Bill Margulis
Partner
(314) 390-0233
Bill is a veteran trial lawyer. For more than 3 decades, Bill has tried numerous jury trials to verdict in state and federal courts in Missouri and Illinois.
He has handled many high-profile cases including the Christopher Coleman death penalty case—successfully sparing his client the ultimate sentence.
Bill routinely represents professionals including attorneys, doctors, and bankers in complex white collar and other criminal matters. He handles a wide range of matters from DUI’s to homicide, from narcotics to financial fraud. While Bill is always ready to bring a case to trial, Bill regularly resolves cases outside the courtroom—encouraging prosecutors not to charge his clients in the first place, to dismiss pending charges, and to agree to favorable plea bargains.
Bill has been widely-recognized by the legal community for his legal acumen. In January 2018, the Missouri Supreme Court appointed Bill to serve on Division 4 of the Region X disciplinary committee in St. Louis County, a committee that hears disciplinary cases brought against Missouri lawyers. Bill has also been appointed by the Chief Judge of the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Missouri to serve on the Federal Practice Committee. Bill has been named a Missouri Super Lawyer from 2014 through 2023 and is AV rated with Martindale Hubbell.
A testament to his litigation abilities, Bill has been designated “learned counsel” by numerous federal judges in federal death penalty cases.
Before founding this firm, Bill was a shareholder at a larger St. Louis firm, where he chaired the white collar and criminal defense practice groups, and a principal at a boutique criminal defense firm. Bill clerked for the Honorable John F. Nangle, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia.
Bill previously served on the Board at Whitfield School and previously served as a Board Member of the St. Louis Chapter of Autism Speaks.
When not practicing law, Bill competes in triathlons and marathons throughout the country. Bill successfully completed four IRONMAN triathlons including the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii.
Education
J.D., Washington University School of Law (1990)
B.A., Washington University (1987)
Professional Associations
- American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Life Member)
- Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- National College for DUI Defense
- Federal Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Lead Panel
- Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
Representative Matters
- Obtained complete acquittals in numerous murder cases following jury trials.
- Represented Christopher Coleman in a high-profile death penalty prosecution; obtained life sentence after jury trial instead of death.
- Obtained complete acquittal in sex crimes jury trial in St. Louis County.
- Persuaded the State to dismiss serious felony charges against a local physician.
- Persuaded the State not to prosecute two local doctors for allegations of sexual abuse.
- Persuaded Missouri prosecutors not to prosecute a man accused of a sex crime against a child.
- Persuaded the State not to prosecute the president of university for sex crimes.
- Obtained reversal of all convictions from Missouri Court of Appeals in a felony case.
- Obtained reversal of all convictions from United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in a federal health care fraud case.
- Obtained reduced sentence for local banker accused of causing bank loss of more than $100 million.
- Routinely negotiates favorable plea deals for clients in State and Federal courts throughout the United States.