William Bulfer

PARTNER

Asheville Office

TEL (919) 805-5017

FAX (919) 873-1814

Bill co-chairs Teague Campbell’s Insurance Coverage Services group from the vistas of Asheville, North Carolina. His practice focuses on complex insurance coverage and municipal law matters and, when necessary, litigation regarding the same. Throughout Bill’s career he has litigated a variety of liability claims and, in doing so, has gained a practical understanding of the underlying matters associated with the applicable coverage. He is a creative problem solver with a core understanding of the insurance industry that benefits his clients on a daily basis.

Known for his prompt and thorough responses, Bill provides coverage opinions, prosecutes and defends declaratory judgment actions, and provides legal advice and input with regard to the creation and modification of manuscript insuring agreements. He is regularly called upon to review the applicability of coverage in litigated claims involving contractual and extra-contractual risk. Additionally, Bill has been on the cutting edge of municipal coverage and the issues that directly affect those who protect municipalities for over 15 years.

Bill seeks to protect public sector clients before risk occurs through direct engagement and the creation and modification of coverage agreements designed to protect them. This requires a careful understanding of both the acute risk present in each matter, as well as the broader interest of local government. Bill currently serves as the county attorney for Transylvania County and is often called on to assist other counties throughout the state on a variety of municipal and insurance related issues. He has handled numerous wrongful conviction cases and the risk management that comes with these type of decisions.

In addition to the knowledge and experience that Bill brings to each matter, he engages in genuine relationships with his clients that are built on professionalism and integrity. He is regularly invited to provide thought leadership on key coverage issues for attorneys, clients and other industry professionals. Bill has contributed to: the DRI Allocation Compendium; the DRI Duty to Defend Compendium – North Carolina Chapter; the DRI Unfair Claim Settlement Practices Compendium – North Carolina Chapter; and, the DRI Rescission Compendium – North Carolina Chapter. Bill has written “Welcome to Oz: The Dynamic of the Defunct Insured and Bad Faith,” in For the Defense, 2020 DRI, “Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Vehicles, and the Trucking Industry Opening the Pod Bay Doors to Assessment of Risk and the Future of Commercial Automobile Coverage” For the Defense, 2018 DRI, and “The Aftermath of Exoneration: Analyzing Coverage in Wrongful Incarceration Cases,” for the In-House Defense Quarterly, 2016 DRI.

Bill is an active member of the Defense Research Institute, where he is currently serving as the Vice Chair of the Transportation Substantive Law Group under the Insurance Law Committee, and the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys. He serves as an elected council member for the North Carolina Bar Association’s Insurance Law Committee and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America©, for Insurance Law and Litigation – Insurance, since 2016. He has also been recognized as a Super Lawyer by North Carolina Super Lawyers, and has earned the highest (AV-Rated) ranking awarded by Martindale-Hubbell. Bill is admitted to practice in North Carolina and Tennessee, the United States District Court for the Western and Middle Districts of North Carolina, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and The Cherokee Supreme Court (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians).

Support Team

Hope Fortenberry, Legal Assistant

Education

B.A., 2000, Purdue University

J.D., 2003, Wake Forest University School of Law

Admissions

North Carolina State Bar

Tennessee State Bar

United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

The Cherokee Supreme Court (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)

  • American College of Coverage Counsel, Fellow
  • Buncombe County Bar Association, Member
  • Defense Research Institute
    • Vice Chair, Transportation Substantive Law Group, Insurance Law Committee
  • International Association of Defense Counsel
    • Vice Chair of Newsletters, Insurance and Reinsurance Committee
  • North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, Member
    • Local Government Practice Group, Chair, (2009-2010)
  • North Carolina Bar Association, Council Member
  • North Carolina State Bar, Member

  • North Carolina Super Lawyers: “Rising Star,” 2010-2012, 2018
  • North Carolina Super Lawyers, 2019-2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America©, Litigation – Insurance, 2016-2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America©, Insurance Law, 2018 – 2022
  • The Best Lawyers in America©, 2023 “Lawyer of the Year,” Asheville  Litigation – Insurance
  • Bulfer, William, and McMurtry, Sarannah. (2023) “The Role of Insurance in Effectuating Change.” For the Defense, DRI, January 2023
  • Bulfer, William, and Chen, Jeff. (2022) “Seeking Shelter in the Storm of Social Inflation: Emerging Strategies to Proactively Address and Effectively Resolve Risk.” For the Defense, DRI, Spring 2022.
  • Bulfer, Bill, Dixon, Karen, Sesay, Damie. (2020) “Welcome to Oz: The Dynamic of the Defunct Insured and Bad Faith.” For the Defense, Defense Research Institute, Spring 2020.
  • Bulfer, William, Love, Brian. (2018) “Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Vehicles, and the Trucking Industry Opening the Pod Bay Doors to Assessment of Risk and the Future of Commercial Automobile Coverage.” For the Defense, Defense Research Institute, October 2018.
  • Bason, Amy, Bulfer, William, & Love, Brian. (2016) “The Aftermath of Exoneration: Analyzing Coverage in Wrongful Incarceration Cases.” In-House Defense Quarterly, Defense Research Institute, Spring 2016.
  • Defense Research Institute. Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Compendium. DRI Defense Library Series, May 2018. North Carolina Chapter written by Courtney Britt and William Bulfer.
  • Defense Research Institute. Insurance Policy Rescission Compendium. DRI Defense Library Series. April 2019. North Carolina Chapter written by Courtney Britt, William Bulfer and Brian Love
PROFILE

Bill co-chairs Teague Campbell’s Insurance Coverage Services group from the vistas of Asheville, North Carolina. His practice focuses on complex insurance coverage and municipal law matters and, when necessary, litigation regarding the same. Throughout Bill’s career he has litigated a variety of liability claims and, in doing so, has gained a practical understanding of the underlying matters associated with the applicable coverage. He is a creative problem solver with a core understanding of the insurance industry that benefits his clients on a daily basis.

