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William P. Keith

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Areas of Practice
Bar Admissions
Education
Honors and Awards
Professional Associations and Memberships
William P. Keith
  • Senior Counsel

Location:

Newport Beach, CA

Phone:

Fax:

949-631-3703

Email:

LinkedIn

.

 

Bill Keith represents clients in the areas of business litigation, class actions, securities, legal malpractice, and insurance coverage. He has successfully tried multiple cases to verdict, both as lead counsel and as a member of trial teams. Bill has an excellent record on appeals before the Ninth Circuit and the California and Florida Courts of Appeal, where he has several published decisions.

Bill was selected to the Southern California Super Lawyers® list in 2024 and was previously selected as a Super Lawyers® Rising Star seven years in a row. Bill is rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell.

Bill believes in a proactive approach to litigation and trial preparation, which starts with a thorough and early assessment of a client’s claims and defenses, the case’s potential outcomes, and litigation themes. He knows clients are only able to make informed business decisions about how to manage and settle disputes—or when to go to trial—when they have a clear idea of the landscape and risks that lie ahead.

Bill’s business litigation practice encompasses disputes involving misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, breaches of fiduciary duty, and partnership disputes. Bill has significant experience representing clients in the financial services industry in a variety of contexts.

In his class action practice, Bill defends manufacturers, food producers, and other clients in claims brought under consumer protection laws (California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition and False Advertising Law, and New York General Business Law) and other statutes and theories. He has experience with actions involving “Made in America” claims and claims that products violate regulations issued by the FTC, USDA, and other agencies.

Bill graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Business Administration. He earned his law degree from Florida State University College of Law, where he graduated cum laude and Order of the Coif. Bill is admitted to practice law in California and Florida.

Bill’s volunteer work includes acting as pro bono counsel in connection with San Diego’s Casa Cornelia Law Center. He successfully represented a journalist seeking asylum in the United States after the client was forced to flee his Central American country on account of state-sponsored persecution.

Published Works

  • The Supreme Court Puts the Brakes on Disgorgement – Kokesh v. S.E.C., Association of Business Trial Lawyers Report, Vol. MMXVII No. 3, 2017
  • The New Era of Trade Secret Protection: The Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016, Association of Business Trial Lawyers Report, Vol. MMXVI No. 2, 2016
  • The Future of the No-Rehire Clause in Employment Settlement Agreements: An Analysis of Golden v. California Emergency Physicians Medical Group, Association of Business Trial Lawyers Report, Vol. XXII No. 2, 2015
  • Motions for Sanctions: Riding the Storm, Co-author with J. Richard Caldwell, Jr., 59.2 FED’N DEF. & CORP. COUNS. Q. 167, 2009
  • Recent Developments, 22 FLA. ST. U. J. LAND USE & ENVTL. L. 139, 2006

Areas of Practice

  • Business Litigation
  • Legal Malpractice
  • Accounting Malpractice
  • Partnership Disputes
  • Shareholder Disputes
  • LLC and LLP Disputes
  • Intellectual Property Litigation
  • Trade Dress Infringement Litigation
  • Trademark Infringement Litigation
  • Copyright Infringement Litigation
  • Real Estate Disputes
  • Breach of Contract
  • Breach of Fiduciary Duty
  • Fraud
  • Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets Litigation
  • Commercial Unlawful Detainer
  • Commercial Landlord Tenant Disputes
  • Appellate Law
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution

Bar Admissions

  • California, 2010
  • Florida, 2008
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida

Education

  • Florida State University College of Law, Tallahassee, Florida
    • J.D. – 2008
    • Honors: cum laude
    • Honors: Book Award: Constitutional Law I
    • Honors: Book Award: Florida Administrative Practice and Admiralty Law
    • Honors: Order of the Coif
    • Law Journal: Journal of Transactional Law & Policy, Member
  • University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
    • B.S. – 2004
    • Major:
      Business Administration

Honors and Awards

  • Super Lawyers®, 2024
  • Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2015-2021
  • Top Lawyer, San Diego Magazine, 2018-2022
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rated
  • Pro Bono Publico Award, Casa Cornelia Law Center, 2016
  • Avvo Rated 10 out of 10

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Orange County Chapter, Member, 2022-present
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers, San Diego Chapter, Member, 2012-2022
  • Orange County Bar Association
  • Louis M. Welsh American Inn of Court, San Diego, Alumnus

William P. Keith

William P. Keith
  • Senior Counsel

Location:

Newport Beach, CA

Phone:

Fax:

949-631-3703

Email:

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

Bill Keith represents clients in the areas of business litigation, class actions, securities, legal malpractice, and insurance coverage. He has successfully tried multiple cases to verdict, both as lead counsel and as a member of trial teams. Bill has an excellent record on appeals before the Ninth Circuit and the California and Florida Courts of Appeal, where he has several published decisions.

Bill was selected to the Southern California Super Lawyers® list in 2024 and was previously selected as a Super Lawyers® Rising Star seven years in a row. Bill is rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell.

Bill believes in a proactive approach to litigation and trial preparation, which starts with a thorough and early assessment of a client’s claims and defenses, the case’s potential outcomes, and litigation themes. He knows clients are only able to make informed business decisions about how to manage and settle disputes—or when to go to trial—when they have a clear idea of the landscape and risks that lie ahead.

Bill’s business litigation practice encompasses disputes involving misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, breaches of fiduciary duty, and partnership disputes. Bill has significant experience representing clients in the financial services industry in a variety of contexts.

In his class action practice, Bill defends manufacturers, food producers, and other clients in claims brought under consumer protection laws (California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition and False Advertising Law, and New York General Business Law) and other statutes and theories. He has experience with actions involving “Made in America” claims and claims that products violate regulations issued by the FTC, USDA, and other agencies.

