Lisa Plisko | 480-534-4892 | Email
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Arizona commercial litigation and corporate lawyer Bill Klain represents clients in business litigation – including civil matters involving intentional torts and negligence – and in the formation and governance of corporations, limited partnerships and limited liability companies.
For over 25 years, he has successfully helped his clients navigate a wide range of disputes involving:
- Business divorces and dissolutions
- Fiduciary breaches
- Business torts
- Sales contracts
- Buy-sell agreements
- Non-compete, non-solicitation and non-disclosure agreements
- A variety of other commercial disputes
Bill is a member of the Arizona Judicial Council’s Committee on Superior Court. Previously, he served on the Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on Rules of Evidence and the Business Court Advisory Committee, which developed Arizona’s Commercial Court.
Practice Areas
Business Law
Appellate Law
Honors & Awards
AV-Preeminent® Rating, Martindale-Hubbell®
The Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation, Bet-the-Company Litigation, 2015-present
Super Lawyers: "Top 50 Arizona," 2018, 2022, 2023; Business Litigation, 2012-present
"Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona for 2023" (Complex Corporate and Commercial Litigation), AZ Business Magazine
"Top Lawyer," Phoenix Magazine, 2022, 2023
"Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona," AZ Business Magazine, 2019
Chief Justice's Outstanding Contribution to the Arizona Courts Award, 2016
State Bar of Arizona "Volunteer of the Month," April 2016
Arizona’s Finest Lawyers (Sustaining Member), 2014-present
State Bar of Arizona “Member of the Year,” 2013
Award of Excellence, Scottsdale Bar Association, 2012
State Bar of Arizona: President’s Award (Contributions to Civil Practice and Procedure), 2008
Professional Memberships and Activities
American Bar Association
State Bar of Arizona: Civil Practice and Procedure Committee (Chair, 2011-2014; member, 2000-present); Ethical Rule 1.15 Task Force; Business Section
Committee on Superior Court, Arizona Judicial Council (State Bar of Arizona Representative)
Adjunct Professor, Civil Pretrial Practice, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University, 2018-2022
Commercial Court Practices and Procedure Committee, Maricopa County Superior Court
Civil Study Committee, Maricopa County Superior Court
Coach, Veritas Preparatory Academy Mock Trial Team, 2020-2022
Commercial Court Review Committee, Arizona Supreme Court, 2018
Articles
“Meet the New Rules, (Not the) Same as the Old Rules ,” Arizona Attorney (State Bar of Arizona), December 2016
"Employee Misuse of Confidential Information," December 2014
"A Long and Winding Road: How We Reached the 2014 Amendments," Arizona Attorney
(State Bar of Arizona), February 2014
"Fixing Holes Where the Rain Gets In: Seven Recent Arizona Civil Rule Amendments Dissected," Record Reporter, February 2014
"Restrictive Covenants in Employment Agreements," January 2014
"Customer List: Not Necessarily a Trade Secret," November 2013
"Significant Differences Between Arizona and Federal Civil Procedure," May 2013
"In a Lawsuit Arising from an Online Transaction, Where Should an Unhappy Buyer File Suit?" September 2010
"Much Ado About Cullen: Twombly
Not Arizona Law ... for Now, " Arizona Attorney
(State Bar of Arizona), December 2009
"Asset Transfers and the Doctrine of Successor Liability," August 2008
Presentations
“Goodbye Peremptory Challenges: Underlying Rational, Experience to Date, and Strategic Considerations” (seminar co-chair and panelist), State Bar of Arizona “CLE by the Sea,” July 2023
“Sun Tzu and von Clausewitz in the Courtroom: Shaping the Battlefield through Dispositive Motions and Realizing that No Battle Plan Survives First Contact with the Enemy” (seminar co-chair and panelist), State Bar of Arizona “CLE by the Sea,” July 2023
“’Toto, I’ve a Feeling We’re Not in Superior Court Anymore’: Contrasting State and Federal Trial Practice and How to Avoid Losing your Appeal Before it Starts” (seminar co-chair and panelist), State Bar of Arizona “CLE by the Sea,” July 2023
“Civil Practice Update” (panelist), State Bar of Arizona, January 2023
Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Evidence Rules (panelist), Fall Meeting, 2022
Civil Practice and Procedure Symposium (panelist), State Bar of Arizona, September 2022
“Complex Civil Litigation and Tier 3 Cases in Commercial Court: Everything You’ve Always Needed
to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask!” (panelist), Maricopa County Bar Association, October 2021
“Where the Rubber Meets the Road: How the 2017 and 2018 Civil Rules Changes Are Impacting Litigation” (panelist), State Bar of Arizona, January 2019
“War Stories: Senior Litigators' Tales from the Trenches and Lessons Learned” (co-presenter), Maricopa County Bar Association Litigation and Real Estate Sections, December 2018
“2018 Civil Practice and Procedure Symposium” (seminar co-chair and panelist) State Bar of Arizona, April 2018
“Proportionality Takes Center Stage: The 2018 Revisions to the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure” (co-presenter), Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, and Sandra Day O’Connor Inn of Court, Spring 2018
“2018 Civil Justice Reforms: Case Management, ESI, and More” (panelist), State Bar of Arizona, January 2018
“Meet the New Rules: The Restyled Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure” (seminar chair and panelist), State Bar of Arizona “CLE by the Sea,” July 2017
“Better, Faster, Cheaper: Case Management Reforms Coming to a Court Near You” (panelist), State Bar of Arizona “CLE by the Sea,” July 2017
“The Changing Federal Rules: Proportionality and More” (seminar chair and panelist), State Bar of Arizona “CLE by the Sea,” July 2017
“Under New Management: Case Management Reform Rule Changes” (panelist), State Bar of Arizona Convention, June 2017
"Evidence Law Update" (panelist), State Bar of Arizona Convention, June 2015-2018
“2017 Civil Rules Changes: What Every Litigator Needs to Know” (co-presenter), Maricopa County Bar Association, February 2017
“A Time of Change: The 2017 ARCP Revisions” (panelist), Scottsdale Bar Association, February 2017
“2017 Civil Rules Update” (co-presenter), Arizona Attorney General’s Office, February 2017
“Evidence Law Update Reprise” (panelist), State Bar of Arizona, February 2017
“A Time of Change: The 2017 ARCP Revisions, and Proposals for 2018” (faculty member), State Bar of Arizona, January 2016
"Civil Law Updates" (faculty member), Arizona Judicial Conference, June 2016
“Where We’re Going, We Still Need Rules: Back to the Future in Civil Litigation” (panelist), State Bar of Arizona Convention, June 2016
“Sea Changes in the Federal and Arizona Rules of Civil procedure: The Winter 2016 Civil Rules Update” (panelist), State Bar of Arizona, February 2016
“2015 Amendments to the Arizona and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,” Chair and Co-Presenter, Arizona Attorney General’s Office, January 2016
“Civil Litigation Rules and Case Law Update” (panelist), State Bar of Arizona Convention, June 2015
“2015 Civil Practice and Procedure Symposium,” State Bar of Arizona, Seminar Chair and Panelist, April 2015
“The Rules They Are A-Changin’ (Again): 2015 Arizona Civil Rules Update,” State Bar of Arizona, Panelist, January 2015
Court Admissions
All Arizona Courts
U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Colorado State Courts
Education
J.D., University of Denver, 1994
B.S., University of Richmond, 1991
Birthplace
Mexico City