Thompson Coburn Partner Bill Bay Selected as ABA President-Elect
August 9, 2023
The American Bar Association (ABA) announced today that Bill Bay, partner in the St. Louis office of Thompson Coburn LLP, was named ABA president-elect. Bay will serve as ABA president beginning in August 2024, following the term of current president Mary Smith.
“It is a great honor and privilege to follow in the footsteps of so many extraordinary leaders,” said Bay in a statement about his election to the office of president-elect. “It is also a humbling experience to be chosen for leadership in these times of challenge and change. Now more than ever, lawyers need the American Bar Association. The ABA is a place where every lawyer can find a home, value, worth and fulfillment. I look forward to working with President Mary Smith, our volunteers and staff on this great adventure as we prepare for an exciting future for our association and profession.”
Bay is a leader in the ABA, having served as chair of the ABA House of Delegates and chair of the ABA Section of Litigation. He is a past member of the ABA Board of Governors, where he served as chair of the Board's Finance Committee. Outside of the ABA, Bill is a member of the American Law Institute and has been selected as chair of several statewide commissions examining critical issues in the practice of law. He currently serves as the co-chair of the Supreme Court of Missouri's Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness.
“We are extremely proud to see Bill selected as ABA president-elect, he’s a brilliant lawyer with a deep understanding of the challenges that are facing the legal profession and we are excited to see what he will accomplish in this new role,” said Roman Wuller, Chair of Thompson Coburn.
Bay is a highly experienced litigator who has represented major corporations in high-stakes litigation for more than 30 years. His clients vary from major financial institutions to post-secondary institutions, and he regularly helps organizations manage and respond to large portfolios of litigation in multiple jurisdictions.