An attorney at Wisner Baum’s (formerly Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman) Los Angeles office, William Crawford Appleby IV focuses on complex law and motion matters, in-depth legal research and writing, and case strategy. To yield the best results for his clients, Crawford applies his skills to dig deep into United States and foreign law. He dedicates most of his time to transportation accident cases and whistleblower and qui tam claims.
Crawford contributes to Wisner Baum’s cases at the trial and appellate levels. He is skilled in drafting briefs, tracking new and/or developing areas of the law, exploring issues of first impression, and monitoring developments in legal technology, as well as in legislative history compilation and analysis. His passion for helping others drives him to put his all into every case he works on, making him a key member of the firm’s award-winning legal team.
Before he joined Wisner Baum (formerly Baum Hedlund), Crawford clerked at the Los Angeles Superior Court for over two years. He acquired a wealth of experience in all aspects of civil litigation while drafting proposed tentative rulings, conducting research, and writing for superior court judges.
Crawford attended Loyola Law School after earning his bachelor’s degree from Boston University. While working toward his J.D., he honed his legal skills and completed Mediation Training at the Loyola Center for Conflict Resolution. He was also accepted into the Hobbs District Attorney Clinic to conduct 20 felony preliminary hearings for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Further, he externed for the California Department of Justice under former Attorney General and current Vice President Kamala Harris. He tirelessly represented professional licensing boards in administrative hearings and was honored with a Certificate of Appreciation for Service to the Licensing Section of the State of California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General.
He did not feel the need to rest during summer break, either. Compelled by his love for the law, he took the opportunity to serve as a federal judicial extern for the Honorable R. Gary Klausner in the Central District of California.
In between his studies, Crawford worked at the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review as a senior technical editor. He published commentary on the Supreme Court of the United States case Rehberg v. Paulk, which is cited in both the Witkin Summary of California Law and Federal Grand Jury: A Guide to Law and Practice.
• Diamond in the Rough: Reevaluating Delaware as a Potential Forum in Multi-Defendant Tort Cases, American Association for Justice Business Torts section
• Recent Developments in Personal Jurisdiction for Aviation Cases, ABA TIPS Aviation and Space Law Newsletter: Winter 2020
• Preservation, Discovery, Subpoenas and Metadata: Court Rules, Case Law and Recent Developments, “Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email and Smartphone Evidence: The Ultimate Guide”, National Business Institute seminar, January 2020
• Laying a Foundation: Real-World Scripts/Examples, “Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email and Smartphone Evidence: The Ultimate Guide”, National Business Institute seminar, January 2020
• Pro-Plaintiff Decisions PostDaimler & Bristol-Myers, “Traversing the Minefield: Overcoming Procedural Obstacles in Aviation Cases”, ABA TIPS Aviation Litigation, October, 2019
• Stick Versus Puncture: Etihad Ends Causal Link Requirement between Mental and Bodily Injury in Montreal Convention Cases, American Association for Justice, Aviation Law: Summer 2018
• Using Agency Agreements to Pin Down Foreign Airlines in American Courts, American Association for Justice, Aviation Law: Winter 2018
• Liability of Airlines in Intentional Downing of Aircraft, American Association for Justice 2017 Annual Convention, July, 2017
• Understanding the ‘Sudden Illness’ Defense in California Courts, Daily Journal, December 6, 2016
• Pro-Plaintiff Decisions Post-Daimler, “Tips From Cockpit to Courtroom”, ABA TIPS Aviation and Space Law Committee meeting, November, 2016
• The Marital Privilege – Attorneys need to know the subtleties of marital privilege, a vital evidentiary rule. – California Lawyer, MCLE Evidence, August 26, 2016
• Current Issues of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Drones, American Association for Justice 2016 Annual AAJ-PAPERS 44, July, 2016
Crawford launched legal tech company , a free database of California state court tentative rulings, in 2019. The website is the first of its kind, as it allows litigants to see how a judge ruled in the past, what cases they cite, and why that judge rules the way they do. This provides valuable insight into how the judge might rule in an upcoming case.
In 2013, Crawford was admitted to practice law in California and the U.S. District Court, Central District of California. Later, in 2019, he was admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. He is a member of the American Association for Justice’s Leaders Forum, the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Scribes - The American Society of Legal Writers, and the State Bar of California.
Crawford’s groundbreaking legal work as part of the Wisner Baum team has earned him the following accolades:
• The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40
• The Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers™
• Southern California Super Lawyers® Rising Stars
• 2018 Elite Trial Lawyers, Finalists Consumer Protection, The National Law Journal
When he is not working hard in the office, Crawford enjoys spending time with his wife Lauren and their three children, running, skiing, and playing golf and tennis. In 2010, he ran the Los Angeles Marathon to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
