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William L. Charron

William Charron is a general commercial litigator who is also engaged in a wide variey of intellectual property disputes, including 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.

Some of Bill's recent matters include:

• Bakalar v. Vavra, 2008 WL 4067335 (S.D.N.Y. 2008): Successfully represented through trial the owner of Egon Schiele artwork alleged to have been aryanized during World War II, and successfully opposed a rare motion seeking defendant class certification (other decisions in the case may be found at 237 F.R.D. 59 and 550 F.Supp.2d 548)
• Wesley Snipes and SST Sterling Swiss Trust 1987 AG v. New Line Cinema (U.S. District Court for the Central District of California): Represented film companies in breach of contract, right of publicity and fraud lawsuit concerning motion picture Blade: Trinity
• Singer Management, Inc. v. Anne Milgram (Attorney General of State of New Jersey) (U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey): Successfully represented promoters of live music groups in obtaining TRO (temporary restraining order) 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
• 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)

Publications

• Author, States Turn a Deaf Ear to the Constitution in an Effort to Promote “Truth in Music,” BNA Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal (August 28, 2009) and University of Virginia Sports & Entertainment Law Journal (to be published)

Teaching Positions

• Columbia University School of Law, Adjunct Faculty, Instructor of Appellate Advocacy and Legal Writing 

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