William P. Mekrut

William P. Mekrut joined Murphy & Riley, P.C. as an Associate in 2004, after having practiced civil litigation for two years.  Bill’s practice concentrates on professional liability defense, construction litigation, errors and omissions, insurance coverage disputes, premises liability claims, consumer protection act claims, and appellate advocacy, among other areas.  Bill has represented clients in state and federal court in Massachusetts, including the Massachusetts Appeals Court, and in alternative dispute resolution.  Bill is also an active member in the Boston legal community. 

As a member of the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association, Bill has co-hosted a discussion on risk transfer issues in construction contracts, served as a panelist to provide guidance to junior associates, and wrote an article for the MDLA Newsletter on tort based indemnification.  Bill serves in the MDLA as a subcommittee member for professional liability and insurance coverage matters.  Bill is also an Instructor of First Year Legal Research & Writing at Boston University School of Law.

During law school, Bill was an Articles Editor for the American Journal of Law and Medicine, and interned with the Honorable Bruce M. Selya of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.  As part of the general community, Bill has raised money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and, in that connection, completed the Boston Marathon five times, from 2007 through 2011.

Practice Areas

• Appellate practice
• Bad faith and G.L. 93A / 176D
• Business litigation
• Contractual risk transfer
• Insurance agents and brokers liability
• Insurance coverage
• Premises liability
• Product liability
• Professional liability defense – legal and medical malpractice defense

Bar and Court Admissions

• Massachusetts, 2002
• United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, 2004
• United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, 2005

Education

• Boston University School of Law (J.D. 2002)
• Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY (magna cum laude 1999)

Professional Memberships

• Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association

Legal Publications and Significant Cases

• Musial v. Kang, 2010 Mass. App. LEXIS 171 (Mass. App. Ct. 2010) (Unpub.)
• Article: Tort Based Indemnity, Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association Newsletter, November 2007.
• Ethics Commentary, Court Decisions: Recent Developments in Health Law: First Amendment: Controversial Statements by Anti-Abortion Group Protected. 29 Am. J. L. Med. & Ethics 232 (Summer, 2001)
• Recent Developments in Health Law:  Select Recent Court Decisions. 26 Am. J. L. and Med. 479 (2000).