William J. Trunk counsels and represents corporations, their boards and directors, and individuals in complex and often high-value litigation involving a wide range of legal areas, including securities and derivative suits; fraudulent transfer and other claims under the Bankruptcy Code; breach of contract actions, including disputes over bond indentures and credit agreements; and fraud and other business-tort disputes. Bill has tried cases in federal and state courts across the country, argued appeals in the U.S. circuit courts of appeal, and represented parties before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Bill frequently represents hedge funds and other special-situation investors in bankruptcy and related litigation, particularly in the distressed-debt space. He represented Aurelius Capital in bet-the-company litigation against telecommunications carrier Windstream Services, in which Aurelius alleged that Windstream had defaulted under its bond indenture. Following a bench trial, the court sided with Aurelius on every issue and awarded the client more than $300 million in damages. Bill also represented holders of defaulted bonds in yearslong litigation against the Republic of Argentina, culminating in a $4.6 billion settlement.
Bill also defends companies and their boards of directors against derivative lawsuits, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and related matters. He represented the former independent directors of a Guernsey-based fund sponsored by The Carlyle Group, successfully defending his clients against a $2 billion lawsuit brought by the fund’s liquidators.
In addition to his trial work in state and federal courts around the country, Bill regularly handles appeals in the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court. He briefed and argued the Fourth Circuit criminal appeal of Jeffrey Sterling, a former CIA agent who was convicted under the Espionage Act for leaking classified material to a New York Times reporter. He also represented parties filing amicus briefs in support of the winning side in two landmark Supreme Court decisions: Murphy v. NCAA, overturning the decades-old federal ban on state-authorized sports betting, and National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning, clarifying the scope of the president’s recess appointment power.
Updated July 2023
