Bill Davis has been heavily involved in civil litigation of all kinds since he began his practice 50 years ago. He co-founded Bell, Davis & Pitt with Frank Bell and Wrennie Pitt in 1980.

He remains active in cases involving business disputes, personal injury, financial institutions, professional liability, colleges and universities, and hospitals. For several years, he has been senior outside counsel at Wake Forest University, which he advises on a wide variety of matters faced by a major university, including litigation.

Bill’s recent cases include:

• Goodyear Dunlop Tires Operations, S.A. v. Brown, 131 S.Ct. 2846 (2011), a significant personal jurisdiction case decided by the United States Supreme Court in favor of Bill’s client, Goodyear

• K2 Asia Ventures, et al., v. Robert Trota, et al., (NC COA No. 13-1376), which determined that there was no jurisdiction over Bill’s clients from the Philippines

• Skinner v. Reynolds, 764 S.E.2d 652 (2014), a defamation claim against his clients which was dismissed; and cases in which he represented STERIS Corporation on product liability cases and BNP Paribas, a major French bank

Bill has been heavily involved in professional and community activities. He is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and has served as president of the North Carolina State Bar, chair of the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners, on which he served for fourteen years, and president of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, of which he was a founding member. He has served as national president of the Wake Forest Law Alumni Association and the Alumni Association of Davidson College, where he has been a trustee.

He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America® since 1991, receiving his 25th anniversary plaque in 2016. He was named Lawyer of the Year 2019 in Bet-the-Company Litigation by Best Lawyers. In 2006, he was named North Carolina’s Best in Litigation in Business North Carolina’s magazine’s Legal Elite. He is recognized in North Carolina Super Lawyers and Chambers & Partners in litigation.

Bill grew up in Winston-Salem, attended Davidson College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received an MBA, and Wake Forest Law School. He and his wife, Myrtie, have three children — two of whom are attorneys — and nine grandchildren. He treasures time with his family and outdoor activities, including snow and water sports, hiking, and even raking leaves and cutting grass.

336.714.4146

100 N Cherry St Winston-Salem, NC 27101

wdavis@belldavispitt.com

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Practice Areas: Litigation Attorneys