William G. PaulDirector
Highly distinguished and respected, William G. Paul serves as an of counsel attorney in the Firm’s Oklahoma City office. His areas of practice encompass alternative dispute resolution, commercial transactions, corporate governance, and trusts and estates law.
William’s prestige and respect are evidenced by his leadership in various professional organizations. He has served as president of both the Oklahoma and American Bar Associations, the American Bar Endowment, the Oklahoma County Bar Association, and the National Conference of Bar Presidents to name a few.
William’s career highlights also include:
- Lecturing on various topics at the University of South Dakota College of Law, Oklahoma City University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Pennsylvania College of Law
- Serving as General Counsel and Senior Vice-President for the Phillips Petroleum Company
- Being inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, 2003
- Being a member of the University of Oklahoma Alumni Hall of Fame
- Receiving the President’s Award from the Oklahoma Bar Association
- Receiving the Spirit of Excellence Award for his commitment to diversity in the legal profession
- Receiving the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, 2000
- Listed in Best Lawyers publication Alternative Dispute Resolution (2007 – Present)*
*Crowe & Dunlevy has no input in the rating methodology used by the Best Lawyers publication.
University of Oklahoma College of Law
Norman, OK
LL.B., 1956
Honors:
Order of the Coif
Order of Barristers
Oklahoma Law Review, Article and Book Editor
Oklahoma Law Review, Board of Editors
Research Assistant to the Dean of the College of Law
Callahan Company Award, Highest Grade Average in the Junior Class
Winner, Moot Court Competition
University of Oklahoma
Norman, OK
B.A., 1952
Honors:
Phi Beta Kappa
Gold Letzeiser Medal for Outstanding Male Graduate
Student Commander, NROTC Battalion
Highest Marks on Entrance Examination in History
Pe-et Award as Outstanding Male Freshman Student
Outstanding NROTC Student, All Four Years
First Place Navigation Event, Intercollegiate Flying Assoc. Competition
President, Pe-et Society (Top Ten Junior Male Students)
President, Scabbard and Blade Society Class
Secretary, Phi Gamma Delta; President of Pledge Class
Rotary Award as Outstanding Graduate
President, Freshman "Y"
Delta Sigma Rho, Honorary Forensic Society
First Place, Annual Gordon Fuller Oratorical Competition
- Oklahoma, 1956
- U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit, 1957
- U.S. District Court Western District of Oklahoma, 1957
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Oklahoma, 1957
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Oklahoma, 1957
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1970
- American Bar Association President (1999 – 2000)
- Oklahoma Bar Association President, 1976
- American Bar Association, Litigation Section Co-Chair, Committee on Energy Law (1988 – 1990)
- American Bar Endowment President (1997 – 1998)
- University of Oklahoma College of Law Chair, Law Center Advisory Board (1977 – 1978)
- National Center for State Courts Director (1993 – 1999)
- American Inns of Court Trustee (2000 – 2003)
- American Judicature Society Director (2001 – Present)
- CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution Member, Executive Committee (1992 – 2000)
- American Petroleum Institute Chair, General Committee of Law (1994 – 1995)
- American College of Trial Lawyers State Chair for Oklahoma (1985 – 1987)
- American Bar Foundation Member, Board of Directors (1988 – 1991)
- Oklahoma County Bar Association President, 1971
- American Bar Association Member, Board of Governors (1995 – 2001)
- Middle Temple Inn, Master Bencher
- American Bar Association Chair, Committee on Research about the Future of the Legal Profession (1995 – 1997)
- American Bar Association Member, House of Delegates (1979 – Present)
- American Bar Association Nominating Committee State Delegate from Oklahoma (1986 – 1995)
- American Bar Association Member, Commission on Women in the Profession (1993 – 1995)
- American Bar Association, Section of Business Law Member, Committee on Corporate Law Departments (1986 – 1995)
