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The William E. Wegner Professionalism Award was established in 2022. It is an annual award designed to honor a lawyer, judge, or legal scholar for exemplary civility and excellence in the practice of law. The award is named after William E. “Bill” Wegner, 2014 President of the Litigation Counsel of America. Bill was a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, in Los Angeles, California, for 35 years. A preeminent trial lawyer and legal author, Bill had extensive trial experience in commercial, antitrust, intellectual property, entertainment, and product liability litigation throughout his career. His trial and litigation successes also included securities class action defense, mass environmental torts, product defect and recall, antitrust, Lanham Act, false advertising, unfair completion, copyright infringement, publicity rights, weights and measures regulatory actions, and commercial gaming cases. His frequent description as “calm under fire” might have been attributable to seven years of military service in the U.S. Army Medical Services Corps (Third Infantry Division), where he developed strategic skills that he continued to employ in his trial practice. While serving, he was awarded the U.S. Army Commendations Medal, Oak Leaf Cluster. He was also designated Defender of Berlin by the Commandant of West Berlin for service behind the Iron Curtain in defense of the city of West Berlin.

In addition to LCA Senior Fellowship, Bill was consistently named in the Top 100 Lawyers in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Business Journal, and The Best Lawyers in America, for Product Liability Litigation – Defendants. He was a perennial Super Lawyer in the area of civil litigation and holds an AV Preeminent® rating in Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™. Bill was Past President of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers and former Chairman of the President’s Counsel Executive Committee, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. He co-authored the California Practice Guide – Civil Trials and Evidence, Volumes 1-3; and the Federal Practice Guide – Civil Trials and Evidence, Volumes 1-3, (The Rutter Group/Thompson West). He also published the comprehensive work Relations Among Competitors in Restraint of Trade – Horizontal Price Fixing (Practicing Law Institute), and various articles, including “Fifty Ways to Leave Your ‘Judger’ – Challenging the Judge” (Litigation Magazine, American Bar Association).

Before his military service, Bill was a graduate of the University of Santa Clara. Afterward, he graduated from the University of Puget Sound School of Law before joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Bill was truly a passionate and successful civil trial lawyer. He inspired many to follow his path and made a profound impact in his field with his sharp intellect, creativity, and a personal approach to cases.

His civic involvement included being a board member for the Stand Up and Shout Foundation, Chair of the Shakespeare Festival of Los Angeles, board member for The Wonder of Reading, Chair of the Executive Committee of the Presidents Counsel of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, and membership in the Chancery Club.

Bill brought this same energy and passion to his personal life. His curiosity and love of the ocean inspired him to learn to scuba dive, and he taught his three children, Matthew, Michael, and Kristen, to dive as well. He took his family on dive trips, ski trips, European vacations, and camping trips to the Sequoia National Forest. He loved nature and animals, and was active in conserving the oceans and wildlife places on the planet.

After his retirement from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, in 2015 at age 65, he continued to practice law with his son, Matt, and his wife, Tally. Bill and Tally enjoyed traveling together, scuba diving throughout the world, visiting family and friends, and playing with their beloved dogs, Atticus and Oliver. He loved deeply, and was deeply loved.

Bill passed away on October 14, 2021, at the age of 71. He was survived by his wife, Tally, his three children, Matthew, Michael, and Kristen and their spouses, and his grandchildren, Hannah, Sarah, Patrick, Eva, Alisa, Maya, William, and Nathan.

“In the practice of law, professionalism and civility at the level of excellence are too often simply ideals, rather than natural applications. Bill consistently utilized both with precision in combination with his masterful courtroom skills, thus creating a formidable trial technique.”  

–Steven Henry, Executive Director and General Counsel, Litigation Counsel of America

2022

Adam Arceneaux
Ice Miller LLP
Indianapolis, Indiana

2023

Benjamin J. Trichilo
McCandlish Lillard
Fairfax, Virginia