Bill has over 39 years’ experience in bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, consumer credit, lender liability, and commercial litigation, including experience in issues related to breach of contract, business torts, consumer credit, class actions, fraud claims, energy disputes, loan workouts, commercial litigation, Truth-in-Lending Act claims, credit bureau reporting disputes, satellite dish litigation, accountants’ disputes, attorneys’ negligence, real estate disputes, personal property disputes, foreclosure and repossession of collateral, business and loan portfolio acquisitions and refinancing, debt collection, FMHA and SBA disputes, lease disputes, check processing disputes, and guaranty disputes, as well as disputes involving shopping centers, mobile homes, casinos, office and apartment buildings, television broadcasting, oil and gas, real estate, insurance, aviation, hotels, federal and state agencies, utilities, manufacturing, accounting, automobile dealerships, farm supply stores, restaurants, office supply stores, petroleum distributorships, lumber companies, telecommunications, agriculture, educational institutions, estates, technology, banking and financial services, business franchises, government contracts, mediators, partnerships, patents, licensing, trademarks, sales and marketing, computers, and textiles.

Bill has also represented a number of franchisors in Chapter 11 cases in disputes in which the franchisee allegedly sold collateral out of trust and/or the franchisee sought court approval to assume and assign the franchise, or the franchisee was otherwise allegedly in default under the franchise agreement.  He has been an advocate for creditors in numerous reorganization and liquidation cases, with claims ranging in value from a few thousand dollars to over $450 million.

Bill has also served as both lead trial counsel and co-counsel in several bankruptcy class actions defending major national banks and mortgage lenders, and has served as lead counsel defending lenders in mass actions filed in the state and federal courts throughout Mississippi.

Bill also has many years of experience in commercial arbitrations, both in representing parties and serving as a commercial arbitrator.

• Millsaps College, B.A. summa cum laude, 1978, Founder's Medal
• Vanderbilt School of Law, J.D., 1981, Vanderbilt Law Review, Patrick Wilson Scholar

• Mississippi State Courts
• United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi
• United States Supreme Court
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• Choctaw Tribal Court

• Order of Barristers non-student member
• American Bankruptcy Institute
• Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
• Charles Clark Inns of Court, Barrister Member
• American Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• Mississippi Bar Association
• Mississippi Bar Foundation Fellow
• National Panel of Commercial Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association
• Panel of Arbitrators and Mediators, National Arbitration Forum
• Mississippi Bankruptcy Conference:
  - Board of Directors, 1987-1993
  - President, 1989-1990
  - Vice-President, 1988-1989
  - Secretary/Treasurer, 1987-1988
  - Chairman, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 1999, 2000
  - Chairman, Ad Hoc Bankruptcy Law Forum Committee, 1991
  - Chairman, Nominations Committee
  - Chairman, Rules Advisory Committee to the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi, 1987
  - Chairman, Education Committee, 1986
• Mississippi Secretary of State's Uniform Commercial Code Task Force

• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2008-2021:
  - Banking and Finance Law
  - Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  - Financial Services Regulation Law
  - Litigation: Bankruptcy
  - Litigation: Real Estate
• Mid South Super Lawyers
• Corporate Counsel Magazine's listing of Top Lawyers Best Attorneys in Mississippi
• AV Preeminent and Top Rated in Appellate Law by Martindale Hubbell

