Bill Manning, a long-time partner and highly-respected trial lawyer at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P., has been named to the prestigious BTI Client Service All-Star list for 2010. Mr. Manning is one of only eleven intellectual property lawyers across the nation to receive this distinguished honor for delivering outstanding client service.
The annual BTI ranking is based on extensive research collected from Fortune 500 companies, which is used to determine the elite group of U.S. attorneys who are delivering the highest level of client service. Each year, BTI Consulting Group conducts more than 250 independent interviews with General Counsels that focus on the quality of service provided by the corporations’ outside law firms.
“This award is a tribute to Bill’s more than three decades of dedication to his clients, and a reflection of the firm’s commitment to providing world-class client service,” said Martin R. Lueck, Chairman of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. “We are delighted that Bill has received this prestigious honor for his leadership in client service excellence and his keen understanding of his clients’ unique needs.”
Mr. Manning was nominated to the All-Stars list by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), an innovative technology company that provides processing solutions across the globe. He came to represent AMD after litigating against the company in a patent dispute, from which Mr. Manning recovered $500 million for his client from 20 different computer manufactures including Dell, Hewlett Packard, Gateway, Intel, Toshiba, and AMD, among others.
More recently, Mr. Manning defended AMD against alleged infringement by Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He is currently representing the company in significant patent litigation involving processors and memory against Samsung in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
“It is always gratifying to be recognized by a client,” said Mr. Manning, “but it is particularly fulfilling when that recognition comes from a client for whom you have the upmost respect, both personally and professionally. AMD is a truly dynamic and innovative company, and our firm is honored to represent them.”
“There is a well-known and often used phrase historically in our firm —‘no one accomplishes anything alone.’ I am grateful to the many talented team members with whom I currently work and those with whom I have worked in my years in the firm. Together we deliver the highest quality work for our clients - and this award recognizes all of us,” said Mr. Manning.
Over the past 32 years, Mr. Manning has represented numerous corporate clients in a wide range of civil litigation matters. Among some of those clients are Honeywell, Inc. and The Toro Company. In addition to intellectual property and patent litigation, he represents corporations in products liability, alleged false advertising, securities litigation and class-action defense work. He has resolved a number of class-action defense matters for Fortune 500 companies.
In addition to his corporate practice, Mr. Manning also represents seriously injured individuals. In that regard, he has obtained other million dollar verdicts and numerous multi-million dollar settlements on behalf of injured individuals in complex product liability cases, including a significant $9 million verdict on behalf of a young man who lost both his arms. This verdict was unanimously sustained by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Mr. Manning states, “It is the bedrock belief of our firm that the justice system should be open to everyone, regardless of their economic or social status. It does not matter if the client is an individual or a corporation, they deserve a lawyer who can listen deeply and allow them to be heard. It is an honor and a privilege to stand in the shoes of another attempt to give them voice.”
Mr. Manning is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and a Trustee of Hamline University, where he inaugurated the Nelson Mandela Scholarship Fund for the Law School.