Bill Gericke is a veteran trial lawyer. His practice focuses on representing lawyers and law firms in federal and state courts and disciplinary agencies in actions for civil liability, in professional ethics and responsibility matters, and in risk management. Bill also served as the first conflicts counsel to the firm. In that role, he analyzed new business to identify potential conflicts and facilitated their resolution in accordance with the rules of professional conduct. Before joining the Legal Profession Services group, Bill prosecuted complex fire, construction defect, product liability, and water damage cases. Bill’s extensive experience as a trial lawyer combined with his concentration in the law governing the liabilities and responsibilities of lawyers enables him to both counsel and protect his lawyer and law firm clients in the challenging environment of legal practice.
Bill is admitted in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the state of New Jersey. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey. Bill has successfully tried cases in state and federal courts throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, as well as Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Puerto Rico by way of pro hac vice admission.
Bill is certified by the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas to serve as an arbitrator for cases in the Common Pleas Court. He is a frequent lecturer on issues of legal ethics and professional responsibility. He sits on the Professional Guidance Committee for the Philadelphia Bar Association and is a member of the American, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia bar associations as well as the National Fire Protection Association.
Bill earned his Bachelor of Arts from Swarthmore College in 1984 and his law degree from Rutgers University in 1993 where he received the American Jurisprudence Award for Business Organizations.