Bernard A. Williams, Esq.
Bernard A. Williams, Esq.
Bernard A. Williams is the founder of the Company Counsel, LLC, where he focuses his practice on representing local and regional small business owners. His areas of specialization include complex commercial litigation and business disputes, general civil litigation, management consulting, and employment law.
Before forming Company Counsel, Mr. Williams was a Partner at the Legis Group, LLC, a law firm located in Philadelphia. Before joining the Legis Group, Mr. Williams was the owner and general counsel of More Likely To Succeed, Inc., an educational services company in the greater Philadelphia area that specialized in test preparation and college counseling.
Prior to his entrepreneurial endeavor, Mr. Williams was a senior associate in the Commercial Litigation Practice Group at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, located in Philadelphia. Mr. Williams entered private practice as an associate in the Litigation Department at Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP, located in New York, where he represented multinational corporate clients on a variety of business disputes in federal and state courts, as well as administrative agencies and regulatory authorities. Prior to that, Mr. Williams served as a law clerk to the Honorable Theodore McMillian of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Mr. Williams is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Barristers’ Association, and the National Bar Association.
Mr. Williams received his bachelor’s degree from American University and his J.D. from New York University School of Law, where he served as staff editor and associate editor on the NYU Law Review.
Mr. Williams also published an article entitled “Written Discovery Strategies in Civil Litigation” in the summer of 2013.
AWARDS
- 2017 Rising Star, SuperLawyers
- 2016 Rising Star, SuperLawyers
- Authentic Servant Leadership Award, On BLAST (2015)
- Justin D. Simons Core Values Award, Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky (2006)
- Arthur T. Vanderbilt Medal, New York University (2001)
BOARD SERVICE
- The Business Center, Chairperson, Board of Directors
- Entrepreneurs Forum
- Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia, Board Member (2015 – 2019)
ASSOCIATIONS
- Philadelphia Bar Association
- Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia
- Eastern Minority Supplier Diversity Council
PUBLICATIONS
- “Written Discovery Strategies in Civil Litigation,” Pretrial Practice Series: Discovery Strategy, Pennsylvania Bar Institute (2013)
- “Guilty Until Proven Innocent,” Journal of Law and Politics (2002)
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- “How To Start A Business,” Third Annual Economic Empowerment Business Summit (2020)
- “How Was I Supposed to Know That? What Not to Do When Growing a Business” (2019)
- “Starting a Small Business,” Northwest Economic Empowerment Business Summit (2018)
- “Youth Entrepreneurship,” Youth and Money Summer Entrepreneurship Program (2017, 2018)
- “Planning Ahead to Protect Your Growing Business,” National Black MBA Conference (2017)
- “Who’s Really Running Your Business” (2017)
- “Minimizing Risk and Protecting Your Intellectual Property,” MED Week (2016, 2017)
- “The Art of Negotiating Employment Agreements” (2016)
- “Building Your Business to Your Exit Plan” (2015)
- “Corporate Structures for External Capital” (2015)
- “Employment Law Basics” (2015)
- “Understanding Contracts,” Business Law 101 (2015)
- “Forming Your New Business Entity,” Business Law 101 (2015)
- “Trying a Case in State Court from Start to Finish,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute (2014)
- “30-Hour Business Planning Intensive” (2014)
- “Discovery Strategy,” Pretrial Practice Series, Pennsylvania Bar Institute (2013)
- “Top 10 Legal Pitfalls for Small Businesses” (2013)
- “Race, Gender and Disability Bias in the Workplace” (2005)
- “Career Development for Diverse Attorneys” (2005)
- “Diversity in the Legal Profession” (2004)
- “Intercultural Differences in the Workplace” (2004)
- “Strategic Partnerships Webinar”(2020)
