William G. Porter
Practice Areas
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Litigation
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Appellate Practice
- Business and Commercial
- Class Actions
- Consumer Lending and Lender Liability
- Corporate Takeovers and Changes of Control
- Eminent Domain and Real Property
- Financial Institutions Litigation
- Fires/Explosions
- Franchise Litigation
- Government Enforcement Investigations
- Personal Injury
- Products Liability
- Professional Liability and Discipline
- Public Contracting Disputes
- Public Records and Open Meetings
- Real Property, Zoning, and Land Development
Industries
Education
- Case Western Reserve University School of Law, J.D., 1984; National Trial Team, 1983-84
- Amherst College, B.A., 1978, cum laude
Bar & Court Admissions
Bill is a partner and immediate past chair of the firm’s litigation practice group. His practice focuses on complex business matters where, for over 30 years, he has led trial teams, litigated and tried a wide variety of cases on behalf of public and private corporations and their directors and officers, including class actions and injunctions in federal and state courts. As lead trial lawyer, he has litigated on diverse legal topics, including corporate, banking, fiduciary, commercial and securities laws.
Bill regularly appears in both federal and state trial and appellate courts. He has tried more than 40 jury and bench trials and has appeared multiple times before the Ohio Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for Sixth Circuit and numerous state courts of appeal. He recently argued before the Ohio Supreme Court, where he successfully defended a business issue of company-wide significance for a Fortune 50 company.
Bill is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is listed in Chambers and Partners, Ohio Super Lawyers and the Best Lawyers in America.
Career highlights include:
- Leading trial teams in successfully defending financial institutions in nation-wide class actions involving LIBOR interest rate issues
- Leading trial court and appellate teams representing financial institution in federal case involving application of federal regulations to credit card spending limits
- Serving as victorious oral advocate before the Supreme Court of Ohio in business dispute for a Fortune 50 company
- Representing the State of Ohio as one of its special appointed prosecutors in a 22 week white-collar criminal jury trial involving securities claims
- Leading trial team in representing a public company and its board of directors in breach of fiduciary duty litigation arising out of merger transaction
- Leading trial team in defense of corporate officer in derivative litigation involving breach of fiduciary duty claim
- Representing large public university in landmark contract case creating favorable precedent in the Supreme Court of Ohio
- Representing at trial and court of appeals large public university in case involving termination of high- profile basketball coach
- Lead counsel at trial and multiple appeals through the Supreme Court of Ohio for local government in zoning dispute with pornographic movie theater
- Leading trial teams on behalf of plaintiffs in numerous catastrophic injury/death cases, including summary jury trial, resulting in multiple million dollar verdict and settlements
- National counsel for U.S. Olympic governing body for the sport of boxing
Bill is a frequent lecturer on attorney-client privilege issues, internal investigations and on trial advocacy issues, including presentations to the Ohio State Bar Association on “How to Handle the Obstreperous Lawyer in Depositions” and “Real Evidence for Trial Attorneys.”
Bill is a member of the American Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, and the Columbus Bar Association.
Bill received his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He received his B.A. cum laude from Amherst College.
Professional and Community Activities
- American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
- Judicial Conference of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Life Member
- Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Board of Trustees, 2011- present
- Bexley Education Foundation, Chair, Board of Trustees, 2007-2012
- Central Ohio Transit Authority, Chair, Board of Trustees, 2002-2009
Teaching/Speaking Engagements
- Trial Evidence for the Ohio Practitioner Seminar (OSBA)
- Privilege. Privacy. Preservation. Managing Risks with Electronic Communications Seminar (OSBA)
- Taking and Defending Effective Depositions Seminar (OSBA)
Honors & Awards
- Chambers and Partners, Leading Lawyer in Litigation: General Commercial, 2013-2020
- Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2010-2018
- Ohio Super Lawyers, Top 50 Super Lawyers in Columbus, 2010
- Ohio Super Lawyers, General Litigation, 2008-2020
- The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2006-2013, 2015-2021
- The Best Lawyers in America, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, 2017-2020
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated
News
- 8/20/2020Nine Vorys attorneys have been named 2021 Lawyers of the Year by Best Lawyers. Each year, only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year.”
