Biography
William Shepherd is an experienced trial lawyer who has tried more than 40 jury trials to verdict. He has
testified before Congress, the U.S. Sentencing Commission and the Florida Legislature on a variety of
criminal law policy issues. He also serves, at the Florida Governor's appointment, as a commissioner on
the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Nominating Commission. He is the founder and co-chair of the American Bar
Association (ABA) International White Collar Crime Institute in London, and has been chair of the 20,000-
member ABA Criminal Justice Section. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Shepherd served, at the appointment
of the attorney general, as the statewide prosecutor of Florida.
In Mr. Shepherd's practice, he represents companies and individuals who are the targets of government
inquiries or parties to complex civil litigation. He also assists the founders or general counsel of public
and private companies in conducting sensitive internal investigations and compliance matters. He is
called upon when clients are facing critical matters. Whether it is at the cutting edge of new enforcement
matters, legal developments in the area of supply chain and human rights, police electronic surveillance,
class actions in developing areas of law, reputation-threatening defamation or complex problems faced
by Family Offices, Mr. Shepherd works to assess the situation and aggressively pursue the client's
interest. His balance of civil and criminal matters helps him keep a keen eye on risk and a broader
perspective on developing solutions to clients' problems. His extensive legal experience includes
advising clients on matters involving:
White Collar Defense and Investigations
Attorney General Practice
Internal Investigations
Civil Litigation
Anti-Human Trafficking: Policy, Compliance Training and Litigation
Public Advocacy
Recognized by clients, legal industry peers and community organizations for his legal skills and civic
involvement, Mr. Shepherd's recent honors and awards include recognition in The Best Lawyers in
America guide, West Palm Beach Criminal Defense: White-Collar Lawyer of the Year, 2021, 2022; and
Commercial Litigation, 2022; Litigation – Banking and Finance, 2022. He's also been listed in Chambers
USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide for Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government
Investigations, 2013-2022 and was recognized as a "Distinguished Leader" in the Daily Business
Review's Florida Legal Awards, 2022. He's been listed in the Florida Super Lawyers magazine since
2012 and ranked a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated attorney from 2010 to now.
Mr. Shepherd holds degrees from Georgetown University (A.B., English, History) and Georgetown
University Law Center (J.D.). He is admitted to practice in Florida and the District of Columbia