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Philadelphia Office
1835 Market Street - Suite 1400
Philadelphia
PA 19103New York Office
5 Penn Plaza - 23rd Floor
New York
NY 10001215.569.2796 phone215.568.6603 faxwhinchman@klehr.com
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William R. Hinchman

Partner | Litigation | Bankruptcy & Restructuring | Government Contracting

Biography

William R. Hinchman serves as Co-Chair of the firm's Litigation Department. He is a skilled, experienced litigator concentrating in all facets of commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on complex business disputes, insolvency and matters involving the government.

William is a trial lawyer with decades of experience litigating difficult and complex cases. While he has vast experience representing debtors and creditors concerning claims involving troubled businesses, most of his cases involve general commercial litigation matters.

William has a unique and varied professional background. He has broad educational depth as an instructor and adjunct professor. He has been published in numerous articles on topics such as trial advocacy, government affairs, deposition skills, trial tactics and bankruptcy litigation.  His tenacious attention to detail and perseverance sets him apart and clients recognize his ability to advocate on their behalf to protect their best interests and their assets.

William works with banks, financial investors, motivated start-ups and business owners related to breach of contract claims, real estate disputes, business divorces, construction cases, breach of fiduciary duty claims and fraud cases. Clients frequently seek out William to handle matters where the outcome will dictate the survival or failure of their business.

  • In a significant business dispute, William represented the lender in a multi-district litigation concerning a Ponzi scheme that defrauded nearly one hundred community homeowner associations;
  • He recently prosecuted claims by a floor plan lender against several international parties who misappropriated collateral to locations around the world;
  • In a government case William drafted, implemented and monitored a Department of Justice mandated administrative compliance program for a public company with millions of dollars of Department of Defense contracts; and
  • In another notable case he litigated claims of an insurer of mortgaged backed securities in the largest U.S. bankruptcy in history.

William was drawn to the law as a young man. While in the U.S. Army, Captain Hinchman tried dozens of cases as he served as counsel for the Judge Advocate Generals Corp. (JAG). During his service, William was the only criminal defense lawyer in what was the largest courts-martial jurisdiction in the world. William is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and he volunteers for legal services for veterans.

William lives in Philadelphia. He is an avid athlete and traveler, competing in half-ironman races, marathons and journeys across the country to the best trail running destinations that he can discover. He is on a mission to compete in a trail run in every U.S. state.

Credentials

Education

Temple University Beasley School of Law, L.L.M., with Honors (Trial Advocacy) (2001)

Villanova University School of Law, J.D., recipient Wapner Newman and Wigrizer award for excellence in Trial Advocacy (1990)

Juniata College, B.S. (1987)


Admissions

Pennsylvania

New Jersey

New York

U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals

U.S. Court of Federal Claims


Memberships

Member,  American Bar Association

Member,  Pennsylvania Bar Association

Member,  National Contract Management Association

Faculty Member,  National Institute of Trial Advocacy

Awards/Honors

Awards and Honors

Named to "The Best Lawyers in America©" list for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2020)

Publications

Articles/Seminars

"Government Contractors Face New Compliance Hurdles," by William R. Hinchman

"Mastering The Unscripted Moment," by William R. Hinchman, The Young Lawyer, Volume 18, Issue 03

Evidence and Trial Advocacy In Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Conference, June 19, 2019

Top Ten Tips on Trying Your Commercial Case in State and Federal Court Third Annual Bucks County Business Law Institute, May 14, 2019

Instructor, National Institute of Trial Advocacy, New York Law School, Deposition Skills course, November 2012

Adjunct Professor, Trial Advocacy Program Temple University

Instructor, Trying a Case in Bankruptcy Court

Instructor, Government Contracting Basics

Instructor, Deposition Skills

Instructor, Building Trial Skills

Author, National Institute of Trial Advocacy Case File, Bio-Solutions, Inc. v. O'Malley

Representative Matters:

Business disputes

  • Successfully tried a multi-million dollar severance claim by a former officer of a start-up pharmaceutical company;
  • Achieved a defense verdict in a civil rights action claimed against a party seeking possession of real property;
  • Successfully tried a broker commission dispute involving the sale of a multi-million dollar commercial office building;
  • Settled favorably a $6 million claim by a franchisee that involved claims of lender liability, fraud and civil conspiracy; and
  • Successfully tried a construction dispute that resulted in a favorable settlement during jury deliberations.

Government contracts

  • Drafted, implemented and monitored a Department of Justice mandated administrative compliance program for a public company with millions of dollars of Department of Defense contracts;
  • Successfully defended a public company against a Department of the Navy recommendation for suspension and debarment;
  • Counseled lenders and borrowers on the implications of bankruptcy proceedings on the rights and obligations under federal contracts, including Anti-Assignment Act issues;
  • Interfaced with government agencies concerning debtors' continued performance on government contracts after Chapter 11 filing;
  • Prosecuted a multi-million dollar claim on behalf of a public company before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims;
  • Negotiated a teaming agreement between two public companies that jointly developed a combat personnel carrier for the Department of Defense;
  • Drafted a complex end user license agreement for a foreign software manufacturer; and
  • Advised lender in advance of customer's bankruptcy filing on nature, extent and priority of security interest in assets and inventory of pre-paid government contract with locations throughout the U.S.

Debtor-Creditor

  • Negotiated and resolved numerous claims totaling $12 million by the reorganized debtor in a large telecommunications bankruptcy case;
  • Represents regional bank in all aspects of collection and enforcement proceedings; and
  • Enforce rights of debtors, creditors, equity security holders and committees in various bankruptcy matters.