William D. Shultz, Jr. is a native of St. Clair County, Illinois. Bill manages the firm leadership in the Madison County, Illinois asbestos litigation, and also in New York. He is one of an elite group of defense counsel most frequently consulted by the chief asbestos judge in Madison County on all litigation matters and serves as a liaison counsel for the defense bar. William has represented corporations and individuals in litigation including business litigation, product liability, toxic exposure cases, infectious disease counseling and litigation, COVID-19, and employer practices liability claims. He serves on national coordinating counsel and trial teams for multiple corporations defending asbestos claims throughout the country. He is an experienced litigator at both the local and national levels and has tried a substantial number of cases involving asbestos, insurance defense, employment, and commercial issues to favorable jury outcomes.
William is a member of the bar of the United States District Court for the Southern and Central Districts in Illinois and of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth and Seventh Circuits. He is also a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Missouri Bar Association, St. Clair County Bar Association, Seventh Circuit Bar Association, Appellate Lawyers Association of Illinois, Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, and the Defense Research Institute.
He received his undergraduate B.A. degree from Benedictine College and his J.D. degree from Creighton University in 1991. William is licensed in Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, and New York.
Over the years, William has been a speaker at both national and regional seminars, discussing various issues involving toxic tort litigation. He is also an adjunct professor at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois, where he has taught Business Law I and II for over 15 years, as well as the Legal Issues section for the M.B.A. program.
He resides in Caseyville, Illinois and has three children.