G. William Austin, III

G. William Austin, III

Bill Austin joined the firm in 1980 and became a partner in 1986. He is a member of the firm's Litigation Department and has devoted the majority of his practice to the defense of toxic tort and product liability cases involving a broad array of products ranging from workplace chemicals to cellular phones, motor vehicles and construction equipment.

He also has successfully tried "crashworthiness" claims on behalf of a German automobile manufacturer and has coordinated nationally the defense of claims against manufacturers of gas space heaters, cigarette lighters and off-road construction equipment. He also has appeared before the Consumer Product Safety Commission in conjunction with more than two dozen consumer product recalls and other regulatory matters.

Mr. Austin received his B.A. in English from Washington & Lee University in 1974 and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1979, where he was a member of the Virginia Law Review and elected to the Order of the Coif. Mr. Austin is admitted to the State Bars of Georgia and Virginia and the District of Columbia Bar Association. He is a member of the Defense Research Institute. He has written and lectured on a variety of product liability and product safety issues. His publications include a chapter ("Investigation") in a five-volume treatise, Products Liability Practice Guide, published by Matthew Bender & Company (1988).

· University of North Wales (Rotary Foundation Grant); University of Virginia (Governor's Fellowship).

· AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

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