William J. Simmons
Shareholder | Co-Chair, Background Checks Practice Group
Offices
Philadelphia
Three Parkway1601 Cherry Street, Suite 1400Philadelphia, PA 19102
O +1 (267) 402-3000
F +1 (267) 402-3131
Professional & Community Affiliations
Member
Labor & Employment Section
American Bar Association
Member
Litigation Section
American Bar Association
Pupil
Sidney Reitman Labor and Employment American Inn of Court
Recognition
Winner, Nathan Baker Mock Trial Competition
2005 and 2006
Recipient, Myron Harkavy Prize
Named, Marquis Scholar
Named, Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholar
Named, Saul Tischler Memorial Scholar
Rutgers University School of Law
Order of the Coif
News, Analysis & Press
The CFPB Cautions Employers About Using Technology to Track, Assess, and Evaluate Workers
Insight
October 29, 2024
The County of Los Angeles Will Soon Post Notice and Sample Documents to Comply with the County’s Sweeping Fair Chance Ordinance
ASAP
August 30, 2024
Employers Face June 1, 2024 Deadline to Comply with Lehigh County, Pennsylvania’s New Expansive Anti-Discrimination Ordinance
ASAP
May 2, 2024
County of Los Angeles Enacts a Sweeping Fair Chance Ordinance for the Unincorporated Areas of the County that Far Exceeds Federal and California Law
Insight
March 13, 2024
New Pennsylvania Legislation and Philadelphia Ordinance Amendment Tackle Pardoned Convictions, Expunged Records, and Negligent Hiring Liability
ASAP
January 4, 2024
Gainesville First City in Florida to Pass Fair Chance Hiring Law Restricting Private Employers’ Use of Criminal History
Insight
February 1, 2023
Atlanta Amends Anti-Discrimination Ordinance to Include Protections for Gender Expression and Criminal Histories
ASAP
November 10, 2022
Atlanta Amends Anti-Discrimination Ordinance to Include Protections for Gender Expression and Criminal Histories
SHRM Online
November 4, 2022
Governor’s Veto Will Likely Result in Continued Delayed or Non-Performable Background Checks in California
SHRM Online
October 10, 2022
Governor’s Veto Will Likely Result in Continued Delayed or Non-Performable Background Checks in California
ASAP
October 6, 2022
Eighth Circuit Holds Article III Standing Was Lacking for an Alleged Violation of the FCRA’s “Pre-Adverse Action” Notice Provision
Insight
April 6, 2022
Ninth Circuit Holds TCPA Prohibits Pre-Recorded Recruiting Calls to Cell Phones Without Prior Express Consent
Insight
August 13, 2021
Philadelphia Passes Ordinance Banning Marijuana Tests for Many Prospective Employees
ASAP
May 4, 2021
Philadelphia Enacts Amendments to and Expands Coverage of its Background Screening Ordinances
ASAP
January 26, 2021
High Court Declines to Resolve Circuit Split on Whether Prior Salary is “A Factor Other Than Sex” that Can Justify a Pay Disparity Under the Federal Equal Pay Act
Insight
July 10, 2020
When Hiring For Jobs Located In Philadelphia, Salary History Will Soon Be Off Limits Unless Voluntarily and Willingly Disclosed
Insight
February 20, 2020
City of Columbia, SC Clarifies Coverage of Criminal Records and Salary History Ordinance
ASAP
February 10, 2020
Columbia, South Carolina Limits Inquiries About Applicants’ Criminal and Salary Histories
Insight
October 3, 2019
Ruling Raises Important Considerations for Independent Contractor Background Screening
Insight
May 8, 2019
Third Circuit Holds Individual Plaintiffs Lack Standing for Some Alleged Violations of the FCRA's Pre-Adverse Action Notice Requirement
Insight
September 11, 2018
Bloomberg Law’s VIDEO Coverage of the 2018 Littler Executive Employer Conference
Bloomberg Law
May 4, 2018
Philadelphia Adopts Regulations Clarifying the Still-Stayed Ordinance Banning Salary History Inquiries
ASAP
October 24, 2017
Philadelphia Becomes the First Jurisdiction in 2016 to Restrict Employers from Using Credit Information in Employment Decisions
Insight
June 20, 2016
In Philadelphia, Sweeping Change on Background Checks
Bloomberg BNA Human Resources Report
December 28, 2015