• Lecturer and co-author, “2015 Case Law Update: Focus on Business Cases,” 35th Annual Seminar, Mississippi Bankruptcy Conference, Inc. Jackson, Mississippi, 2015.
• Lecturer, “Update on Fraudulent Transfers to Pre-Petition Lenders and Credit Bidding in Chapter 11 Cases,” 17th Annual Mid-South Conference on Bankruptcy Law. Memphis, Tennessee, 2011.
• Lecturer, “The Enforceability of Arbitration Clauses in Bankruptcy,” 30th Annual Seminar, Mississippi Bankruptcy Conference, Inc. Jackson, Mississippi, 2010.
• Lecturer, “Preparing to Mediate,” Mediation Conference, Mississippi College School of Law. Jackson, Mississippi, 2010.
• Lecturer and author, “Litigation and Bankruptcy: Removal, Remand, Jury Trials and Everything in Between” USLAW Network Client Conference. San Francisco, California, 2009.
• Lecturer and co-author, “Litigating Consumer Class Actions Involving Bankruptcies and Foreclosures,” 8th Annual Conference on Consumer Finance Class Actions & Litigation. New York, New York, 2009.
• Lecturer and author, “Small Business Provisions/Single Asset Real Estate Chapter 11 Cases Under BAPCPA,”­ 13th Annual Mid-South Conference on Bankruptcy Law. Tunica, Mississippi, 2008.
• Lecturer and author, “Asset Protection Strategies Affected By BAPCPA,” Mississippi Bankruptcy Conference, Inc. Jackson, Mississippi, 2007.
• Lecturer, “Asset Protection Strategies Affected By BAPCPA,” 11th Annual Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop, American Bankruptcy Institute. Amelia Island, Florida, 2006.
• Lecturer and author, “Update on Bankruptcy Developments,” The Credit Law Institute. Santa Monica, California, 2005.
• Lecturer and Author, “Litigating Consumer Class Actions in Bankruptcy Court,” American Conference Institute. Chicago, Illinois, 2005.
• Lecturer and co-author, “Hot and Developing Consumer Topics,” 18th Annual Memphis Bar Association Bankruptcy Section Seminar. Memphis, Tennessee, 2004.
• Lecturer and co-author, “Bad Faith Case Filings, Case Dismissals and Conversions Under Chapters 7, 11, & 13,”­ 18th Annual Memphis Bar Association Bankruptcy Section Seminar. Memphis, Tennessee, 2004.
• Lecturer and co-author, “Consumer Bankruptcy,” American Conference Institute. New York City, New York, 2004.

