Bill combines his extensive marketing and advertising background with his legal experience to help his clients build strong brands that have a competitive advantage in the marketplace and maximize brand profitability.
Overview
Bill's background as an advertising executive lends insight to his counseling in the areas of trademark, copyright, and unfair competition law.
His advertising and marketing experience provides a strong ability to counsel clients on trademark selection and use. Similarly, this background is invaluable in helping clients navigate a broad range of trademark protection actions, from traditional trademark infringement to internet-based situations that include domain name disputes, general unfair competition, false advertising claims, and social media infringement.
Experience
Bill is unique among trademark attorneys because of his long and successful career in the advertising industry. Before becoming an attorney, Bill worked almost 20 years at world-class advertising agencies, first with J. Walter Thompson Company and later as a Vice President of D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles. As an advertising executive at these two agencies, he helped develop and execute advertising strategies for brands owned by Anheuser-Busch, Brown Shoe Company, ConAgra Foods, Enterprise-Rent-A-Car, Kal Kan Pet Foods, Kraft Foods, M&M/Mars, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance, Pillsbury, Procter & Gamble, and Trans World Airlines.
Bill continues to combine trademark law and marketing by speaking and writing for business, legal, and marketing groups. He belongs to the American Marketing Association, the International Trademark Association and several bar associations, teaches at the St. Louis University School of Law as an adjunct professor, and provides legal counsel and education through the St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts.
News & Insights
News
Speaking Engagements
Trademark Law for the Marketing Professional, American Marketing Association, April 2014
"1400 New gTLDs on the Internet: Are Brand Owners Prepared?" Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, September 2013
Recognitions
Recognitions
Named to the Legal 500 "U.S. City Elite" guide, 2026
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® list, 2020 - 2027
Professional & Civic Activities
Professional & Civic Activities
Missouri Bar Association
District of Columbia Bar Association
Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
St. Louis University School of Law, Adjunct Professor, 2005 - present
St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts
Advertising Club of St. Louis
American Marketing Association
International Trademark Association
American Bar Association
- Former Chair, Trademark Dilution Subcommittee
Practices & Industries
Admissions
- Missouri, 1999
- District of Columbia, 2000
Education
Saint Louis University School of Law, J.D., cum laude
- Saint Louis University Law Journal, Special Editor
Northwestern University, M.S., Journalism
Northwestern University, B.S., Journalism
