Bill Parrish

Bill Parrish

Bill Parrish is a member of Stradling’s Intellectual Property practice group. He has more than 40 years of experience representing plaintiffs and defendants in intellectual property litigation and other complex commercial litigation. His experience includes jury trials, bench trials and appellate proceedings in both state and federal court, AAA and private arbitrations, and numerous mediations. Although his practice has involved a wide spectrum of complex commercial cases, his emphasis has been on intellectual property disputes (e.g., patent, trade secret, trademark, trade name, trade dress, and copyright litigation), litigation involving business torts (e.g., unfair competition, deceptive trade practices, tortious interference with actual and prospective contracts and/or business relationships, covenants not to compete, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair advertising practices, etc.), and breach of contract claims.

In addition to being retained directly by clients as lead counsel, because of his reputation and many years of practice in Texas, Bill is often retained by other law firms to assist them as local counsel for cases filed in Texas.

Bill also serves as a neutral mediator in IP and other complex commercial disputes . He uses his 40 plus years of courtroom experience to assist parties in resolving disputes quickly and efficiently through various forms of ADR including Mediation and EDR (Early Dispute Resolution). With the consent of the parties, he serves as an active mediator - not just a message carrier. He brings an understanding of the law, the issues, the tactics and the practical realities the parties’ face and he uses his background experience as well as creative solutions to assist the parties in resolving their disputes.

He also has extensive experience in representing companies and individuals in connection with claims brought by various regulatory bodies, including the Attorneys General of over 20 different states, and the Federal Trade Commission.  

 

In addition to his courtroom work, Bill provides pre-suit counseling to clients, helping them to improve their intellectual property protection and business practices in order to avoid or limit business risks and costly litigation.

Prior to joining Stradling, Bill was a shareholder and the managing partner of the Austin office of Jenkens & Gilchrist and a partner in two different IP litigation boutiques.

Awards and Recognition

  • Best Lawyers®, 2020 Patent Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in Austin, Texas
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Bet-the Company Litigation, Patent Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation and Commercial Litigation (multiple years)
  • Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell® – Highest possible peer review rating in legal ability and ethics for more than 35 years. He has also been given an “AV® Preeminent™” rating multiple years in the Martindale Hubble Judicial Edition®, which reflects the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards based upon confidential opinions of members of the Judiciary as well as members of the Bar
  • American Bar Foundation (Life Fellow)
  • Texas Bar Foundation (Life Fellow)
  • Austin Bar Foundation (Fellow)
  • Texas Super Lawyers, Intellectual Property and Business Litigation (multiple years)

Professional Affiliations

  • Robert W. Calvert Inn of Court, Master of the Bench 1999 - present; Executive Committee Member, 2000-2006; President, 2004/2005 term;
  • American Bar Association (Intellectual Property,  Dispute Resolution and Litigation Sections; IP Litigation Committee, Patent Litigation Committee, Trademark Litigation Committee, Mediation Committee and EDR Committee)
  • State Bar of Texas (Intellectual Property, ADR and Litigation Sections)

Experience

Lead counsel representing a technology company as plaintiff  against a group of former employees and their new company for theft of trade secrets. Resulted in a ~$25 million recovery.
Lead arbitration trial counsel representing owners of a famous Texas ranch as plaintiffs in a dispute with an oil company that polluted the ranchland. We filed claims for breach of contract, environmental contamination and for improper delivery of radioactive pipe to landowners. After years of litigation and a 4 week arbitration trial, obtained a judgment and recovered in excess of $25 million cash for the clients along with an order requiring appropriate clean-up of the pollution.  
Lead counsel representing plaintiff formulary company against a competitor and a former employee for theft of trade secret formula. Jury trial started but halted after second day of plaintiff putting on testimony. Resulted in a successful settlement for the client.
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Credentials

Education
  • The University of Texas, B.A., with Honors, 1975, Phi Beta Kappa; named The University of Texas Outstanding Student, 1974 (one male and one female awarded each year); Edward S. Guleke Student Excellence Award, 1976)
  • University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 1978
  • University of Texas School of Law Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution, Mediator Training, 2004
  • Texas
  • U.S. District Courts for the Western, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of Texas
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and for the Fifth Circuit
  • All state courts in Texas

Related Practices

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