William L. Payne

William L. Payne serves as General Counsel and Senior Managing Director at Cayuse Holdings, focusing on aligning business strategies with legal frameworks. With extensive experience in business development as Managing Director at Cayuse Commercial Services since July 2021, William has played a significant role in the firm’s strategic growth. As the founder and Managing Director at Leyh Payne & Mallia PLLC from 1997 to 2021, William spearheaded the expansion of the firm while emphasizing client service and innovation. Previous roles include Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Servient, Inc. and Member of the Board of Directors for a $2.5 billion Texas financial services company. William also co-founded Disksense, Inc., a legal search technology startup acquired by Thomson-Reuters Corporation. Academic credentials include an MBA and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Richmond, as well as a Master of Laws in Intellectual Property and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Houston.