Butzel Chief Information Officer Named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s ‘Unsung Legal Heroes’ List

DETROIT, Mich. – Butzel Chief Information Officer David Williams has been named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2025 Class of “Unsung Legal Heroes,” which honors law firm employees who have consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty, often behind the scenes. This award is reserved for the state’s most talented and dedicated legal support professionals. Honorees were profiled in the December 29, 2025 print edition.

For more than two decades, Williams has been immersed in the Information Technology (IT) industry. Recognized for his innovative approach to providing practical, efficient, and economical IT solutions to organizations, he effectively directs all IT operations for Butzel’s nine office locations throughout the country.

As Butzel’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and a member of the C-Suite, Williams is responsible for ensuring up-to-date and secure IT systems are in place for the firm’s employees and clients.

Since joining Butzel in February of 2024, Williams has revolutionized the IT department by establishing a team of innovative and customer service-focused individuals. This has fostered a "build before buy" mindset, leading to significant changes in process workflows and efficiency gains for menial tasks. Leveraging the teams’ collective expertise and technical acumen, Williams and his team have brought automation and data analytics to the forefront, improving decision-making processes. Further, he emphasizes cross-department collaboration to ensure that no facet of the organization is overlooked.

Williams has overhauled the company's infrastructure and cybersecurity posture, implementing new policies that not only align with but often exceed industry standards like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Prior to joining Butzel, Williams served in executive-level IT leadership roles in the automotive, health care, supply chain, and finance industries. He is passionate about recognizing each member of his team for their unique personal attributes and mentoring each professional to achieve their highest career objectives.

Notably, Williams is a four-time recipient of the ICE Mortgage Technology Ellie Mae Innovation Award, which recognizes industry leaders for creating extraordinary solutions to achieve business goals.

Williams earned a B.S. in Information Technology from the University of Phoenix and an Associate degree in Design Engineering from the University of Michigan – Flint.