Williams & Connolly LLP

Williams & Connolly continues to hold its own against firms 10 times its size by following a basic mantra: Keep it simple. The firm employs approximately 380 attorneys who focus almost exclusively on litigation from a single office in DC. This emphasis positions Williams & Connolly as a go-to firm for politicos, celebrities, major American companies and their executives, and even other law firms.

A Short, Illustrious History

Legendary litigator-to-the-stars Edward Bennett Williams teamed with Paul Connolly, his former student at Georgetown Law, to open shop in 1967. The fledgling firm soon boasted a client list that included the biggest names in Hollywood, politics, business, and media. White House royalty such as Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama, and George W. Bush have been clients, and well-known corporations including Amazon, Walt Disney, Google, Intel, HSBC, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Bank of America, Merck, The Washington Post, Mars, CVS, HBO, Eli Lilly, and T-Mobile have been counseled by Williams & Connolly attorneys.

Go-To

Recognized for handling high-stakes, complex litigation, the firm has a thriving intellectual property practice in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to electronics. Williams and Connolly attorneys have presented oral arguments to the Supreme Court 20 times in the past five terms and served as national coordinating counsel and trial counsel in large product liability cases. The firm represents numerous law firms and accounting firms in professional responsibility and other litigation matters. Its clients have included almost one-half of the Am Law 100 and four of the five top-ranked accounting firms.

The firm’s white collar practice is also highly regarded. Williams & Connolly sits atop Vault’s White Collar Defense & Internal Investigations rankings, and many of the firm’s partners have been recognized as leaders in the industry. The firm represents companies, individuals, and cabinet officials under investigation or involved in criminal matters. Anti-money laundering, congressional investigations, False Claims Act and qui tam issues, Foreign Corruption Practices Act compliance, healthcare fraud, and securities enforcement are some of its subspecialty practice areas.

In keeping with its individualist ethos, Williams & Connolly operates without strict departmental boundaries, allowing attorneys to move among litigation groups.

The Future Is Within

While Williams & Connolly has a summer program, many associates, opting to clerk, don’t join the firm immediately after law school graduation. Hired clerks give the firm an inside view of the nation’s highest court and federal appellate courts. Notably, the number of former U.S. Supreme Court clerks at the firm is in the double digits, and that of former federal appellate court clerks is in triple digits. Indeed, three-quarters of all associates and partners are former federal clerks. The firm focuses its recruiting on law students, former clerks, and junior-level attorneys and then grooms these lawyers for partnership. According to the firm, it “likes to grow its talent from within.” Although it isn’t completely out of the question, the firm rarely hires senior lateral candidates.

• Defended U.S. Senator Ted Stevens against federal corruption charges, leading the attorney general to move to dismiss the case after the firm exposed a stunning example of prosecutorial misconduct.
• Won a complete defense verdict in Mitre Sports v. HBO, the first major defamation case to go to trial against a national television broadcaster in years.
• Successfully defended AstraZeneca at trial and on appeal against allegations of an antitrust conspiracy in the settlement of patent litigation concerning the blockbuster drug Nexium.
• Nationally recognized Supreme Court and appellate litigation practice chaired by Lisa Blatt, the first woman advocate to argue 50 cases before SCOTUS.

• Ranked among leading firms nationwide for Appellate, Corporate Crime & Investigations, Antitrust, First Amendment, General Commercial, Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment, Products Liability, and Securities Litigation, 2024—Chambers USA
• Washington D.C. Firm of the Year, 2025—Benchmark Litigation
• Named to the Appellate Hot List, 2024—The National Law Journal
• Litigation Department of the Year for Products Liability, 2024—The National Law Journal
• Mansfield Rule Certification Plus, 2024—Diversity Lab