For over 35 years, William A. Miller, PLLC, has been an Arizona law firm dedicated to this simple philosophy: In every case we handle, we strive to be the best. To demand of ourselves the highest standard of diligence. To return client calls immediately and not hide behind “lawyer talk” when confronted with tough issues. Our promise is to treat our clients with the highest level of respect, integrity and empathy – to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The firm’s principal, William A. Miller (Bill) is a veteran real estate and trial lawyer who graduated from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1987 with a J.D. with honors.
In June of 2012, Bill was recognized with the highest rating possible and a distinction of honor from Martindale-Hubbell and LexisNexis. Less than 9% of practicing lawyers are eligible for this award and fewer have actually obtained such. In May of 2015 Bill was covered as the Arizona Attorney of the month for greater Phoenix. https://attorneyatlawmagazine.com/william-a-miller
In July of 2015 Bill was admitted as a sustaining member of Arizona’s Finest Lawyers (TM). You can read more about this prestigious group at the link below.
For over 35 years, the firm of William A. Miller, PLLC has focused on real estate, commercial law, business litigation and probate litigation. His style is direct and aggressive. A good example of the type of case he frequently handles is found in the Arizona Republic at http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2009/09/14/story3.html. This case was settled for a significant amount.
Bill Miller won a very infamous Maricopa County Arizona case in 1994 named Hurst v. Sneed. In this horrible family lawsuit, the daughter, Sneed had been named as a joint owner of her WWII father’s CD’s at an Arizona bank. Unbeknownst to him, she waltzed into the bank one day and withdrew all of the CD’s. The bank was immune from prosecution because, after all the father, Hurst had named his daughter as a co-owner. The jury did not find her defense (he wanted me to get/inherit the money before he died so he could see me happy) worth darn and awarded every cent of the CD’s and included punitive damages. Much of Bill’s focus over the last few years has been in probate court. As of 2022, we are handling and litigating a $15,000,000 dollar probate estate and a nasty appeal that involves well over six figures in damages.
With numerous bench & jury trials under his belt, he is the rare lawyer in Maricopa County, Arizona, who can boast of four individual punitive damage awards, a unique form of damages usually awarded to punish a corporate wrongdoer. In his first real estate case, just months out of law school, he uncovered and successfully litigated a case involving a lawyer-devised document-switch scheme at one of the Southwest’s largest real estate firms. His client, Jim Rhue, in a companion case, Rhue v. Dawson, 173 Ariz. 220, 841 P.2d 215 (1992), went on to receive one of the largest punitive damages awards in Arizona history.
Bill, from 2003 through 2005 successfully served as counsel in one of the largest commercial loan workouts in Arizona history involving over $100 million and more than 10 national lenders, including GE Capital, Finova, JP Morgan and FFCA, which had taken adverse positions against his clients, yet he was able to amicably resolve almost all issues without resorting to Federal Bankruptcy Court protection. He also helped draft Arizona’s Uniform Fraudulent Transfers Act and has lectured to lawyers on topics ranging from real estate fraud to legal technology.
In another case that started in 2002, Bill was counsel for a large shareholder involving a billion dollar bond accounting and securities fraud claim against such venerable financial and accounting giants as JP Morgan Chase, Bank One, Credit Suisse, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte & Touche. Portions of the case have been reported in National Law Books, See Parrett v. Bank One, N.A. (In re Nat’l Century Fin. Enters. Inv. Litig.), 323 F.Supp.2d 861, 878 (S.D. Oh. 2004) (noting that mandatory abstention provides equitable ground supporting remand under § 1452(b));These frauds were also covered by the New York Times, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes. For the story of the case, see https://www.sec.gov/news/press/2005-181.htm
During 2009, Mr. Miller had three separate cases pending in Maricopa County where the damages exceeded $8 million, $3 million and $1.5 million. In a two-week Arkansas state-court trial in the summer of 2008 he helped win a substantial six-figure judgment for the defendant on a counterclaim where after two days of deliberation the jury dismissed the plaintiff’s $50-million claim. His knowledge of technology and complex commercial litigation were the deciding factors in his being chosen to represent the plaintiff in a multi-million dollar lawsuit in federal court in Pennsylvania. The case is reported in Moore v. Kulicke & Soffa Indus., 318 F.3d 561 (3rd Cir. 2003).
As of 2010, Bill Miller has been one of the lead lawyers in the third-party profession claims of the Mortgages Limited Fraud. http://blogs.wsj.com/bankruptcy/2010/05/19/investors-take-aim-at-mortgages-ltds-lawyers-accountants/
The Mortgages Limited case has now settled (summer 2012) and Mr. Miller’s clients received an excellent settlement. http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/greenberg_traurig_quarles_to_pay_88m_to_settle_suit_by_mortgage_investors/
Memberships and bar admissions include the American Bar Association (ABA), Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), State Bar of Arizona (SBA), Maricopa County Bar Association (MCBA), U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 2nd, 3rd and 9th Circuits, and U.S. District Courts in Arizona, California, Texas, and Florida.
