Member Profile: William D. Coleman

	William D. Coleman Capell & Howard P.C. 150 South Perry Street Montgomery, AL 36104 Tel: (334) 241-8056 Fax: (334) 241-8256 Website: www.capellhoward.com William D. Coleman regularly travels out of state to Florida, Georgia, Mississippi	View Printable Resume GoogleMaps for this Location View Available Dates Calendar

ADR Services Include:

Mediation; Arbitration

Appellate Class Actions Commercial/Business Condominiums Construction Consumer Fraud Contract Disputes Eminent Domain

Engineering Industrial Insurance Landlord/Tenant Libel & Slander Local Government Non-profit Organizations Partnerships

Personal Injury Professional Liability Professional Negligence Real Estate Title Disputes Torts Wrongful Death

BIOGRAPHICAL:

Born in New Orleans on Mardi Gras Day, Bill Coleman was reared in Tuscaloosa.  He obtained his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Alabama (J.D., 1967), where he served as an editor on  the Alabama Law Review and graduated Farrah Order of Jurisprudence/Order of the Coif. 

After law school he served two years in the U.S. Army, Military Intelligence, becoming company commander of over five hundred men.  He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal (1969).

Bill began his legal career in late 1969 with the Montgomery  firm of Capell & Howard, P.C.  He served the firm as Managing Partner for fifteen years until 2010.  Bill continues to practice law, primarily advising clients regarding disputes arising within the construction industry.  The majority of his practice now involves serving as a neutral mediator or arbitrator.   

Bill was a pioneer in alternative dispute resolution in Alabama.  He was trained as a mediator for legal disputes at the Harvard Law School's program and the American Arbitration Association'sprogram.  He has served as a neutral in mediation and arbitration, as well as instructor in numerous ADR programs, for over twenty-five years. Bill served as the first chair of the state bar's Committee on Alternative Methods of Dispute Resolution (1994-96).  He was instrumental in the formation of the Alabama Supreme Court Commission on Dispute Resolution in 1994, served a two-year term as its chariman (1996-98), and has continued an active membership of the commission.  

He is recognized as an accomplished mediator of a variety of disputes, including tort and commercial, with particular expertise involving construction industry disputes.  He has served as mediator of hundreds of mediations, including numerous multi-party mediations - some with over thirty parties.  Bill has been involved in over 200 arbitrations as an advocate or arbitrator in several states.

EDUCATION:

• J.D., University of Alabama, 1967
• B.A., University of Alabama, 1966

Memberships & Affiliations

• Fellow, American College of Construction Lawyers
• Life Fellow, Alabama Law Foundation
• Listed, "Best Lawyers in America" (Alternative Dispute Resolution, Construction Law, Commercial Litigation, Bet-the-Company Litigation)
• Listed, "Alabama Super Lawyers" (Alternative Dispute Resolution)
• Author, "The Mediation Alternative: Participating in a Problem-Solving Process", The Alabama Lawyer, 1995.
• Author, "The Arbitration Alternative: Some Common Issues", The Alabama Lawyer, 2009
• Alabama Supreme Court Commission on Dispute Resolution (1994 - present; Chairman, 1996 - 98)
• National Panel of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association
• Panel of Distinguished Neutrals, CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution
• National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
• Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution, Inc. (President, 1994 - current)
• Alabama Academy of Attorney Mediators
• Master Bencher, American Inn of Court, Montgomery Court
• Committee on Alternative Methods of Dispute Resolution of the Alabama State Bar (1994 - 2010; Chairman, 1994 - 96)
• American Bar Association (Forum Committee on the Construction Industry, Public Contracts Section, Tort and Insurance Section, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section)
• Associate Member, Associated General Contractors, Alabama Branch
• Associate Member, Associated Builders and Contractors, Alabama Branch
• Board of Directors, Leadership Alabama (Chair, 2010-2011)
• Board of Directors, Business Committee for the Arts (Chair, 2011-2012)
• Board of Control, Committee of 100, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce (Chair, 2007-2009)
• Board of Directors, Montgomery Education Foundation

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