William L. Troutman

Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP

Los Angeles
United States
T:+1 213 892 9208
Los Angeles
United States
T:+1 213 892 9208
William L. Troutman

William L. Troutman

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Biography

Will is a partner in the Los Angeles office and the Head of Consumer Markets, United States and Co-Lead for ESG and Human Rights, United States. He concentrates his practice on product safety and compliance, environmental, social and governance (ESG), market access for the US and California and environmental disputes. He is also the co-editor of the Consumer Products Law Blog.

Will's focus areas include product safety, incident evaluation and consumer product recalls; regulatory compliance for consumer products, food, cosmetics and automotive parts; regulatory enforcement and investigations, particularly as to California agencies and public enforcers; manufacturing, distribution and supply agreements for consumer markets companies; ESG issues in transactions; supply chain dynamics, modern slavery and business and human rights; greenwashing, brand and advertising issues; chemicals management, compliance and enforcement, including Proposition 65 and PFAS substances; and Superfund and other environmental regulations. His experience includes:

  • Consumer products food and cosmetics: compliance and enforcement for retailers, distributors and manufacturers involving the federal Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, reporting to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, national and international product recalls; Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act; Federal Trade Commission Act; Fair Packaging and Labeling Act; consumer warranties and related state regulations; Made in the USA claims and product packaging and labeling.
  • Automotive: compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and state analogs; the California Air Resources Board aftermarket parts requirements and OEM and Tier supplier liability issues. 
  • Manufacturing, distribution and supply agreements: drafting, revising and negotiating supply chain agreements, including ancillary documents such as vendor manuals, compliance guides and quality agreements.
  • Chemical and pesticide regulation: compliance and enforcement with California Proposition 65; TSCA and state-level PFAS product bans and restrictions; children's product reporting statutes; green chemistry; FIFRA and state pesticide regulations; VOC emissions limits in California and the EPA and California formaldehyde in composite wood restrictions.
  • Environmental compliance, litigation and transactional support: federal and state Superfund; California hazardous waste generation, handling and management; environmental aspects of business transactions; federal and California Clean Air Acts and related air quality regulations; California Air Resources Board requirements; CEQA and CESA.
  • ESG, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and modern slavery: advice and counsel on ESG processes; California's climate disclosure legislation; greenwashing and ESG brand development and marketing; circular economy/EPR requirements; modern slavery, supply chain due diligence and compliance with California's Transparency in Supply Chains Act and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act; conflict minerals disclosures and supplier codes of conduct, policies and procedures and other risk issues relating to manufacture and supply of goods

Professional experience

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JD, University of Southern California Law School, 2006
BA, with Honors, English and International Studies, Northwestern University, 2001

While in law school, William was the Executive Editor of The Southern California Law Review. He is licensed to practice law in California.

  • California State Bar

Consumer products, food and cosmetics:

  • Regulatory counsel for several importers and retailers on day-to-day compliance issues, including Section 15(b) reporting and product recalls and triaging compliance issues in connection with entry or distribution.
  • Private labelers, retailers, and manufacturers on Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act compliance, CPSC enforcement, and consumer product safety standards
  • Electronics retailer on the U.S. Department of Energy and California Appliance Efficiency Requirements, including negotiating with DOE and the California Energy Commission over compliance solutions and settlements
  • Power tool manufacturer in global audit and recommendations for improvement of product safety, reporting, and recall compliance systems, including business units operating in the Americas, Asia Pacific, and EMEA regions
  • Various private labelers, retailers, and manufacturers in annual and periodic updates to internal and external compliance documents, including merchant, quality assurance, and vendor manuals and training materials, and updates and guidelines for legal
  • Food manufacturer in challenge to composition claims based on FDA standards of identity
  • Canadian retailer on launch of ecommerce sales in United States
  • Importer on cosmetics composition and claims requirements
  • Hardware private labeler on compliance with federal Department of Energy appliance efficiency requirements
  • Importer on compliance with state product stewardship, regulatory fee, and take-back programs for electronics, durable goods, paint, wireless phones, batteries, and tires
  • Private labelers, retailers, and manufacturers in compliance with law label requirements for filled and upholstered goods
  • Private labelers, retailers, and manufacturers in compliance with FTC and California Made in USA claims
  • Numerous retailers and private labelers in compliance with FTC Green Guides and resolution of related enforcement and threatened class actions.
  • Manufacturers in compliance with California's Rigid Plastic Packaging Container regulation
  • Private labelers and retailers in restrictions on the sale, possession, and carry of weapons
  • Electronics and sporting goods manufacturers and retailers in identification of testing and warning language requirements under UL, ANSI, ASTM, and industry-specific standards, and assisting in development of testing methods when no regulation or industry standard applies  

Automotive:

  • Automotive parts importer and retailer in compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for various automotive parts
  • Aftermarket parts retailer in compliance and enforcement issues under California Air Resources Board aftermarket parts requirements
  • Performance parts manufacturer in testing and certification for Executive Orders under CARB aftermarket parts requirements
  • Tier supplier in risk assessment for supply of raw materials and subcomponents to Tier and OEM customers
  • Automotive parts manufacturer in combating sale of counterfeit goods in California

Chemical and pesticide regulation:

  • Multiple retailers, manufacturers, and private labelers in compliance with USEPA/TSCA and state PFAS substances laws and regulations, including cookware, apparel, textiles, furniture, and juvenile products
  • Manufacturer in developing Safe Use Determination under California Proposition 65
  • Private labelers, retailers, and manufacturers of consumer products, food, and cosmetics in compliance and enforcement of California Proposition 65
  • Private labelers, retailers, and manufacturers in compliance with multiple state reporting requirements for chemicals in children's products, including advice in connection with Washington investigation into failure to comply
  • Hardware private labeler in building California VOC compliance program
  • Private labelers, retailers, and manufacturers in enforcement of California Consumer Products regulation limiting VOC emissions
  • Private labelers, retailers, and manufacturers in compliance with California Safer Consumer Products regulation
  • International chemical processor in establishing a REACH compliance program
  • Manufacturers in challenges to California VOC emissions limits for consumer products and architectural coatings
  • Hardware retailer in California pesticide compliance 
  • Private labelers, retailers, and manufacturers in compliance with EPA and California formaldehyde in composite wood requirements
  • Retailer in assessing treated articles for FIFRA and state pesticide regulation compliance
  • Private labelers and manufacturers in performance apparel claims

Manufacturing, distribution and supply agreements: 

  • Pharmacy and consumer goods private labeler and retailer in drafting manufacturing and quality agreements, as well as scan-based trading agreement
  • Apparel brand in drafting manufacturing supply agreement and reviewing individual supplier agreements
  • Global sporting goods supplier in review of existing wholesale customer contracts for risk issues
  • Eyeware brand in drafting and negotiating supply and distribution agreements
  • Manufacturer in negotiating wholesale supply agreement

Environmental compliance, litigation and transactional support:

  • Property owner in remediation action with EPA and Regional Board
  • Hydrocarbon products distributor in Superfund action
  • Retailer in hazardous waste management and disposal compliance program
  • Renewable energy operator in acquisition of cogeneration plant
  • Poultry processing facility in zoning and land use dispute
  • Energy company in land use dispute involving NEPA, CEQA, ESA, and CESA
  • Municipality in connection with remediation of a former waste site
  • Industrial equipment manufacturer in state Superfund action
  • International shipping company in hazardous material transportation action
  • Commercial enterprises in a cost recovery action resulting from remediation of a chemical recycling plant
  • Waste management company in EPA PCB disposal enforcement action
  • International shipping company in establishing a hazardous waste management compliance program

ESG, CSR and human rights:

