Daryl Williams
Interview by Sharon McDonnell - December 1, 2009
Attorney Daryl M. Williams not only flies clients, trial witnesses and often a videographer and court reporter all over the western U.S. in a Cessna 421C that he pilots himself–he also trailblazed his own bit of aviation law.
Twenty years ago, Williams was devastated by a diabetes diagnosis, which meant that he could no longer fly airplanes. Applying the same zeal he has used in more than 150 jury trials, Williams pursued a six-year lobbying and letter-writing campaign to persuade the FAA to change its regulations, enlisting support from the American Diabetes Association, lawmakers and aircraft pilots and owners. In 1996, the agency rescinded its ban on granting medical certificates to diabetics who must use insulin. As a result, diabetic pilots who can demonstrate that their condition is under control are now able to fly.
Some accuse Williams of being a workaholic, but he disagrees. Music is a perfect antidote to the law, he noted, saying that he finds time not only to play his Yamaha C7 grand piano daily but also to give a concert in his home once a year, when he regales the audience with his favorites from Liszt, Beethoven and Chopin. “I love what I do, and I do what I love,” Williams said.
How does private aviation help your law practice?
I can do more work in less time. If you’re from the East Coast, you may think everything is convenient and close, but many towns in the West are almost five hours from a commercial airport. I always give clients the option if they want me to fly commercially or in my own plane, and I’ve never had a client choose commercial. It’s too expensive, because I charge by the hour.
Once I offered to fly a Wall Street lawyer from Phoenix to Sierra Vista on the Mexican border, to a hearing where we were representing American Express. He chose to drive five or six hours instead, across some of the most desolate desert in the Southwest, and said, for an hour, he never saw another car. On the way back, he took me up on my offer. In another case, I had to fly to a company’s headquarters in Sioux City, Iowa, plus Texas, California, Indiana and Arkansas for depositions. I also fly to Mexico City to see my helicopter charter operator client there, SACSA.
I understand you take a videographer to depositions?
Believability is what matters in a courtroom. It’s said that 50 to 90 percent of all communication is nonverbal. If a witness says “yes” but his body language says “no,” a jury should see that. How about a witness who gives a cute answer, then turns to his lawyer, smirks and winks? You have to show that on tape to a jury. And when you do, the jury will hate that witness.
Before 9/11, if you took all that video equipment on commercial planes the baggage handlers either abused it or broke it. After 9/11, as a practical matter it’s impossible to take what you need [on an airline flight].
Share This Article With Others