Overview
LOS ANGELES – McDermott Will & Emery today announced the addition of William (“Bill”) Donovan, Jr. to the Firm’s Litigation Practice Group in Los Angeles. Bill represents clients across various industries in all stages of litigation, including trials, appeals and arbitration. As a first chair trial lawyer, he is known for handling high-profile civil matters and for defending accounting firms in the face of complicated litigation issues.
“Clients trust McDermott to handle ‘bet-the-company litigation’ matters, and this is exactly what Bill is known for,” said Ira Coleman chairman of McDermott. “When everything is on the line, our goal is to be that trusted partner for our clients – and that’s what Bill has excelled at throughout his career. Bill also joins us at an exciting time for our growing West Coast team, and we couldn’t be more delighted to welcome him to the family.”
Bill offers a valued perspective after having served in legal positions spanning the government, in-house and private practice. Earlier in his career, he served as a trial attorney with the US Department of Justice where he honed his litigation skills through a number of trial and appellate matters. He also spent part of his legal career as in-house counsel at a Fortune 50 telecommunications company where he defended the company in class actions and other complex litigation matters. Bill most recently served in private practice as the head of Cooley’s Los Angeles litigation group with a focus on complex commercial cases and consumer class actions.
Bill has in-depth experience in accounting liability matters and has successfully defended a number of high profile tax and accounting cases through trial. He also provides counsel on compliance, enforcement and regulatory issues and advises clients during all phases of investigations conducted by federal and state agencies.
“Bill’s legal prowess both inside and outside the courtroom will benefit clients seeking strategic guidance at every step of the litigation process,” said David S. Rosenbloom, global head of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. “His arrival enhances the services we offer to companies facing their biggest commercial cases not only on the West Coast but across the firm’s global platform. We are thrilled to have a litigator of his caliber on the team.”
“With the constant threat of litigation, companies need a law firm to rely on when things get complicated – and McDermott is the type of trusted partner I’d want,” Donovan added. “The firm has the talent to staff even the most complex matters, and I’m looking forward to becoming an integral part of McDermott’s already comprehensive litigation capabilities.”
Consistently ranked by Super Lawyers, Bill has a reputation as a top litigator in Southern California, and this year he was named a BTI Client Service All-Star MVP.
Bill joins McDermott’s other recent arrivals in Los Angeles, including fellow litigation partner Mike Piazza and employment partners Maria Rodriguez and Michelle Strowhiro.
About McDermott
McDermott Will & Emery is a premier international law firm with a diversified business practice. Numbering more than 1,000 lawyers, we have offices in Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan, Munich, New York, Orange County, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC. Further extending our reach into Asia, we have a strategic alliance with MWE China Law Offices in Shanghai.
