William E. Meyer Jr.

Partner

William E. Meyer Jr. concentrates his practice in general litigation, both civil and criminal, including the defense of:

• Class actions
• Insurance and reinsurance disputes
• Complex white collar criminal matters
• Financial and banking matters
• Tort and products liability cases

He has focused recently on defending companies in class action litigation, and has litigated more than a dozen such matters in forums around the country, including defending major insurance carriers in cases challenging diverse insurance company practices.

He has:

• Successfully defended numerous putative class actions on motion practice, including defeating class certification
• Assisted carriers on a national basis in high-stakes aspects of extra-contractual litigation, including dealing with institutional discovery and claims handling issues (including challenges to the Colossus system)
• Advised and counseled carriers regarding compliance with federal and state law and regulations, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act

His insurance litigation experience has covered personal and commercial lines, including auto, home, workers compensation, business interruption, and others.

Mr. Meyer also has developed a specialty in representing the legal interests of criminal and private investigative entities, including in the insurance arena. He:

• Provides advice and periodic representation to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, and has secured court orders under the law enforcement privilege protecting its confidential investigations from civil discovery by persons suspected of insurance fraud.
• Represents one of the world's largest security firms, including in its U.S.-based transactions, acquisitions, and government contracting.

Experience

Mr. Meyer has extensive trial experience in diverse cases, including:

• Securing a significant recovery on behalf of a major carrier in a confidential reinsurance arbitration that implicated a broad spectrum of issues related to consumer claims handling.
• Prosecuting and defending civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) cases, including securing a $12 million judgment in the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of a nationally recognized lender and against now-jailed members of a loan fraud ring. Mr. Meyer worked closely with state and federal authorities, including the Illinois Attorney General, to assist them in securing criminal convictions and other civil sanctions against the members of that fraud ring.
• Litigating a case against the United States resulting in a rare trial finding that a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic controller was negligent and caused a fatal air crash.

Publications

Class Actions, Chapter on "Discovery," Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) (December 2006)

"Avoiding the Sand Trap: Silica Liability and the Premises Owner," Commercial Leasing Law and Strategy (November 2006)

"The Self-Critical Analysis Privilege," For the Defense, Defense Research Institute (DRI) (December 2004)

"Marketers Be Prepared! Setting Up an ADR Program May Be a Good Marketing Strategy," Marketing Management (September/October 2004)

Education