  • Global technology company in assessment of entreprise human rights policies and procedures
  • Multiple retailers in compliance with California SB 253, SB 261, and AB 1305 regardng climate risk disclosures
  • Private labelers, retailers, and manufacturers in compliance with the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act and Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act
  • Multiple brands in connection with sustainability, ethical sourcing, and similar brand and product claims, including resolution of threatened consumer class actions
  • Sporting goods manufacturer in gap analysis related to compliance with US modern slavery requirements and ESG-related ethics and compliance
  • Apparel and accessories private labeler in human rights due diligence, supply chain mapping, and internal policies and procedures
  • Association of financial institutions on legal review of suggested changes in EP4
  • Multiple private labelers regarding supplier codes of conduct and related contracts
  • Private labeler in risk analysis regarding social compliance audit of US suppliers
  • Private labeler in overseas factory audit regarding ESG and CSR
  • Private labeler and retailers in compliance with conflict minerals disclosure requirements
  • Canadian food distributor on human rights obligations applicable to subcontractors in the United States
  • Chambers USA, Nationwide: Product Liability: Regulatory, Chambers and Partners, 2023 - 2024
  • Legal Visionary, Consumer Products and Retail, Los Angeles Times, 2024
  • Legal 500, Recommended Lawyer, Environment: Litigation, The Legal 500, 2021
  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Environmental & Energy Lawyers, Lawdragon, Inc., 2021 
  • Acritas Star, Acritas, 2020 - 2021
  • Rising Star, Southern California Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2013-2016, 2018 - 2021
  • Southern California Super Lawyer, Thomson Reuters, 2023
  • "Consumer product recalls in North America," Norton Rose Fulbright Web Seminar, November 9, 2023
  • "Navigating the current ESG landscape: Key insights for in-house counsel," ACC SoCal Web Seminar, November 8, 2023
  • "California update: new consumer markets legislation and enforcement trends," Norton Rose Fulbright Web Seminar, October 19, 2023
  • "PFAS and the Law--Regulatory and Technical Drivers," Remediation and Emerging Contaminants Summit, October 3, 2023
  • "PFAS and consumer products: Laws, litigation and testing," Norton Rose Fulbright Web Seminar, June 29, 2023
  • "EPA's Current Stance on PFAS in Consumer Products," American Home Furnishings Alliance 2023 Summit
  • "Compliance issues with PFAS in apparel and textiles," Functional Fabric Fair, Portland and New York, 2023
  • "Current trends in ESG enforcement risk and best practices," Norton Rose Fulbright Web Seminar, November 10, 2021
  • Instructor, 2019 Product Safety Certificate Course, St. Louis University Center for Supply Chain Excellence
  • "The Recall Landscape: What You Need to Know. Consumer Products, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals," Product Liability Advisory Council Fall Conference 2019
  • "Untangling the Web: Approaches to CPSIA, Prop 65, and Other Federal, State, and Local Chemical Requirements," Society of Product Safety Professionals, June 18, 2019
  • "What do you mean I'm shipping hazmat?!?" Norton Rose Fulbright and Labelmaster Services Web Seminar, May 30, 2019
  • "Risk Assessment-Managing the Flood: Strategies for Putting Your Data Streams to Good Use," ICPHSO 2018 Northwest Regional Product Safety Training Workshop
  • "Consumer Reaction to Recalls," Stericycle August Webinar, August 23, 2018
  • Member, Board of Trustees, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, California Southland
  • State Bar of California - Environmental Law Section
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association - Environmental Law Section
  • International Consumer Products Health & Safety Organization
  • United States Green Building Council, Los Angeles Chapter
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers
  • The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Greater Los Angeles, 2011-13 Man & Woman of the Year Committee Member
  • Team In Training -- 2012 Los Angeles Marathon 
  • Hermosa Beach Carbon Neutral City Committee
  • 2011 AIDS Walk Los Angeles, Volunteer

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