Alum Spotlight: Bill Savitt ’80
As we look forward to our October 17th celebration of the Friends Select community on the Falcon's birthday, we are proud to highlight alumni making a difference in their communities and the world.
Bill Savitt ’80 isn’t just an attorney; he is a master strategist and thought leader who is profoundly shaping modern corporate law. His work embodies the values that Friends Select instills in its students: integrity, a drive for justice, and the courage to speak one's truth.
When Bill returned to Friends Select last May to deliver the Cum Laude Society address, he shared that “the thing that distinguishes a Friends Select education is a sense of community and decency, which has never been more important than it is now.”
As co-chair of the executive committee and of litigation at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Bill’s work influences corporate governance and guides clients through challenges that shape entire industries. One of his most widely reported cases involved representing Twitter in their successful litigation against Elon Musk, compelling the closure of a $44 billion merger agreement after Musk attempted to back out.
Bill shared with students, “Life is incredibly short—and peculiarly long. Take advantage of this paradox and try things.” His own willingness to embrace new experiences ultimately led him to the field of law. From playing in a rock and roll band to living in France and back again, Bill followed a winding path that eventually brought him to law school—and later to a clerkship with former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In a field defined by complexity, Bill’s voice resonates through the ethical strength he brings to his cases. “There is, underway, an attempt to silence institutions that create the opportunity to speak truth to power, that defend people who need defense, and allow for ideas that might be unpopular,” he told students. His response—and the stance of his firm: “We will not be bullied.”
Through it all, Bill draws inspiration from a Thomas Jefferson quote he first encountered at Friends Select: “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”
We hope you will join Bill (Gold team) on October 17 for the Falcon’s birthday! Throughout the day, we’ll be hosting a friendly giving competition online for the entire Friends Select community under the colors of Brown (odd graduation years) and Gold (even graduation years). We will also be hosting a Falcon Fest of games and activities for current students, faculty, and staff on the rooftop athletic field of our Parkway Building. We can’t wait for this joyous annual celebration of our community.
