William Paxton

(202) 545-6959
wpaxton@paxtonlawgroup.com


EDUCATION

Duke University, J.D., with honors

Harvard University, Master's in Ethics

Colgate University, A.B.

BAR ADMISSIONS

Washington, D.C.

Massachusetts

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

United States Court of Federal Claims

William Paxton advises business leaders and litigates high-stakes disputes dealing with a wide range of business, legal, and ethical issues.   

William provides his clients with business-minded legal advice that addresses all facets of business ownership and management.  William advises technology, media, consumer products, energy, cloud, and software ventures of all sizes.  William works with companies from incorporation through IPO and beyond.  He advises clients regarding entity formation, financing, joint ventures, equity distribution, commercial contracts (customer, reseller, distributor, independent contractor, non-disclosure agreements (mutual and unilateral), confidentiality agreements, non-competes, licensing, option agreements, confidential settlement agreements, etc.), regulatory and compliance issues, corporate governance, employment and compensation issues, liquidity events, and other general corporate matters.

William often serves as outside general counsel for clients and he regularly performs comprehensive strategic legal analyses of business practices and strategic goals to ensure compliance with the law and to identify cost savings and business opportunities.   William also counsels clients on corporate finance matters, strategic growth, venture capital, angel investing, growth equity, and licensing with a focus on growth-oriented companies.

William is a leading expert on corporate ethics, corporate social responsibility, and corporate governance.  He has appeared at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, American University’s Kogod Business School, and Colgate University, teaching and speaking on ethics and corporate social responsibility. 

William often counsels business leaders facing ethical dilemmas and needing sound advice.  He provides strategic counseling and public affairs guidance on message development and press outreach.  William also delivers ethics training, provides practical tools designed to infuse strong, ethical principles throughout your business, and he implements comprehensive ethics management systems.  William also advises corporations and individuals regarding the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and related anti-bribery laws and regulations.

Background

William lives in D.C. with his wife and two daughters.  He is an avid runner and mountain biker and he is the head coach of his daughter’s soccer team. 

William graduated cum laude from Duke Law School, he earned his Master’s in Ethics from Harvard University, and his Bachelor’s degree from Colgate, where he was Class President.  After law school he clerked for Eighth Circuit Judge Myron H. Bright.  William is a member of the District of Columbia and Massachusetts bars.

Professional and Civic Activities

William is on the Board of the Duke Law Club of DC and he’s the President of the Colgate Lawyers Association and the Colgate Global Entrepreneurship Network.   

For the DC Bar Association, William serves on the Board of the Law Practice Management Section, which assists lawyers and law firms in managing law practices more efficiently and profitably and he is on the Board of the Practice Management Service Committee which helps DC Bar Members improve the cost, efficiency, and speed of the practice of law and the delivery of legal services.   William rigorously applies best practices learned from his leadership activities with the DC Bar to the practices and management of the Paxton Law Group.

William is a Member of the Association of Corporate Counsel and he has served as a faculty member to the ACC’s Corporate University, an annual gathering which showcases best practices for in-house lawyers and law departments.