Williams & Connolly LLP > Washington DC, United States > Firm Profile

Williams & Connolly LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)

Fielding an appellate practice that is ‘second-to-none’, Williams & Connolly LLP secures rave reviews from clients who commend its key partners as ‘some of the most well respected Supreme Court advocates of today’. The Washington DC-based team handles a steady volume of appeals before state and federal appellate courts as well as the US Supreme Court. In terms of its enviable recent record before the latter, four partners have argued seven cases before SCOTUS in the past two terms, winning more than half. Sought-after appellate specialist Lisa Blatt is ‘unstoppable in a courtroom’; as evidenced by a tremendous SCOTUS record that has seen her argue 43 cases and prevail in 37. Blatt recently teamed up with Luke McCloud to successfully represent Carlos Concepcion before SCOTUS in a case concerning the reduction of Concepcion’s prison term under the First Step Act. In another SCOTUS win, Blatt paired up with Sarah Harris to successfully represent US Border Patrol agent Erik Egbert, who was sued in his individual capacity under the First and Fourth Amendments. In a win before the Ninth Circuit, Amy Saharia successfully represented appellant Harbor Breeze Corporation in a case concerning Harbor Breeze’s false advertising claim under the Lanham Act. The group also includes talented senior associate Whitney Hermandorfer, who has a focus on appellate and regulatory litigation. Luke McCloud recently left to join the Office of the Solicitor General.

Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense

A ‘go-to firm for challenging litigation matters’, Williams & Connolly LLP fields a diverse white-collar defense and corporate investigations practice with capabilities on both the corporate and individual side. Based in Washington DC, the group excels in matters relating to the FCPA, anti-kickback statute, securities fraud, and money laundering. David Zinn, whose work often encompasses investigations by regulatory bodies such as the SEC and CTFC, and Tobin Romero, who routinely acts as lead defense counsel for high-profile clients, are joint practice heads. Criminal and civil litigation are handled by Kevin Downey, while Brendan Sullivan is a veteran trial lawyer with experience in areas such as securities, banking, RICO, and license disputes. A number of senior executives of Fortune 25 and Fortune 500 companies trust Lance Wade to represent them in a wide range of investigations and bet-the-company litigation. Emmet Flood is skilled in crisis management, congressional investigations, and liability disputes.

Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes Tier 1

With a diverse range of expertise covering breach of contract, professional liability, consumer and securities class actions, Williams & Connolly LLP operates at both national and international levels, representing clients in trials, litigation, and arbitration. The firm boasts an impressive client list including, Bank of America, Google, and The Carlyle Group. Robert Van Kirk has extensive experience handling commercial litigation, government and internal investigations, and congressional inquiries. Dane Butswinkas is a primary contact for financial institutions and pharmaceutical companies, while Edward Bennett is a versatile litigator and arbitration counsel, particularly for corporate governance and corporate banking issues. Enu Mainigi specializes in representing clients from the financial services and healthcare industries, while Sarah Kirkpatrick has a strong background in representing private equity firms, media companies, broker-dealers, and individuals. Luke McCloud is also a key name in the team for white-collar and patent-related disputes. The firm is based in Washington DC.

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: pharmaceuticals and medical devices Tier 1

Able to mobilize ‘excellent lawyers from top to bottom’ – including practitioners with trial and appellate experience, and expertise of dealing with government investigations and litigation – Williams & Connolly LLP is well-positioned to provide all encompassing representation of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in big-ticket product liability disputes. The Washington DC-based litigation powerhouse has ‘superb strategic nous’, as well as deep industry knowledge, ensuring that it provides ‘very practical and focused advice’ and ‘avoids getting caught up in unimportant details’. ‘One of the best strategists in the industry’, Joseph Petrosinelli has ‘immense credibility with judges and opposing counsel’, developed over many years of operating at the very highest level of work in the space, particularly in the context of MDLs, co-ordinated proceedings and class actions. Recognized by a peer firm as ‘one the best brief-writers I have encountered’, Paul Boehm is accomplished at managing cases from the discovery phase through to trial, where he excels in digesting complex scientific information and presenting to juries in a compelling narrative. Neelum Wadhwani ‘s star is also in the ascendancy as a result of a varied caseload that has seen her involved in firmwide litigation teams relating to the opioid crisis, medical devices and alleged injury caused by chemotherapy medicine. The ‘superb’ Heidi Hubbard co-heads the team alongside Petrosinelli and is frequently brought in by major pharmaceutical companies to act as trial counsel in state and federal courts throughout the country.

Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense Tier 2

The team of ‘fantastic litigators’ at Williams & Connolly LLP regularly represents major corporations and individuals particularly in the life sciences and tech sectors. The team is headed up by the ‘excellent antitrust litigator’ John Schmidtlein, who has significant experience in civil antitrust suits, defending clients such as Google and AstraZeneca in cases alleging monopolization, price-fixing and coordinated bidding, and ‘excellent trial lawyer’ Jonathan Pitt, who has recently acted in highly publicized matters concerning no poach agreements, price fixing and class actions involving ‘pay for delay’ claims. Also noted by clients is Benjamin Greenblum, defense counsel for high-tech, pharmaceutical and food manufacturing clients. Carol Pruski is an expert in all aspects and stages of litigation from early stage litigation strategies, to discovery and trial. All lawyers mentioned are based in Washington DC.

Dispute resolution > International litigation Tier 2

Managing a broad range of international litigation matters, often involving multinational investigations and prosecutions as well as collateral civil litigation, Williams & Connolly LLP takes a collaborative approach with local law firms in foreign jurisdictions to offer clients counsel suited to their needs. The firm, at its Washington DC headquarters, has experience litigating foreign sovereign immunity and enforcement of foreign judgements and arbitration awards, as well as investigations relating to fraud, anti-corruption, securities regulation and claims under the ATA. Ana Reyes co-chairs the practice along with Jonathan Landy - Reyes focuses on matters involving foreign sovereign immunity, international contract disputes and patent enforcement, and she has an impressive pro bono record including representation of asylum seekers and refugee organizations, notably representing women escaping persecution by a terrorist group, while Landy concentrates on arbitration matters involving a range of jurisdictions across sectors including pharma, TMT and infrastructure. Associates Haley Wasserman and Benjamin Graham focus on commercial litigation and arbitrations.

Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense Tier 2

Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington DC is ‘extremely collaborative in working with clients and the lawyers are experts in this practice area’. The firm has demonstrable trial and appellate capabilities, giving it a strong track record in court and at the motion to dismiss stage. Steven Farina, Amanda MacDonald and Robert Van Kirk are the lead partners. Farina and MacDonald handled class actions in multiple jurisdictions against CVS arising from the company’s announcement of a goodwill write-down associated with its Omnicare business. The cases were dismissed after oral argument. Van Kirk and emerging partner talent John Williams are key advisors to The Carlyle Group, Inc. MacDonald and Michael Mestitz (who are both ‘highly skilled, a pleasure to work with and excellent collaborators’) secured the dismissal with prejudice of a securities fraud class action against Range Resources, which was accused of making false and misleading statements in light of a settlement with the company’s Pennsylvania regulator.

Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage) Tier 2

The patent litigation team at Williams & Connolly LLP is particularly well-versed in biologics, often acting on high-profile biosimilar litigation, with an additional growing expertise in tech. Key names such as Pfizer, Google, Samsung, and AstraZeneca are all notable clients of the team, with the team notably representing AstraZeneca in litigation against Merck Sharp & Dohme, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Aether Therapeutics, and a generic pharmaceutical defendant. Based in Washington DC, David Berl and Jessamyn Berniker co-head the team, with the former focusing primarily on the biotech, pharma, and energy fields, and the latter with broad experience across the pharma, biotech, electronic, mechanical, digital media, and medical device industries. Also in Washington, Thomas Selby, Dov Grossman, and Stanley Fisher are key figures in the team, all with extensive first-chair experience.

Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: litigation Tier 2

With a successful record in federal appellate courts, the Washington DC-based team at Williams & Connolly LLP handles First Amendment litigation, antitrust and fair use litigation for major newspapers, television networks and technology companies. Practice co-head Thomas Hentoff is an esteemed litigator with considerable experience of litigating copyright, trade secret, privacy and false-advertising matters; he recently defended the Washington Post against a $250m defamation action brought by former Congressman Devin Nunes. Fellow practice co-head Joseph Terry is a First Amendment expert who is adept at handling both civil and criminal litigation. Completing the triumvirate of practice co-heads is professional liability specialist Stephen Fuzesi who regularly defends major news organizations in defamation cases related to their reporting. Additionally recommended is Nicholas Gamse, an accomplished media attorney who complements his courtroom duties with providing prior to publication advice to media companies and journalists.

