Bill’s practice is focused on corporate and business law matters, with particular emphasis in the financial institutions industry. He has extensive experience handling mergers and acquisitions, securities law issues, and corporate governance matters and operational issues including privacy and exam related issues. Bill serves as outside general counsel to a wide range of public and private business concerns in multiple industries, where he is actively involved in providing legal advice, transactional representation, generational transfers and strategic planning. His financial service experience includes directing an almost $2 billion mutual-to-stock IPO/double merger transaction, as well as numerous other conversions, mergers, and de novo formations. Bill regularly represents issuers and investment banks in public offerings and private placements, and public companies with 1934 Act compliance issues. In addition, he routinely lectures at corporate retreats and industry group settings.
Education
- University of Connecticut School of Law, J.D., 1980
- cum laude
- American Jurisprudence Awards – Corporations, Property, Tax
- Ohio Wesleyan University, B.A., 1976
Bar Memberships
- Connecticut, 1980
- United States District Court, District of Connecticut, 1980
Work Experience
- Hinckley Allen
- Former Chair, Corporate & Business Law Group
- Partner (2008-Present)
- Tyler Cooper & Alcorn, LLP
- Partner, Chairman of Corporate Department
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association, Business Law Section
- Connecticut Bankers Association, Associate Member
- Connecticut Bar Association, Business Law Section – Executive Committee; Former Chairman, Financial Institutions Section – Executive Committee
- Connecticut Community Bankers Association, Associate Member
- Greater New Haven Association of Realtors, Counsel, Present
- New England Certified Business Development Corporation, Loan Committee
- State of Connecticut Department of Banking, Securities Advisory Council
- Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals
- Committee to Revise Securities Regulations, Chair
Honors & Awards
- Best Lawyers of America® (1997-2019) “Lawyer of the Year” (2011, 2016, 2019) Recognized for Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Financial Services Regulation Law and Securities/Capital Markets Law
- Chambers USA America's Leading Lawyers, Corporate/M&A
- Hartford Magazine, Greater Hartford’s Top Attorneys, Banking & Finance (2011)
- Madison Who's Who among Executives and Professionals
- Martindale-Hubbell® AV Peer Review Rating, Recipient
- Super Lawyers, Connecticut (2008-2017)
Charitable & Civic Involvement
- Connecticut Bar Foundation James W. Cooper Fellows
- Cromwell Board of Tax Assessment Appeal, Former Chairman
- Cromwell Charter Revision Commission, Former Chairman
- Cromwell Planning & Zoning Commission, Former Chairman
- Cromwell Republican Town Committee, Former Chariman
- Futbol Friends International, Inc., Director and Secretary, Present
- Metro Hartford Alliance Representative
- NewAlliance Foundation, Board of Directors, Present
Speaking Engagements
- Presenter, Central Connecticut State University “How Banks Can Grow and Take on New Services,” 10/14/16
- Presenter, Central Connecticut State University “Special Topics in Banking and Finance – a Seminar”, Finance 498, “Current and Historical Perspectives on Bank Regulation in the U.S.,” 2/7/14
- Speaker, New Hampshire/Vermont Bankers’ Association Conference 11/7/13
- Panelist, University of Connecticut School of Business Executive MBA Program Business and Society Leadership Panel Discussion 1/4/13
- Speaker, Department of Banking’s Staff Development Day, 12/18/12
- Speaker, State of Connecticut, Department of Banking’s Staff Development Day, 10/2012
- Speaker, Wolf & Company “2012 CEO & Board University,” 6/2012 and 5/2012 and 10/3/2013
- Speaker, The University at Albany-SUNY “Financial Statement Fraud and Corporate Governance,” 4/2012
- Speaker, Public Company Executives Retreat “Public Company Basics and SEC Recent Developments,” 7/2011
- Presenter, Public Company Board Retreat “Current Developments in Corporate Governance for Public Companies,” 6/2011
- Speaker, FinPro’s 2011 Community Bank Merger & Acquisition Conference, “Legal Pitfalls of M&A Transactions”, 5/2011
- Speaker, 2011 New Hampshire and Vermont Bankers Association “Spring CEO/Senior Management Conference”, 5/2011
- Panelist, Securities Forum 2010, “Revolution in Reform,” 10/2010
- Speaker, NACD Peer to Peer Event, “Addressing ‘IT’ in the Boardroom,” 5/2010
