William D. (Bill) Chase

Bill brings a rare mix of experience from the highest levels of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and from his role as a Management Consultant to several large Government contractors involving data protection and cybersecurity. Bill attended Westfield State University and graduated from Vermont Law School in 1981. He began his legal career in the environmental law section of a large firm in Washington, D.C. After 2 years of corporate practice, Bill decided to pursue a career at the FBI. Over the next 25 years, Bill served in 5 FBI Field Offices including 2 tours at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Bill held almost every leadership position in the FBI from "Street Agent" to Special Agent in Charge of a Major Division while assigned to many of the most important cases of his generation. Bill also served in the FBI's Legal Counsel Division where he handled Federal Torts Claim Act (FTCA) cases, Bivens claims, Merit System Protection Board (MSPB) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) cases. Also of note, Bill was a Special Assistant to FBI Director William S. Sessions, where he handled ethics and legal matters.

After the attacks of September 11, 2001, Bill changed his focus from criminal cases to counterterrorism, counterintelligence and cyber programs. He played an instrumental role in leading strategic change as the FBI transitioned from law enforcement to an intelligence driven organization. In 2004, Bill was transferred to the Albany Division as Special Agent in Charge where he was responsible for all FBI operations in upstate New York and Vermont. In 2006, Bill was transferred to the FBI's Baltimore Division where he was responsible for all FBI operations in Maryland and Delaware including cyber operations, cyber threats from terrorist groups, criminal organizations, foreign governments and both international and domestic "Hackers".

After 25 years, Bill retired from the FBI yet remains connected to the law enforcement and intelligence communities. For example, Bill was the Director of Federal Law Enforcement Sales for LexisNexis Special Services before becoming the Director of Business Development for the Analytical Science Corporation (TASC). Bill later created his own management consulting firm where he provided guidance to many of the largest defense and civilian government contractors in a variety of areas, including cybersecurity. Over the past several years, Bill has focused on legal compliance and best practices in cybersecurity as well as the related field of Insider Threat.

Bill has joined the SSJM Team to lead the new Legal Compliance and Cybersecurity Practice Group. In an expanding area of law, failure to comply with cybersecurity legal compliance can result in crippling liability and business destruction. Bill's vast and unparalleled expertise in the area of Legal Cyber Compliance and Insider Threat is the only comprehensive defense in this new world. The SSJM Team now educates our business clients in the area of Legal Compliance with both state and federal cybersecurity law. We then prepare a Cybersecurity Legal Compliance Report (CLCR) for each individual business. The CLCR then provides the "Road Map" to achieve legal compliance and minimize enormous liability exposure. Legal compliance with cybersecurity laws can NO LONGER be ignored.