Passionate about economic and cultural development in New Orleans, across Louisiana, and throughout the Gulf South, Bill has been a legal, business, and civic leader for more than 35 years. Since 2006, he has led Jones Walker through a period of significant growth. During this time, the firm’s client base has expanded to include leading regional, national, and international corporations, banks and financial institutions, emerging enterprises, family-owned businesses, professional sports teams, and state and local governments.
In addition to his work as primary ambassador for Jones Walker, Bill is deeply connected to the business, cultural, civic, and charitable communities in the region. Among his numerous leadership roles, he has served as founding chairman of the board of Greater New Orleans, Inc., and as chairman of the boards of the MetroVision Economic Development Partnership, The Idea Village, the Downtown Development District of the City of New Orleans, and the Louisiana Committee of 100 For Economic Development. He also has held board and leadership positions with the New Orleans Business Council, the World Trade Center of New Orleans, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation (including serving as co-chair of the NCAA 2003 Final Four Host Committee), and the civic taskforce that persuaded the NBA Hornets (now Pelicans) to relocate to New Orleans.
Bill regularly supports a broad range of charitable, cultural, and educational institutions. He has served as chairman of the boards of UNITY of Greater New Orleans, the Council for a Better Louisiana, the New Orleans Arts Council, the United Way for Greater New Orleans, the New Orleans Region Community Advisory Board of Teach for America, and WYES-TV 12, and in leadership positions for Son of a Saint, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, the Bayou District Foundation, the Louisiana State Museum Foundation, the Ochsner Health System Board, and the Tulane University President’s Council, among other institutions.
In recognition of his service and contributions, Bill was chosen by NOLA Media Group for its New Orleans Tricentennial “300 for 300” list as one of the 300 people who made New Orleans a better place over the past 300 years (click here to read the full feature). Earlier in his career, New Orleans CityBusiness carried a front-page story profiling Bill as one of the leading economic developers in the City of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana (click here to read the full article). Bill is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2021 in the areas of Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Insurance Law, International Trade and Finance Law, Project Finance Law, and Real Estate Law. He has been listed in the publication each year since 1999. Since 2007, he has been listed in Louisiana Super Lawyers in the area of Business/Corporate. Bill has an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating in Martindale Hubbell.