William Bernstein

William Bernstein has practiced law for more than three decades. Who’s Who Legal called him, “a leader in the plaintiffs’ bar in the fields of complex civil litigation, antitrust, and consumer protection law.”

Notable cases Bill has litigated include price-fixing suits against pharmaceutical companies on behalf of retail pharmacies, consumer claims against the world’s largest vitamin manufacturers for crafting a global “vitamins cartel,” charges against natural gas and energy companies for manipulating the price of natural gas and electricity in California during the California energy crisis of 2000-2001, and qui tam claims against the Sutter hospital system for anesthesia service overcharges. These cases, in total, resulted in over $1.3 billion in settlements for consumers and businesses.

Bill also oversaw negotiations in the landmark settlement and injunction against De Beers for monopolizing the trade of rough diamonds in the U.S. for nearly 60 years. As featured in the 2008 Plaintiffs Hot List, The National Law Journal wrote,

The plaintiffs’ firms’ pluck, and some luck, resulted in a $295 million settlement for De Beers’ customers [and] secured De Beers’ pledge to abide by federal and state antitrust laws and accept court oversight to ensure compliance.

Bill teaches settlement law as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco. Bill has been repeatedly recognized as a “Super Lawyer for Northern California” by Super Lawyers magazine.

Published Works

• The Rise and Fall of Enron's One-To-Many Trading Platform, American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section, Annual Spring Meeting, 2005
• Effective Use of Class Action Procedures in California Toxic Tort Litigation, Hastings West-Northwest Journal of Environmental and Toxic Torts Law and Policy, No. 3, Spring 1996

Classes/Seminars

•Law of Settlements, University of San Francisco, School of Law, 2006 - Present

Honors and Awards

•AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
• California Litigation Star, Benchmark Plaintiff (ranked as one of California's leading litigators in antitrust law)
•Selected for inclusion by peers in The Best Lawyers in America in field of Litigation - Antitrust, 2013 - 2020
• Super Lawyer for Northern California, Super Lawyers, 2004 - 2019
• Consumer Attorney of the Year Finalist, Consumer Attorneys of California, 2014
• Top Attorneys In Antitrust Law, Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition, 2010, 2012
• Lawdragon Finalist, Lawdragon, 2009 - 2011
•Princeton Premier Registry, Business Leaders and Professionals, 2008 - 2009
• Top 100 Trial Lawyers in California, American Trial Lawyers Association, 2008
•Who's Who Legal, 2007
•Unsung Hero Award, Appleseed, 2006

Past Employment

•Marin Superior Court, Discovery Referee, 1984 - 1989
•Superior Court of Marin, Arbitrator, 1984 - 1990
•San Francisco Superior Court, Judge Pro Tem, 2000 - Present
•Marin Municipal Court, 1984

In the News

•August 15, 2019
Best Lawyers Names 21 Lieff Cabraser Lawyers to its 2020 Listings
•August 21, 2014
17 Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Listed in 2015 Best Lawyers America
•July 8, 2014
22 Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Selected as 2014 Northern California Super Lawyers or Rising Stars
•July 18, 2013
23 Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Selected as 2013 Northern California Super Lawyers or Rising Stars