Beyond “Ban the Box” – Philadelphia Makes Sweeping Changes to Criminal Records Screening Ordinance
Insight
December 16, 2015
The Old (Law) is New Again: Plaintiffs Increasingly Using Old Pennsylvania Law to Challenge Background Check Decisions
Insight
November 7, 2014
The Swelling Tide of Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) Class Actions: Practical Risk-Mitigating Measures for Employers
Littler Report
August 1, 2014
US patchwork of social media laws creates confusion
Privacy Laws & Business International Report
October 1, 2013
Fair Credit Reporting Act Amendment Offers Important Protections From Lawsuits Targeting Background Check Programs
Littler Report
September 10, 2013
Workplace Policy Institute: Social Media Password Protection and Privacy — The Patchwork of State Laws and How It Affects Employers
Littler Report
May 31, 2013
EEOC Suit Against Employer Screening Applicants Based on Credit History Information Dismissed
Insight
February 4, 2013
FLSA Court Decertifies Nationwide FLSA Action; ManorCare Workers Not Similarly Situated
Bloomberg BNA
February 1, 2013
Ohio Joins Handful of States that Offer Tort Liability Protections for Businesses that Hire and Employ Rehabilitated Ex-Offenders
Insight
August 10, 2012
Indiana Passes New Legislation Restricting Criminal History Information Reported in Background Checks
Insight
June 26, 2012
She Complained, But I’ll Sue: Third-Party Employment Retaliation Claims After Thompson
New Jersey Law Journal
April 18, 2011
Philadelphia Passes Ordinance Restricting Certain Employer Inquiries Into, and Use of, Criminal Record History
Insight
April 14, 2011
U.S. Supreme Court Holds that Constitutional Privacy Rights Do Not Restrict the Government's Discretion to Background Check Federal Contractors
Insight
January 24, 2011
Third Circuit Clarifies that Bankruptcy Code Does Not Prohibit Employers from Considering Previous Bankruptcies in Hiring Decisions
Insight
December 22, 2010
Supreme Court Case Demonstrates Importance of Electronic Media Policies & Training
National Human Resources Association Online Newsletter
Fall 2010
Must Affirmative Defenses In Employment Litigation Be Plausible After Iqbal?
Employment & Labor Relations Law Newsletter
Litigation Section - American Bar Association
Summer 2010
Where Is My Nest Egg? Three Considerations for 401(k) Plan Sponsors Selecting Funds in an Unpredictable Economy
Journal of Retirement Planning
March–April 2010
Beyond 50 Employees and 33 Percent: Advanced WARN Issues
Employment & Labor Relations Law Newsletter
Litigation Section - American Bar Association
Summer 2009
Facing the Factors: Handling ERISA Benefits Cases After Glenn
Vol. 194, New Jersey Law Journal 379
October 30, 2008
Remedies for Undocumented Workers
Vol. 190, New Jersey Law Journal, 914
December 3, 2007
Five Years Later: Navigating the Legal Battlefield of IRCA and Undocumented Workers' Remedies After Hoffman
American Immigration (Online)
April 2007
Speaking Engagements
Podcast: Clearing the Record: What to Do If a Background Check Reveals a Conviction
MyHRScreens
September 19, 2024
General Session - FCRA Settlement Fantasy (Nightmare?) Football
Professional Background Screening Association
September 10, 2024
Lunch & Learn: Navigating Background Checks
Pennsylvania Homecare Association
July 23, 2024
ChatGPT and Generative AI in the Law: 101
Association of Corporate Counsel, 17th Annual Paralegal/Legal Assistant Forum
October 13, 2023
Avoid The Crosshairs As CRA Dispute Reinvestigations Are Being Targeted
Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA)
September 11, 2023
Law and Order: Cutting Edge Science in Criminal Background Check Decisions
Littler Executive Employer Conference, Phoenix, AZ
May 12, 2023
Beyond Ban the Box: Perspectives on Criminal Background Checks in Employment Decisions
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Annual Conference
April 22, 2023
ChatGPT for HR
Bux-Mont Human Resources Association
April 19, 2023
Pardons, Expungements and Post-Conviction Relief, Oh My!
