When I meet with a client for the first time, I always want to understand their business and their end game. I don’t look at a case just to see how to win it. I want to know where my client wants to be with their business once all is said and done. That’s my primary focus.
William Brabec is a trial attorney who has advised clients in hundreds of trials – including more than 50 trials to verdict – in complex litigation in state and federal courts in Mississippi. He represents financial institutions – including regional, national and multinational banks – in a full range of disputes, including those involving transfers of funds and deposit issues, large trusts, and complex creditor’s rights issues. He also advises a variety of business clients in commercial litigation involving contractual disputes, trademarks, fiduciaries, trade secrets, non-competition agreements, securities fraud, shareholders’ rights, professional errors and omissions, and director and officer liability.
Bill has deep experience in insurance counseling and litigation for admitted surplus lines and excess insurers and re-insurers, as well as complex class actions, multidistrict litigation and mass-joined claims. He has also defended oil and gas exploration companies in multiple well-fire and well-failure cases.
Bill is a frequent speaker on the subjects of civil trial practice and procedure, as well as insurance law and practice.
Education
Bar Admissions
Areas of Practice
Acknowledgements
Bill has been named to Mid-South Super Lawyers® in Business Litigation; Chambers USA in General Commercial Litigation; and Best Lawyers® in Insurance Law. Bill is a Senior Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America and Order of the Juris.
Professional Affiliations & Memberships
- Mississippi Bar Association, Group Insurance Committee
- Federal Bar Association
- Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
- Charles Clark Chapter of American Inns of Court
- Capital Area Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute, Committees - Products Liability, Excess/Reinsurance, Insurance Coverage
- Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association
- Trial Law Institute
- Diversity Law Institute
- Mississippi Oil and Gas Lawyers Association
News
- Representation of a title insurance company in multiple actions including a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme by one of its agents. In re Evans, United States Bankruptcy Court Southern District of Mississippi.
- Representation of the trust department of a large regional bank in an action challenging the suitability of certain investments by the bank, as trustee. Kay Hand Adams vs. Regions Bank.
- Representation of minority owners in shareholder’s derivative action involving a large multi-state agricultural warehousing business, which asserted claims of breach of fiduciary duty and usurpation of corporate opportunities, resulting in the appointment of a conservator, the return of improperly converted assets and a complete restricting of the business. Jackie Cascio Pearson, et al. vs. Phillip T. Cascio, Jr., et al., Washington County, Mississippi.
- Representation of a large national insurer in multiple class actions filed in federal court by body shops alleging unfair claims practices by insurers in adjusting automobile repair claims. Capitol Body Shop, et al. vs. Progressive Insurance Company, et al., U.S. District Court (S.D. Miss.).
- Representation of former officers and directors of a start-up biofuels company against allegations of fraud by the State of Mississippi in acquiring a $75 million loan from the Mississippi Development Authority. Attorney General “Jim” Hood vs. Fred Cannon, et al., Hinds County, Mississippi.
- Representation of a business in enforcing a non-competition agreement in recovering one of the first post-tort reform judgments for punitive damages. Cascio Investments LLC vs. Cascio, Washington County, Mississippi.
- Representation of a community bank in successfully defending an action to recover funds allegedly misspent without authority from a conservatorship account. Newsome v. Peoples Bank, Simpson County, Mississippi.