Overview
Bill is the firm's General Counsel and maintains an active litigation practice. He previously served as the chair of the firm’s Litigation Department for 17 years and as a member of the firm's Board of Directors and Executive Committee for 21 years. Bill has extensive experience in numerous areas of litigation. He has defended claims against firm clients in state and federal courts and administrative agencies throughout Ohio and surrounding states in connection with employment, products liability, professional liability, data privacy, insurance coverage, health care, and commercial litigation.
Bill has substantial experience in class action litigation in the employment, data privacy and health care areas and currently serves as National Coordinating Counsel for the toxic tort litigation of two multinational corporations. He has been appointed by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to its Alternative Dispute Resolution Panel and by the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas to its Panel of Mediators. He is a Life Member of the Judicial Conference of the Eighth Judicial District.
Bill is one of the firm's representatives to, and a member of the Board of Directors of, the International Lawyers Network (ILN), an association of 91 full-service law firms with over 5,000 lawyers worldwide.
Bill earned a J.D., cum laude, from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1985. He received a B.A., cum laude, from Assumption College in 1982.
Honors & Recognition
Selected for inclusion in Ohio Super Lawyers (2008-2023)
Named one of the Best Lawyers in America (2013-2023)
Credentials
Education
The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
Assumption College
Admissions – Court
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
Admissions – State
- Ohio
Professional & Civic
Professional Activities
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
Ohio State Bar Association
Federal Bar Association
Defense Research Institute
American Health Lawyers Association
Community Involvement
Lawyers Guild of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland – Member, Executive Committee (2005-2013)
Holy Spirit Parish Council – President (2002-2005)
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County – Board Member (2008-2012)
Alyce J & Ann J. Metka Charitable Foundation – Trustee