Professional Background Screening Association, Mid-Year Conference
April 17, 2023
2022 Philadelphia Regional Employer Conference
Philadelphia, PA
October 28, 2022
Your Data Can Help or Hurt You: What Should You Do?
Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) Annual Conference 2022
September 12, 2022
Upgrading Your People Practices To Enhance Compliance
PBSA Annual Conference
September 13, 2021
State of the States
2021 PBSA Mid-Year Legislative & Regulatory Conference
April 20, 2021
Background Check Litigation Update
Professional Background Screening Association, End User Advisory Group
February 10, 2021
Brain Twisters in Employment Screening
PBSA Annual Conference
September 2020
We’re (Almost) Open: Obligations Employers Will Need to Consider as Businesses Prepare to Resume
May 27, 2020
Upgrading Personnel Practices to Enhance Compliance
PBSA Webinar
May 27, 2020
Between a Rock and a Hard Shelter-in-Place | Challenges Employers Will Face When Returning to Work
May 12, 2020
FCRA Basics: Spotting Common Traps for CRAs
NAPBS Annual Conference
September 10, 2019
How to Ride the Next Wave of Background Check Class Actions? Get Up to Speed Now on Gnarly State and Local Requirements
2019 Executive Employer Conference, Phoenix, AZ
May 9, 2019
Employers and CRAs as Partners: 5 Tips for Enhancing Compliance and Applicant Experience
NAPBS Mid-Year Legislative and Regulatory Conference, Arlington, VA
March 25, 2019
Local Law Headaches: Philadelphia and Beyond
Philadelphia, PA
March 14, 2019
Human Resource Law from Start to Finish
NBI Seminar, Philadelphia, PA
March 13, 2019
Background Checks
Littler Executive Employer, Phoenix, AZ
May 4, 2018
Hiring Traps for Even the Wary: How Fair Chance Acts, Salary History Bans and Consumer Reporting Laws Continue to Catch Employers Off Guard
Littler Executive Employer, Phoenix, AZ
May 3, 2018
Local Ordinances Impacting the Employment Relationship
Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Employment Law Institute 2018
April 26, 2018
Investigative Consumer Reports: Litigation Trends and the Salary History Ban Movement
Professional Background Screening Association Mid-Year Legislative & Regulatory Conference
April 16, 2018
What Staffing Companies Want (And Don’t Realize They Need Yet) In Screening
Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) Annual Conference
September 19, 2017
The Million Dollar Sentence and Other Recent Trends in Employment Background Check Litigation
Philadelphia Bar Association
August 25, 2017
Confidentiality Issue Spotting: A Panel Discussion
City of Philadelphia Law Department CLE
July 27, 2017
Digging into Background Checks: Advanced Issues and Complex Relationships
May 30, 2017
Digging into Background Checks: Advanced Issues and Complex Relationships
The 2017 Executive Employer® Conference
May 11, 2017
Addressing Complex Employment Relationships in Background Checks
Professional Background Screening Association, Washington, D.C.
March 21, 2017
What Keeps Clients Up at Night?
Littler Philadelphia Employer Conference, Philadelphia, PA
March 7, 2017
Beyond "Ban the Box" – Building Effective Background Screening Programs
Philadelphia, PA
March 17, 2016
Red Flag Employment Issue-Spotting for Busy Businesses
Philadelphia, PA
February 18, 2016
Beyond "Ban the Box" - Building Effective Background Screening Programs
Philadelphia, PA
February 11, 2016
Classifying Workers Properly: Maximize Profits, Minimize Risk
Philadelphia, PA
October 29, 2015
Compliance Strategies for Multi-Jurisdictional Employers
Philadelphia, PA
March 26, 2015
Avoiding FCRA Night Terrors
February 26, 2015
Criminal Records and Background Checks: What Every Employer Needs to Know
September 14, 2011
Education
- J.D., Rutgers School of Law, 2007With Highest Honors
- A.B., Lafayette College, 2004summa cum laude
Courts
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey