William D. Kennedy Partner

Bill Kennedy offers clients an uncommon background in both the courtroom and the boardroom.

As a trial and appellate litigator, Bill defends against complex claims of injury and damage arising in both the professional and general liability contexts.  From initial investigation through final closure, Bill has defended a wide range of clients including health care professionals, senior care providers, manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, employers, property owners, lessors and lessees, supply chain companies, restaurants, bars, and social hosts.  

For insurers, Bill analyzes coverage and defends against inappropriate first-party, “bad faith,” and Additional Insured claims. 

For clients with large litigation portfolios, Bill provides day-to-day, national litigation management services, coordinating consistency and quality of the defense of thousands of cases.

Attorneys and clients rely on Bill’s extensive understanding of the Medicare Secondary Payer Act, personal jurisdictional defenses, and the enforcement of (or defense against) contractual indemnity and insurance contract provisions.

Beyond litigation, however, Bill has extensive experience in the senior housing industry. For fifteen years, he served on the governing Boards of a national non-profit that provides independent living, personal care, assisted living, and skilled nursing to 20,000 seniors around the country. Board experience helps Bill appreciate potential disputes -- tort, employment, civil rights, and contract -- from an organizational perspective.

Bill is an engaging and entertaining speaker. He has presented educational seminars for clients about such diverse topics as:

• minimizing risk of disadvantageous litigation
• management of operational policies and procedures to increase quality and decrease risk
• expansion of diversity, inclusion and social responsibility initiatives
• contractual indemnity and insurance contractual provisions
• the Medicare Secondary Payer Act
• personal jurisdictional defenses
• effective corporate governance

Bill also counsels organizations about reducing the risk of (and, when necessary, responding to reports of) abuse of children and youth.