William has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a J.D. degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. He is admitted to practice in the State of California and to the Palau Bar.

​

His extensive legal experience includes working with a Los Angeles law firm with an emphasis on business transactions, immigration and personal injury, primarily serving an Asian and Asian-American clientele.  He has also been associated with a Newport Beach, California firm practicing mainly in the areas of business litigation and advising excess liability insurers on coverage matters.  William accepted the position of Senate Legal Counsel in Palau in 1986.  He remained in this position for more than four years until establishing the law firm of Ngiraikelau, Dengokl & Ridpath in 1991. He has worked as a sole practitioner engaged in a general civil practice since 2007.

​

William has represented or currently represents numerous public clients, including the Social Security Administration, the Palau Public Utilities Corporation, various Palau state governments, the House of Delegates and Senate of the Palau National Government, legislative branch, the National Development Bank of Palau, the U.S. Department of State, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Present and past private clients have included Shell Company (Pacific Islands), Ltd., Bank of Hawaii, Bank of Guam, Palasia Hotel Palau, Sojitz Corporation, Palau International Airport Corporation, Skymark Airlines, Continental Airlines, United Air Lines, Outrigger Hotels, Mitsubishi Corporation, Apple, Spotify, Black Micro Construction, Western Caroline Trading Company, Palau Investment Bank, the NECO Group, Clear Water, Inc. and Big Fish, Inc. (producers of the two Survivor television shows filmed in Palau), and Palau Shipping Co., Inc.

​

William is a member of the Palau Swimming Association and the Palau Triathlon Federation, and a former Board Member of the Palau National Olympic Committee.

​

​