fivehundred magazine > Hall of fame: William Perkins > William Perkins

William Perkins

The Legal 500 Hall of Fame highlights individuals who have received constant praise by their clients for continued excellence

What has been your greatest achievement, in a professional and personal capability?

Receiving a Cornerstone award for pro bono legal representation of a not for profit organization that provides employment, education, health, legal, social, business development and youth services in Flatbush, Brooklyn.

What do you do differently from your peers in the industry?

Because I have held responsible non-law, business positions prior to law school, in addition to working as an in-house lawyer, I fully understand what an HR executive or in-house lawyer is looking for when reaching out to outside counsel with a question. As a result, I provide easy to implement, practical legal and employee relations advice to clients.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Spend more time with your family.

Can you give me a practical example of how you helped a client add value to the business?

Working with an industrial psychologist, we designed a hiring process that eliminated the high standard deviation issues with respect to race and sex, which diminished potential OFCCP/EEOC issues and helped the client select candidates that reduced the significant turnover problem if historically faced.

Within your sector, what do you think will be the biggest challenge for clients over the next 12 months?

Conflicting state, city and federal laws and regulations, which prevents nationwide clients from maintaining or implementing nationwide standardized policies and practices.