William J. Dorsey is an attorney who specializes in creditors' rights, real estate and commercial litigation and trial practice. Mr. Dorsey also represents clients in a myriad of intellectual property litigation matters.
Mr. Dorsey’s creditors' rights litigation experience is significant. He has successfully represented many of the nation’s leading lenders and banks in cases involving prosecuting breaches of credit agreements and conversion of the lender’s collateral; obtaining temporary restraining orders and preliminary and permanent injunctions enforcing provisions of credit agreements and enjoining diversion of collateral; enforcing guaranties and post-judgment remedies; and defending and obtaining the dismissal of lender liability and securities claims asserted by borrowers and investors. As a trial laywer, Mr. Dorsey also represents lenders in bankruptcy litigation matters including Chapter 7 conversion, Chapter 11 trustee appointment, cash collateral and lift stay contested matters and hearings in bankruptcy courts throughout the country.
Mr. Dorsey has served as court-appointed attorney to the examiner in the
In re Dexter Distributing Corporation matter, Case No. 2-03-bk-03456, pending in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona. The examiner’s comprehensive report, prepared with the assistance and counsel of Mr. Dorsey, detailed the results of an investigation into the debtor’s corporate governance and potential conflicts of interest in connection with events leading up to the filing of its Chapter 11 petition. In addition, Mr. Dorsey has prosecuted multiple preferential transfer and post-petition transfer actions under Sections 547 and 549 of the Bankruptcy Code.
Mr. Dorsey’s real estate litigation experience complements his creditors' rights litigation practice and spans real estate finance, construction, and commercial leasing. Representative matters include: the foreclosure of the iconic Ilkai Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii; the foreclosures of retail, hotel, single family home development and condominium properties throughout the country; negotiation and preparation of forbearance agreements, post-default advance agreements and releases; the successful litigation of construction defect and mechanics lien claims on behalf of lenders and title insurance companies; and complex commercial lease disputes on behalf of large institutional lenders and commercial landlords. Mr. Dorsey is currently overseeing or has recently overseen foreclosures of commercial properties in California, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia and Illinois.
In the field of intellectual property litigation, Mr. Dorsey has prosecuted trade secret misappropriation and breach of fiduciary duty claims against a former executive of a Dutch temporary structure manufacturer and his co-conspirators charged with usurping corporate opportunities involving the PGA Tour, as well as similar claims against former employees of a national shipping company who sought to solicit customers for a competing business using proprietary customer lists. Mr. Dorsey has also obtained injunctive relief against a clothing manufacturer that sought to unfairly compete using the mark of an internationally known clothier.
Mr. Dorsey’s representative, reported matters include:
- Capital Source Finance LLC v. Delco Oil, Inc. et al., 520 F. Supp. 2d 684 (D. Md. 2007). Granting lender’s motion for rule to show cause against borrower and borrower’s law firm based on diversion of funds from blocked account in violation of the loan agreement and previously entered temporary restraining order and further finding that borrower’s bankruptcy filing did not terminate temporary restraining order.
- In re Delco Oil, Inc., 365 B.R. 246 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2007). Granting secured lender’s motion to lift stay and finding that debtor’s funds, which had been diverted from account over which lender held deposit account control agreement, were identifiable as cash collateral or proceeds of lender’s collateral and thus subject to lift stay.
- DeBoer Structures (U.S.A.), Inc. v. Shaffer Tent and Awning Co. et al., 187 F. Supp. 2d 910 (S.D. Ohio 2001). Entering preliminary injunction and imposing constructive trust arising out of breach of fiduciary duties and trade secret misappropriation related to diverted $40 million contract.
Mr. Dorsey earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Claremont McKenna College in 1995 and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1998. He is admitted to practice law in Illinois, Missouri and Kansas as well as before the United States District Courts for the Western District of Missouri and the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois.