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William F. Auther 
Phoenix, Arizona
Partner
phone 602.643.2409
fax 602.248.0947
email will.auther@bowmanandbrooke.com

Will Auther is a trial lawyer in the firm's product liability and business litigation practice areas.  He has served in various leadership roles within the firm including service on the firm's Management and Technology Committees.

Helping businesses defend their technology is one of Will's strengths. Will's client work focuses predominantly on complex business litigation including the defense of product liability claims, dealer/vendor disputes, contract disputes, and financial litigation.  His clients cross the entire spectrum of industries from transportation, chemical, pharmaceutical, mechanical, high tech start-ups, banking and finance.  As select examples, Will's representations include:

  • Trial counsel, in both first and second chair roles, on multi-million dollar exposure cases resulting in defense verdicts
  • Defending manufacturers in consumer fraud class actions
  • Managing national portfolios of cases, reducing case counts to lowest levels in years
  • Successfully representing parties in multi-million dollar contract disputes.
  • Areas of Practice:
    Asbestos Litigation
    Automotive
    Business, Commercial and Financial Litigation
    Construction and Industrial Equipment
    Fire Litigation
    Intellectual Property Litigation
    Motorcycles, ATVs and Other Wheeled Vehicles
    Product Liability
    Toxic Torts
    Litigation Percentage:
    95% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
    Bar Admissions:
    Arizona, 1992
    U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 1992
    Education:
    Santa Clara University School of Law, Santa Clara, California, 1992
    J.D.
    Honors: Cum Laude
    Honors: Dean's List
    Honors: School of Law Merit Scholarship, Fall 1991


    Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California, 1989
    B.S.
    Honors: Cum Laude
    Honors: Dean's List
    Major:  Combined Sciences, Emphasis in Chemistry and Biology


    Published Works:
    New Guidance on the Enforceability of Limitation of Liability Provisions, Critical Path, Summer 2009 (Co-Author)


    Preemption as a First Line of Defense Against State Law Tort Claims for Product Liability Defendants?, Association of Corporate Counsel, Arizona Chapter, First Quarter, 2009


    Citizen's Suits, Arizona Environmental Law Manual, State Bar of Arizona, 1994


    Cross-Border Environmental Law Enforcement


    Arbitration Agreements: When Will They be Enforced?


    Removal to Federal Court: When Does the Time Begin to Run?


    Representative Cases:
    Brethauer v. General Motors Corporation, ICA-CV07-0530 (Ct. App. 2009)
    Larson v. Nissan Motor Corp., 194 Ariz. 142, 978 P.2d 119 (Ct. App. 1998)
    Florez v. Sargeant, 185 Ariz. 521, 917 P.2d 250 (  1995)
    Representative Clients:
    General Motors Corporation
    American Honda Motor Co, Inc.
    Nissan North America, Inc.
    Classes/Seminars Taught:
    Narouz v. Charter Comm., LLC (9th Cir. Jan. 15, 2010) The Instant Impact on Litigators and the Effect of Settling with the Class Representative on the Appealability of Class Certification Denial (with Robert L. Wise and Pamela J. Roberts), ExecSense Webinars, February 19, 2010


    Taking and Defending Effective Depositions in Arizona, Faculty, Lorman, 2008


    Everything You Need to Know About Settlements in Arizona, Facutly, The Ins and Outs of Minor Settlements, National Business Institute, 2008


    Expert Deposition Techniques, Faculty, National Business Institute, 2008


    Taking and Defending Expert Depositions, National Business Institute, 2008


    Best Practices in Product Liablity Trials, Faculty, National Business Institute, 2007


    Arizona Trial College, Faculty, 2004 - Present


    Emerging Issues in Automotive Product Liability, Faculty, Mock Trial, American Bar Association, 2005


    Arizona Product Liability Law, Faculty, National Business Institute, 2004


    Cross Examination of Experts, National Business Institute, 2004


    Civil Jury Instructions, Faculty, State Bar of Arizona Annual Convention, 2003 - 2004


    What Lawyers Can Learn From Actors - Storytelling, Seminar Chair, State Bar of Arizona Annual Convention, 2008


    Significance and Proper Use of Voir Dire, Seminar Chair, State Bar of Arizona Annual Convention, 2008


    Honors and Awards:
    Top 5 Defense Verdicts in 2006, Arizona Attorney Magazine


    "Forty Under 40", The Phoenix Business Journal 2004


    Volunteer Lawyers' Program, Volunteer Lawyer of the Month, 1995


    Professional Associations and Memberships:
    Defense Research Institute
    Products Liability Section


    Arizona Association of Defense Counsel
    Board of Directors (2004-2008)


    State Bar of Arizona, Trial Practice Section, Executive Council (2004-Present)
    President (2008-2009); Civil Jury Instructions Committee (2001-2004)


    Arizona College of Trial Advocacy
    Faculty (2004-Present) and Co-Chair (2008)


    Arizona Town Hall


    Maricopa County Bar Association


    Past Employment Positions:
    U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, San Jose, California, Hon. Edward A. Infante, Extern, Spring 1991


    Pro Bono Activities:
    Volunteer Lawyers' Program
    Birth Information:
    1967, Phoenix, Arizona

    From boardroom to courtroom