Bill Barclift was a partner before retiring at Bradley. Bill was the former general counsel of Torchmark Corporation and Liberty National Life Insurance Company. Since going into private practice Bill continued to be actively involved in the legal affairs of these corporations. In addition, he filled a similar role with Mutual Savings Life Insurance Company and its affiliated entities for more than a decade prior to their acquisition by UNITRIN in 2008. With over 30 years of practice in the life and health insurance industry, Bill brought a wealth of practical experience to the firm. He appeared before the Alabama Department of Insurance on numerous occasions and enjoyed a relationship with much of the department’s senior staff based on mutual respect. He also interacted with insurance regulators in a variety of other states.
In addition to regulatory matters, Bill was exposed to the full range of litigation and disputes confronting the insurers he represented. This involvement ranged from pre-litigation dispute resolution to arbitration of claims to a wide variety of litigation, including class action. While general counsel of Liberty National, Bill created a special investigations unit composed of a group of individuals with insurance and investigative backgrounds. The goal of this unit was to proactively address the areas of consumer fraud and agent misconduct, as well as dispute resolution. The unit was credited with significantly reducing litigation at Liberty National.