William A. Brewer III

William A. Brewer III is an American trial lawyer.^[1] He is a founding partner of Bickel & Brewer,^[2] a litigation firm he co-founded in Dallas, Texas in 1984,^[3] which is now known as Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors.^[4] In the 1980s, Brewer became known for an aggressive style of litigation.^[5][6] Brewer opposed the city of Farmers Branch, Texas on its immigration ordinance for seven years, ultimately resulting in the ordinance being found unconstitutional.^[7] Brewer has served as legal counsel for the National Rifle Association^[1] and 3M.^[8]

Brewer was raised in Long Island, New York.^[9] He attended St. John’s University, where he majored in drama.^[10] Brewer graduated from Albany Law School in 1977^[11] and from New York University School of Law in 1978^[6] with a Master of Laws degree.^[12]

In 1978, Brewer began his career in the legal department^[6] of the New York Telephone Company during the period just prior to its anti-trust regulation.^[3] He moved to Dallas in 1981 and joined the trial team at the firm Kolodey and Thomas.^[6] In 1984, Brewer founded a firm in Dallas with John Bickel, a fellow trial lawyer, that would focus on large-scale litigation.^[3] Brewer and Bickel became known for an aggressive style of litigation^[5] that came to be called “Rambo” tactics in 1980’s Dallas legal circles.^[6] Brewer and Bickel opened a storefront office in south Dallas in 1995 to offer pro bono legal services for neighborhood residents.^[13] By 1998, Brewer and Bickel had opened satellite offices in New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C.^[6]

In 2015, Brewer became the sole named partner at the firm, which changed its name to Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors.^[4]

In 2018, questions were raised within the National Rifle Association about Brewer’s fees after his firm billed the organization $24 million over a 13-month period.^[14] Brewer was supported by CEO Wayne LaPierre, but concerns over Brewer’s fees caused an internal feud, which ultimately led to the resignation of NRA president Oliver North and other top officials.^[1]

In 1997, Brewer represented Dallas Independent School District CFO Matthew Harden in a sexual harassment suit against district superintendent Yvonne Gonzalez that resulted in her resignation.^[6]

In 2001, Brewer brought a successful suit against the Dallas school district, claiming it had violated the Texas Open Meetings Act by denying the public access to discussions about redistricting.^[15]

In 2007, Brewer brought a federal lawsuit against the city of Farmers Branch, Texas to challenge an ordinance banning rental housing for immigrants who couldn’t prove their legal status.^[16] Brewer opposed the city of Farmers Branch on its immigration ordinance for seven years, ultimately resulting in the ordinance being found unconstitutional.^[7]

Brewer represented 3M when it was sued by the state of Minnesota for $5 billion over claims the company had contaminated groundwater through the dumping of PFCs and withheld information about the potential harm of the chemicals from regulators.^[8] Brewer called the case an “abuse of power” and it was settled with Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson in 2018 for $850 million.^[17]

In 2018, Brewer was retained by the National Rifle Association to advise the organization after New York state officials challenged the legality of its “Carry Guard” insurance, which protected gun owners in cases of self-defense.^[1] On behalf of the NRA, Brewer sued New York governor Andrew Cuomo and other state officials in 2018, claiming officials had engaged in a conspiracy to destroy the organization, resulting in several million dollars of damages.^[14] The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that the NRA could move forward with its claim that state officials infringed upon the organization’s first amendment rights by discouraging insurance companies and banks from doing business with the organization.^[18]