Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd Welcomes William McKinney as a Shareholder

Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd P.A. is pleased to welcome back William Crum McKinney as a shareholder. He rejoins the firm after serving for nearly five years as General Counsel to the Governor of North Carolina and before that as Special Counsel to the Attorney General of North Carolina. Prior to those roles, McKinney was an associate with Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd.

McKinney will work from the firm’s Greenville office and also spend a significant amount of time in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the firm has several clients. He will be a member of the firm’s State and Local Government, Economic Development and Business Litigation practice groups.

“We are thrilled that William has decided to rejoin Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd and are looking forward to what he will add to our client offerings,” said Nick Nicholson, the firm’s managing director. “He has a wealth of experience guiding government entities through a host of pressing legal issues and that will bring significant depth to our client teams. William’s knowledge of the North Carolina legal landscape will also be of great benefit to our work in that state.”

While with the Governor of North Carolina’s office, McKinney led a team of in-house attorneys and 11 agency general counsels offices in directing the administration’s legal strategy. This included matters such as the state’s COVID-19 State of Emergency and accompanying lawsuits, multiple hurricanes and high-stakes separation of powers litigation. McKinney also advised on state and federal legislation, executive appointments, public records, executive orders, ethics matters, state finance issues and filling judicial vacancies. In addition, he negotiated two Indian Gaming Regulatory Act-compliant compacts with federally recognized Indian tribes that were subsequently approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

McKinney’s role with the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office included providing advice on the execution of the Attorney General’s duties and management of the North Carolina Department of Justice. He developed litigation strategy along with senior Department of Justice officials for cases involving the State of North Carolina as a party.

“I am excited to return to Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, where I launched my legal career,” said McKinney. “The legal talent at this firm and the level of work it does made it a natural fit for me when I decided to return to private practice. I’m looking forward to working with these colleagues again, and with the firm’s clients.”

McKinney is a frequent speaker on issues affecting North Carolina and regularly presents at continuing legal education programs. He holds a J.D. (cum laude) from the University of South Carolina School of Law and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.