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Biography

Bill focuses on securities and corporate law with an emphasis on venture capital and private equity financing, public offerings and mergers and acquisitions. In this capacity, he has represented numerous businesses, from start-ups to public companies.

He has also represented a number of venture capital funds and is a member of the Board of Directors of Commonwealth Seed Capital, LLC. He served on the KBA Committee which drafted the Kentucky Limited Liability Company Act and registered limited liability partnership legislation. Bill has written and spoken on numerous continuing legal education topics and was an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Louisville Law School (Corporate Finance and Venture Capital) and received the Gordon Davidson Teaching Award from the University of Louisville. Bill is the Chairman of the Frost Brown Todd emerging businesses and venture capital group. He has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® from 2008-2019 and is ranked in Chambers USA®, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for the same years.

Bill served as a law clerk for the Hon. Robert F. Chapman, a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, summa cum laude, and Yale Law School.

Other Info About Bill

Experience

Legal Work Highlights

Serve on KBA Committee which drafted the Kentucky Limited Liability Company Act and registered limited liability partnership legislation

Author and speaker:  numerous continuing legal education topics

University of Louisville Law School – Adjunct Professor of Law (Corporate Finance)

Represented management in multiple private equity recapitalization transactions

Completed over 50 mergers and acquisitions transactions

Formed over 10 private equity and venture capital funds

Completed over 100 seed and venture capital financing transactions

Served as counsel on multiple underwritten public offerings

Served as legal counsel on $2 billion health care combination

Education

Law School

Yale Law School, J.D., 1983

Undergraduate School

Vanderbilt University, B.A., 1980, summa cum laude

Clerkships

Bill served as a clerk for the court(s) and judge(s) below:

Law Clerk to the  Hon. Robert F. Chapman, judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Bar Memberships

Bill is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

Kentucky, 1989

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

The Best Lawyers in America®, Corporate Law, 2006-2025; Securities/Capital Markets Law, 2007-2025, “Lawyer of the Year,” 2015; Venture Capital Law, 2008-2025; Corporate Governance Law, 2011-2025, “Lawyer of the Year,” 2014, 2019, 2022; Private Fund/Hedge Funds Law, 2017-2025

Selected for inclusion in Kentucky Super Lawyers® 2007-2016, 2020

Chambers USA, Corporate/M&A, 2008-2024

AV® Rated, Martindale-Hubbell®

Professional Affiliations

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

American Bar Association

Kentucky Bar Association

Louisville Bar Association

Civic Activities

Civic & Charitable Organizations

Venture Connectors, Member, Corporate Secretary

University of Louisville School of Business Entrepreneurship Council, Member

Kentucky Chapter of Association for Corporate Growth, General Counsel

Greater Louisville Inc. EnterpriseCorp Council, Member

Commonwealth Seed Capital Fund, Member, Board of Directors

Louisville Metro Police Foundation, General Counsel

Louisville Science Center, Board of Directors (Former)

Community Foundation of Louisville, Member, Board of Directors

Enterprise Angels, Executive Committee

Senior Warden, St. Francis in the Fields, Episcopal Church (Former)

Firm Committees

Bill serves or has served in the following leadership role(s) at Frost Brown Todd:

Advancement Committee, former Member

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