William R. Jansen

Michigan

Warner Norcross + Judd LLP
2715 Woodward Avenue
Suite 300
Detroit, MI 48201-3030

Tel: 313.546.6022

Email: wjansen@wnj.com
Web: www.wnj.com

The recipient of numerous awards from prominent ranking agencies and widely known for big wins in high-stakes lawsuits, veteran litigator Bill Jansen practices in the areas of antitrust law, commercial litigation, business law, commercial law, and condemnation law.

He enjoys serving as an advisor who solves problems and offers positive, proactive counsel to national and international companies, including automotive suppliers, on a variety of commercial, contractual and compliance issues. In addition, large organizations often ask Bill to lead complex internal investigations and report directly to their boards and senior management with his findings.

In the course of his notable legal career, Bill has successfully represented many major companies, including Robert Bosch, CMS and Consumers Energy, MAHLE, Johnson Controls, DTE and Detroit Edison, Vector Pipeline, Putsch GmbH, Lear and Pillsbury, as well as hospitals and electric utilities in several states. Some of the bet-the-company representations he’s led have had more than $1 billion in corporate assets at risk. He also served as counsel, including trial counsel, in prominent and complex condemnation proceedings on behalf of pipeline companies and commercial clients.

Bill always strives to find the solution that’s best for the client’s company and within the parameters of their tolerance for risk, whether that means a full-fledged court battle, a settlement or some other plan. When litigation turns out to be the best path forward, Bill demonstrates his passionate advocacy and loves nothing more than competing hard — and wining. He regularly meets and exceeds expectations on challenging matters. One client, who characterizes him as “professional, honest, intelligent, responsive and creative,” added: “I wouldn’t want to be on the opposite side of a case that Bill is handling.”

Before he was a distinguished University of Michigan Law School graduate, Bill studied chemical engineering as an undergraduate. The training honed his analytical and organizational skills, as well as his highly logical and rational approach to problem solving. Among Bill’s numerous honors are being named a Leading Lawyer in Michigan and a Michigan Super Lawyer and receiving a listing in Best Lawyers in America© every year for well over a decade.

  • Lawyer of the Year, Detroit Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy), Best Lawyers, 2017
  • Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, Litigation-Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy), 2005-Present
  • 25 Leaders in the Law in the State of Michigan by Michigan Lawyers Weekly
  • Local Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, 2010, 2011, 2013-2016
  • Top Lawyer in Antitrust Law, Antitrust Litigation and Commercial Litigation by DBusiness, 2011-2017, 2020-2022
  • AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Top 100 Michigan Super Lawyers
  • Michigan Super Lawyers, 2006-Present
  • Leading Lawyers Michigan, 2014
  • Listed in Best of the US
  • National facilitative mediator and arbitrator in numerous utility based litigation and disputes

At Warner, we help our clients comply with the letter—and the spirit—of antitrust laws. Warner believes in free and fair competition among businesses. We equip our clients with a thorough understanding of the laws governing antitrust and unfair competition to ensure the marketplace remains open to all.

We counsel businesses and offer compliance programs on a wide variety of antitrust and unfair competition issues, including joint ventures, pricing strategies, trade restraint, monopolization, non-compete covenants, market allocations, advertising challenges and product disparagement issues. Our litigators regularly represent clients in antitrust and unfair competition litigation in federal and state courts, grand jury proceedings and criminal prosecutions.

Recent Experience

  • Counsel for several automotive suppliers in the Auto Parts Antitrust Investigation (Criminal and Civil).
  • Successful trial counsel for Pillsbury Co., Green Giant Co., Dean Foods Co. and Borden Foods in antitrust litigation involving the design, manufacture and pricing of folding cartons and corrugated containers.
Warner Norcross + Judd is a corporate law firm with more than 230 attorneys practicing in nine offices throughout Michigan: Grand Rapids, Detroit, Midland, Macomb County, Muskegon, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Holland and Bloomfield Hills. By providing sound legal advice and alternative billing options, Warner Norcross forges a better partnership with its clients.

Practices include: advertising & marketing law, business & corporate services, economic incentives, employee benefits and executive compensation, environmental law, family law, government affairs, health care reform and health law, insurance, labor and employment, litigation dispute resolution, nonprofit organizations law, real estate services, resources, energy and environment, sustainability and climate, technology and intellectual property, trusts and estate law.

Industries include, agriculture, automotive, concierge medicine, construction, financial services, higher education, life sciences, mining, oil and gas, real estate development and securities.