Williams, Gerard S.

Alan is president and a shareholder in the firm of Briggs and Morgan, Professional Association. He is also a member of the firm's Executive Committee and the Briggs and Morgan Foundation board of directors. As a member of the Business Litigation Section, Alan's litigation practice involves:

• Class action defense and complex commercial litigation
• Mortgage banking litigation
• Antitrust and trade regulation
• Defense of government enforcement actions and investigations
• Complex trust and estates litigation

Alan has worked with others in the Briggs and Morgan Mortgage Banking Practice Group to head up the defense of mortgage bankers and other financial institutions in consumer class action litigation across the country. He has also represented manufacturers, financial institutions and others in connection with antitrust claims, and with regulatory investigations and lawsuits by state attorneys general and other state and federal governmental enforcement agencies. Additionally, Alan has represented trustees and individuals in major trust and estates litigation, as well as principals in closely held corporation disputes.

Alan has served as lead counsel in defending a number of groundbreaking class actions challenging various mortgage banking practices, including mortgage fee disputes and payments of yield spread premiums.

His commercial litigation experience has also included representation of clients involved in breach of contract, tort, fiduciary duty and commercial product liability claims.

Prior to joining Briggs, Alan served as special assistant attorney general for Minnesota from 1974 to 1980, where he headed the antitrust and commerce divisions. During this time, he was involved in government enforcement actions relating to securities, insurance, banking and trade regulation. He has authored numerous articles about antitrust, class actions, mortgage banking, regulatory compliance, franchise law and litigation, while also lecturing at numerous continuing legal education seminars on these topics.

Alan is fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society. He is also a member of the Civil Litigation Section and the Antitrust Section (of which he was chair from 1999 to 2001) of the Minnesota State Bar Association, the Antitrust Section and the Forum Committee on Franchising of the American Bar Association, and the State Bar of Wisconsin. He currently serves on the board of directors for Children's Law Center in St. Paul, as well as Capital City Partnership.

Alan has been selected as a “Leading American Attorney,” as well as a “Leading Minnesota Attorney.” He has also been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in commercial litigation and Minnesota Super Lawyers. Minnesota Law & Politics has listed Alan as a "top 40" business litigator in Minnesota.

Born in DuQuoin, Illinois, Alan received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University in 1971 and his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 1974. He joined Briggs in 1980.