William Nissen
2020 ALI Fellow
Prior to ALI, Bill Nissen was a partner for more than 35 years with the international law firm of Sidley Austin, where he worked primarily in the area of commodity and financial futures and derivatives regulation and litigation, advising and representing brokerage firms, institutions, money managers, and other market participants through times of significant industry growth and disruption.
Bill is the past president of the Union League Club of Chicago, a prominent civic and social club which he led through a period of successful modernization. His public service includes appointments by the federal court to represent convicted criminals on appeal and prisoners in civil rights cases against prison staff, and deployment during the Vietnam War as a lieutenant in the United States Navy.