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William L. Charron

William Charron is a general commercial litigator and a member of the firm. Bill's intellectual property dispute work has included representing plaintiffs and defendants in claims of copyright and trademark infringement, false advertising, rights of publicity and privacy, defamation and First Amendment defense, and trade secret litigation.

Bill has also represented clients in complex cases involving securities fraud class action defense, antitrust and civil RICO prosecution and defense, and international law-property rights defense. In addition, Bill has represented clients in many kinds of contract, shareholder and LLC membership disputes.

Bill has federal and state trial and appellate practice experience, as well as alternative dispute resolution experience in both binding and non-binding arbitrations and mediations.

Some of Bill's representative matters include:

• Bakalar v. Vavra, 237 F.R.D. 59 (S.D.N.Y. 2006): Represent a key party in a dispute regarding the ownership and provenance of Egon Schiele artwork alleged to have been aryanized during World War II, and successfully opposed a rare motion seeking defendant class certification
• Wesley Snipes and SST Sterling Swiss Trust 1987 AG v. New Line Cinema (U.S. District Court for the Central District of California): Represent film companies in breach of contract, right of publicity and fraud lawsuit concerning motion picture Blade: Trinity
• Clonus Associates v. DreamWorks, LLC (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of N.Y.): Represented two film studios in copyright infringement lawsuit concerning motion picture The Island
• Singer Management, Inc. v. Anne Millgram (Attorney General of State of New Jersey) (U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey): Represented promoters of live music groups in obtaining injunction against State Attorney General’s unconstitutional enforcement of so-called “Truth In Music Law” against clients’ unregistered trademark rights
• ChampionsWorld LLC v. United States Soccer Federation, Inc. and Major League Soccer, L.L.C. (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois): Represent a former promoter of international professional men’s soccer matches in an antitrust and civil RICO action against the purported national governing body for soccer in the United States and Major League Soccer
• Stromback v. New Line Cinema, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21969, 2002 WL 31548620 (E.D. Mich. 2002), aff’d, 384 F.3d 283 (6th Cir. 2004): Won pre-discovery summary judgment dismissing plaintiff’s copyright infringement, Lanham Act and state law claims against Adam Sandler’s film Little Nicky
• To read about additional cases handled by Bill, please click here.

Bill is a 1998 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was a Moot Court competition semifinalist, a Dillard Fellow and an Editor of the Journal of Law and Politics. Bill graduated magna cum laude from Colby College in 1993 with a B.A. in Government. He was Phi Beta Kappa and won the Albert A. Mavrinac Prize for Best Senior Thesis in Government: The Presidential Precampaign and the Press.

Previous Positions

• Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Associate (1998-2000)

Teaching Positions

• University of Virginia School of Law, Dillard Fellow, taught legal research and writing (1996-97)

Professional Affiliations

• American Bar Association
• New York State Bar Association

Other Activities

• Assisted in obtaining landmark political asylum ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in a case involving claims of female genital mutilation
• Represented the City of New York in a civil rights action after the City requested pro bono assistance from area law firms following 9/11