- 8/20/2020One hundred and twelve lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2021 edition. In addition, 26 Vorys attorneys were named to the inaugural Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.
- 4/23/2020Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease is pleased to announce that 30 of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized among the leading practitioners in the country in the 2020 edition of Chambers USA.
- 12/9/2019Vorys is pleased to announce that 39 attorneys from the firm have been named 2020 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/15/2019One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2020.
- 4/26/2019Vorys announced that 30 of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized among the leading practitioners in the country in the 2019 edition of Chambers USA.
- 12/5/2018Vorys is pleased to announce that 48 attorneys from the firm have been named 2019 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/15/2018One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019.
- 5/4/2018Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease is pleased to announce that 32 of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized among the leading practitioners in the country in the 2018 edition of Chambers USA.
- 3/19/2018Bill Porter, a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and chair of the firm’s litigation group, was recently quoted in a Columbus CEO story about litigation trends in Ohio.
- 12/5/2017Vorys is pleased to announce that 56 attorneys from the firm have been named 2018 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/17/2017One hundred and eight lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2018.
- 5/26/2017Vorys announced that 30 of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized among the leading practitioners in the country in the 2017 edition of Chambers USA.
- 3/28/2017This year, 54 Vorys attorneys were listed in the 2017 Columbus CEO “Top Lawyers” List.
- 12/2/2016Vorys is pleased to announce that 58 attorneys from the firm have been named 2017 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 10/21/2016Bill Porter, a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and chair of litigation group, was included on Columbus Business First’s 2016 “20 People to Know in Law” List.
- 8/15/2016One-hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017.
- 5/27/2016Vorys announced that 36 of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized among the leading practitioners in the country in the 2016 edition of Chambers USA.
- 12/2/2015Vorys is pleased to announce that 63 attorneys from the firm have been named 2016 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/17/2015One-hundred and eighteen lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016.
- 5/19/2015Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease is pleased to announce that 39 of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized among the leading practitioners in the country in the 2015 edition of Chambers USA.
- 12/3/2014Vorys is pleased to announce that 74 attorneys from the firm have been named 2015 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/18/2014One-hundred and ten lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2015.
- 5/23/2014Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease is pleased to announce that 39 of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized among the leading practitioners in the country in the 2014 edition of Chambers USA.
- 12/4/2013Eighty-one attorneys from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP have been named 2014 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. 57 Vorys attorneys were named 2014 Ohio Super Lawyer and 24 Vorys attorneys were named 2014 Ohio Rising Stars.
- 8/14/2013One hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2014.
- 5/24/2013Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease is pleased to announce that 39 of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized among the leading practitioners in the country in the 2013 edition of Chambers USA. Chambers USA conducts in-depth research and ranks the leading firms and attorneys in an extensive range of practice areas throughout America.
- 12/17/2012Seventy-Seven attorneys from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease have been named 2013 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/23/2012One hundred and twenty-six lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013.
- 6/7/2012Vorys announced that 35 of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized among the leading practitioners in the country in the 2012 edition of Chambers USA.
- 1/5/2012Vorys announced that William G. Porter, a partner in the firm’s Columbus office and chair of the litigation group, has been inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). The ACTL is widely considered to be the premier professional trial organization in America.
- 12/16/2011
- 9/6/2011
- 3/25/2011
- 3/17/2011
- 8/9/2010
- 7/7/2010
- 12/22/2009
- 8/4/2009
- 12/29/2008
- 10/29/2008
- 9/19/2007
Events
- 12/13/2016Vorys Partner Bill Porter was a speaker at the "Trial Evidence for the Ohio Practitioner" seminar hosted by the Ohio State Bar Association on December 13, 2016 in Columbus, and December 16, 2016 in Cleveland.
Insights
- 2010
- January 2004
- January 2003
- January 2002
- October 2001