Bill graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Business Administration. He earned his law degree from Florida State University College of Law, where he graduated cum laude and Order of the Coif. Bill is admitted to practice law in California and Florida.

Bill’s volunteer work includes acting as pro bono counsel in connection with San Diego’s Casa Cornelia Law Center. He successfully represented a journalist seeking asylum in the United States after the client was forced to flee his Central American country on account of state-sponsored persecution.

Published Works

  • The Supreme Court Puts the Brakes on Disgorgement – Kokesh v. S.E.C., Association of Business Trial Lawyers Report, Vol. MMXVII No. 3, 2017
  • The New Era of Trade Secret Protection: The Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016, Association of Business Trial Lawyers Report, Vol. MMXVI No. 2, 2016
  • The Future of the No-Rehire Clause in Employment Settlement Agreements: An Analysis of Golden v. California Emergency Physicians Medical Group, Association of Business Trial Lawyers Report, Vol. XXII No. 2, 2015
  • Motions for Sanctions: Riding the Storm, Co-author with J. Richard Caldwell, Jr., 59.2 FED’N DEF. & CORP. COUNS. Q. 167, 2009
  • Recent Developments, 22 FLA. ST. U. J. LAND USE & ENVTL. L. 139, 2006

Areas of Practice

  • Business Litigation
  • Legal Malpractice
  • Accounting Malpractice
  • Partnership Disputes
  • Shareholder Disputes
  • LLC and LLP Disputes
  • Intellectual Property Litigation
  • Trade Dress Infringement Litigation
  • Trademark Infringement Litigation
  • Copyright Infringement Litigation
  • Real Estate Disputes
  • Breach of Contract
  • Breach of Fiduciary Duty
  • Fraud
  • Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets Litigation
  • Commercial Unlawful Detainer
  • Commercial Landlord Tenant Disputes
  • Appellate Law
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution

Bar Admissions

  • California, 2010
  • Florida, 2008
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida

Education

  • Florida State University College of Law, Tallahassee, Florida
    • J.D., cum laude – 2008
    • Honors:
      Order of the Coif
    • Member, Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law
    • Member, Journal of Transactional Law & Policy
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
    • B.S. – 2004
    • Major:
      Business Administration

Honors and Awards

  • Super Lawyers®, 2024
  • Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2015-2021
  • Top Lawyer, San Diego Magazine, 2018-2022
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rated
  • Pro Bono Publico Award, Casa Cornelia Law Center, 2016
  • Avvo Rated 10 out of 10

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Orange County Chapter, Member, 2022-present
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers, San Diego Chapter, Member, 2012-2022
  • Orange County Bar Association
  • Louis M. Welsh American Inn of Court, San Diego, Alumnus
profile
profile
  • Senior Counsel

Location:

Phone:

Fax:

949-631-3703

Email:

LinkedIn:

Bill Keith represents clients in the areas of business litigation, securities, real property, insurance coverage, and legal malpractice. He has successfully tried multiple cases to verdict at trial, both as lead counsel and as member of trial teams. He has also an excellent record on appeals before the Ninth Circuit and the California and Florida Courts of Appeal, where he has several published decisions.

Bill is rated as "AV Preeminent" by Martindale-Hubbell and 10 out of 10 by Avvo.com.

Bill's business litigation practice encompasses disputes involving misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, breaches of fiduciary duty, and partnership disputes. A significant part of Bill's practice involves the representation of financial advisors, Registered Investment Advisors, broker-dealers, and investors. He has litigated securities matters involving the trading and investment practices, the Broker Protocol, and securities industry privacy regulations.

Bill graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Business Administration. He earned his law degree from Florida State University College of Law, where he graduated cum laude and Order of the Coif.

Bill is admitted to practice law in California and Florida. Prior to joining Klein & Wilson, Bill was a partner at a well-respected business litigation firm in San Diego.

Bill's volunteer work includes acting as pro bono counsel in connection with San Diego's Casa Cornelia Law Center. He successfully represented a journalist seeking asylum in the United States after the client was forced to flee his Central American country on account of state-sponsored persecution.

Bill has published articles on trade secrets and securities industry matters.

Areas of Practice

  • Business Litigation
  • Legal Malpractice
  • Accounting Malpractice
  • Partnership Disputes
  • Shareholder Disputes
  • LLC and LLP Disputes
  • Intellectual Property Litigation
  • Trade Dress Infringement Litigation
  • Trademark Infringement Litigation
  • Copyright Infringement Litigation
  • Real Estate Disputes
  • Breach of Contract
  • Breach of Fiduciary Duty
  • Fraud
  • Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets Litigation
  • Commercial Unlawful Detainer
  • Commercial Landlord Tenant Disputes
  • Appellate Law
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution

Bar Admissions

  • Florida, 2008
  • California, 2010
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of California
  • U.S. District Court Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida

Education

  • Florida State University College of Law, Tallahassee, Florida
    • J.D. - 2008
    • Honors: cum laude
    • Honors: Order of the Coif
    • Honors: Member, Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law
    • Honors: Member, Journal of Transactional Law & Policy
  • University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
    • B.S. - 2004

Honors and Awards

  • Super Lawyers®, 2024
  • Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2015-2023
  • Top Lawyer, San Diego Magazine, 2018-2022
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rated
  • Pro Bono Publico Award, Casa Cornelia Law Center, 2016
  • Avvo Rated 10 out of 10

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Orange County Chapter, Member, 2022-present
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers, San Diego Chapter, Member, 2012-2022
  • Orange County Bar Association
  • Louis M. Welsh American Inn of Court, San Diego, Alumnus

Past Employment Positions

About
Areas of Practice
Bar Admissions
Education
Honors and Awards
Professional Associations and Memberships