William G. Powers joined Baron & Budd’s Washington, D.C. office in 2018, where he represents clients in a broad range of legal issues at all stages of litigation in state and federal courts across the country. He brings a substantial breadth and depth of experience to the firm.
As a shareholder at Baron & Budd, Mr. Powers is a member of our robust qui tam practice, specializing in litigation to combat civil fraud under the federal False Claims Act, state False Claims Acts, the Anti-Kickback Statute, and the Stark Law. Mr. Powers also represents clients with claims filed with the Whistleblower Offices of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Powers has experience representing whistleblowers in qui tam cases against a variety of healthcare companies, as well as defense and other government contractors.
In addition to his qui tam practice, Mr. Powers has extensive experience with complex civil litigation. He is an integral part of the Baron & Budd team representing hundreds of cities and counties and numerous state Attorneys General in cases brought against manufacturers, distributors, and dispensers of opioids. He has worked on all aspects of the firm’s opioid cases including formulating case theory, briefing and arguing numerous issues, deposing key witnesses, and helping as a member of multiple trial teams.
Before Mr. Powers joined Baron & Budd, he was a trial attorney for the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington D.C. At DOJ, he defended the United States in high-stakes mass tort and toxic tort litigation in federal courts nationwide. Mr. Powers has researched, drafted, and argued motions to dismiss in multiple federal district courts, including successfully arguing before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. Mr. Powers was awarded DOJ Civil Division Rookie of the Year for his exceptional performance and notable contributions toward the Division’s mission.
In addition to his case duties, Mr. Powers trained other DOJ attorneys on issues such as governmental privileges, authentication of evidence, and Federal Tort Claims Act legal issues. Mr. Powers also was a member of the Civil Division E-Discovery Committee where he provided input and drafted guidance on e-discovery issues. In addition, he was recognized as an outstanding mentor and managed his office’s summer law intern program.
Prior to DOJ, Mr. Powers worked in the City of Philadelphia’s Law Department. Mr. Powers also has worked as an intern for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Honorable Sandra Mozer Moss in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, and a private law firm.
During law school, Mr. Powers served as a staff editor for the Temple Journal of Science, Technology, & Environmental Law. He also received the Albert H. Friedman Writing Award and was a Rubin Public Interest Law Honor Society Fellow. In addition to his J.D., Mr. Powers earned a Certificate of Trial Advocacy and was recognized for his trial advocacy abilities as the Outstanding Oral Advocate in Trial Advocacy I and with the Barrister’s Award in Trial Advocacy II.
Mr. Powers resides in Washington, DC. In his spare time, he can be found watching Georgetown basketball and New York Yankees baseball. He also enjoys cooking and skiing.
Presentations
- Taxpayers Against Fraud, “COVID-19 Financial Relief Funds – Addressing Fraud, Waste, & Abuse” Presenter
- Federal Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Summer Law Clerk Program Career Panelist
- Law and Public Policy Program at Temple Law Career Panelist
Education
Temple University Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, PA, J.D., cum laude, 2013
Georgetown University, Washington, DC, B.A. 2008
Bar and Court Admissions
United States Supreme Court
United States Court of Federal Claims
State of Pennsylvania
State of New Jersey
District of Columbia
Appeared pursuant to government practice rules:
Western District of New York
Eastern District of New York
District of Oregon
Northern District of California
District of New Mexico
District of Arizona
Western District of Washington
Professional Associations
Taxpayers Against Fraud
American Association for Justice
Awards
500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers (Lawdragon, 2024)