Beck, William G.

Current Employment Position(s)

Partner

Lawyer Overview

Bill Beck is a partner in Lathrop & Gage LLP and has more than 30 years of experience as a trial lawyer. Bill’s national practice consists of trials, arbitrations, administrative proceedings, mediations and negotiations to resolve high stakes, technical, complex disputes involving environmental liability and insurance coverage.

Insurance Coverage. Bill has been lead counsel for plaintiffs prosecuting environmental insurance coverage and bad faith lawsuits and claims involving more than 400 remedial sites and the laws of more than 40 states. Bill’s insurance coverage team has expertise in insurance archaeology, policy analysis, charting, allocation, claim development, settlement negotiations, coverage litigation, and alternative coverage dispute resolution. Bill represents innocent people who have been wrongfully imprisoned in seeking compensation through law enforcement liability and other insurance coverages. Bill has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars from insurers. 

Superfund. Bill has defended companies against major environmental liabilities for decades, including over 60 federal and state Superfund sites in more than 20 states. Bill has special expertise in operator allocation, transporter liability and allocation, successor liability, orphan share and natural resource damages issues.

Toxic Tort. Bill is particularly experienced in defending major toxic tort litigation. His key wins include a defense verdict in a five-week groundwater jury trial; nominal settlement of a 2,000-plaintiff groundwater and air case; and defeating class certification on the pleadings. Bill recently resolved an eighty-home groundwater class action mostly at insurer expense, and settled a subsurface landfill gas class action for about $9,000 per home. Bill is presently defending hundreds of odor nuisance claims brought against swine farm operations, hundreds of alleged chromium exposure claims, and thousands of landfill gas exposure claims.

Areas of Practice

• Waste Management
• Agribusiness
• Environmental
• Solid/Hazardous Waste
• Superfund
• Toxic Tort
• Insurance Analysis & Recovery for Policyholders
• Environmental Litigation
• Business Litigation
• Insurance
• Insurance Analysis and Recovery for Policyholders

West Practice Categories

Business & Commercial Law, Environmental Law, Litigation & Appeals

Bar Admissions

• Missouri, 1978
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1978
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, 2010
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, 2002
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1997
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar), 1992
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 1978

Professional Associations and Memberships

• American Bar Association, Litigation, Insurance and Environmental Sections
• Defense Research Institute, Trial Techniques Committee
• The Missouri Bar
• Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
• Kansas City Public Improvements Advisory Committee, past Chairman
• Citizens Association of Kansas City, past Chairman
• Kansas City Community Infrastructure Committee, past Finance Chairman

Honors and Awards

• Named to Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers in the United States, 2007-2009
• Rated one of The Best Lawyers in America® since 2005
• Selected as Leading Lawyer for Business by Chambers USA since 2004
• Chosen for Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyers since 2005 (top 100 in Missouri, top 50 in Kansas City)
• Biography included in Who’s Who in American Law®
• Martindale-Hubbell® ”AV” Rating

Education

• University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, 1978
  J.D.
• University of Missouri-Kansas City, 1974
  B.A.

Published Works

• 58 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America, 2010
• Lathrop & Gage Obtains Leading Law Firm Ratings from Chambers USA, 2010
• 10 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys Named National Finalists for Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, 2010
• Missouri Lawyers Media: Lathrop & Gage Issues Pro Bono Challenge to Firms to Support Midwest Innocence Project, 2009
• Kansas City Business Journal: Lathrop & Gage Practice Wins Big in Insurance Recovery, 2009
• 56 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America, 2009
• Chambers USA Names Lathrop & Gage a Leading Firm in Ten Practice Areas for 2009, 2009
• Brent Baldwin, Bill Beck Named to Lawdragon 500, 2008
• 52 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys Named Super Lawyers, 2008
• Lathrop & Gage's National Chambers USA Roster Grows in 2008, 2008
• 45 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys Named Super Lawyers, 2007
• Two Lathrop & Gage Litigators Named Among Lawdragon's Top 500 Lawyers Nationwide, 2007
• Lathrop & Gage's National Chambers USA Roster Grows in 2007, 2007
• Lathrop & Gage Announces New CEO, Members of Executive Committee, 2007
• Litigation Newsletter, In-Court Report No. 5 -- Fall 2006, 2006
• Recent Honors for Lathrop & Gage Attorneys - Litigation Insert No. 5 - Fall 2006, 2006
• National Best Lawyers Roster Includes 36 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys, 2006
• Lathrop & Gage Announces New Executive Committee Members, 2006
• L&G Earns National Recognition for Six Practices and 13 Attorneys, 2006
• Lathrop & Gage Achieves Appellate Victories for Environmental Clients, 2006
• 30 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys Named Super Lawyers, 2005
• 24 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys Named to Best Attorneys Network, 2005
• Litigation Newsletter, In-Court Report No. 2 -- Winter 2005, 2005
• 25 Lathrop & Gage Attorneys Selected as Best Lawyers 2005, 2004
• Litigation Newsletter, In-Court Report No. 1 -- Fall 2004, 2004
• Feature on L&G's Insurance Recovery Practice in Corporate Legal Times magazine, 2004
• Lathrop & Gage Announces New Executive Committee Members, 2004

Address

2345 Grand Blvd.
Suite 2800
Kansas City, MO 64108

Phones

(816) 460-5811 (Business Phone)

Faxes

(816) 292-2001 (Business Fax)

Emails

Contact Us (Business Email)

Websites

http://www.lathropgage.com/