William F. King

Attorney
Phoenix, Arizona
Phone: 602-650-2464
Fax: 602-285-1516
Email: [email protected]

William F. King practices in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, and insurance litigation. He primarily represents injured individuals and insurance policyholders. He also represents classes of injured claimants, consumers, or policyholders.

Mr. King joined Beale, Micheaels, Slack & Shughart, P.C. as a partner in 2025. From 2005 to 2024, Mr. King worked at two Arizona-based law firms, where he maintained a general litigation and trial practice prosecuting and defending personal injury matters, insurance-related cases, commercial matters, and class action cases.

Throughout his 20-plus years of practice, Mr. King has successfully litigated and tried many cases to verdict in the areas of motor vehicle liability, premises liability, products liability, consumer fraud, professional malpractice, and insurance bad faith, among other commercial disputes and class certified settlements. He has also argued successfully in the Arizona Court of Appeals and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Recently, he appeared as pro bono trial counsel on behalf of two plaintiffs in civil rights litigation, which he considers a privilege.

He has been recognized consecutive years in Best Lawyers in America, Southwest Super Lawyers, and as a Phoenix Magazine “Top Lawyer,” among others.

He lives in Phoenix with his wife, Kathryn, and their two wonderful children.

Areas of Practice

• Torts
• Personal Injury
• Wrongful Death
• Insurance Coverage
• Insurance Bad Faith
• Motor Vehicle and Trucking Liability
• ATV Accidents
• Medical Malpractice
• Legal Malpractice
• Products Liability
• Premises Liability 
• Elder Abuse
• Consumer Fraud

Representative Matters

• Litigated several catastrophic personal injury claims involving catastrophic personal injuries, motor vehicle negligence, ATV rollovers, premises liability, dram shop liability, product liability, trucking accidents, insurance bad faith, legal malpractice, fraternity hazing, medical malpractice, and Section 1983 civil rights claims.
• Plaintiffs' counsel for over 100 investors in suit against large, international law firm resulting in multi-million-dollar settlement arising out of the law firm's alleged aiding and abetting fraudulent offering documents.
• Plaintiffs' co-counsel in consumer fraud class action suit against the nation's largest provider of residential security systems resulting in a $16 million nationwide class settlement. Deposed several senior-level executives and briefed critical motions. Cheatham v. ADT Corp., 161 F. Supp. 3d 815 (D. Ariz. 2016).
• Attained summary judgment on behalf of widowed plaintiff in suit alleging ERISA violations, resulting in a complete plaintiff's verdict. Schmidt v. Emp. Deferred Comp. Agreement dated July 3, 2003, No. CV-22-01464-PHX-ROS, 2023 WL 7413667 (D. Ariz. Nov. 9, 2023).
• Successfully argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and obtained reversal of the District Court's Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal of plaintiffs' class action claims brought under Arizona's Securities Act against directors and officers of an Arizona-based marketing company that previously published one of the largest in-flight catalogs.  McCauley, et al. v. Najafi, et al., 769 Fed. App'x. 437 (9th Cir. 2019).
• Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of plaintiff investors in mass action lawsuit filed against large, national banking association for the bank's alleged role in aiding and abetting a $30 million Ponzi scheme.
• Trial counsel in three-week trial for limited partnership in complex quiet title action.  The trial court awarded the limited partnership fee title to the commercial property, along with all attorney fees. Served as appellate counsel, including arguing on appeal, and the Arizona Court of Appeals affirmed on all grounds. Abromovitz Inv. Properties, L.L.C. v. Red Eyed Jack Sports Bar, Inc., 2014 WL 1516593 (App. Apr. 17, 2014).
• Lead counsel for over one hundred plaintiffs in two mass action lawsuits against owners and operators of mobile home parks for alleged fraudulent omissions and representations resulting in favorable settlement.
• Co-lead counsel for plaintiffs in multi-state class action lawsuit arising out of a massive data breach at one of Arizona's largest hospitals, resulting in court-approved class action settlement.
• Obtained dismissal of Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee's claims against Arizona law firm for conspiracy to commit fraudulent transfer in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona. In re Kohner, 2:13-BK-02159-DPC, 2014 WL 4639920 (Bankr. D. Ariz. Sept. 11, 2014).
• Successfully briefed and argued Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss in the Arizona District Court alleging complex insurance coverage issues.  Virginia Sur. Ins. Co. v. RSUI Indem. Co., CV09-928-PHX-JAT, 2009 WL 4282198, at *1 (D. Ariz. Nov. 25, 2009).
• Successful representation of state municipality over four-week jury trial in Mohave County Superior Court, resulting in a complete defense verdict on negligence claims seeking in excess of $10 million in damages.

 

Bar Admissions

• Arizona
• United States District Court for the District of Arizona
• United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Speaking Engagements

• Triad of Trouble: The Chain Reaction among Bar Charges, Legal Malpractice Claims and Judicial Findings of Misconduct, State Bar of Arizona Convention

Publications

• Defense Research Institute (DRI), Legal Malpractice: The Burden of Proving Collectability of an Underlying Judgment

Affiliations

• Past Board Member, St. Joseph the Worker
• Past Board Member, Arizona Association Defense Counsel
• St. Francis Xavier Athletic Association, Coach
• United States District Court, Civil Litigation Panel Member

Education

• Creighton University, J.D. (cum laude)
  • Lead Articles Editor, Creighton Law Review
  • Editorial Board
• Rockhurst College, B.A. (English)