Testimonials

Since Bill Marler's first foodborne illness case representing outbreak victims more than 30 years ago, he has been at the forefront of pushing for safer food for consumers. More than 30 years ago, a food safety professional's work often focused on cleanliness and hygiene, but today, it's more focused on process and prevention — and Bill has played a major role in pushing us in that direction.

During my time with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and in the food industry, I have witnessed the impact that Bill Marler has had on food safety, beginning with the E. coli O157:H7 ground beef outbreaks in the 1990s. The cases brought by Bill and his associates have an impact that goes beyond accountability for the harm caused. The publicity resulting from these cases gets the attention of senior food industry leaders and motivates a top-down commitment to food safety. I would rather not have food safety failures, but when we have a failure, we owe it to those who were harmed and to the consuming public to learn from each failure and make the food supply safer. Bill Marler is very much a part of that effort.

Bill Marler has been a staunch advocate for food safety since 1993, not only through his legal practice, but in speaking often and widely about the need for change in industry practices. I am proud to call him a champion, a colleague, and a friend.

Following the 2013 Jack in the Box E coli outbreak, Mike Taylor, with the United States Department of Agriculture, went to the annual American Meat Institute's conference and announced that of that date, September 9, 1994, the USDA considered that ground beef found with E coli O157:H7 in it was to be considered adulterated. The meat industry sued the USDA and lost. Little changed. A young Bill Marler, representing 9-year-old Brianne Kiner in a lawsuit against Jack in the Box, secured a $15.6 million settlement, and later filed a class action lawsuit resulting in over $50 million to victims. The industry formed the Beef Industry Food Safety Council and declared food safety was no longer a proprietary issue. Lots changed. The threat of Marler repeatedly winning lawsuits forced more change than the USDA and its policies and inspectors ever could. 'Nuff said.

Bill Marler is one of the most influential food safety advocates in the country and beyond. While he is best known as an aggressive and well-known plaintiff's attorney for victims of foodborne illness, he has also leveraged his experience to educate consumers, regulators, and the food industry on the importance of food safety.

I first came across Bill Marler more than ten years ago, when I was writing my first book — a project to which he kindly contributed. Since then, I've admired him deeply. I admire Bill for everything he does in the field of food safety — his lifelong dedication to ensuring safer products for consumers, his tireless work, and above all, his honest commitment and humble attitude. He continuously shares knowledge with food safety professionals all over the world, inspiring so many of us along the way. Bill has been a true reference and inspiration to me — someone I genuinely care about and respect.

Bill Marler has a significant four-dimensional impact on the global food safety systems. Where food operators fail to ensure the efficacy of their systems to deliver safe products, and this failure causes harm to consumers, Bill Marler and his team of attorneys at the Marler Clark Law Firm have held them accountable in the courts.

As a renowned champion of food safety for consumers, Bill Marler has made it his mission to keep a sharp eye on the food industry and expose and incriminate those who endanger consumer safety. In doing so, he helps to keep the industry sharp and vigilant in their food safety efforts and as a result has made food safer for all.

Bill Marler has had a profound positive impact on the way the produce industry has come to view and measure its food safety programs. He has made it better and smarter through his vigilance and advocacy.

For more than 30 years, Bill Marler has dedicated his formidable career to the cause of food safety. He doesn't have hidden agendas but truly cares about the well-being of American consumers, especially children.

For well over two decades, Bill Marler has been at the forefront of pursuing justice for those who have suffered unnecessarily from foodborne illness and helped determining which companies or individuals were responsible. Through these legal actions and his advocacy though public speaking, newsletters and blogs, Bill has helped change food safety policy in the United States and around the world. I am proud to have him as the sponsor of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Ewen C D Todd Control of Foodborne Illness Award presented to individuals for dedicated and exceptional contributions to the reduction of risks to foodborne illness.

Bill Marler has been a tireless and passionate advocate for food safety over the past 30 years, strongly defending the right of consumers to safe food. His activism has advanced food safety policy and legislation in the United States and globally, and his actions have resulted in the food industry taking greater responsibility for protecting the public from foodborne illness.

