The more complex the better for WHD’s Gardner

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Maybe it’s because he majored in science and worked in that field for several years in California before attending law school in New York, but Bill Gardner enjoys it when cases are complicated.

“The more complex the deal, the more fun it is to work on,” said Gardner, an attorney with Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek in Milwaukee who focuses on commercial finance, including bankruptcy, corporate restructurings, creditor’s rights and distressed debt sales.

Gardner wasn’t planning to focus on bankruptcy — he thought maybe patent law would be a good fit with that science background — but his research ability led him to a job with a bankruptcy law professor during law school. “And from there, it just grew. He recommended me for an internship in bankruptcy and then that led to a clerkship and then next thing I knew I was a bankruptcy attorney.”

For 10 years, Gardner had a private practice in New York and then worked another 10 years with a hedge fund. As that work was coming to a close, he did a nationwide search for his next gig.

“I was looking for not only the right fit community-wise, but the right fit in a practice and it all just came together here at Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek in Milwaukee,” Gardner said.

Besides the complexity, Gardner enjoys that both sides usually walk away with some satisfaction — the bank gets some repayment while the person no longer needs to worry about a debt hanging over his or her head. And while Gardner may not be using all of his science skills on different cases, he uses some of the same skills — applying facts and using logic — to solve tough problems.

“Every deal is different. I’ve done everything from long-term restructurings to short-term restructurings,” he said. “There’s a great deal of variety.”

While with the New York hedge fund, Gardner worked with several banks to do workouts or restructure their investments in a fleet of 747s after United Airlines went bankrupt.

“There were so many specialties and lawyers involved to craft a tailored workout for each bank,” he said. “Some banks sold their aircrafts while others kept them. It was a very complex case and one I won’t soon forget.”

Wisconsin Law Journal: What is your favorite activity to do outside of work?
Bill Gardner: Watch my 4-year-old son at hockey practice and walk alongside him while he learns to ride his bicycle. His bicycle is black and orange with orange streamers on the handlebars.

WLJ: What was the last book that you read?
Gardner: ‘The Passage of Power’ by Robert A. Caro. It’s a biography of Lyndon B. Johnson from 1958 to 1964. Lyndon Johnson was a very interesting individual. While in the House of Representatives, Johnson was part of a southern contingent that fought against civil rights legislation, but when he acquired presidential power, he used it to enact the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

WLJ: What song gets heavy rotation on your iPod?
Gardner: Holiday in Cambodia by the Dead Kennedys. I enjoy a lot of punk rock from the ’70s and ’80s.

WLJ: Who is someone you admire?
Gardner: The Rev. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones, the priest for Pastoral Care and Community at Trinity Wall Street in New York City. A substantial part of Father Mark’s responsibilities include helping people in need. He is patient, kind, understanding and compassionate. It takes a very special person to, on a regular basis, work with people in crises. It must be very difficult for him to know that, regardless of his efforts, there are some people beyond his ability to help.

WLJ: What do you miss most about your childhood?
Gardner: Playing sports. I played baseball and soccer growing up. It was the last time I was any good at a sport.

WLJ: What is your favorite thing to do in Wisconsin?
Gardner: Enjoy a brat and a beer at Estabrook Beer Garden in the summer while listening to a live band and watching my son run around the playground.

WLJ: What is your most prized possession?
Gardner: A black motorcycle jacket I purchased in 1992 that my wife hates and I haven’t used in approximately 20 years. I’m not sure why it is so important. Maybe it reminds me of my 20s. Or maybe I have horrible taste in clothing.

WLJ: Do you have saying or word that you tend to overuse?
Gardner: ‘In connection with.’ It’s terrible that I’ve incorporated into everyday use a phrase that was once used only for legal drafting. I’m just glad I don’t use ‘inter alia’ in conversation.

WLJ: If you could have one super power, what would you pick?
Gardner: The ability to stop time. There is never enough time to do everything I want to do. Alternatively, teleportation. After having lived in New York City for the 20 years prior to relocating to Wisconsin, I’m still not comfortable behind the wheel of a car.

WLJ: What career would you have chosen if you hadn’t become an attorney?
Gardner: A bartender at an outdoor tiki bar on Hawaii’s north shore.