Bill Carpenter

Bill Carpenter

Attorney

Bill Carpenter began his commercial litigation practice at McCutchen, Doyle, Brown & Enersen in San Francisco, where he engaged in a variety of practice areas including insurance coverage litigation, product liability, and mass torts (the 101 California shooting). At Doherty, Rumble & Butler in St. Paul, he handled litigation for the firm’s California coop clients, and also worked on matters for coop clients and other clients locally. Now at Briol for more than 20 years (having joined the firm in 1999), Bill has litigated and tried a wide variety of civil cases, including business litigation of all kinds, breach of contract, business torts, defamation, shareholder rights, employment rights, property rights, as well as securities fraud arbitrations, trust and estates disputes, and divorce.

Serving as lead litigation attorney in a variety of cases, Bill evaluates the client’s legal position, consults with the client, prepares pleadings, conducts motion practice, and prepares and tries cases in collaboration with Mark Briol, whose unique trial skills make the difference for the client.  

Bill went to law school to make use of his academic experience, both in scholarship and teaching, but he has not forgotten his literary interests. He has recently published an epic poem, Eþandun, about young King Alfred’s struggle with the invading pagan Danes in 878, which a reviewer called “The Real Game of Thrones.” He enjoys speaking at the John Adams Society and Toastmasters, walking along Lake Hiawatha and Minnehaha Creek, canoeing in the Boundary Waters, and working on his next epic poem.

Education

  • University of California (Boalt Hall) School of Law, J.D., 1994
  • Princeton University, Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, 1985
  • Stanford University, B.A. with Distinction and Honors, 1979
    • Phi Beta Kappa, 1978
    • National Merit Scholar

Bar & Court Admissions

  • Minnesota Supreme Court 
  • California Supreme Court 
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit 
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit 
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit 
  • U.S. Court of International Trade 
  • U.S. District Court – Northern District of California 
  • U.S. District Court – Southern District of California 
  • U.S. District Court – Minnesota 
  • U.S. District Court – Central District of California

Recent Articles and Lectures

  • William G. Carpenter & Mark J. Briol, Is there An Implied Covenant in Employment Agreements? Bench & Bar of Minnesota, March 2017

  • William G. Carpenter & Thomas P. Stutsman, Corporate Liability Under the FCPA, Bench & Bar of Minnesota, July 2014