William Norman Riley

Will is the principal managing member at the Indianapolis based plaintiffs’ firm, Riley Williams & Piatt, LLC. His practice focuses on plaintiffs’ complex litigation including class actions, pharmaceutical and medical device injury, product liability, serious personal injury, defamation and business litigation.

Will graduated from Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington in 1989 where he held the office of Executive Editor of the Indiana Law Journal. He was one of the youngest lawyers in Indiana to be awarded the prestigious AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, which designates the highest rating for quality of representation and ethics. Will has been honored numerous times locally and nationally with selections to Indiana Super Lawyers, Indianapolis Monthly’s Top Attorneys in Indiana, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Association of Distinguished Counsel, Nation’s Top One Percent of Lawyers in 2015, and U.S. News & World Report - Best Lawyers, and Lawyer of the Year in 2015. Further, Will is a charter member of Rue Ratings Best Attorneys of America.

Will has been lead counsel in cases that have had far reaching legal impact locally and nationally. Will has been involved in the recovery of billions of dollars from corporations for their wrongdoing. Will was a member of the Castano Plaintiffs' Legal Committee that recovered $12.5 billion for the State of California and the litigation group that recovered $3.9 billion for the State of Indiana from the tobacco companies. Recently he served as one of the allocation counsel in the $89 million nationwide third party payer/consumer settlement with Pfizer for the drugs Bextra and Celebrex. Will was appointed to the Purchase Claims Committee in the Vioxx Multi District Litigation, which resulted in a $65 million settlement for insurers against Merck. Will has been appointed lead counsel in numerous class actions for consumer matters and settled class actions on a state and nationwide level. Will was co-lead counsel or lead counsel on class actions that compensated individuals who purchased off-specification gasoline from BP in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin purchased lead painted toys for their children, were wrongfully solicited vacations, or were sold illusory insurance.

Will has tried numerous cases to verdict. In 2013, after two years of appeals, the Indiana Supreme Court authorized the Hamilton Superior Court to release $17,255, to Will's client, Joseph Radcliff. This was a jury verdict and interest that had been won by Mr. Radcliff against State Farm for defaming him, in 2011 after a six week trial.

Will also has recovered millions of dollars for his individual clients who were wrongfully injured by prescription drugs Vioxx, Zyprexa, Ortho Evra, Avandia, Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella. He has also handled numerous complex personal injury cases. He recently recovered, through settlement, $1,200,000 for a worker who fell from a Lamar billboard and $1,500,000 for a woman motorcycle rider. Defendants will often negotiate to keep Will’s settlements confidential. Will strives to obtain a just result for all of his clients, while endeavoring to treat them with compassion.  Office: 

Professional Awards, Distinctions & Honors:

Best Lawyers in America, 2017

Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year, 2015 – Mass Tort / Plaintiffs Class Action Litigation, Indianapolis

Best Lawyers, 2012-present

AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, 1996-present

Indiana Super Lawyers, 2009-present

Distinguished Fellow Indianapolis Bar Foundation, 2016

Top 100 Trial Lawyers, 2012-2016

Indianapolis Monthly’s Top Attorney's in Indiana

National Association of Distinguished Counsel, National Top One Percent of Lawyers, 2015

Rue Ratings Charter Member Best Attorneys of America

Bar Admissions

State of Indiana, 1989-present

US Dist. Ct. So. Dist. of Ind., 1989-present

US Dist. Ct. No. Dist. of Ind., 1989-present

US Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, 1992-present

US Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, 2007present

Professional Memberships & Associations

Indiana State Bar Association, 1989-present

Indianapolis Bar Association, 2015-present

Federalist Society, 2007-present

Indianapolis Law Club, 2009-present

Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, Emeritus Director 2013-present

Indiana Trial Lawyers Association 1991-present

Indiana Trial Lawyers, Board of Directors 1997-2013

Legatus, 2014 to the present

Thomas More Law Center

Other Awards, Distinctions & Honors [this would be a totally new section on the website as this info is lumped in with professional awards/honors above]

Indiana Law Journal, 1987-1989

Executive Editor, Indiana Law Journal 1988-1989

Pi Sigma Alpha – Political Science Honor Society, 1986

National Society Collegiate Scholars, 1986

Speaking Engagements

Goodrich lecture at Wabash College, 1992

Goodrich Symposium on Federalism, 1993

Mealy Conference on Tobacco Litigation, Chicago, IL, 1999

Indiana Trial Lawyers Institute, 2003