Through his law practice and as publisher of Food Safety News, Bill Marler is on a personal mission to protect injured individuals and families and promote prevention of foodborne illness for the benefit of all of us. Bill is one of our true food safety All Stars.

I have worked in food safety for nearly 50 years and in that time, it is difficult to find a greater contribution to improving the safety of food than that made by Bill Marler and billmarler.com. This has been primarily achieved, although both are based on communication, by two different but complementary strategies. Failures in managing food safety can cost consumer lives but Bill Marler has also made it very loud and clear, via litigation, that poor food safety leadership may cost you money, your business, your reputation and even your freedom. This has emphatically demonstrated and communicated to everyone involved there are adverse consequences to the production and service of unsafe food. Additionally, Bill Marler, in an indirect but altruistic way, has also tried to put the Marler Clark law firm out of business. Perhaps an even greater contribution has been the commitment to preventing the sale of unsafe food by educating consumers, regulators and the whole of the food industry in a broad range of food safety issues. This has been achieved both via his blogs and his presentations at conferences and events in a wide range of countries. It has certainly been my privilege to introduce him as a food safety speaker at conferences in 3 continents. Whenever I speak at food safety conferences or provide training, I always recommend attendees follow billmarler.com and Food Safety News and I know from feedback I have received they have benefited greatly from this advice.

Bill Marler's impact on food safety goes far beyond the courtroom—he's driven by a deep personal commitment to protect people from the devastating effects of foodborne illness. Throughout his career, Bill has stood up for victims and their families, helping them find justice and holding companies accountable for unsafe practices. His tireless efforts have not only secured millions in settlements but have also sparked important changes in food industry standards and regulations. Bill's passionate advocacy has raised public awareness and inspired industry leaders to put consumer safety first, making him a true champion in the fight to keep our food supply safe.

Bill has made a significant impact on food safety. His work helped establish the modern-day food safety market. Bill's work in 1993 lead to major disruption and set forward the changes needed in the food industry. He influenced me personally. Because of Bill, I launched Food Quality magazine in 1994, the first trade magazine focused on food safety and quality. His focus on food safety has made him a subject matter expert which benefits his clients as well as the food industry. While there is no one person that is the "Godfather" of food safety, Bill is certainly one of the most significant "influencers" in my opinion.

Bill has been in the forefront of almost everything about our food safety from informing us of the contaminated foods before USDA and FDA say or even know anything at all to the number of people who have become sick and have died before CDC informs us of outbreaks. That's crazy but true. In addition to seeking justice for those affected he has been lecturing companies why it's so important to have good food safety policies. As an ardent supporter of the USDA's Microbiological Data Program (MDP), a national level monitoring program, he supports its reinstatement whenever there is an outbreak due to contaminated fresh fruits and vegetables. He is the doyen of our food safety system.

1993 can be marked as a seminal year for Food Safety. A young personal injury Attorney Bill Marler was asked by the parents of young children to pursue litigation on behalf of their children that had developed Hemolytic uremic syndrome also known as HUS from eating E.coli O157:H7 contaminated by Hamburger. Since that time Bill has made it his passion to represent clients who have suffered significant harm by consuming contaminated and adulterated foods. Bill has spent significant resources in educating Food Manufacturers worldwide on the consequences of selling foods that make people sick or are in violation of Food Safety Regulations. In addition, to Bill's appearances at meetings, conventions, etc. he is also the publisher of a globally read online publication Food Safety Regulations News. This publication is a daily must read for Food Safety Regulations Professionals.

Bill Marler embodies the principle that food safety is a moral obligation, holding companies accountable when they lose sight of this truth. He understands that food safety is not just about the product—it's about the trust and bond companies share with their consumers. Above all, Bill champions the human element, fiercely advocating for those impacted by the food they consume.

It has been said that the main reason for the advances in food safety that has occurred during the past thirty years is the food industry's fear of getting caught as the source of a foodborne outbreak. The medical costs, the recalling of food and compensating the victims of such outbreaks through litigation are extremely expensive. Bill Marler has, as the leading food safety lawyer since 1993, after successfully representing the victims of the famous E. coli outbreak associated with the Jack-in-the-Box burger chain, has been a major driver of food safety in the US.

