William W. Jack, Jr. joined Smith Haughey in 1975, practicing in the areas of health law, medical malpractice defense, general litigation, and the defense of professional liability actions. He served as CEO of the firm from 1991 to 1997 and is current President of the Board of Directors. He is also Chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee.
Bill has trained lawyers in advocacy skills for individual law firms in several states and has also trained litigation counsel for a number of national insurance carriers. In addition, he is very active in both his industry and community, having held a number of elected positions and memberships in legal and community organizations.
In the past 10 years, Bill has transitioned his practice and built a highly successful mediation/alternative dispute resolution practice on his solid reputation as a seasoned trial attorney and devotion to the legal community. A certified facilitative mediator by the U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, he has served as mediator and case evaluator for more than 300 cases in the state and federal courts throughout Michigan. Representative cases include catastrophic personal injury, complex multi-party commercial litigation, and complex trademark and intellectual property matters.
Admitted to Practice
- State Bar of Michigan, 1973
Education
- Denison University (B.A., 1969)
- University of Denver
- George Washington University (J.D., with honors, 1973)
Noteworthy
- AV Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
- Listed in the “Best Lawyers in America” guide for alternative dispute resolution and personal injury litigation
- Recipient, Service and Mentoring Award, presented by the Young Lawyers Section of the Grand Rapids Bar Association, 1998
- Recipient, Boss of the Year Award, presented by the Grand Rapids Association of Legal Support Professionals
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association (Member, Sections on: Tort and Insurance Practice; Litigation)
- Federal Bar Association (President, West Michigan Chapter, 1991)
- State Bar of Michigan (Member, Sections on: Negligence Law; Law Practice Management)
- Grand Rapids Bar Association (President, 1998-1999)
- Member, American Board of Trial Advocates
- American Health Lawyers Association
- Fellow: American Bar Foundation
- Fellow: Michigan State Bar Foundation
- Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (President, 1987-1988; Member, Board of Directors, 1986--)
- Team Leader, University of Michigan Law School Trial Advocacy Course, 1986-1996
- Faculty, National Institute for Trial Advocacy, 1985—
Community Affiliations
- Vice President, Kent Medical Foundation
- Planned Parenthood Centers of West Michigan, Board of Directors, 1995-2000
