William G. Porter

Bill is a partner and immediate past chair of the firm’s litigation practice group.  His practice focuses on complex litigation where, for over 35 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 products liability, health and patient care, corporate, banking, fiduciary and commercial matters.

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 and appellate teams in representation of US top-10 ranked pediatric hospital in matters related to patient care and medical research and technology
• Representing trial team in successfully defending large public university in landmark contract cases
• Serving as victorious oral advocate before the Supreme Court of Ohio in precedential business dispute for a Fortune 50 company
• Leading trial teams on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants in numerous catastrophic injury/death cases
• 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
• 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 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

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,” “Real Evidence for Trial Attorneys,” and “Ethical Vignettes for the Trial Lawyer."

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.

Honors & Recognitions

Columbus CEO, Best Lawyers, Litigation - Commercial, 2022

Columbus CEO, Best Lawyers, Product Liability, 2022

Chambers and Partners, Leading Lawyer in Litigation: General Commercial, 2013-2022

Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2010-2020

Ohio Super Lawyers, Top 50 Super Lawyers in Columbus, 2010

Ohio Super Lawyers, General Litigation, 2008-2023

The Best Lawyers in America, Bet-the-Company Litigation, 2022-2023; The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2006-2013, 2015-2023; Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, 2023

The Best Lawyers in America, Bet-the-Company Litigation "Lawyer of the Year", 2023

Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated

Professional & Community Activities

American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow

Judicial Conference of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Life Member

Columbus Academy, Board of Trustees, 2020 to present

Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Board of Trustees, 2011- 2018

Bexley Education Foundation, Chair, Board of Trustees, 2007-2012

Central Ohio Transit Authority, Chair, Board of Trustees, 2002-2009