Landing Suite 100

  Stamford, Connecticut 06902

  T: 203.921.0303 TF: 800.826.3505 F: 212.805.3939 Office Managing Partner: Matthew J. Van Dusen

• Tampa

  Florida 33609

  4830 West Kennedy Boulevard, One Urban Center

  Suite 600

  Tampa, Florida 33609

  T: 813.509.2578 TF: 800.826.3505 F: 312.606.7777 Office Managing Partner: Dennis D. Fitzpatrick

• San Francisco

  California 94111

  100 Pine Street

  Suite 1250

  San Francisco, California 94111

  T: 415.287.2744 TF: 800.826.3505 F: 949.260.3190 Office Managing Partner: Ian R. Feldman

• Houston

  Texas 77019

  2929 Allen Parkway

  American General Center, Suite 200

  Houston, Texas 77019

  T: 346.229.4612 TF: 800.826.3505 F: 312.606.7777 Office Managing Partner: Ramy P. Elmasri

• Dallas

  Texas 75201

  325 N. Saint Paul Street

  Suite 3100

  Dallas, Texas 75201

  T: 469.942.8635 TF: 800.826.3505 F: 312.606.7777 Office Managing Partner: Ramy P. Elmasri

• Boca Raton

  Florida 33434

  7777 Glades Road

  Suite 405

  Boca Raton, Florida 33434

  T: 561.765.5305 TF: 800.826.3505 F: 312.606.7777 Office Managing Partner: Dennis D. Fitzpatrick