Bill Heller founded and chairs Akerman’s Consumer Financial Services, Data and Technology (CFS+) Practice Group, among the largest national legal teams supporting consumer financial service providers and emerging technologies. Active in firm leadership, Bill serves as a member of Akerman’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
Bill is an experienced jury trial litigator and appellate oralist. He has first chaired lawsuits, arbitrations and appeals in state and federal courts and other venues throughout the country. He has partnered with industry leaders and the largest institutions defending and prosecuting claims involving a wide range of business, consumer and employment disputes over issues ranging from technology development, intellectual property rights, trade secret infringement, consumer protection, to debt origination, servicing, collection and investment.
CFS+ lawyers—some former in-house and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau attorneys—lead, coordinate and consult on big stakes and high volume national litigation, federal and state examination, investigation and enforcement support, as well as regulatory compliance in all U.S. states and territories.
Bill is a recognized authority and frequent speaker on litigation and compliance issues relating to multi-state litigation management and risk assessment, internal investigations, and home mortgage and debt servicing processes. He is ranked by Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation and Best Lawyers in America for financial services law.
Bill has over 30 years of experience representing the home mortgage industry from first chairing cases nationally, coordinating defense and recovery operations, leading internal investigations and implementing process enhancements. Bill has led teams defending individual and class consumer claims arising under federal consumer protection laws—the Truth in Lending Act, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Housing Act, Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act—as well as the state versions of these laws covering fair lending, collection, and deceptive and unfair trade practices.
Bill has developed and run all-state rapid response projects, providing issue escalation and direct case handling for institutions of different sizes and geography. Bill also established a group for investigating and recovering from mortgage and investment fraud, litigating title-related disputes and pursuing repurchase recovery.
As a compliance lawyer, Bill advises financial services clients and multiple other business platforms on operationalizing federal and state legal requirements, industry standards and best practices, court rules and local customs. Bill and the CFS+ team have leading-edge experience with financial technology product licensing, compliance and rollout, in addition to global privacy compliance and immediate breach response, working closely with regulators and officials in all locations.
Bill has also represented artists, talent managers and music enterprises in connection with property rights and product launches, in addition to industry-related disputes and litigation.
Along with his significant practice and governance roles at Akerman, Bill serves as Chief Legal Advisor to JFI Medical LLC, a minority-based organization of physicians and professionals dedicated to equitable distribution and access to premium medical products and services. Bill also sits on the business advisory board and is the Chief Legal Advisor to JFI Sports Medicine, a highly specialized team of orthopedic surgeons, pediatric and primary care physicians and other medical professionals committed to accessible, inclusive and equitable healthcare for student athletes and communities.