JOEL P. WILLIAMS
Phone: 443-761-6507
Fax: 443-761-6519
E-mail:jpwilliams@pikegilliss.com

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Mr. William’s practice focuses on fidelity and surety law, insurance law, construction law and commercial litigation. He has substantial experience assisting insurers and sureties in fidelity and commercial surety bond matters, including claims, disputes and litigation involving commercial crime policies, commercial surety bonds and financial institution bonds. Mr. Williams has developed particular experience in coverage claims and litigation involving employee theft, computer fraud, probate bonds and other fiduciary bond claims.  He regularly assists clients in matters involving performance and payment bonds, motor vehicle dealer bonds, title agent bonds, and other license and statutory bonds. He has successfully argued cases in state and federal courts at the trial and appellate levels. Mr. Williams has been selected by his peers as a Super Lawyer since 2012.  His professional publications have appeared in law reviews, professional journals and periodicals addressing a broad range of fidelity, surety and insurance law topics.

BAR ADMISSIONS

Maryland, 1997
District of Columbia, 2000
Virginia, 2017
U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

EDUCATION

University of Baltimore School of Law, J.D., Magna Cum Laude, 1997
University of Baltimore Law Review
Heuisler Honor Society
University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, B.A., 1988
University of Maryland, Munich, Germany, 1983-1985

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS

American Bar Association, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee
Maryland State Bar Association
District of Columbia Bar Association
Howard County Bar Association
Baltimore City Bar Association
St. Thomas More Society
Defense Research Institute, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee

LECTURES, PRESENTATIONS, AND PUBLICATIONS

Loss and Valuation (lead author), in Commercial Crime Insurance (American Bar Association, 2014).

The Legal Action Clause: Limitations, Waiting Periods and Statutory  Constraints –  Are there 50 States of Confusion? (lead author) (American Bar Association – Fidelity & Surety Committee) January, 2010.

Ethical Issues Associated with Preserving, Accessing, Discovering, and Using Electronically Stored Information (co-author with the Hon. Paul W. Grimm), XIV Fid. L.J. 57 (2008).

Time (and Time Again?): Contractual Limitations and Waiting Periods (Co-author).

For the Defense (Defense Research Institute), 2008.

ERISA Bonds and Employee Dishonesty: When is an Employee of the Sponsor Considered an Employee of the Plan? (Co-author) Surety Claims Institute Newsletter, 2008.

The Salary Exclusion: A Fidelity Coverage Limitation Earns Its Place. For the Defense (Defense Research Institute), 2005.

Note: Van Horn v. Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company. University of Baltimore Law Review, Spring, 1996.

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

Thomas v. Accredited Surety and Casualty Company (Purcell v. Thomas), 28 A.3d 1138 (D.C. 2011)

Schek v. NGM Ins. Co. (In Re. Schek), 397 Br. 752 (D. Md. 2008)

Millstone v. St. Paul Travelers, 962 A.2d 432 (Md. App. 2008) aff’d, 987 A.2d 116 (Md. 2010)

Gray and Associates, LLC v. Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America, 2008 U.S. Dist. Lexis 23903 (U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland 2008)

Carytown Jewelers v. St. Paul Travelers Ins. Cos., 2007 U.S. Dist., Lexis 3620 (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia 2007)

Williamson v. National Grange Mut. Ins. Co., 887 A.2d 665 (Md. App. 2005)