As of the Middle of 2014, Bill has been able to obtain a favorable rulings in Maricopa County Superior Court on seven different matters. One Motion for Summary Judgment, one Motion to Dismiss, one Jury Verdict, two Motions to Compel, a significantly reduced judgment in a bench trial for two large commercial properties in greater Phoenix and a victorious seven figure arbitration award.
2015 was a great year for William A. Miller, PLLC. We started with a huge Judgment against an embezzler, who had stolen from her Doctor boss & his practice for over five years. Later, the Defendant Bank of America, who the Doctor had his accounts with stepped up and made him a significant settlement offer. See Maricopa County Case CV2014-012761
In another case, on July 31, 2015 the Arizona Tonto National Forest published a warning in an obscure publication that unauthorized horses in a portion of the forest near the Salt River would be impounded without further notice beginning August 7th. Three months later, on behalf of the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group, because of Bill’s aggressive lawsuit, the Forrest Service agreed to not impound the horses. See Arizona District Federal Court case # 2:15-cv-01511-NVW. This case & the great result was covered in the New York Times, the BBC, the WSJ and CNN.
In the early summer of 2015 in LC 2014-000419, we took on the State of Arizona in an appeal of conflicting statutes and the appeals court agreed that our client was right! While the opinion was not published, it reset the State agencies position and it was victory for the ‘little guy’.
In another huge win during 2015, we reduced seven figure demand(s) from a land owner who had sought EPA joint liability against an aviation/space company (our client) to the mid five figures. This ‘toxic tort’ case has been pending in the Central District of California since the late 1990’s. Over 200 lawyers are involved. We ended up litigating in JAMS (the best private mediation group out there) in case ML case 1220025424 and had an excellent result.
We settled a RICO/AZRAC/FRAUD jury trial on the court house steps (the day of opening statements) in Maricopa CV2011-056698. Our client, a named defendant, settled for .20% of what the jury trial would have cost if it went all ten days. The powerhouse firm of Greenberg Trauig was our co-counsel http://www.gtlaw.com/.
In October of 2015 after a five day jury trial, we reduced a three million dollar claim against a prestigious Doctor in Scottsdale to $30,000.00. We had offered 6 times that to settle. As Bill says, “Juries get it right well over 95% of the time.”
2016 is also starting off with another key victory. We have been litigating a complex intellectual property and misappropriation of trade secrets case that includes, fraud, RICO, AZRAC, malpractice and various other torts. The case has been in Maricopa County Court (we just settled it) District Court (we won all Motions to Dismiss), Bankruptcy Court (we got the stay lifted) and the USTPO. Our client got his patent ownership back and a six figure settlement. See USPTO patent 9,142,137 B1.
In August of 2016, 22 days before a jury trial I had litigated for 3 years, we knocked the heck out of a corporate entity we deemed an ‘alleged sham’ who had contractually interfered with our client and their prospective business opportunities. We focused on Antwerp Diamond Exch. of Am., Inc. v. Better Bus. Bureau of Maricopa Cty., Inc., 130 Ariz. 523, 527-29, 637 P.2d 733, 737-39 (1981). We said, a conditional privilege is abused when the publisher: (a) knows the matter to be false; or (b) acts in reckless disregard of its truth or falsity. Restatement (Second) of Torts §600. Currier v. W. Newspapers, Inc., 175 Ariz. 290, 293-94, 855 P.2d 1351, 1354-55 (1993). Our settlement is 110% confidential & the file is sealed, but I can say, our client – eight figure earners- got settlement money in a big way.
Of late- big money cases only- , we won a Jury trial in Cosmos- 100% of attorney fees awarded. CV2019-055945
We won another Jury trial in Rappazo (a prestigious medical doctor) sued for over a million dollars by a partner. CV2017-053136.
We defeated a TRO attempt in CV2020-009644.
We collected seven figures in a property dispute, without a lawsuit.
We prevailed in a summary judgment motion regarding the construction of 3 homes, leaving only damages for a jury trial. We won that trial & Judge Thomason gave us all of the requested attorney fees & costs.
We are waiting on the 9th Circuit ruling for a cardiologist and his claims against a hospital and staff. Oral Arguments are here.
https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/media/video/?20211207/21-15326/
OUR CONTACT INFORMATION:
William A. Miller, Esq.
William A. Miller, PLLC
8170 North 86th Place, Suite 208
Scottsdale, Arizona 85258
(Direct) or 602.319.6899
Email: bmiller@williamamillerpllc.com
The hourly rate of the firm is $450.00.
Commercial cases and disputes on a contingency basis are possible, subject to a written retainer agreement.
We also handle, Breach of contract, Non-compete agreements, Non-disclosure agreements, Employee theft and embezzlement, Insurance purchases and enforcement of policy coverage, Negotiation and/or enforcement of commercial leases, Negligence and gross negligence resulting in losses, Intentional acts causing a company to suffer damages, Tortious interference with contractual relationships, Unjust enrichment, Real Estate fraud, Consumer fraud, Conversion/Theft, Intentional and/or negligent misrepresentation, Business torts and Real estate title & escrow.