About William J. Bethune

Bill focuses his practice on commercial and corporate matters and handles both the transactional and litigation sides. He counsels clients offering a wide variety of professional services in biotechnology, life settlement, government contracting, information technology, and continuing medical education industries, among others.

Bill has almost 50 years of experience in litigation and arbitration involving a wide range of business torts, including computer trespass, misappropriation of trade secrets, diversion of corporate opportunities, breach of covenants not to compete, interference with contract, and breach of fiduciary duty. Bill has represented creditors in bankruptcy contested matters, adversary proceedings involving objections to claims, and priority and dischargeability of claims. Our clients benefit from Bill’s vast transactional and litigation experience and his no-nonsense approach to solving clients’ problems.

In his work with clients, Bill has delivered legal solutions such as:

• To Retain, Deploy, Compensate, and Support Key Personnel
• To Acquire and Protect Intellectual Property Rights
• To Safely Hire, Evaluate, and Discharge Employees

Bill has represented both individuals and companies in-stock purchase and merger transactions. His work with clients has included:

• Designing and Implementing Plans for Ownership Succession
• Selling, Acquiring, and Protecting Assets
• Establishing and Disposing of Both Control and Minority Ownership Interests in Businesses

In recent years, Bill has been heavily involved in litigating and arbitrating limited liability company member disputes arising under both Virginia and District of Columbia law and prosecuting and defending claims of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, minority member oppression, and statutory dissociation.

• Elected to Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite for Business Law, 2009-2018
• AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated Attorney, the Highest Rating from Martindale-Hubbell®

• Lawline, Disputes Between Members of an LLC, 2017
• National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Capital Area Chapter, Social Media: How Big of a Board Issue?, 2017
• CXO Forum, Best Practices Involving the Use of Social Media, 2017
• CXO Forum, Misclassification of Employees vs. Contractors, 2017
• Virginia Women Attorneys Association, Northern Virginia Chapter, ABCs of Business Formation and Dissolution, 2015
• CXO Forum, Business Failures: Lessons Learned – How to Avoid Common Situations Leading to Partner and Shareholder Disputes, 2015
• Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA), Northern Virginia Chapter, Non-Disclosure & Teaming Agreements, Part of the Portfolio Series Entitled “Smart Contracting in the Current Government Contracts Environment,” 2014
• CXO Forum, Tax Laws for Small Business, 2013
• CXO Forum, Social Media in the Workplace, 2012
• CXO Forum, ABCs of Employment, 2011

• JD, University of Wisconsin
• AB, Princeton University

• Virginia
• District of Columbia
• Massachusetts
• Maryland

Bill was a member of the steering committee of CXO Forum, a group of business owners and executives who met regularly to discuss business topics and solutions, update management skills, and develop best practices.

While a resident of Loudoun County, Bill served as general counsel of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce from 2000 through 2006. He was a co-founder and served on the board of directors of Loudoun First Responders Foundation—a public charity that supports Loudoun County’s first responders and the public outreach activities of the county’s public safety agencies. Under Bill’s leadership, Loudoun First Responders Foundation partnered with state and county bar associations in 2008 to bring the Wills for Heroes program to Loudoun County.

Bill has served on the faculty of Virginia Law Foundation and Fairfax Bar Association CLE courses on employment law and workplace security. He was a frequent commentator on employment issues in the Washington Post column “On The Job.” Bill was also an adjunct professor at George Mason University Law School, where he taught “Unincorporated Business Entities.” He was a contributing author of “Employer’s Survival Guide: Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC Edition,” a practical employer-focused compendium of best workplace practices, policies, and guidelines published by Employers InfoNet, LLC.