Bill completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and received his law degree from Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. After law school, Bill was admitted to the Washington State Bar and began his practice in Seattle, Washington with a defense litigation law firm. During his three years with this firm Bill’s primary focus was trial work in Washington state and federal courts.

Bill then served as assistant general counsel/risk manager for First Interstate Bank in Seattle. He was involved in executive level corporate matters, loan documentation, loan workouts and the Bank’s litigation. He was the primary counsel to the Bank’s trust department and advised the Bank’s in-house real estate department.

Next, Bill was hired as general counsel for Idaho First National Bank in Boise, Idaho. He was secretary to the board of directors and on its management committee. All of the Bank’s legal affairs were handled through this law department which included providing daily advice to the Bank’s executives and to its 88 branches. Bill was in charge of major multi-million dollar loan workouts and the Bank’s litigation. He worked closely with the human resources and trust departments.

Following his employment with the Bank, Bill returned to private practice. Bill represented small businesses and individuals in lawsuits. He has and continues to emphasize business and employment disputes, as well as real estate and probate matters. He also prepares transactional documents for various businesses. Bill has argued before the Idaho Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In the mid-1990s, Bill and a banker chartered a start-up bank in Ketchum, Idaho. He was the Bank’s secretary to the board and outside general counsel. As general counsel he advised executive management and the board on all corporate matters. He litigated on behalf of the bank and provided the bulk of the day-to-day corporate documentation.

In 2005, Bill and the same banker started another new bank in McCall, Idaho – Idaho First Bank. Bill is the outside general counsel to Idaho First and handles the majority of the Bank’s legal issues.

Bill served in the U.S. Army. He was assigned to the Army Security Agency as a Russian linguist and analyst.