Transport Laws & Logistics Laws - William J. Augello, ESQ

Bill’s Professional Accomplishments

An icon of the industry, Bill practiced transportation and administrative law for 52 years. After “retiring” from the firm of Augello, Pezold and Hirschmann of Huntington, New York, he continued to consult with and present expert testimony for the transportation industry and members of the bar from his office in Tucson, Arizona. Bill remained active until his final days. At the time of his passing he was an Adjunct Professor at the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona. Bill received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology at Dartmouth College and an LL.B at Fordham Law School. He was also on the faculty of Denver University’s Intermodal Transportation Institute and at the Institute of Logistical Management, having served on both Boards of Directors. He was Coordinator for Transportation Law Education at the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade in Tucson, AZ, where he served as Co-Chairman of its Sub-Committee on Uniform Liability Regime

Bill’s Last Books

Bill’s text, Freight Claims in Plain English, written in collaboration with George Pezold, continues to be the leading text on carrier liability for loss, damage and delay. The Fourth Edition was completed prior to the time of his passing, was published in 2009, and is now available for purchase.

Bill’s Last Interview

Shortly before the time of Bill’s passing he was interviewed with the understanding that the interview would not be released until after his passing. Click here to listen to the interview.

Bill’s Passing

William J. Augello passed away on the morning of November 19, 2006 at his home in Marana, AZ. Bill was diagnosed earlier in the fall with an aggressive form of neuroendocrine cancer. Bill’s fascination with the law and his desire to share it with others continued throughout his illness virtually until the day of his passing.

Bill’s Family

Bill is survived by his wife of 56 years, Elizabeth (Betty) Augello, and six children; Tom, Pat and husband Tom, Chip and wife Cheryl, Billy, Peg and husband Norman, and Jamie, and, four grandchildren; Ryan, Nathan, Travis and Casey.

Bill’s Achievements

He served as a member of the U.S. State Department’s Advisory Committee on Private International Law. He was a founder and member of the Board of the National Freight Transportation Library, the Shippers National Freight Claim Council, the Transportation Arbitration Board and the Certified Claims Professional Accreditation Council. Bill has been honored by Syracuse University (Harry E. Saltzberg Honorary Medallion), the Delta Nu Alpha Transportation Fraternity (National Transportation Man of the Year), Transportation Lawyers Association (Distinguished Service Award) and the Colorado Transportation Community’s Operation Stimulus (Outstanding Educator of the Year).

Bill wrote extensively for several industry trade publications, and at the time of his passing was a columnist for Parcel Shipping and Distribution, Inbound Logistics, as well as Dun & Bradstreet’s Exporters’ Encyclopedia. He argued before the United States Supreme Court and numerous U.S. Courts of Appeals, testified before Congressional Committees and appeared before governmental regulatory agencies and carrier Classification Committees. As Executive Director for 30 years of the Transportation Logistics Council (TLC) and its predecessors, Bill provided continuing education to thousands of students and practitioners in the transportation and logistics fields through his many texts, seminars and editorials in TransDigest, TLC’s monthly newsletter.