Known for his prompt and thorough responses, Bill provides coverage opinions, prosecutes and defends declaratory judgment actions, and provides legal advice and input with regard to the creation and modification of manuscript insuring agreements. He is regularly called upon to review the applicability of coverage in litigated claims involving contractual and extra-contractual risk. Additionally, Bill has been on the cutting edge of municipal coverage and the issues that directly affect those who protect municipalities for over 15 years.

Bill seeks to protect public sector clients before risk occurs through direct engagement and the creation and modification of coverage agreements designed to protect them. This requires a careful understanding of both the acute risk present in each matter, as well as the broader interest of local government. Bill currently serves as the county attorney for Transylvania County and is often called on to assist other counties throughout the state on a variety of municipal and insurance related issues. He has handled numerous wrongful conviction cases and the risk management that comes with these type of decisions.

In addition to the knowledge and experience that Bill brings to each matter, he engages in genuine relationships with his clients that are built on professionalism and integrity. He is regularly invited to provide thought leadership on key coverage issues for attorneys, clients and other industry professionals. Bill has contributed to: the DRI Allocation Compendium; the DRI Duty to Defend Compendium – North Carolina Chapter; the DRI Unfair Claim Settlement Practices Compendium – North Carolina Chapter; and, the DRI Rescission Compendium – North Carolina Chapter. Bill has written “Welcome to Oz: The Dynamic of the Defunct Insured and Bad Faith,” in For the Defense, 2020 DRI, “Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Vehicles, and the Trucking Industry Opening the Pod Bay Doors to Assessment of Risk and the Future of Commercial Automobile Coverage” For the Defense, 2018 DRI, and “The Aftermath of Exoneration: Analyzing Coverage in Wrongful Incarceration Cases,” for the In-House Defense Quarterly, 2016 DRI.

Bill is an active member of the Defense Research Institute, where he is currently serving as the Vice Chair of the Transportation Substantive Law Group under the Insurance Law Committee, and the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys. He serves as an elected council member for the North Carolina Bar Association’s Insurance Law Committee and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America©, for Insurance Law and Litigation – Insurance, since 2016. He has also been recognized as a Super Lawyer by North Carolina Super Lawyers, and has earned the highest (AV-Rated) ranking awarded by Martindale-Hubbell. Bill is admitted to practice in North Carolina and Tennessee, the United States District Court for the Western and Middle Districts of North Carolina, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and The Cherokee Supreme Court (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians).

Support Team

Hope Fortenberry, Legal Assistant

Education

B.A., 2000, Purdue University

J.D., 2003, Wake Forest University School of Law

Admissions

North Carolina State Bar

Tennessee State Bar

United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

The Cherokee Supreme Court (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)

AREAS OF PRACTICE
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
  • American College of Coverage Counsel, Fellow
  • Buncombe County Bar Association, Member
  • Defense Research Institute
    • Vice Chair, Transportation Substantive Law Group, Insurance Law Committee
  • International Association of Defense Counsel
    • Vice Chair of Newsletters, Insurance and Reinsurance Committee
  • North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, Member
    • Local Government Practice Group, Chair, (2009-2010)
  • North Carolina Bar Association, Council Member
  • North Carolina State Bar, Member

RECOGNITION & AWARDS
  • North Carolina Super Lawyers: “Rising Star,” 2010-2012, 2018
  • North Carolina Super Lawyers, 2019-2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America©, Litigation – Insurance, 2016-2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America©, Insurance Law, 2018 – 2022
  • The Best Lawyers in America©, 2023 “Lawyer of the Year,” Asheville  Litigation – Insurance
PUBLICATIONS
  • Bulfer, William, and McMurtry, Sarannah. (2023) “The Role of Insurance in Effectuating Change.” For the Defense, DRI, January 2023
  • Bulfer, William, and Chen, Jeff. (2022) “Seeking Shelter in the Storm of Social Inflation: Emerging Strategies to Proactively Address and Effectively Resolve Risk.” For the Defense, DRI, Spring 2022.
  • Bulfer, Bill, Dixon, Karen, Sesay, Damie. (2020) “Welcome to Oz: The Dynamic of the Defunct Insured and Bad Faith.” For the Defense, Defense Research Institute, Spring 2020.
  • Bulfer, William, Love, Brian. (2018) “Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Vehicles, and the Trucking Industry Opening the Pod Bay Doors to Assessment of Risk and the Future of Commercial Automobile Coverage.” For the Defense, Defense Research Institute, October 2018.
  • Bason, Amy, Bulfer, William, & Love, Brian. (2016) “The Aftermath of Exoneration: Analyzing Coverage in Wrongful Incarceration Cases.” In-House Defense Quarterly, Defense Research Institute, Spring 2016.
  • Defense Research Institute. Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Compendium. DRI Defense Library Series, May 2018. North Carolina Chapter written by Courtney Britt and William Bulfer.
  • Defense Research Institute. Insurance Policy Rescission Compendium. DRI Defense Library Series. April 2019. North Carolina Chapter written by Courtney Britt, William Bulfer and Brian Love