Narrative

Attorneys at Cellino & Barnes take pride in aggressively representing every injured client. We stand up to anyone from multinational insurance corporations to local attorneys -- in court or across a settlement table. Defendants test our resolve in every case, including the complex litigation work that defines my professional services as a partner at Cellino & Barnes.

Complex litigation takes on many forms representing Vioxx victims against pharmaceutical giant Merck, Celebrex victims against Pfizer, and defective device victims against Guidant and Medtronic , to name just a few examples and calls on your attorney to face down multinational corporations and their nearly unlimited litigation resources. To the corporations, a victim is just an expense on a balance sheet. We never forget that you are a person, our client, and we make the corporations feel our resolve.

Prior to coordinating complex litigation for Cellino & Barnes, I served the State of California by litigating a taxpayer action valued at $135 million annually, civilly prosecuting a multinational securities firm to the result of a $32 million settlement and resolving the largest civil rights action in the state's history. Having returned to New York to raise my family, I now exclusively represent individuals injured both personally and economically in conventional, multidistrict, class action and shareholder derivative litigations. I represent my clients before the state and federal trial courts, on appeal through the Supreme Court of the United States, and am admitted to the bars of New York, California and the District of Columbia.

I joined Cellino & Barnes because the attorneys here serve their clients with resolve from filing the first claim, through trial or settlement and, as necessary, before the appellate courts. Too many firms lack the resolve or the resources to protect a client's interests at all possible stages of litigation. Cellino & Barnes, Western New York's largest personal injury firm, gives me the ability to level the playing field against the corporate giants. I would be honored to devote my experience and our resources to achieving the best possible results for your complex litigation claim.

Education

• B.A. – University of California at Berkeley (1994)
• J.D. – University of California, Hastings College of Law (1998)
• Licensed to practice law in New York, California, the District of Columbia and Court of Federal Claims.

Experience

• Trial attorney, Cellino & Barnes (2005 - Present)
• Managing Partner, Williams Walston, LLP (2004-2005)
• State of California Department of Justice, Deputy Attorney General (1999-2004)

Honors and Professional Organizations

• State Bar Association of California
• District of Columbia Bar Association
• Member of California Attorney General’s 2004 Team of the Year
• Named Statewide Coordinator re civil rights defense issues (2001-2003)

Published Articles/Lectures

• Published internal tort defense handbook for civil rights actions while with the California Attorney General’s office.
• Lectured civil rights tort defense actions to attorneys for Mandatory Continuing Legal Education credits.
• Presented materials on civil rights to the California Department of Corrections, California Youth Authority and Youth and Correctional Authority.

Community/Military Service

• U.S. Army.  Seved in the military police as a military police investigator and as a Quick Reaction Force team leader in Germany, Honduras and at Fort Drum (1985-1989).
• Oregon and California National Guard as military police, medic and mechanized infantry. (Service included active duty for 1992 riots in Los Angeles).
• Pro bono attorney services in the areas of civil litigation, landlord-tenant and family law.

Personal

• I reside in Western New York with my wife and 3 children. I enjoy spending time with my kids and family, including activities like camping, working out, playing football and other sports. In my personal time, I like to read science fiction and fantasy novels, play table-top war games and design similar gaming systems and campaigns.

[Attorney Williams represents clients in mass tort actions, including Vioxx, Baycol, Avandia, Accutane and more.]