J. William Ernstrom, Of Counsel, is a founding partner of the law firm of Ernstrom & Dreste, LLP. For over 25 years, he has focused his practice on the construction and surety industries.

His practice is extensive in all phases of law representing contractors, private and municipal owners and sureties.

Mr. Ernstrom is Vice President, Strategic Major Project Advisor of The Walsh Group, one of the top 20 largest contractors in the United States.  He was formerly the General Counsel of Alberici Corporation.  He has acted as Counsel to the Contract Documents Program of the Associated General Contractors of America and has been an Instructor, Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, "Design/Build-an integrated Method of Construction Delivery" as well as former project counsel for the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport $3,000,000,000 expansion program. He is the only attorney ever selected to be a member of the Consulting Constructors' Council of America. He is a member of the National Construction Dispute Resolution Council for the American Arbitration Association. Mr. Ernstrom is a construction and surety attorney with over 25 years experience. He has extensive trial and appellate experience in state and federal courts in New York State and in many other states. His practice is extensive in all phases of law representing contractors, private and municipal owners and sureties.

In 1998, Mr. Ernstrom was selected by the AGC as "Chairman of the Year" for his work in representing contractors’ interests in contract documents.  He has been awarded the AGC President's Coin for exemplifying skill, responsibility and integrity as well as unlimited motivation on behalf of the Association.  At International Risk Management Institute’s 2003 Construction Risk Conference in Chicago, the Institute presented Mr. Ernstrom with the Words of Wisdom (WOW) award, which recognizes substantial contributions made to the construction and insurance industries.

Mr. Ernstrom is the co-editor of the “AGC Contractor Documents Handbook”.  He has authored numerous articles on surety and construction law topics.  Among others, he has written about construction management and the AIA A201 General Conditions for the Wiley Construction Law Update, as well as design-build for the Aspen Construction Law Update. He played a key role in organizing and drafting the new Consensus DOC family of documents, the first set of contracts to be written by owners, designers, contractors, subcontractors, sureties and surety bond producers. He frequently lectures throughout the country for the Associated General Contractors, the ABA's Forum on the Construction Industry, the National Association of Surety Bond Producers, and the Construction Financial Management Association.  Mr. Ernstrom is a member of the ABA Forum on the Construction Industry and the Fidelity & Surety Committee, the Surety Claims Institute and the National Bond Claims Association.

Mr. Ernstrom graduated with honors from Hamilton College and received his Juris Doctor, with honors, from Cornell Law School.