Bill Harrington is a widely recognized trial lawyer and legal advocate for companies and executives facing federal investigations, enforcement actions, and criminal charges. Chambers USA describes Bill as “an extremely quick study with a great mastery of complex detail and a lot of savvy,” “very smart, capable and trustworthy,” and as a lawyer who has “great style and manner with both client and with juries.” Before he joined Goodwin, Bill served as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted and investigated bribery and fraud schemes, including False Claims Act matters. He co-heads Goodwin’s practice groups on Financial Services Disputes & Investigations and Healthcare Government Enforcement.
Representative Matters
Areas of Practice
Professional Experience
Bill worked in the Criminal Division of the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York from 2006 through 2012. His prosecutions focused on corruption, bribery, and fraud cases. Bill also acted as Criminal Health Care Fraud Coordinator, responsible for cases involving healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies.
From 2008 through 2012, Bill was an adjunct professor at New York University School of Law, teaching a course covering the ethical and strategic considerations in exercising federal prosecutorial authority.
Credentials
Education
JD1999
Yale Law School
BA1995
Yale College
Clerkships
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Honorable Sidney H. Stein
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Honorable Chester J. Straub
Admissions
Bars
- New York
Courts
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Recognition & Awards
Bill is widely recognized as a leading white-collar lawyer, including by:
- Chambers USA for his work in White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations Litigation. His clients have referred to Bill as a “brilliant trial lawyer who has a great demeanor with clients”
- Legal 500 for his work in Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense
- The Best Lawyers in America for his work in Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- US News Best Lawyers as a top white-collar lawyer
- LMG Life Sciences as a Star Individual in litigation and enforcement Super Lawyers as a top white-collar lawyer
- Super Lawyers as a top white-collar lawyer
- Benchmark Litigation as a Litigation Star in New York for his work in Commercial & White-Collar Crime
- Euromoney’s Expert Guides: White-Collar Crime Lawyers as one of the world’s leading white-collar crime lawyers
- Global Investigations Review 100 as a highly regarded investigator
- Lexology as a Thought Leader in Corporate Business Crime Defense
At Yale Law School, Bill earned the Potter Stewart Prize (Best Team) in the Morris Tyler Moot Court competition, and he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal and the Journal of Law and Humanities.
Publications
Bill frequently writes and comments on government investigations and enforcement, the False Claims Act, and other topics related to healthcare, consumer, and investment banking investigations. Recent publications include:
- Co-Author, “Tariff Evasion Draws Increased Federal Scrutiny,” New York Law Journal, November 4, 2025
- Co-Author, “The False Claims Act and Kickbacks: Factual Causality Required,” New York Law Journal, April 26, 2023
- Co-Author, “Chopra’s Deputies: State Attorneys General and Consumer Protection,” New York Law Journal, June 2022
- Co-Author, “PE Investment in Health Care Attracting Greater Federal Scrutiny,” New York Law Journal, June 2021
- Co-Author, “For Civil Enforcement, The Pandemic Is Just Beginning,” New York Law Journal, April 2021
- Co-Author, “To Fight Pandemic, Health Care Companies Face New Opportunities But Old Legal Risks,” New York Law Journal, April 2020
- Co-Author, “Enforcement Risks For Recipients of U.S. CARES Act And Other Federal Funds,” Goodwin Client Alert, April 2020
- Co-Author, “New Attack on Physicians Compensation Models Under the Stark Law,” New York Law Journal, December 2019
- Co-Author, “Does Violating Medicare Regulatory Guidance Still Create False Claims Act Liability?,” New York Law Journal, June 2019
- Co-Author, “Circuit Rulings on CIDs Show Agency Deference is Not Unconditional,” New York Law Journal, September 2018
- Co-Author, “Two Recent Cases Illustrate Need to Rely on Causal Concepts in FCA Cases,” New York Law Journal, June 2018
- Co-Author, “A Simple Solution to End the Encryption Debate,” TechCrunch, May 2018
- Co-Author, “DOJ Gives Mixed Messages on False Claims Act Enforcement,” New York Law Journal, February 2018
- Co-Author, “Fraud and Abuse Enforcement Goes High Tech,” New York Law Journal, June 2017
- Co-Author, “Under Sessions-Led Justice Department, FCA Enforcement Likely to Continue Apace,” New York Law Journal, February 2017
- Co-Author, “False Claims Act Round Up: Attacking Claims Post-‘Escobar’,” New York Law Journal, November 2016
- Co-Author, “Supreme Court Limits Scope of Asset Forfeiture,” New York Law Journal, July 2016
- Co-Author, “Supreme Court to Review Theory of Implied False Claims Act Liability,” New York Law Journal, February 2016
- Co-Author, “Turning an Exacting Eye to Physician-Hospital Compensation,” New York Law Journal, November 2015
- Co-Author, “The False Claims Act and Corporate Integrity Agreements,” New York Law Journal, August 2015
- Co-Author, “Where Rules Collide: the Problem of Confidentiality and Whistleblowers,” New York Law Journal, May 2015
- Co-Author, “Collateral Consequences of Individual Liability,” New York Law Journal, February 2015
- Co-Author, “Recent Challenges to Administrative Adjudication of Fraud Claims,” New York Law Journal, December 2014
- Co-Author, “Dodd-Frank’s New Deputies of Federal Consumer Financial Laws – States,” New York Law Journal, September 2014
- Co-Author, “Civil Enforcement Actions: Whither the Fifth Amendment?” New York Law Journal, May 2014
- Co-Author, “Quality Control Breakdowns Form Basis of Government Action,” New York Law Journal, February 2014