- Association of General Counsel Member (1989 – Present)
- National Conference of Bar Presidents President (1985 – 1986)
- American Law Institute, Member
- Martindale-Hubbell and Lexis-Nexis Legal Advisory Board Charter Member (1990 – 2008)
- Center for American and International Law Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees (1995 – 2005)
- Center for American and International Law Chair, Research Fellows (1992 – 1993)
- University of Oklahoma College of Arts and Sciences Chair, Board of Visitor (1997 – 1998)
- American Bar Association Member, House of Delegates Committee on Rules and Calendar (1994 – 1995)
- American Bar Association Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund for Members of Racial and Ethnic Minorities Founder, 1999
- American Bar Association Founder and Charter Member, Latin American Law Initiatives Council (1999 – Present)
- American Bar Association Member, Council, Fund for Justice and Education (1989 – 1994)
- Oklahoma Bar Professional Liability Insurance Company President (1976 – 1984)
- Oklahoma County Young Lawyers President (1964 – 1965)
- Fellows of American Bar Foundation Chairman (1990 – 1991)
- National Constitution Center Trustee (2001 – 2008)
- Historical Society of Tenth Judicial Circuit Vice President and Director (2003 – 2005)
- Oklahoma Hall of Fame, 2003
- University of Oklahoma Alumni Hall of Fame, 1979
- Distinguished Service Citation, University of Oklahoma, 1985
- Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Oklahoma, 1999
- Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree, Oklahoma City University, 1999
- Life Patron Fellow: American Bar Foundation
- University of Oklahoma Regent
- Inducted into the Warren Burger Society, National Center for State Courts, 2001
- Inducted into the Warren Burger Society, National Center for State Courts, 2001
- American Bar Association Spirit of Excellence Award for Commitment to Diversity in the Legal Profession, 2002
- Lifetime Achievement Award, Oklahoma Bar Association, 2000
- Honorary Barrister, Bar of England and Wales, 2000
- Honorary Solicitor, The Law Society of England and Wales, 2000
- Eugene Kuntz Award for Leadership in Natural Resources Law and Policy, 1994
- Inducted into Pauls Valley Hall of Fame, 2001
- Outstanding Young Oklahoman, Oklahoma Jaycees, 1965
- Outstanding Young Man of Oklahoma City, 1965
- Guest of Honor, U.S. Marine Corps Evening Parade, 2000
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America in Arbitration, Mediation (2007 – Present)*
- Named Best Lawyers 2022 Lawyer of the Year (OKC) in Arbitration
- Named Best Lawyers 2021 Lawyer of the Year (OKC) in Mediation
- Law Day 2001: Home of the Brave, 26 Oklahoma City Univ. Law Review, No. 3, pg 1103, Fall, 2001
- Remarks of the Outgoing President of the American Bar Association, 31 New Mexico Law Review 55, Winter, 2001
- Banks of Mid-America Director (1984 – 1998)
- Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa Member, Board of Directors (1992 – 1995)
- Liberty National Bank Director (1976 – 1983)
- Bank One Oklahoma Director (1996 – 1997)
- OU Club of Oklahoma City President, 1970
- University of Oklahoma College of Law Chair, Board of Visitors (1976 – 1980)
- University of Oklahoma College of Law Member, Board of Visitors (2002 – Present)
- Bizzel Memorial Library Society, University of Oklahoma President (2002 – Present)
- University of Oklahoma College of Business Member Board of Visitors (1987 - 1990)
- Oklahoma Arts Institute (Member, Board of Directors (1987 - 1996)
- Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce Director (1983 - 1985)
- Oklahoma City United Way Chair, Lawyers Division, 1980
- Red Earth, Inc. Director (2000 - Present)
- Oklahoma Judicial Evaluation (Blue Ribbon) Commission Member (1998 - Present)
- Westminster Presbyterian Church Member (1996 - Present)
- First Presbyterian Church of Norman Deacon and Trustee (1956 - 1963)
- First Presbyterian Church of Oklahoma City Deacon (1964 - 1970)
- First Presbyterian Church of Bartlesville Trustee and Treasurer (1990 - 1993)
- Bank2 Member, Board of Directors (2005 - Present)
- Chickasaw Hall of Fame Inductee, 2003
