Practice Areas
Complex Business Litigation
Securities Litigation
Prosecution and Defense of Personal Injury and Products Liability Cases
White Collar Criminal Defense

Education
University of Texas, B.A., Plan II Honors Program, Highest Honors (Phi Beta Kappa)
University of Texas, J.D., With Honors, American Jurisprudence Award Winner

Professional Experience
Sayles | Werbner, since 1997 (Shareholder since 2001)
Vinson & Elkins, 1994 – 1997
Law Clerk to the Hon. Sam Sparks, U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, 1993-94

Practice Description & Exemplary Cases
Will's practice focuses on business litigation disputes in which he represents plaintiffs and defendants in matters tried in the state and federal courts, or in matters that are arbitrated. In these cases, Will's clients are typically pursuing or defending against claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent or negligent misrepresentation, misappropriation of trade secrets, quasi-contractual or equitable claims, ultra vires claims against officers or directors, securities fraud, accounting fraud,  transactional fraud, partnership disputes, oil & gas disputes, and claims arising from failed mergers and acquisitions.  Will also prosecutes and defends cases involving personal injury and products liability claims, and has been retained by corporations and individuals to defend them in federal white collar criminal investigations and prosecutions conducted by the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Environmental Protection Agency.  Will also has briefed or argued matters before the Texas appellate courts and the Supreme Court of Texas.

Examples of Will's cases include:

• Obtaining a multi-million dollar jury verdict awarding his corporate client 100% of its requested damages in a dispute involving the breach of a contract related to patent royalties.


• Obtaining a no-liability defense verdict for an individual in a jury trial involving disputes arising out of a real estate development.


• Obtaining no-liability defense verdicts for his corporate client in two product liability jury trials where the plaintiffs suffered permanently disabling personal injuries and sought millions of dollars in damages.


• Obtaining a no-liability defense verdict for his corporate client in a jury trial involving commercial disputes, and obtaining a favorable verdict for 100% of the damages sought on his client’s counterclaims.


• Obtaining a no-liability judgment favoring his client in a bench trial concerning a partnership dispute, and obtaining a judgment for 100% of the damages sought on his client’s counterclaims.


• Defending a securities arbitration where the panel awarded claimants less than .05% of the $9 million in damages sought.


• Obtaining a no-liability arbitration award for his client in a multi-million dollar partnership dispute involving intellectual property royalties.


• Representing a Fortune 500 corporation in a two-year criminal investigation conducted by the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency, which ended without indictment.


• Successfully arguing to the Dallas Court of Appeals and denying his adversary mandamus relief in a case involving his client’s claims of securities fraud.


• Obtaining the dismissal of federal court commercial fraud claims seeking more than $11 million in damages from his corporate client.


• Arguing against and defeating multiple summary judgment motions against his client, a Fortune 100 corporation, and subsequently obtaining a favorable confidential settlement on his client’s breach of fiduciary duty claims.


• Arguing and obtaining summary judgment for his corporate client in a multimillion-dollar breach-of-contract suit involving intellectual property.


• Arguing and obtaining summary judgment for his defendant client in a multimillion-dollar partnership dispute involving intellectual property.


• Arguing and obtaining summary judgment on the majority of a corporate plaintiff’s securities-related claims seeking more than $35 million in damages, allowing his corporate clients and their directors and officers to obtain a favorable confidential settlement.


• Arguing and obtaining summary judgment for his plaintiff client in a federal breach-of-contract case involving approximately $2 million in damages.


• Obtaining a favorable, $5.25 million settlement for an individual who brought securities fraud claims against an international corporation, its officers and directors, and underwriters in connection with an initial public offering.


• Prosecuting negligence claims arising from a fire that damaged his client’s planned real estate development, and obtaining a favorable confidential settlement for policy limits.


• Obtaining a $1 million settlement for his clients after pursuing a declaratory judgment action in federal court.


• Prosecuting his corporate client’s claims in an extended securities arbitration, resulting in a favorable confidential settlement before an award was issued.

Professional Activities and Accolades
Texas Super Lawyers, 2007-Present
Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2004-2007 
Dallas Bar Association, Fellow
Active in other Dallas Bar Association projects and activities
AV rated by Martindale Hubbell
Speaker on Comparative Fiduciary Duty Law (Texas & Delaware), Texas Business Torts Institute 2011.
Speaker on Fiduciary Duty Litigation, Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference (UT Austin) - Fall 2008

Bar Admissions
Admitted to the State Bar of Texas, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas