Bill Carmody
PARTNER
With the trial of a generation captivating the nation, ABC News needed an authority on jury psychology. As millions tuned into the O.J. Simpson murder trial, ABC wanted America to see how jurors really make decisions. So they turned to Bill Carmody, a heralded Texas trial lawyer renowned for his use of mock trials, as he was preparing for a long-shot trial for a fired steelworker. ABC filmed Bill’s presentations to mock jurors and captured their deliberations. The footage aired nationwide—and Bill used it, too. At a last-minute mediation, he played ABC’s tape of the mock jury’s deliberations, and his client walked away with a substantial settlement.
In the decades since, Bill’s reputation has only grown. Today he is a nationally recognized trial lawyer who tries bet-the-company cases for plaintiffs and defendants across America. He’s a member of Susman Godfrey’s Executive Committee and heads its New York office. Bill is best known for stepping into high-stakes trials shortly before they are set to begin and betting on his results. Carmody is described as “a pure trial lawyer whose core skill set is persuading a lay jury in a complex business case,” and a storyteller with a “preternatural ability” to connect with juries. Click for press coverage.
RECENT WORK
In the last year, Bill tried three of America’s biggest civil cases: The NFL Sunday Ticket Antitrust Litigation, the City of Baltimore’s opioids cases, and the largest privacy class action against Google. His accomplishments earned him the National Law Journal’s “2025 Plaintiff’s Attorney of the Year,” an honoree in Bloomberg Law’s 2025 Unrivaled, and the New York Law Journal’s “2025 Attorney of the Year.”
“Part of Bill’s strength with a jury is the fact that he doesn’t make mistakes, he doesn’t get his credibility undermined. And that, combined with his ability to connect with the jury, is very powerful…Carmody is an archetype of the trial lawyer.”
David Boies, Boies Schiller Flexner
2025: Co-lead counsel with David Boies, winning a record $425.7M jury verdict against Google. This is the largest jury verdict against Google and a landmark privacy verdict. With equitable relief still pending, final judgment has yet to be entered. Click for press coverage.
2024: Lead trial counsel in the NFL Sunday Ticket Antitrust Litigation, where the jury delivered a historic $4.7B verdict—the largest antitrust award ever. Though the court later vacated the verdict, the jury’s finding that the NFL violated antitrust law remains intact. The case is now on appeal. Click for press coverage.
Susman Godfrey team.
2024: For the City of Baltimore, amassed record opioid settlements topping $427M. Then, won a jury verdict of $266M and $100M at a later bench trial. After both trials, agreed to a reduced final judgment of $152.4M. Click for press coverage.
2023: In hedge fund legend Louis Bacon’s high-profile defamation suit against Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygård, won a $203M judgment—the largest defamation award in New York State history. Though later vacated, Bacon is pursuing reinstatement. Click for press coverage.
2023: In the LIBOR Antitrust Litigation, Bill is co-lead class counsel for Yale University and investors nationwide. From the trial court to the U.S. Supreme Court, Bill and his team certified a national class, and in ‘23 racked up additional settlements bringing the total to $781M. Recently, the court granted summary judgment for the remaining defendants and that judgment is on appeal. Click for press coverage.
2022: Brought in one month before trial to defend IAC and Match Group against the Tinder founders’ multibillion-dollar claims. After weeks of trial and on the eve of a jury decision, resolved the matter with a $441M settlement covering multiple cases. Click for press coverage.
2021: Represented WeWork founder Adam Neumann in his billion-dollar clash with SoftBank. On the eve of trial, reached a confidential settlement where SoftBank reportedly paid $1B to shareholders plus $50M in Neumann’s legal fees. Considered to be one of the century’s largest individual claims. Click for press coverage.
2019-2020: When California’s largest municipalities were overcharged by the “Big 3” wireless carriers, Bill stepped in as co-lead counsel and led the settlement process, recovering total settlements of $175M. Click for press coverage.
2018: Lead trial counsel for Uber in the “tech trial of the century“ against Google’s Waymo, who sought billions, claiming Uber stole its self-driving car technology. After Bill’s public and private opening statements and four days of evidence, the case ended in a confidential settlement where Uber reportedly paid $245M to dismiss all claims. Click for press coverage.
2017: Stepped in before trial to defend General Electric against the State of Nebraska’s Finance Authority, prevailing with a judgment in GE’s favor worth $160M. Click for press coverage.
2017: Facing $8 billion in claims in the Fairfax litigation, Dan Loeb and his hedge fund Third Point prevailed when Bill and his team delivered a knockout — securing a summary judgment victory that was affirmed in 2017 by the New Jersey Supreme Court. Click for press coverage.
2016: Bill was brought in late to defend two art dealers in a trial where the plaintiff sued for tens of millions of dollars over Sotheby’s sale of the “Red Rothko.” A Dallas jury awarded the plaintiff only $500,000. And in 2016, the Fifth Circuit reversed the verdict entirely, dismissing the case. Click for press coverage.
2015: On behalf of a pharmaceutical industry whistleblower, Bill and his team prosecuted novel anti-kick-back claims in the Novartis qui tam litigation that resulted in total settlements of $465 million—the largest recovery of its kind. Click for press coverage.
BET YOUR BUSINESS LITIGATION
Whether representing plaintiffs or defendants, Bill puts his money where his mouth is by betting on his ability to win for his clients. A pioneer in structuring success-based fee deals, he aligns his interests with those of his clients by making his fees dependent on the results he gets – and not on hours billed. Click for press coverage. It’s a creative approach to billing in a profession that doesn’t often stray outside the box.
That’s never been a problem for Bill, whose bold and creative trial tactics have earned the respect of his peers, the media, and legal educators. Carmody previously taught Trial Advocacy at Southern Methodist University School of Law and served on the law school’s Executive Board. He also served on the Board of Trustees of The University of Tulsa. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, and a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.
Carmody is ranked in both the Chambers Global and Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers, including Nationwide Trial Lawyers and General Commercial Litigation. In New York, Bill is named one of three “Star Individuals.” According to Chambers:
“Clients call on Bill for big high-stakes matters. He’s the real deal.”
“Bill Carmody is on every client’s shortlist if there is a case to try…A leader, strategist and negotiator. If you want to win, you want Bill on your side.”
“He is a natural leader who has tremendous credibility with judges and juries.”
Clients praise Carmody as a “born trial lawyer,” and highly rate his ability to “swoop into a complicated case, master it, and try it … He can turn complex legal matters into a telling story, and he then finds stories that resonate with the jury.”
“He’s a force of nature: a strategic thinker, a problem solver and hired-gun trial lawyer extraordinaire.”
Bill is routinely included in Benchmark’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers. In 2021, ‘22, and ‘23, Benchmark placed him on its shortlist – of five to six lawyers –for National Trial Lawyer of the Year. According to Benchmark, Carmody is a “universally recognized and nationally hired” trial lawyer, and here’s how his peers describe him:
“When you hire him, your metric should not just be ‘How much do I want to win?’ but more ‘How much can I afford to lose?’ If the answer is ‘I can’t,’ you should hire Bill.”
“Of all the lawyers I’ve worked with in all my years, this guy [Carmody] was the best in every respect. As a trial lawyer he could do it all. He’s based in New York now but stylistically was absolutely ‘Texas hot!’ He is just in another league.”
‘Carmody is listed in The Best Lawyers in America in seven categories, including Bet-the-Company Litigation. Bill’s been named to the National Law Journal’s lists of Elite Trial Lawyers and Plaintiffs’ Attorney Trailblazers. He is also listed in Who’s Who Legal in Commercial Litigation. His peers have voted him both a “New York Super Lawyer” and a “Texas Super Lawyer” and he’s listed in The Legal 500, in addition to being selected among America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators by America’s Top 100. Carmody’s been honored by Law360 as one of its 10 Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar. He is also perennially listed in the Lawdragon 500, the guide to America’s leading 500 lawyers. Lawdragon also lauded him as one of its 41 Legal Legends and inducted him into its Hall of Fame.
Carmody appears frequently in national and international media, and his trials have been featured in hundreds of publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Financial Times, Business Week, Bloomberg, The National Law Journal, and The American Lawyer. He has been profiled by Lawdragon in its “Producers” series, by Law 360 for its “Trial Pro” series, and by Forbes. While his trial tactics and betting on his clients’ results have received widespread acclaim, most important to Bill and his clients are the victories earned in the courtroom – and here are a few.
“Bill has a terrific ability to integrate his sense of how things will play out in a courtroom with a broader, strategic sense of a client’s business. While there are always concerns about bringing in a new counsel right before trial, when Carmody’s team parachutes into a case it’s full and intense immersion and it’s astonishing how quickly they can get their arms around the full factual and legal issues.”
Bradford Berenson, General Counsel, TPG
SELECTED CASE BRIEFS
Dare To Be Different
“I’ve dealt with lots of trial lawyers and, by far, Bill Carmody is the best I’ve ever seen.”
In a huge defense victory, Bill orchestrated an unconventional move to defeat a local hero in his hometown court. Carmody’s client, a small Dallas investment brokerage, got sued for over $50 million. A loss was sure to break the company. The plaintiff was a “big fish” businessman who had sued in his “small pond,” the little town of Rockport, Texas.
The case stood second on the trial docket. If the first case went as set, Carmody’s case would be bumped for months. A postponement could have cost the defendant brokerage an advantage it had gained during discovery: Bill was able to shield his client’s key expert from deposition. So, the opposition was ill prepared for the expert’s trial testimony. If Bill’s case was reset, the opposition would be able to depose the expert and erase their disadvantage.
To prevent this, Bill took the unprecedented step of brokering a deal in which his client funded a $180,000 settlement of another case, the first case on the court’s trial docket. This enabled Carmody’s case to be tried while his client still had the edge. Bill did go to trial and won a resounding take-nothing judgment – and jury debriefing confirmed the deciding role of the key expert’s testimony. Bill’s client also won a counterclaim of almost $700,000.
Despite the plaintiff’s vigorous attempts to overturn the take-nothing judgment, this remarkable victory withstood appellate scrutiny; it was affirmed by both the Corpus Christi Court of Appeals and the Texas Supreme Court. Wowed with Carmody’s results throughout the trial and appellate process, the company’s CEO remarked: “I’ve dealt with lots of trial lawyers and, by far, Bill Carmody is the best I’ve ever seen.” Bill Woodruff, CEO, Wm. K. Woodruff and Co., Dallas, Texas.
For media coverage of the brokered settlement, see National Law Journal, February 2, 1998, “Two Texas Litigators Leapfrog to Trial Win.”
David Beats Goliath
“Any firm can supply lots of bodies. I’d rather have just one brain like Bill Carmody’s.”
By exploiting evidence of unsafe working conditions, Bill helped a small contractor conquer a multi-national conglomerate. This “David v. Goliath” scenario pitted Carmody’s plaintiff client against one of the world’s largest oil companies. The case centered around the defendant’s refusal to pay for refinery construction work performed by the plaintiff in El Paso. But Bill capitalized on a then-favorable venue provision to haul the case more than 800 miles away, to Beaumont, which was still raw from the oil company’s recent layoff of hundreds of workers.
The case was originally viewed only as a million-dollar breach of contract claim, yet Carmody identified a wholly different type of claim that his client’s previous lawyers had missed. The claim seized on the oil company’s most vulnerable conduct – its disregard for worker safety. The argument was novel: The defendant’s false assurances of safe working conditions inside crude oil towers constituted fraudulent misrepresentations. While the workers’ injury claims were clear, it wasn’t clear how Bill’s client’s had standing to raise them. That was until Bill connected the dots – the workers’ injuries triggered his clients own financial injury hidden in the form of increased workers compensation premiums.
Then, Bill flipped the script. For two months in a Beaumont courtroom, he transformed trial into theater. All exhibits were pre-admitted and never touched in court, setting the stage for a fast-moving paperless trial – one where every document, photo, and video came to life on a big screen. And to drive home what really happened inside the refinery, he built a full-size quarter section of a crude oil tower in the courtroom – exposing the dangers the oil company concealed. The case ceased being about his client’s workmanship and became one centering on the oil company’s misrepresentations of safe work conditions. This allowed Bill to tell a story about the oil company putting profits ahead of worker safety, one that hit home with the working-class jury that returned a verdict of $61 million. To cash in on this big verdict, Bill quickly negotiated a substantial confidential settlement on behalf of his client. The client’s reaction to this happy ending? “Any firm can supply lots of bodies. I’d rather have just one brain like Bill Carmody’s.” Jerry Strickland, CEO, AltairStrickland, Inc., Houston, Texas.
See, National Law Journal, February 10, 1997, “The Big Numbers of 1996” and Dallas Business Journal, January 17-23, 1997, “Carmody Firm May be Tiny, but Judgment was Mighty.”
Eleventh Hour Save
“It’s never too late to bring in Bill Carmody.”
In a perfect world, a lawyer would always have unlimited time and resources to prepare for trial. But the world is not perfect and, often, time is not on your side. In a case where Bill suited up for the defense, he demonstrated the experience and guts required to take over and win big at the eleventh hour.
The case arose when a small life insurance company was sued in a class action case by 25,000 of its policyholders. The plaintiff class alleged that the insurer had breached the terms of its policies, causing the plaintiffs to be overcharged for their insurance. The class sought $108 million in damages. In this bet-your-company case, a loss could have wiped out the company’s net worth – and forced a shutdown.
The case had been pending for five years, as the insurance company was represented by a large, full-service law firm. But with the make-or-break trial looming, the insurance company decided it needed a proven trial lawyer – someone who made his bones in the courtroom.
So, just 6 days before trial, the insurer asked Bill to try the case. He quickly learned the case cold, devised the trial strategy, and presented the case during an eight-day jury trial. The jury promptly and unanimously delivered a complete defense verdict – and the case was dismissed. Given a new lease on life, the company heaved a sigh of relief and its General Counsel praised Carmody’s command: “Just six days before trial, most lawyers would have refused to take the case. But Bill Carmody thought of, and seized upon, every tactical advantage. Bill was a clutch performer winning us an incredible trial victory. It’s never too late to bring in Bill Carmody.” Bryan R. Newcombe, General Counsel, Legal & General America, Inc., Rockville, Maryland.
See, The American Lawyer, Sept. 2007, Big Suits, “Beller et al. v. William Penn.”
TRIAL REFERENCES
It’s one thing just to read about the way Bill Carmody tries a case. But the best proof of his unique approach comes from talking to people who have actually seen Carmody at work. The following people are clients who have hired Carmody to represent them, lawyers who tried a case with or against him, and judges who presided over one of Carmody’s trials.
| Clients |
|---|
| Brad Berenson General Counsel TPG San Francisco, CA 415-743-6363 Richard Heyman CEO Seragon Pharmaceuticals San Diego, CA 858-735-4581 Chris Moore General Counsel Angelo Gordon New York, NY 212-962-2009 Robert Mnuchin CEO Mnuchin Gallery New York, NY 212-861-6269 Bryan Newcombe Gen. Counsel Legal & General America Rockville, MD 301-294-6968 Josh Targoff General Counsel Third Point LLC New York, NY 212-715-3403 Ebony Thompson Solicitor The City of Baltimore 410-396-8393 |
| Co-counsel |
| Daryl Barger Hartline, Dacus, Barger, Dreyer & Kern Corpus Christi, TX 361-866-8009 David Boies Boies Schiller Flexner New York, NY 212-446-2300 Mike Carlinsky Quinn Emanuel New York, NY 212-849-7000 Nancy Chung Sidley New York, NY 212-839-6070 Matthew Dontzin Dontzin, Kolbe & Fleissig New York, NY 212-717-2900 Joe Walsh Walsh Pancio Philadelphia, PA 215-527-1277 |
| Opposing Counsel |
| David Beck Beck, Redden & Secrest Houston, Texas 713-951-3700 Josh Dubin Dubin Law New York, New York 212-219-1469 Barry McNeil Haynes and Boone Dallas, Texas 214-651-5000 Daniel Slifkin Cravath, Swaine & Moore New York, New York 212-474-1404 Orin Synder Gibson Dunn New York, New York 212-351-2400 Jeffrey Tillotson Tillotson Law Firm Dallas, Texas 214-382-3040 Charles Verhoeven Quinn Emanuel San Francisco, California 415-875-6600 |
| Judges |
| Hon. William Alsup U.S. District Court San Francisco, California 415-522-2020 Hon. David Godbey U.S. District Court Dallas, Texas 214-753-2700 Hon. Marilyn Huff U.S. District Court San Diego, California 619-557-6016 Hon. William J. Monahan Santa Clara Superior Court San Jose, CA 408-882-2270 Hon. Lorna G. Schofield U.S. District Court New York, New York 212-805-0288 Hon. Steven C. Tolliver Montgomery Co. Ct. of Common Pleas Norristown, PA 484-674-6500 |
†Bill has been listed in Lawdragon 500 (Lawdragon Lawyer Profiles and Legal News) since its inception in 2003. Super Lawyers are published in Law & Politics Magazine by Thomson Reuters. Bill was a Texas Super Lawyer from 2003 to 2006 and a New York Super Lawyer from 2008 through 2018. Bill has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America (published by Woodward White Inc.) since 2004.
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