Stauffer named one of 'Best Lawyers in America'

William Stauffer, clinical associate professor at William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business, has been recognized by his peers as one of the best lawyers in America for his work in commercial litigation, banking litigation and real estate litigation. This is his 10th consecutive year being awarded.

Recognition by Best Lawyers is based on a rigorous peer review survey involving over 7.4 million confidential evaluations of lawyers across the country. Best Lawyers has been regarded for three decades as the most credible measure of legal integrity in the United States.

Stauffer has more than 40 years of experience litigating matters in state and federal courts as a licensed member of the Virginia State Bar and the District of Columbia Bar. He spent a majority of his career practicing law in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, and held law firm management positions for over 25 consecutive years.

In 2015, Stauffer was named to the 2015 class of "Leaders in the Law" by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. He has also been acknowledged on multiple occasions by Virginia Business magazine as one of the state's "Legal Elite" for civil litigation.

Stauffer attributes his career success to his supportive family, undergraduate and law professors, professional mentors, and engaging students.

"I'm very fortunate to have had many people around to open doors for me. And I've had wonderful colleagues on important cases and transactions. No one gets to this position by themselves," Stauffer said.

As a clinical associate professor, he teaches business law and ethics to undergraduate and graduate students, respectively. He received the 2015 Faculty Excellence Award from William & Mary's Bachelor's in Business Administration graduating class of 2015 and the 2017 Faculty Excellence Award from the B.B.A. graduating class of 2017.

"Professor Stauffer is well-known for being one of the most committed professors on campus. He's always looking for opportunities for his students and genuinely cares about his students' interests," said Marketing student Anna Weidman '18.

Business Analytics student Paige Darby '18 agreed.

"Professor Stauffer sincerely wants the best for every student that enters his class," Darby said. "He is so incredibly kind and encouraging and will go out of his way to help you, whether that be with class material, with finding a job, or with becoming confident in yourself."