William M. Droze

William has more than 30 years of trial and appellate practice experience specializing in areas including commercial litigation, environmental litigation, business torts, fiduciary duty litigation, government procurement litigation, civil rights, real estate litigation, and legal malpractice defense. His practice is national in scope, having represented clients in state and federal courts throughout Georgia and across the U.S. In addition, William has participated in trials and proceedings before mediators and arbitrators in matters proceeding by alternative dispute resolution. He has supervised sophisticated electronic discovery in connection with class action litigation and has tried multiple serial week cases to verdict. William has extensive appellate experience having managed more than 60 reported cases in the state and federal courts.

• Lead counsel for electric utility involving putative class action for regulatory rate dispute.
• Lead counsel for metropolitan Atlanta county government in connection with tri-state water rights litigation involving U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake Sidney Lanier.
• Lead counsel for electric utility in procurement challenge to award of service contract for large load customer.
• Lead counsel for Florida municipality in putative class action involving toxic tort litigation.
• Lead counsel for Georgia municipality in recovery of verdict exceeding $1 million arising out of engineering malpractice for design/installation of land application system.
• Lead counsel for Georgia Corporation arising out of shareholder dispute and breach of fiduciary duty claims.
• Lead counsel for Delaware Corporation in Section 220 Books and Records action in Delaware Chancery Court.
• Lead counsel for Florida municipality in putative class action involving application of CERCLA bar and environmental justice claims.
• Lead counsel for area developer franchisee in dispute with franchisor over termination of area development rights in three states.
• Lead counsel for Chinese manufacturer in successful resolution of product liability action.
• Counsel for major southeastern law firm in legal malpractice claim arising out of duties as escrow agent.
• Counsel for limited partnership in successful defense of foreclosure claim affecting commercial real estate.
• Lead counsel for state of Georgia in connection with landmark right to die litigation and defense of product liability punitive damages apportionment statute.

Representative Reported Cases

• Ga. Power Co. v. Cazier, 321 Ga. App. 576 (2013).
• Florida v. United States Army Corps Eng’r (In re MDL-1824 Tri-State Water Rights Litig.), 644 F.3d 1160 (11th Cir. Fla. 2011).
• Diverse Power, Inc. v. Jackson, 285 Ga. 340 (2009).
• Hendry v. Wells, 286 Ga. App. 774 (2007).
• Graham v. Palmtop Props., 284 Ga. App. 730 (2007).
• Broward Gardens Tenants Ass’n v. United States EPA, 311 F.3d 1066 (11th Cir. 2002).
• Multifamily Mortg. Trust 1996-1 v. Ara Associates-Shangri-La, 242 Ga. App. 465 (2000).
• Wooten v. Campbell, 49 F.3d 696 (11^th Cir. 1995).

• Achieved Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards
• Best Lawyers in America®: Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2013-2026), Commercial Litigation (2013-2026), Environmental Law (2014-2026), Litigation – Environmental (2024-2026)
• Benchmark Litigation: “Local Litigation Star” in Georgia (2022, 2023-2025), “Future Litigation Star” (2014-2016, 2021)
• Legal 500 United States for Environment: Litigation (2022-2024)
• Atlanta Super Lawyers: Environmental Litigation (2013-2016); Business Litigation (2004-2012, 2017)(Top 5% of State Bar of Georgia)
• Georgia Trend “Legal Elite,” business litigation (2004, 2009, 2013)
• Top Rated Lawyers Guide, Energy/Environmental/Natural Resources Law (2012)