William A. Rome

William Rome focuses his practice on commercial and complex litigation. He has litigated commercial disputes involving employment contracts, notes, bonds, guarantees, licenses, letters of credit, insurance contracts, indemnification agreements, shareholder and partnership agreements and professional liability. He has substantial experience in defending and prosecuting claims in arbitration before the AAA, NYSE and FINRA and has tried cases on behalf of both claimants and respondents in the securities area. William also serves as a FINRA arbitrator. He represents individuals and media entities in the area of publication torts and related intellectual property claims and has argued numerous times in the appellate courts. Rome serves as Co-Chair of the Litigation Practice Group.

Some of William’s representative matters include:

• Defended a CEO of a public company in an SEC enforcement action and related foreign investigation.

• Generated a seven-figure settlement for a consultant arising out of a public works project.

• Litigated a four-year family partnership dispute involving ownership of a liability insurer.

• Obtained a substantial settlement for a real estate firm defrauded by a payroll company.

• Litigated in court/arbitration proceedings to obtain benchmark payments on the development of a new drug under a licensing agreement.

• Participated in internal investigations for a condominium board and financial entities leading to the indictment of wrongdoers.

• Obtained seven-figure settlement for hedge fund arising out of attorney malpractice.

William also has experience as a civil litigator in the areas of products liability and insurance defense, copyright and trademark, including licensing and software disputes, the First Amendment and publication torts, commercial litigation involving various types of business entities, securities and RICO. He developed and participated in nationwide strategies and litigation in the pharmaceutical and automotive industry and had first chair experience in preparing and trying cases, defended and/or took in excess of 100 depositions and argued several appeals.

Some of William’s representative litigations include:

• In a derivative action on behalf of limited partners, obtained a substantial settlement reflecting general partner’s wrongful undervaluation of four separate commercial properties.

• Represented a co-op in a damage claim against a general contractor and subcontractor for substandard work.

• After bench trial, vindicated debtor’s interest in the subject property, having proved defendants’ “correction mortgage” and confessions of judgment were fraudulent and therefore junior to the debtor’s senior secured interest.

• Obtained dismissal of buyer’s claim of economic duress in time of the essence real estate closing.

• Represented landowner in condemnation action.