Will Edelman

Will Edelman is a former federal prosecutor, a former police officer, and a Stanford Law graduate who clerked for two federal judges. Will has over a decade of experience in federal and state courts. Will’s practice focuses on criminal and regulatory investigations, internal investigations, and commercial litigation. Will puts his clients first. That means he first develops a deep understanding of the client, the client’s priorities, and the problem – and then he works tirelessly to find solutions to that problem and achieve a good outcome. Will prides himself on helping clients understand the legal issues that affect their cases, while avoiding confusing and unnecessary “legalese.”  Will is responsive and diligent in advancing his clients’ cases, and he offers practical and efficient advice that empowers clients to make informed decisions about the best path forward.

As a federal prosecutor in the Northern District of California, Will acted as first or second chair in nine trials. He also handled numerous contested evidentiary hearings and dispositive motion hearings. As a prosecutor, Will was the primary attorney responsible for a variety of complex matters, including multi-defendant RICO cases and fraud cases. Will also served as a police officer for a large southern California city for four years, and his law enforcement background gives him unique credibility when interacting with criminal investigators.

Will also has extensive experience litigating criminal and civil matters at top corporate defense firms and an elite plaintiffs-side securities class action firm. In the private sector, Will represented individuals and companies in white-collar and regulatory investigations and prosecutions, including criminal antitrust conspiracy, embezzlement, DEA controlled-substance hospital audit, and hazardous materials/dumping matters under federal and local law. He also litigated individual and class-action civil matters, including:

• fraud and non-fraud securities claims under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Securities Act of 1933;
• conspiracy and restraint-of-trade claims under Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act and state law analogs;
• common law and statutory right of publicity claims;
• discrimination, retaliation, and wage and hour claims under federal and state law, including California’s Private Attorneys General Act; and
• commercial contract disputes.

Will also maintains an active and diverse pro bono practice, including successfully obtaining asylum in the United States for a family persecuted by a foreign government, preparing training materials for foreign prosecutors and law enforcement agencies under rule of law initiatives, litigating constitutional torts, and petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court for certiorari in a criminal case.

Immediately after law school, Will served as a law clerk for the Honorable Michael Boudin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and then as a law clerk for the Honorable Charles R. Breyer of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Will earned his Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School. He served as a Notes Editor on the Stanford Law Review and as Editor-in-Chief of the Stanford Law & Policy Review. Prior to that, Will earned dual bachelor’s degrees from Virginia Tech, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. He received a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati. Will is a brother of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity.

Public Service

• Assistant U.S. Attorney & Special Assistant U.S. Attorney; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California; 2015 – 2018
• Law Clerk to the Hon. Charles R. Breyer; U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California; 2012 – 2013
• Law Clerk to the Hon. Michael Boudin; U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit; 2011 – 2012
• Police Officer; San Diego Police Department; 2004 – 2008