Biography
William A. Brewer III
When William A. Brewer III, known by many as Bill Brewer, founded Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors in 1984, the idea that a litigation boutique could compete with the nation’s largest law firms challenged conventional wisdom. Commercial litigation belonged to full-service firms with hundreds of lawyers. Bill saw a different future. Clients facing defining disputes did not need the largest firm. They needed the one that put them first…every time.
That conviction shaped every decision Bill made as he built the firm. He believed a lawyer’s first obligation belonged to the client, not to unwritten customs that sometimes governed relationships among opposing counsel. If the rules provided a lawful advantage, he intended to use it. Every decision served a single purpose: advancing the client’s objectives.
Over the next four decades, that philosophy helped Bill redefine what a litigation firm could achieve. Bill proved that a firm devoted to the art of advocacy could compete successfully with the largest firms in the United States while handling the most demanding commercial disputes.
Businesses confronting existential litigation, entrepreneurs protecting what they built, universities defending academic independence, boards navigating governance disputes, and institutions facing matters of national significance have sought Bill’s counsel throughout his career. They value his experience. They return because of the strategy Bill develops long before any matter goes to trial.
Bill has won in courtrooms across the country and before the Supreme Court of the United States. His practice spans constitutional law, corporate governance, antitrust, intellectual property, lender liability, environmental law, securities, hospitality, and other complex commercial disputes. More important than the subject matter, however, are the problems he is asked to solve. Clients turn to Bill when the outcome determines their future.
Bill has never viewed innovation as separate from advocacy. Long before multidisciplinary litigation teams became common, he integrated investigators, consultants, and public relations specialists into the firm’s trial strategy. He also recognized early that offshore litigation support could improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. Those decisions reflected the same practical mindset that has shaped his litigation strategy throughout his career. Find a better way to serve the client, then build it.
Bill grew up on Long Island, New York. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from St. John’s University, his Juris Doctor from Albany Law School, and a Master of Laws in Trade Regulation from New York University School of Law. He holds admissions in Texas, New York, numerous federal courts, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Throughout his career, Bill has earned professional awards and recognition from leading legal organizations and publications.
Outside the courtroom, Bill has devoted substantial time to expanding opportunity for others. Through the Brewer Foundation, the firm’s philanthropic organization, he established two enduring initiatives. The Future Leaders Program provides year-round mentoring, academic support, and leadership development for middle and high school students from underserved communities in Dallas. The International Public Policy Forum, created in partnership with New York University, brings together students from around the world to research, write, and debate questions that shape international public policy in a unique written format that culminates in an oral debate for the final eight teams in New York City.
Bill’s commitment to service also extends to the Brewer Storefront, the firm’s pro bono initiative. Originally created to expand access to civil legal representation, the Storefront now focuses primarily on matters with broader community impact. Lawyers from the firm devote their time and experience to cases that strengthen communities while providing representation to individuals and organizations that otherwise might lack the resources to pursue important legal claims.
Additionally, he serves on the boards of Albany Law School and Paul Quinn College and on the Board of Advisors of the Institute of Judicial Administration at New York University School of Law.
More than forty years after founding Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors, Bill continues to represent clients in some of the nation’s most consequential litigation. The legal questions continue to evolve. The stakes continue to grow. His approach has not changed. The client’s interests come first. Strategy determines the path. Preparation makes the difference.