On Friday, September 19, 2025, the Illinois Supreme Court granted a petition to suspend attorney William Michael Doyle, Jr. from practicing law for three years. The suspension stems from a disciplinary matter brought forth by the Administrator of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) following an investigation into Doyle’s billing practices between 2002 and 2024.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of William Michael Doyle, Jr.,” with case number 2025PR00015.
The ARDC’s petition, filed under Supreme Court Rule 762(b), detailed that Doyle engaged in misconduct while working as a partner at two international law firms in Chicago. During this period, Doyle catered to wealthy clients, their trusts, and estates. The investigation revealed that Doyle had inflated client bills by including charges for work that should have been written off or for work performed for other clients.
According to the ARDC, the two law firms conducted internal reviews of Doyle’s billing practices and determined that clients were overcharged by approximately $3.4 million. The initial discovery of these irregularities occurred when two attorneys at the second law firm noticed billing abnormalities and reported their concerns to the firm’s management.
The ARDC’s petition outlined that between approximately August 2022 and April 2024, Doyle mischaracterized time valued at over $970,000 in bills sent to 10 clients at the second firm. A subsequent investigation by Doyle’s previous firm found that between April 12, 2004, and August 14, 2022, he mischaracterized approximately 1,270 hours of time, valued at over $2.5 million, in bills sent to 17 clients.
The ARDC argued that Doyle’s actions constituted conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation, violating Rules 8.4(a)(4) (2000) and 8.4(c) (2010) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct. These rules prohibit attorneys from engaging in conduct that is dishonest, fraudulent, deceitful, or misrepresentative.
In mitigation, the ARDC acknowledged that Doyle accepted responsibility for his conduct and expressed regret. Furthermore, after the firms refunded the improper charges, several affected clients returned the refund checks and voiced their support for Doyle. Attorneys familiar with Doyle’s reputation would reportedly testify that he was highly regarded for the quality of his legal work. However, the ARDC also noted in aggravation that Doyle’s misconduct occurred over an extended period and was not an isolated incident, creating a significant risk to both firms’ reputations.
The Supreme Court’s order officially suspends Doyle from practicing law in Illinois for three years and until further order of the Court.
According to Martindale, Mr. Doyle acquired his law license in Florida in 1976.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
