William F. Goodrich, Esq., Managing Partner

BACKGROUND

Born in Pittsburgh, Bill is the son of a city firefighter. After growing up in Pittsburgh’s Garfield section and in Penn Hills, Pa., he worked his way through college and law school, earning his Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University.

Mr. Goodrich serves as President of the law firm of Goodrich & Geist, P.C. He received his B.A. in 1974 and his J.D. in 1979 from Duquesne University. Mr. Goodrich is a Past President of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association (1996-1997), as well as a past President for the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association (1994-1995). Attorney Goodrich is an active member of the Allegheny County Bar Association where he was re-elected by his peers to the Board of Governors and its Political Action Committee. He is an active member of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, has served on its Board of Governors, and was Chairman of its Membership Committee. He is a member of the American Association for Justice, a Trustee of the Political Action Committee of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, a Trustee for the Pennsylvania Bar Association Political Action Committee, a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

He was honored with the Rosenberg Award in 2000 for service to the Pennsylvania Association for Justice. Attorney Bill Goodrich lectures locally, statewide and nationally on a variety of topics dealing with the representation of personal injury victims. He has secured seven-figure verdicts against municipal defendants under real property, motor vehicle and guardrail design over the years. Attorney Goodrich has been recognized as being one of Pittsburgh’s Best Lawyers (Pittsburgh Magazine, February 2005-2011 Editions top 50 in Pittsburgh), as well as one of The Best Lawyers in America (2005-2011 Editions), and has been named a Super Lawyer in 2004 – present (Philadelphia Magazine) as well as one of the top 100 in Pennsylvania, and also Pennsylvania Super Lawyers magazine, a web-based magazine. Attorney Goodrich has an AV® Martindale-Hubble Reporter rating which is a testament to the fact that a lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.

Today, Bill is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the U.S. District Court’s Western District of Pennsylvania.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

LITIGATION PERCENTAGE

100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

BAR ADMISSIONS

Pennsylvania, 1979
U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania, 1979

EDUCATION

Duquesne University School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
– J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence – 1979
Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
– B.A., Bachelor of Arts – 1974
– Honors: Finalist, Trial Moot Court
– Major: Sociology

CLASSES/SEMINARS

Auto Law, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, 2000 – 2012

HONORS & AWARDS

Super Lawyers – Top 50 Lawyers in Pittsburgh, 2004 – present
Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 2000 -present

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

Executive Trustee for the Political Action Committee, Lawpac – 2020
Pennsylvania Association for Justice, President, 1996 – 1997
Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, President, 1994 – 1995

PAST EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS

Goodrich & Goodrich, P.C., Managing Partner, 2007 – 2012
Goodrich, Goodrich & Lazzara, P.C., Managing Partner, 2000 – 2007

PRO BONO ACTIVITIES

Brighton Heights Citizens Federation, 2004 – 2012

LANGUAGES

English

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

Bill has acted as an arbitrator in more than 300 cases for the Common Pleas Court of Allegheny County and the U.S. District Court’s Western District.

Throughout his long career, he has concentrated on civil cases involving negligence, civil rights, product liability, medical malpractice, contract litigation, Federal Torts Claim Act suits, insurance arbitration, and litigation.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Bill, his wife, and their young daughter live in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood. In the Community. Right now, Bill is working closely with the Brighton Heights Citizen Federation.