Steven H. Williams

Steve Williams served as the Phoenix Litigation Department Coordinator for 10 years and has extensive experience in a wide spectrum of commercial litigation cases ranging from corporate contract disputes, employer defense, construction actions, and merger and acquisition matters to securities fraud, business torts, bad faith, sexual harassment, trademark and franchise litigation. He has represented corporations and entrepreneurs in such industries as hard goods manufacturing, aggregate mining, trucking, printing, franchising, real estate development, automotive, commercial leasing, hotel management, cable television broadcasting, education, and medicine. Steve’s litigation practice has taken him to state and federal courts nationwide and he has arbitrated and mediated many construction and commercial disputes before the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services organization (JAMS) and in other Alternative Dispute Resolution forums.

Steve also has represented clients in asset and stock transactions, to include serving as lead counsel in the sale of a large multi-media company to a publicly traded broadcast industry entity.

Representative Experience

* Companies and principals for whom Steve provides representation often become long-time clients. A few examples of entities for whom he has served as litigation counsel for many years include General Electric Capital Corporation, national cabinet manufacturer Distributors USA, Inc. and nationwide automobile dealership parent Automotive Investment Group, Inc.,and a nationwide truck unloading and logistics company World Super Services, Inc., for each of whom Steve has achieved outstanding litigation results in cases over the years.
* Trial achievements and successes include:
* Defense of a college president in an abuse of office/authority case brought by the school's nationally ranked football team and coaching staff.
* Defense verdict in a lengthy trial of a major importer in a multi-count securities fraud case, and the corresponding award after the jury verdict of 100% of the attorneys' fees incurred by his client
* Successful defense of officers and management of a national hotel corporation in employment discrimination cases
* Successful defense of international asphalt sealant and equipment manufacturer in several month arbitration trial.

* Served as personal counsel for the creator of the “infomercial” and in many cases involving challenges by states' governmental agencies and cable television broadcasting companies
* Negotiated an extraordinary settlement in a wage and hour litigation case with the U.S. Department of Labor on behalf of a nationwide truck-unloading company
* Served as the legal advisor to the top secret SAM-D Missile Project at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico

Education

* Arizona State University, J.D., 1971
* Arizona State University, B.A., Political Science, 1968

Of Note

Upon graduation from law school, Steve served as a trial lawyer (captain) in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Army where he was selected as trial counsel to represent the Army in its successful federal court defense against attempts by a private international interest group to gain access to an Army Research and Development Base to mine for gold.

Professional and Civic Activities

* American Bar Association
* American Trial Lawyers Association
* State Bar of Arizona
* Administrative Disciplinary Committee, served as Bar Counsel
* Fee Arbitration Panel, served as Chairman

* Maricopa County Bar Association
* Maricopa County Superior Court
* Medical Liability Review Panel, participated as the attorney member
* Arbitrator in many cases

Admissions

* Arizona, 1971
* Supreme Court of the United States, 1985
* United States District Court for the District of Arizona, 1975
* United States Tax Court, 1975
* United States Court of Military Appeals, 1971