No one has done more since Harvey Wiley to galvanize the public's interest and change food safety policy than Bill Marler. Bill Marler has more to galvanize public attention and change food safety policy than anyone since Harvey Wiley.

As someone deeply committed to regulatory clarity and practitioner empowerment, I see Bill Marler as a catalytic force in food safety. His litigation work didn't just win cases—it rewrote the rules, compelling industry and regulators to prioritize pathogen control and consumer protection. His advocacy aligns with our shared mission: embedding accountability, transparency, and scientific rigor into every layer of the food system. Bill's impact reminds us that safeguarding public health is not just technical—it's ethical, strategic, and enduring.

As a Boomer, I recall that in the 90s, food safety issues were covered up with barely any food safety stories making the news. However, that all changed when Bill entered stage-right to fight for victims of the Jack-in-the-Box case in 1993. This was one of the first cases that highlighted the cost and consequences of poor food safety practices. Since then, Bill has been on a food safety crusade for the last 30 years to ensure justice is served for the victims of foodborne illness outbreaks, while also spreading the word through presentations, lectures, and appearances in high-profile media & film. The food safety news continues to be the most important source of information to the food sector and still represents a fitting legacy to Bill's contribution to food safety across the globe.

Whether advocating on behalf of a client, addressing international audiences of industry and safety representatives, or submitting recommendations to regulators, William Marler has done more to promote food safety than any other individual. If there was a Nobel Prize for food safety advocacy, Marler would win, hands down.

Bill Marler is the best-known food safety lawyer on the planet for a reason, and his tenacious representation of his clients has made the food industry more accountable. Having seen up close the tragic consequences of foodborne illness, Bill has also fought hard for policies to prevent consumers from getting sick in the first place. He is an unparalleled champion for food safety.

Bill Marler has done more to advance food safety - through advocacy, litigation, agency petitions, Congressional testimony, teaching, research & writing, and all forms of educational media - than anyone in our lifetime. His personal commitment to his clients and his dedication to improving our overall food system are the driving forces behind everything he does. We can all be grateful for his service and his professionalism. For more than a decade, Bill Marler has taught Food Safety Litigation in the LL.M. Program in Agricultural & Food Law at the University of Arkansas School of Law, working with his former Marler Clark partner, Denis Stearns. Together, they guide the attorneys in the Program through the maze of food safety laws, while always emphasizing that the clients are what truly matters.

Bill is one of those attorneys who gives lawyers a good name. A consumer advocate in the truest sense of the word, Bill is not just interested in getting justice for his clients, but in giving them a platform to tell their stories on a national scale and make real change. Ultimately, he's on a mission to prevent so much foodborne illness he will put himself out of business.

Over the past thirty years, no individual has had a more profound and enduring impact on food safety than Bill Marler. Besides being in class of his own in terms of representing victims of food borne illnesses, Bill has advised lawmakers and policymakers, shaped legislation and public policy, and served the public by being the most reliable source of information on everything from food recalls to updates on outbreaks. In a real and meaningful way, he is a national treasure.

Food safety managers work in the system; food safety leaders work on the system. It's hard to deny that Bill, through his work has played a huge role in influencing companies to strengthen consumer protections and, in this manner, has been one of the most consequential food safety leaders of our time.

I view Bill Marler as the conscience of food safety in the United States, always doing everything possible for the victims of food poisonings.

For the past 30 years, no one has had a greater global impact on food safety than Bill Marler. Through landmark litigation, relentless public advocacy, and collaborative engagement with industry, he has elevated awareness and driven meaningful reform.

I've seen food industry execs tremble and shake at the mere mention of Bill's name, knowing his power to hold them accountable.

From courtrooms to Congress, Bill Marler transformed the pain of foodborne illness victims into a catalyst for change, forcing leaders to confront the human cost of foodborne illness. His relentless pursuit of accountability reshaped food safety law and inspired a cultural shift toward prevention, transparency, and compassion for those affected.

If the US has a government watchdog on food safety, it is asleep at the switch. Fortunately, we have Bill Marler instead.

Bill's very common refrain to industry is, 'Put me out of business.' He means it.