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William W. Oxley

Partner

Los Angeles

Bill Oxley, Co-Leader of Orrick’s Complex Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice, is a trial lawyer who clients trust with their most important disputes. Bill’s clients report to Chambers USA that he is a “shrewd litigator” with “amazing jury appeal...who always finds a way to win.” Bill is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, which is composed of the best of the trial bar and is widely considered to be the premier professional trial organization in the United States.

Bill has a winning record trying cases to verdict in jurisdictions throughout the United States, including products liability, breach of contract, trademark, IP, and business tort cases for global, household-name clients. Bill has also litigated class actions, false advertising, and real estate disputes, and has effectively defended manufacturers and nutritional and health product-related companies against Proposition 65 claims.

    • Represents a major university in dozens of lawsuits in which former and current students allege they were sexually assaulted and harassed by a former student health center physician.
    • Lead trial counsel in Oklahoma and in multidistrict litigation for a pharmaceutical company that was accused of causing the opioid crisis in the United States.
    • Lead trial counsel for a large chemical company in a one-month trial in San Francisco Superior Court in which the plaintiff alleged that exposure to asbestos caused her cancer. The jury returned a complete defense verdict.
    • Lead trial counsel in a two-month jury trial in Oakland, California. The plaintiffs sought in excess of $100 million, claiming the alleged exposure to Bill’s client’s asbestos caused plaintiff’s pericardial mesothelioma. The jury returned a full defense verdict.
    • Lead trial counsel in a six-week products liability jury trial in New York City. The plaintiff sought more than $17 million in damages. The jury returned a full defense verdict.
    • Lead trial counsel for a hedge fund and biopharmaceutical company in a breach of contract action in which plaintiff was seeking an ownership interest in a start-up company.
    • Lead trial counsel for a technology company in a two-week jury trial in the Central District of California. Plaintiff sought more than $40 million in damages for the alleged breach of a patent licensing agreement. Our client countersued alleging breach of the license agreement and a separate contract. The jury awarded a very small fraction of plaintiff’s requested damages but awarded our client more in damages than we requested.
    • Lead trial counsel for a large, international shipping company against breach of contract, fraud, and other business tort claims in jury trials in San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston, Texas and in Salt Lake City, Utah.