William F. Lee
Encyclopedia
William F. Lee is a lawyer, presently co-managing partner of the international law firm of WilmerHale, which was formed from the merger of Wilmer Cutler and Hale and Dorr. He is the first Asian-American to lead a major American law firm.
in 1972; an M.B.A. with Distinction from Cornell University
in 1976, and a J.D., magna cum laude and Order of the Coif
from Cornell Law School
in 1976. Lee joined Hale & Dorr in 1976, and was managing partner from 2000 to 2004. He chaired the firm's Litigation Department for four years. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers
.
Lee is married to Leslie Lee. He is father of three children: Christopher, Catherine and Margaret.
Attorney General for the purpose of investigating alleged incidents of racial bias in the Commonwealth's courts.
Lee has served as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, where he taught intellectual property litigation. In May 2000, Lee was one of 15 attorneys to be named by the chief judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to the court's Advisory Committee.
In June 2002, Lee was elected to the Board of Overseers of Harvard University, and he is a member of the Visiting Committee at Cornell Law School. He previously served as vice chairman of the board of the Boston University Medical Center University Hospital, a trustee of the Boston Medical Center, and an overseer of the Museum of Science.
In April 2010, Lee was elected as a fellow of the Harvard Corporation effective July 1, 2010. He succeeds James Houghton as a member of Harvard's seven member primary governing board.
Education and career
Lee received an A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1972; an M.B.A. with Distinction from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1976, and a J.D., magna cum laude and Order of the Coif
Order of the Coif
The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. A student at an American law school who earns a Juris Doctor degree and graduates in the top 10 percent of his or her class is eligible for membership if the student's law school has a chapter of the...
from Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School, located in Ithaca, New York, is a graduate school of Cornell University and one of the five Ivy League law schools. The school confers three law degrees...
in 1976. Lee joined Hale & Dorr in 1976, and was managing partner from 2000 to 2004. He chaired the firm's Litigation Department for four years. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers
American College of Trial Lawyers
The American College of Trial Lawyers is a professional association of trial lawyers from the United States and Canada. Founded in 1950, the College is dedicated to maintaining and improving the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice and the ethics of the profession...
.
Lee is married to Leslie Lee. He is father of three children: Christopher, Catherine and Margaret.
Public service
From July 1987 to June 1989, Lee served as associate counsel to Independent Counsel Lawrence E. Walsh in the Iran-Contra investigation. In that capacity, he was responsible for certain portions of the grand jury investigation and resulting indictments. He has served as a special assistant to the MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Attorney General for the purpose of investigating alleged incidents of racial bias in the Commonwealth's courts.
Lee has served as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, where he taught intellectual property litigation. In May 2000, Lee was one of 15 attorneys to be named by the chief judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to the court's Advisory Committee.
In June 2002, Lee was elected to the Board of Overseers of Harvard University, and he is a member of the Visiting Committee at Cornell Law School. He previously served as vice chairman of the board of the Boston University Medical Center University Hospital, a trustee of the Boston Medical Center, and an overseer of the Museum of Science.
In April 2010, Lee was elected as a fellow of the Harvard Corporation effective July 1, 2010. He succeeds James Houghton as a member of Harvard's seven member primary governing board.
Awards
- Selected by his peers for inclusion in every issue of The Best Lawyers in America since 1995/1996
- Named one of "The 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America" by the National Law Journal in June 2000 and again in June 2006. In 2000, the NLJ highlighted Lee's "long record of favorable jury verdicts," achieved while leading the firm to a dominant presence in technology nationally and internationally and in pro bono services locally. In June 2006, he was cited for his leadership in the merger that formed WilmerHale and again for his significant involvement in notable trials, including a recent victory in an infringement case against Hewlett-Packard Co. on behalf of EMC Corp. (settled in 2005 for $325 million while on appeal).
- Listed in each edition of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business since 2003. Lee was the only Massachusetts lawyer awarded the "star" ranking in intellectual property (2004, 2005 and 2006 editions).
- Recognized for his intellectual property practice in the 2006 and 2007 editions of Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers
- Listed in the 2006-2007 edition of the PLC IP & IT Cross-Border Handbook as both a "leading" lawyer for intellectual property in Boston and for patent litigation in the US
- Ranked as one of the nation's most highly recommended intellectual property attorneys in the 2006/07 edition of the PLC Cross-border Life Sciences Handbook
- Selected as a "patent law expert" in Legal Media Group's Guide to the World's Leading Patent Law Practitioners 2007
- Listed as one of Boston's top lawyers in the dispute resolution and intellectual property, and as national leader in patent litigation in the PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook 2006. Also listed as one of four "star" lawyers of the firm in the 2005 edition.
- Selected as one of The National Law Journals 2005 "Top Ten Lawyers with Successful Trial Strategies"