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Alumni Profile: William B. Chandler III |
Bill Chandler began his legal career at the University of South Carolina’s School of Law, graduating in 1976. He continued his legal education by obtaining a master’s degree in law from Yale. He earned the reputation for frugality that dates back to his days as a law professor at the University of Alabama. He once house-sat for a colleague during a summer of one of the worst heat waves that ever hit Alabama and never turned on the air conditioner. Chandler is known for his unwavering dedication to his church, family, community, and the legal profession. His career path was partly shaped by Delaware Supreme Court Justice Randy J. Holland, who recruited him in 1983 to the law firm of Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell. Then a few years later, Justice Holland encouraged him to consider becoming a judge. Chandler serves as chief judge of the Delaware Court of Chancery, where business litigation is heard. Some of the more interesting cases that have come before him are the Hewlett-Packard $24 billion purchase of Compaq Computer, the court battle between Merck and SmithKline Beecham over the rights to a chicken pox vaccine, and the case of whether the World Wrestling Federation could move from USA Cable Networks to Viacom. Chandler is said to be a man who is sensitive to the context in which the law is applied to specific individuals, and seldom have his rulings been overturned. Admiration for his gentlemanly demeanor is widely shared among his peers. Chandler once fined himself $500 when he was unreachable for a scheduled conference call, stating that it was the same as missing a court date. Chandler fining himself, just as he would any other lawyer for being a no-show in his courtroom showed his dedication to equality and fairness across the board. Even though he makes decisions that will have a profound effect on the rest of the nation and some cases, the world, this quiet judge still goes home to Dagsboro, Delaware, to his wife, Gayle; son William IV; daughter Melody, and mother, who lives next door. |
