Representative Experience

Bill has significant experience representing both companies and investors in corporate, securities and M&A transactions. Specifically, over his career, he has:

• Formed and acted as outside general counsel to hundreds of startups
• Represented companies in negotiating and closing investments totaling over $1 billion in the aggregate
• Represented over 50 startups in implementing successful exit strategies
• Represented a sizeable number of major VC funds and corporate strategic investors in investments across multiple technology industries
• Acted as outside general counsel to numerous public companies

What Can You Expect When You Work with Bill?

Working with Bill means having an attorney who will provide practical, creative and thoughtful legal advice in a highly efficient manner, who values long-term client relationships and who is committed to treating each of his clients, whether large or small, with significant personal attention.

More About Bill

Bill frequently writes and speaks on legal and business issues related to venture capital financing, startup matters, mergers and acquisitions and other corporate and securities matters. He has been honored several times by Chambers USA as a leading corporate and M&A lawyer in Washington, including most recently in 2023, and Super Lawyers has regularly recognized him for securities and corporate finance over his career. Bill has consistently been recognized by Best Lawyers for Venture Capital Law since 2015 and in 2021 was named lawyer of the year for Venture Capital in Seattle. The 2017 Greater Seattle Tech Ecosystem Report conducted by the Iinnovate Leadership Network and the University of Washington Bothell also recognized Bill as one of the top tech lawyers in the greater Seattle area.

Bill serves on the Advisory Board of the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business and has previously served on the Seattle Aquarium Society Board of Directors. Bill also regularly is a guest lecturer at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business and is an adjunct professor at the University of Washington where he teaches a course on legal essentials for the UW’s Masters of Science in Entrepreneurship.

Prior to joining Fenwick, Bill was a partner at a multinational law firm, served as chief counsel for Terabeam, and was associate general counsel for Network Commerce.

When not at work, Bill enjoys spending time with his wife and three boys, as well as boating, listening to new music, kayaking, skiing, hiking, watching movies and TV and searching for the next “cool” electronic gadgets.