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: consumer products (including tobacco) Tier 3

Product liability and consumer-related work forms a central part of Washington DC-based firm Williams & Connolly LLP‘s overarching litigation capability. In this context, the team is well-placed to handle work throughout litigation life cycle, often picking up the role as national coordinating counsel on big-ticket class actions and MDLs, as well as being well-versed in handling matters progressing on multiple fronts, including government investigations/litigation. Although it is best-known for its work in the pharma and medical devices space, the ‘highly responsive, strategic and detail oriented’ team also has the ‘horsepower to delivery outstanding results’ across a range of consumer-related hi-tech and industrial products. A ‘great leader and organizer of sprawling defense teams’, Liam Montgomery‘s diverse litigation practice regularly includes product liability MDLs and class actions. Under the leadership of David Forkner , the firm has also established a prominent position representing food and beverage and pet food companies across a range of disputes, including as it relates to product liability and consumer protection matters. The ‘highly approachable, responsive, and respectful’ Stephen Raber is part of Forkner’s team and is ‘extremely gifted as a litigator and strategic defense counsel’, including in class actions regarding the alleged misleading and collusive marketing and labeling of products. Joseph Petrosinelli and Heidi Hubbard co-head the product liability group alongside Forkner, although their primary focus is centred on work in the pharmaceuticals and medical devices space.

Intellectual property > Copyright Tier 3

Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation Tier 4

Specialist litigator firm, Williams & Connolly LLP has experience advising clients such as banks and trade associations, in a wide range of contentious financial services matters, particularly when facing regulatory and federal banking agencies. The team is co-chaired by John Villa and Dane Butswinkas. Villa represents numerous financial institutions as well as officers and directors in sensitive investigations and litigation. Butswinkas focuses his practice on securities litigation, deceptive trading practices and grand jury investigations. Enu Mainigi leads the defense for numerous banking institutions including representing Bank of America against Ambac in residual financial crisis litigation. Ryan Scarborough, another key name to note, handles multiple enforcement investigations and actions pursued by banking regulators. All named lawyers are based in Washington DC.

Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers Tier 4

Dane Butswinkas – Williams & Connolly LLP. A particularly versatile commercial litigator, Washington DC-based Dane Butswinkas has extensive experience defending major clients across the pharmaceutical, medical, food, and telecoms sectors, with particular expertise in financial services. His reputation has seen him sought after by pharma giant AstraZeneca in complex products liability litigation, with a bellwether trial occuring before the District Court of New Jersey in November 2022.

Government > Government contracts Tier 4

Williams & Connolly LLP represents contractors across an array of industries including aerospace and defense, construction and engineering, healthcare, and industrial products and supply. The team is seasoned in health care government contracts matters including false billing and reporting, Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement, rebates and purchase discounts, and is jointly headed by Edward Reddington and Greg Bowman. The former is often engaged in both internal and governmental investigations, while the latter’s client roster features an assortment of government officials and private sector companies. He has also assisted a plethora of corporate clients with government investigations and negotiations. All individuals that have been mentioned are located in Washington DC.

Intellectual property > Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters) Tier 4

Williams & Connolly LLP‘s practice is led from its Washington DC office by experienced litigator Daniel Shanahan and specialist in unfair competition, trade secrets, and restrictive covenants Bryan Wilson. It has strong capabilities in advising clients, particularly in technology and software-related complex matters of alleged misappropriation. A highlight of the team’s work was its successful representation of Appian Corp. in the first instance, who were awarded $2bn in damages from Pegasystems for breach of the Virginia Computer Crimes Act and wilful appropriation of trade secrets.

Healthcare > Service providers Tier 5

Williams & Connolly LLP’s healthcare fraud practice advises private medical practices, nursing homes, and medical professional associations. Enu Mainigi and Jennifer Wicht jointly head the practice from Washington DC. Mainigi has extensive litigious expertise, often handling qui tam cases for healthcare companies, while Wicht regularly acts for senior living facilities and hospitals in contentious FCA matters.

Government > State attorneys general