Bill Van Ness was a founding partner of Van Ness Feldman. His practice focused on representing clients on policy issues before committees of Congress, federal administrative and regulatory agencies, and agencies of state governments.
Mr. Van Ness served as Special Counsel (1966-1969) and Chief Counsel (1970-1977) to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee of the United States Senate under Chairman, Senator Henry M. Jackson (D-WA). During his service with the Senate, Mr. Van Ness was an active participant in the development of many landmark natural resource, environmental, and energy laws. Measures for which he was primarily responsible include the National Environmental Policy Act, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act, and the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.
Mr. Van Ness served as a president of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation. He also served on the Board of Directors for the University of Washington Academic Medical Center, where he was the Chair of the Board’s special Review Committee, which undertook a major study of UW Medicine’s compliance with federal health care billing regulations.