Biography
Will Auther is an established trial lawyer in the practice areas of product liability and business litigation. He has served in various leadership roles within the firm including service on the firm's Management and Technology Committees.
Defending technology is one of Will's strengths. His client work focuses predominantly on complex corporate litigation including the defense of product defect 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.
With over 19 years of litigation experience, Will has served as both first and second chair trial counsel on multi-million dollar exposure cases. Among his many high-profile litigation cases, Will has defended manufacturers in consumer fraud class action cases, multi-million dollar contract disputes and has managed national portfolios of cases reducing case counts to lowest levels in years.
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Education
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Santa Clara University School of Law,
J.D.,
1992
cum laude
Dean's List
School of Law Merit Scholarship, Fall 1991 -
Santa Clara University,
B.S.,
1989
cum laude
Dean's List
Combined Sciences, Emphasis in Chemistry and Biology
Court Admissions
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U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 1992
Memberships and Affiliations
Defense Research Institute
Product Liability Committee
Commercial Litigation Committee
American Bar Association
Litigation 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
Distinctions
Super Lawyer®, 2011
Southwest Super Lawyers Magazine
Top 5 Verdicts in 2006
Arizona Attorney Magazine
40 Under 40, 2004
The Phoenix Business Journal
Classes and Seminars Taught
Legislative Update, Arizona Chapter, Arizona Paralegal Association, September, 2011
"Matter Based Budgeting," International Legal Technology Association Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada, August 23, 2010
"Evidence and Expert Testimony Best Practices," National Business Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, June 29, 2010
"Alternative Fee Arrangements," LSSO Raindance Conference, Chicago, Illinois, June 9, 2010
"Class Actions," ExecSense Webinar, February 19, 2010
Demonstration of Defense Opening Statement, College of Trial Advocacy, July 28-29, 2009
"Arizona Product Liability Law Issues," Faculty, Phoenix ACC Seminar, June 16, 2009
"Trial Advocacy Today," Faculty, State Bar of Arizona, June 4, 2009
In-House/Outside Counsel Panel Discussion, Maricopa County Bar Association, April 29, 2009
"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," Faculty, 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
"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
"Best Practices in Product Liability Trials," Faculty, National Business Institute, 2007
Arizona Trial College, Faculty, 2006
"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
Representative Clients
General Motors Corporation
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Nissan North America, Inc.
Supreme Industries
Hyundai Motor America
Representative Cases
CASE RESULTS DEPEND UPON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE.
CASE RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN ANY FUTURE CASE.
Armed Forces Insurance Exchange v. Nissan, Pima County, Tucson, AZ (2007)
Brethauer v. General Motors Corporation, ICA-CV07-0530 (Ct. App. 2006)
Ogozaly v. Honda, Lackawanna County, PA (2005)
Castano v. GM, Phoenix, AZ (2000)
Osborn v. Honda, Jasper County, Texas (2000)
Wagner v. Saab, Maricopa County, AZ (2000)
LeFaivre v. Crown, Maricopa County, AZ (1998)
Flores v. Crown, Maricopa County, AZ (1998)
Larson v. Nissan Motor Corp., 194 Ariz. 142, 978 P.2d 119 (Ct. App. 1998)
Greismer v. Nissan, Pima County, AZ (1997)
Florez v. Sargeant, 185 Ariz. 521, 917 P.2d 250 (1995)
Published Works
"International Corporations Have Big Stake in Supreme Court Case," DRI Today, December 2011
"Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Retires, Leaving Two Democrats and Two Republicans," DRI Today, December 2011
"Seventh Circuit Sets Standard for Denying Class Certification Based on Inadequate Representation," DRI Today, December 2011
"Manufacturers Beware: First Circuit Says Massachusetts Plaintiffs Need Not Prove Feasible Alternative Design," DRI Today, December 2011
"After a Close Vote, Children's Products Must Now Be Third-Party Tested," DRI Today, December, 2011
"All Eyes on 'Company Doe': Taking on the Consumer Product Safety Commission Database," DRI Today, November 2011
"Regulators Release Volcker Rule for Public Comment - Banks Will Likely Have Plenty," DRI Today, October 2011
"The Future Implications of Southwest Fiduciary, Inc. and Flynn v. AHCCCS," Maricopa Lawyer, June, 2011
"Future Implications of Medical Liens, AHCCCS Case," (with Amanda Pyper), Maricopa Lawyer, June 2011
"Integration Doctrine at Risk for Manufacturers in New Jersey" (with Charles Schoenwetter and Mary Kranzow), ABA Construction Litigation, December 8, 2010
"How Settling With Class Representatives Impacts Class-Certification Denial Appeals," In-House Defense Quarterly, Summer 2010
"Nothing’s Over Until We Decide It Is - How Settling with Class Representatives Impacts Class-Certification Denial Appeals" (with Robert L. Wise), In-House Defense Quarterly, Summer 2010
"CPSIA: Not The Last Word on Preemption," January 2010
"New Guidance on the Enforceability of Limitation of Liability Provisions," Co-Author, 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?"