William H. Gorham

William Gorham, 81 years old, of Jupiter, FL, passed away on Monday, March 2. A longtime resident of Harwich, Wellesley, Needham, and Dover, MA, with degrees from Princeton and Harvard Law, Bill worked his entire career as Partner at the Goodwin Procter law firm in Boston. His passions included travel with his wife of 48 years, Natalie Gorham, sailing, classical music and golf (despite his putting). In his passing to “the great reward” as he put it, he joins Natalie, his parents, Arthur and Anne Gorham, and his two brothers, Benjamin and Arthur. He is survived by his sister, Linda Harvey of Harwich and Sanibel, FL, his son Steve Gorham of Fort Collins, CO, his son and daughter-in-law, Michael Gorham and Veronika Thiebach, of Gainesville, FL, and four unbelievably smart, strong, and beautiful grandchildren, all of whom inherited their grandfather’s sharp wit. A memorial service will be held in his honor on Saturday, March 7, at 2 PM, at the Christ Church of the Good Shepherd in Tequesta, FL. Memorial donations in Bill’s name may be made to the Harwich Conservation Trust (HarwichConservationTrust.org/donation-dedications/).

Written by:

David M. Hashmall

Chairman

Goodwin Procter LLP

It is with sadness that I inform you of the death of our retired partner William H. Gorham, a corporate lawyer who practiced at the firm for 37 years. Bill, who passed away Monday at 81, loved the firm and cared deeply about its people.

A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Bill joined Goodwin Procter in 1961 after serving for three years in the United States Air Force. He was named a partner in 1970. He went on to chair Goodwin’s Corporate Department and serve on the firm’s Executive Committee, practicing until his retirement in 1998.

Bill was among the first Goodwin attorneys to become involved in the then-nascent venture capital industry, helping form funds for firm clients like TA Associates, one of the first venture capital firms. His work, along with that of Goodwin colleagues Chuck Goodhue and Dick Floor, helped lay the foundation for the firm’s current private equity and technology companies practices. His clients counted on his balanced, thoughtful yet innovative approach to the law.

Pragmatic, plainspoken and a superb listener, Bill was dedicated to his colleagues and mentored a generation of corporate lawyers at the firm, providing more junior lawyers access to clients and challenging work early in their careers. He combined a major and highly strategic practice (in an era before practices were thought of as “strategic”) with person-to-person care. Bill was always concerned with which associate might be overburdened and how to redress that overburdening, which inter-partnership disagreements needed to be mediated, and how to pass on to his protégés important lessons ranging from the handling of key clients to the importance of short, clear documents, a particular emphasis of Bill’s.

His impressive practice and strong character combined to help make Goodwin not only financially successful but a living, human institution, and he leaves a legacy well beyond revenue and excellent legal work.

Those at Goodwin he supported and befriended over the years have become leaders of the firm today, and many have continued on to leadership positions in other businesses, several of whom are our clients.

Please join me and the entire Goodwin community in extending our sympathies to Bill’s family.

He will be missed.

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