Williams & Connolly LLP’s Washington DC practice continues to distinguish itself as one of the nation’s premier litigation powerhouses. Its elite client base spans leading global corporations, private equity firms, major technology and life sciences companies, universities, and high-profile individuals. At the helm are three practice leaders whose complementary strengths shape the firm: Dane Butswinkas, a formidable trial lawyer, is renowned for his command of constitutional, commercial, and regulatory disputes; Robert Van Kirk, who offers unmatched expertise in corporate, fiduciary, and governance matters; and Edward Bennett, often at the forefront of antitrust and competition defenses, including class actions, enforcement actions, and arbitration. Sarah Kirkpatrick is a rising force in complex commercial litigation, while Enu Mainigi adds further skillfulness as a commercial and healthcare litigator, particularly in high-stakes, bet-the-company disputes. Edward Barnidge and Bryan Wilson serve as trusted advocates in commercial and IP trial matters, and Kenneth J. Brown rounds out the group with his deep expertise in fraud, RICO, and contractual litigation.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Always responses, thorough and quality work product, successfully navigates us through various complex litigation matters, expert advice and analysis'
- 'The highest quality litigation skills in the market. The attorneys are all excellent writers in terms of briefs and agreements.'
- 'The firm delivers exceptional work product at every stage, and nobody is better at trying cases, which is a dying skill especially at large law firms. What strikes me about the firm is the exceptional quality of work from top to bottom.'
- 'We work with a lot of large firms, and Williams & Connolly is the best in terms of consistently delivering great work as promised on time.'
- 'Ted Bennett is an exceptional trial lawyer and a great person. We feel confident in trusting our most important matters to Ted.'
- 'Jonathan Pitt is a deeply knowledgeable antitrust attorney that can provide very fast, actionable advice even for people not as knowledgeable (or interested) in antitrust issues. He is also an excellent trial attorney with a great way with witnesses.'
Key clients
- Perkins Coie
- Platinum Equity Advisors
- The Carlyle Group, Inc.
- Vimian Group AB
- Genentech
- Notre Dame
- Equifax
- Genmab A/S, ProfoundBio US Co., ProfoundBio (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.
- Knighted Pastures
- T-Mobile US, Inc.
- NextEra Energy Inc.
Work highlights
Representing Platinum Equity Advisors in connection with multiple lawsuits against a portfolio company, Incora, which were filed in state court challenging a controversial financing transaction in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Secured a bench trial victory, and affirmance on appeal, on behalf of The Carlyle Group, Inc. in litigation brought by minority shareholders alleging breaches of fiduciary duty, breach of the stockholder agreement, and other claims related to the 2017 sale of Authentix.
Secured a trial victory for Genentech in a nine-figure breach of contract case against Biogen.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Dane Butswinkas; Robert Van Kirk; Edward Bennett
Other key lawyers
Sarah Kirkpatrick; Enu Mainigi; Edward Barnidge; Bryan Wilson; Kenneth J. Brown; Ted Bennett; Jonathan Pitt