Atty. J. William "Bill" Codinha
Moving between the public and private sectors, Bill Codinha has led some of the highest profile governmental investigations conducted in the past 20 years and now defends corporations and individuals caught up in similar investigations. Bill brings his unique and effective experience to the defense of all of his clients.
Profile Summary
About J. William "Bill" Codinha at a glance
J. William "Bill" Codinha is a criminal defense, business, white collar, and litigation attorney based in Boston, Massachusetts, practicing at Nixon Peabody LLP. Admitted to practice in Massachusetts, Massachusetts Bar Association and District of Columbia, District of Columbia Bar Association. Educated at Ohio Wesleyan University (BA). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Commercial Litigation (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Criminal Defense: White-Collar (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Additional Areas of Practice: (2026). Serands clients in Boston, MA and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Moving between the public and private sectors, Bill Codinha has led some of the highest profile governmental investigations conducted in the past 20 years and now defends corporations and individuals caught up in similar investigations
- Bill brings his unique and effective experience to the defense of all of his clients
- What do you focus on?
- I leverage my 30+ years of experience defending individuals and corporations who are the subject of government investigations
- As a prosecutor, I tried jury trials in all of the courts in Massachusetts and ran major investigations for the federal government in Washington, DC
- Currently, I focus on the defense of investigations and cases brought by myriad federal agencies and United States Attorneys’ offices as well as investigations and cases brought by the various state attorneys general offices
- Federal Investigations I’ve successfully defended clients against False Claims Act (FCA), civil and criminal securities fraud, RICO as well as numerous other civil and criminal charges
- I have defended domestic and international Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) cases, including foreign companies alleged to have committed U.S. securities fraud violations
- I also recently defended a foreign citizen alleged to have committed U.S
- Arms Export Control Act violations
- State Investigations As the federal government has ramped up its investigations, the various state attorneys general offices have also become much more aggressive, routinely issuing Civil Investigative Demands requiring extensive discovery of potential wrongdoing
- I recently defended a Fortune 75 company, located in Minnesota, against alleged bid rigging and false claims allegations
- The risk assessment of potential damages to this multinational company could have run well into the billions of dollars had a prosecution and debarment occurred
- The case was successfully resolved with no admission of liability
- Trials Fundamentally, I remain a trial lawyer, having tried over 100 jury trials during the course of my career, from organized crime cases as a prosecutor, to civil trials obtaining multi-million dollar verdicts for my clients
- I have taught trial tactics and trial strategy locally and at the national level
Practice Areas Explained
J. William "Bill" Codinha's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases J. William "Bill" Codinha handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
A criminal defense attorney protects your rights from arrest through trial. Find experienced lawyers handling DUI, drug, federal, theft, and violent-crime charges.
J. William "Bill" Codinha is one of 214,270 criminal defense attorneys indexed nationally. Browse criminal defense attorneys in Massachusetts →
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
J. William "Bill" Codinha is one of 501,317 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in Massachusetts →
J. William "Bill" Codinha is one of 20,025 white collar attorneys indexed nationally. Browse white collar attorneys in Massachusetts →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
J. William "Bill" Codinha is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in Massachusetts →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Massachusetts
Practicing law in Massachusetts. Legal matters in Massachusetts are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Boston are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Massachusetts state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Massachusetts brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Massachusetts courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Massachusetts attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Boston or all attorneys in Massachusetts.
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