• Plant Materials, LLC v. Alliance Consulting Grp, LLC. 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 23327 (S.D. Miss., February 13, 2019).
• In re Alliance Consulting Grp, LLC, 588 B.R. 169 (Bankr. S.D. Miss. 2018).
• Palmer v. Hope Enterprise Corp. (In re Palmer). 2017 Bankr. LEXlS 1481 (Bankr. S.D. Miss. May 30, 2017).
• Smith v. Henley and Trustmark National Bank, 548 13.R. 724 (S.D. Miss. 2016).
• ln re Sanderson Plumbing Products, Inc., 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 3550 (Bankr. N.D. Miss. Oct. 20, 2015).
• In re Smith, 530 B.R. 327 (Bankr. S.D. Miss. 2015).
• Community Trust Bank v. First National Bank of Clarksdale, 150 So. 3d 683 (Miss. 2014).
• In re Kennedy, 504 B.R. 815 (Bankr. S.D. Miss 2014).
• Garner v. BankPlus, 2013 U .S. Dist. LEXIS 75877 (S.D. Miss. May 30. 2013).
• Kinwood Capital Group, L.L.C. v. BankPlus(In re Northlake Dev. L.L.C.), 643 F.3d 448 5th Cir. 2011).
• Nabers v. Morgan, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 53045 (S.D. Miss. May 17, 2011).
• Nabers v. Morgan, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28408 (S.D. Miss. Mar. 4, 2011).
• Rogers v. The CIT Group/Equipment Financing, Inc., 455 B.R. (Bankr. S.D. Miss. 2011).
• Kinwood Captial Group, LLC v. BankPlus (In re Northlake Dev. L.L.C.), 614 F.3d 140 (5th Cir. 2010).
• BankPlus v. Kinwood Capital Group, LLC, 430 B.R. 758 (S.D. Miss. 2009).
• B.C. Rogers Processors, Inc., v. CIT Group/Equip. Fin., Inc. (In re B.C. Rogers Poultry, Inc.), 2009 Bankr. LEXIS 3729 (S.D. Miss. Nov. 16, 2009).
• In re Shavers, 418 B.R. 589 (Bankr. S.D. Miss. 2009).
• Nabers v. Miss. State Tax Commisssion, 665 F. Supp. 2d 692 (S.D. Miss. 2009).
• McDuffie v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. (In re McDuffie), 272 F. Appx 376, 377 (5th Cir. 2008).
• Origen Financial, L.L.C. v. Thompson, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 84607 (S.D. Miss. Nov. 15, 2007).
• McDuffie v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. (In re McDuffie), 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11498 (S.D. Miss. Feb, 2007).
• Brown v. J.P. Morgan/Chase Bank, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52512 (S.D. Miss. July 27, 2006).
• In re Consultrix Technologies, Inc., 2006 Bankr. LEXIS 4999 (S.D. Miss. Sept. 29, 2006).
• Huntington National Bank v. Entecap Corp., 61 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (Callaghan) 473 (S.D. Miss. 2006)
• Johnson v. Bay City South Mortgage Company, 928 So. 2d 888 (Miss. Ct. App. 2005).
• Owen & Galloway, L.L.C. v. Smart Corp., 913 So. 2d 174 (Miss. 2005).
• Harris v. Washington Mutual Home Loans, Inc. (In re Harris), 312 B.R. 591 (N.D. Miss. 2004)
• Heath v. GMAC (In re Heath), 305 B.R. 249 (Bankr. N.D. Miss. 2004).
• Johnson v. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 32021 (N.D. Miss. Oct. 5, 2004).
• Republic Finance v. Cauthen, 343 F. Supp. 2d 529 (N.D. Miss. 2004).
• Rosemont Gardens Funeral Chapel-Cemetery, Inc. v. Trustmark National Bank, 330 F. Supp. 2d 801 (S.D. Miss. 2004).
• Wilson v. Bank of America Corp., No.3:03-cv-00232-TSL, 2004 WL 443881 (S.D. Miss. Feb. 20, 2004).
• Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. v. Farr, 320 F. Supp. 2d 496 (S.D. Miss. 2003).
• Boyd v. American Heritage Insurance Co., 282 F. Supp. 2d 502 (S.D. Miss. 2003).
• Reed v. Mississippi Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co., 299 B.R. 804 (S.D. Miss. 2003).
• Harris v. Washington Mutual Home Loans, Inc. (In re Harris), 297 B.R. 61 (Bankr. N.D. Miss. 2003).
• American Heritage Life Ins. Co. v. Orr, 294 F.3d 702 (5th Cir. 2002).
• Bank One, N.A. v. Coates, 125 F. Supp. 2d 819 (S.D. Miss. 2001), aff'd without op., 34F. App'x 964 (5th Cir. 2002).
• Bank One, N.A. v. Shumake, 281 F.3d 507 (5th Cir. 2002).
• Bank One, N.A. v. Boyd, 288 F.3d 181 (5th Cir. 2002).
• Roberts v. Chandaleur Homes, Inc., 237 F. Supp. 2d 696 (S.D. Miss. 2002).
• Bank One, N.A. v. Lewis Brainard, 144 F. Supp. 2d 640 (S.D. Miss. 2001).
• American Heritage Life Insurance Co. v. Beasley, 174 F. Supp. 2d 450 (N.D. Miss. 2001).
• Chickaway v. Bank One Dayton, N.A., 261 B.R. 646 (S.D. Miss. 2001).
• General Electric Capital Corp. v. Haymer, 151 F. Supp. 2d 753 (S.D. Miss. 2001).
• Wade v. Bailey, 287 B.R. 874 (S.D. Miss. 2001).
• Blount v. National Lending Corp., Inc., 108 F. Supp. 2d 666 (S.D. Miss. 2000).
• Gray v. WMC Mortgage Corp., 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19986 (S.D. Miss. June 28, 2000).
• Smith-Lyon v. Trustmark Nat'l Bank (In re Gunsmith's, Inc.), 271 B.R. 487 (S.D. Miss. 2000).
• Supertrail Manufacturing Co. v. Pacific Investments, Inc. (In re Supertrail Manufacturing Co.), 276 B.R. 136 (Bankr. N.D. Miss. 2000).
• Raesly v. Grand Housing, Inc., 105 F. Supp. 2d 562 (S.D. Miss. 2000).
• Freeman Horn v. Trustmark National Bank, 245 B.R. 820 (Bankr. S.D. Miss. 1999).
• In re Condere Corp., 228 B.R. 615 (Bankr. S.D. Miss. 1998).
• Matter of Treasure Bay Corp., 205 B.R. 490 (Bankr. S.D. Miss. 1997).
• Matters of Treasure Bay Corporation, Treasure Bay Gaming and Resorts, Inc. 212 B.R. 520 (Bankr. S.D. Miss. 1997).
• Charles N. White Construction Co. v. MRA, Ltd.(In re Biloxi Casino Belle), 176 B.R. 427 (Bankr. S.D. Miss. 1995).
• In re Wood, 113 B.R. 253 (S.D. Miss. 1990).
• Wood v. WoodI, 84 B.R. 432 (S.D. Miss. 1988).
• Wood v. Wood (In re Wood), 825 F.2d 90 (5th Cir. 1987).
• Helena Chemical Co. v. Manley, 47 B.R. 72 (Bankr. N.D. Miss. 1985).