About William H. McKenzie, IV
William is a nationally sought-after trial attorney and an industry thought leader for results-based communication. He has litigated matters in 29 different states (over 50 cases in Federal Court alone), 100’s of cases in state courts, multiple arbitrations, and won in the Alabama Supreme Court. He is valued as a confident problem solver and personable tactician. William has become:
- National Coverage Counsel for One of the World’s Largest Hotel Chains
- Trial Counsel for a Fortune 100 Food Company
- Trial Counsel for a Fortune 100 Media Company
- Trial Counsel for a Fortune 500 Transportation Company
- Panel Counsel for 10+ Major Insurance Companies
- Trial Counsel for the Nation’s Largest Full Truckload Carrier
- Trial Counsel for One of the Nation’s Top 5 Largest Privately-Held Companies
He began his career with a prominent litigation firm and joined NWKT as an equity partner in 2012 so he could leverage the efficiency, freedom, and rates of a small firm. After achieving great results in Alabama cases, William was asked by his clients to obtain special admission in other states to serve as lead trial counsel across the country. He now enjoys a cutting-edge national practice out of his tight-knit firm in Alabama – ultimately leading him to win one of the most important trials in the U.S. Southern District of New York in 2021.
William has created game-changing caselaw for his clients featured in Yale Law Review, Law360®, and he has been cited in numerous other industry publications by the International Association of Defense Counsel, Defense Research Institute, and Business Alabama magazine. William has been nationally published twice recently in DRI’s For the Defense Magazine after being asked to share his proven trial tactics with the National Defense Bar: The Hidden Forces of Litigation Success How the Unseen Determines the Outcome – For the Defense (Jan. 2024) and Leveraging The Strengths Of Your Case To Win At Trial – For the Defense (Nov. & Dec. 2022). William serves as a national keynote speaker on a variety of emerging litigation topics, communication tactics, and trial strategy before several industry groups including the Harmonie Group, DRI, RIMS, PLRB, Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys, and the Atlantic Claims Executive Association. He has obtained Martindale-Hubbell’s “AV- Preeminent” status which is its highest peer-reviewed rating for professional excellence.
Most importantly: William is happily married, a proud father of three children, and loves serving with his church. William coaches his kids’ sports teams and is an avid hunter and fly fisherman. He lives every day with great joy!
Some of William’s recent national cases (outside of his home states of Alabama and Mississippi) include:
- Starr Indem. & Liab. Co. v. Choice Hotels Int’l, Inc., No. 20-CV-3172 (PKC), 2021 WL 2457107, at *1 (S.D.N.Y. June 16, 2021)
- Won at Trial
- Millers Cap. Ins. Co. v. Vasant, et al. No. CV RDB-18-0553, 2018 WL 5295899, at *1 (D. Md. Oct. 25, 2018)
- Won on Summary Judgment
- Nautilus Ins. Co. v. Best Eastern, et al. 7:20-cv-00065-HL (M.D. Ga. 2020)
- Favorable Dismissal
- Owners Ins. Co. v. Choice Hotels Int’l, Inc., No. 5:20-cv-00021 (E.D. N.C. 2021)
- Won on Summary Judgment (March 4, 2022)
- Great Lakes Ins. SE v. EHP Columbus II, LLC et al., No. 1:21-cv-2948 (S.D. Ind. 2021)
- Favorable Dismissal
- University of Mississippi- B.B.A. Finance (with distinction)- 2002
- University of Mississippi- Juris Doctorate (with distinction)- 2005
Alabama (All State, Federal and Appellate Courts)
Mississippi (All State, Federal and Appellate Courts)
*Special Admission to all U.S. States (obtained on per case basis)
William’s dynamic yet down-to-earth personality enables him to effectively frame issues to the Court and persuade the jury. In resolving matters pre-suit, William’s financial background, vast jury trial experience, and insurance coverage knowledge help him to quickly identify leverage points to win. Core to William’s success is that he is a life-long learner, extremely competitive, and an early adopter of technology.
His discrete clientele includes transportation companies, manufacturers, construction companies, hospitality, retailers, and food suppliers. William’s substantial insurance practice (handling bad faith, coverage, extra-contractual, catastrophic personal injury torts, trucking and transportation, wrongful death, and bet-the-company exposures) rounds out his robust practice.
If you hate wasting time and want to cut to the heart of a matter, William is your lawyer. He is a high-energy problem solver. William was selected to the Mid-South Super Lawyers® and Alabama Super Lawyers® list (2012-2022).
Accolades
