William M. Walker Partner

William (Bill) Walker represents domestic and overseas corporations in all aspects of business and commercial litigation, including in California state and U.S. federal courts and in domestic and international arbitrations.

Bill assisted and coordinated the successful prosecution and defense of lawsuits in Germany and Greater China, and has substantial experience in large disputes proceeding concurrently in U.S. and foreign courts. A list of some of his representative matters is below. Bill was also a Law Clerk to the Hon. John S. Rhoades, Sr., United States District Judge, Southern District of California from June 1988 – June 1989. He speaks German and Mandarin.

Bill is admitted to practice before all California state courts, as well as before the United States District Courts for the Central, Northern, Southern, and Eastern Districts of California.

Representative Matters

• Successfully defended a large overseas conglomerate in a major commercial dispute in federal court, obtaining dismissal of the lawsuit in a published opinion.  Graval v. P.T. Bakrie & Bros., 986 F. Supp. 1326 (C.D. Cal. 1996).
• Obtained, on behalf of a Chinese manufacturer, the dismissal of a large commercial fraud and breach of contract case, and then successfully defended the dismissal on appeal.
• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a large domestic industrial company in a commercial fraud and breach of contract case brought by another manufacturer, and then successfully defended the dismissal on appeal.
• Successfully defended a large entertainment conglomerate against a lawsuit by a prominent celebrity alleging violations of publicity rights.
• Successfully prosecuted a large contract and royalty dispute against a large entertainment company involving a sizeable and famous film library.
• Successfully defended a large German manufacturer in industrial trade secret lawsuits in U.S. federal court and Los Angeles Superior Court, and assisted the successful prosecution of a lawsuit against the U.S. plaintiff in German court.
• Successfully defended a large German social media company in trademark infringement litigation brought by a large U.S. social media company in U.S. federal court, and assisted the successful prosecution and defense of related lawsuits involving the German company in German courts.
• Won a trial verdict against a wealthy overseas industrialist over the possession of a golf course and then successfully defended the verdict on appeal.
• Won a sizeable arbitration on behalf of a prominent pharmaceuticals company against another large pharmaceuticals company involving the rights to a drug for hepatitis treatment.
• Successfully defended and resolved a partnership and ownership dispute involving multiple lawsuits against the founders of a successful software start-up.

Education

Bill received his Juris Doctor in 1988 from New York University School of Law. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Davis in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and German Literature.

Professional Affiliations

• Member, Provisors
• Member, Pacific Council on International Policy
• Past Executive Secretary, Los Angeles Committee on Foreign Relations (an affiliate of the Council on Foreign Relations)
• Associate, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
• Member, Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association
• Member, German American Business Association
• Adjunct Professor of Public International Law, International Business Transactions, and International Human Rights, Whittier College School of Law, Los Angeles, California, 1991-1999

Charitable & Civic Involvement

• Assistant Scoutmaster, Boy Scout Troop 223, Pacific Palisades, California
• Member, Elder and Deacon, Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church
• Highland bagpipe player in bagpipe bands at U.S. and Scottish competitions, including four times at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland