William H. Song
Bill leads the firm's fiduciary advice practice. He is a Fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel and was elected to its Board of Governors, signifying national preeminence in the field of benefits law. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, The Best Lawyers in Washington State, and Washington Super Lawyers. His experience includes advising plans in all aspects of ERISA and trust law, including fiduciary standards, due diligence procedures, Department of Labor ("DOL") audits and prohibited transaction exemptions. He has represented plans in complex asset investment transactions and litigation impacting billions of dollars in plan assets. He was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Labor to a three-year term on the Secretary's ERISA Advisory Council on Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, appointed by the President as a White House delegate to the First National Summit on Retirement Savings Policy, and served as an advisor on state health care reform under the Washington Health Care and Washington Health Services Commissions. He has testified before the DOL on fiduciary standards, and also engages in employee benefits litigation.
Areas of Practice
- ERISA and Trust Law
Bar Admissions
- Washington, 1979
- U.S. District Court Western District of Washington, 1983
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1983
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1986
Education
- University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- J.D. - 1978
- Hamilton College
- B.A. - 1974
- Honors: Phi Beta Kappa
Honors and Awards
- White House Delegate, First National Summit on Retirement Savings Policy, 1998
- Member, ERISA Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans to U.S. Secretary of Labor, 1991 - 1994
- Chair, Committee on Economically Targeted Investments, 1993
- Technical Advisor to Labor Advisory Committee, Washington Health Services Commission, 1994 - 1995
- Fellow, American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, 2001 - Present
- Board of Governors, American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, 2003 - 2006
- Watson Fellowship, 1974 - 1975
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Washington State Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
- American College of Employee Benefits Counsel
- National Association of Public Pension Attorneys



