Williams & Connolly enjoys a prestigious position as perhaps the only DC firm with just one office that boasts national and international recognition. Its pedigree is further enhanced by one of the biggest stable of trial stars in the US. “I work with them a lot,” testifies a peer, “and they continue to be involved in a bunch of stuff – not just involved but in the lead, taking serious positions at trial and on appeals.” Clients concur: “They have excellent litigation skills and superb client relations.” Williams & Connolly has long garnered plaudits for its product liability, securities, appellate and its especially high-profile white-collar practices – all of which have historically showcased the firm’s courtroom elan – and more recently it has emerged as one of the country’s most prominent players in antitrust and intellectual property cases. The firm is even developing a burgeoning international arbitration practice.
Williams & Connolly’s appellate team, and specifically Lisa Blatt, long viewed as luminary, and
Sarah Harris, secured multiple victories before the Supreme Court over the past year in matters that have made headlines even beyond the legal world. They cases cover a novel range, from securing holding that the Andy Warhol Foundation did not make fair use of a client’s copyrighted photograph, to successfully representing Google in a case concerning the Antiterrorism Act, to a Lanham Act trademark infringement action concerning a Jack Daniel’s-themed dog toy. In another Google-related matter
John Schmidtlein serves as lead trial counsel for the search engine in the landmark antitrust enforcement actions brought by the DoJ and various State Attorneys General accusing the company of maintaining an illegal monopoly over internet search and search advertising. “Look closer at [Schmidtlein],” advises a peer. “He is good and making undeniable strides.”
Antitrust has been particularly robust for many DC-based lawyers of late, but Williams & Connolly has earned a coveted position. “In every one of the last few antitrust cases I’ve been in, firms are bringing in trial lawyers,” offers a peer. “Not the usual, traditional ‘used to work at the FTC, speaks very technically, etc.’ The plaintiffs are not thinking of this technically. So you need courtroom experience, and Williams & Connolly definitely exemplifies that.” Illustrating this point,
Heidi Hubbard is lead trial counsel and co-lead counsel in an antitrust action filed by the FTC that alleges many practices in Amazon’s retail store are anti-competitive. “Heidi has been mostly known for products, and yet here she is on a huge antitrust case,” marvels one peer. “She really can do it all.” Jonathan Pitt also acts on this case and has been playing an increasing role in several other antitrust actions as well. Pitt works with
Robert Van Kirk in representing the University of Notre Dame in sweeping putative class action litigation filed against more than a dozen top private universities, alleging that the defendants violate the federal antitrust laws by conspiring to limit financial aid. Specifically, the suit accuses defendants of participating in a price-fixing cartel allegedly aimed at eliminating financial aid as a point of competition between the schools. Van Kirk is identified as another all-purpose trial lawyer, who spent the better part of a decade representing the Carlyle Group in securities cases.
David Zinnis viewed as “someone who really embodies that ‘Williams & Connolly sweet spot’ of cases that have an intersection of antitrust and white-collar crime elements,” according to peers. One in particular muses, “More and more, you’re seeing antitrust violations being committed, and the entity committing is like ‘Oh, is that a crime?’ This is something David Zinn has developed a real specialty as a ‘fixer’ in.” Another trial lawyer best known for product liability,
Joseph Petrosinelli represents Gerber Products Company in ongoing litigation involving the company’s baby-food products, in which plaintiffs claim that baby food made by multiple manufacturers contained levels of heavy metals (lead, arsenic, and mercury) that caused childhood autism and ADHD. “Joe is just a stud,” quips a peer. “He’s another one that really made a name for himself on these gnarly product cases and can now handle anything you throw at him.” One of the firm’s up-and-comers,
Neelum Wadhwani, acts with Petrosinelli on the Gerber matter.
Williams & Connolly continues to grow its patent-focused intellectual property group.
Dov Grossmanrepresents Bayer CropScience LP and Monsanto Company in patent litigation in the District of Delaware in which Corteva Agriscience LLC has sued Bayer and Monsanto for patent infringement. The three patents-in-suit, each of which is entitled “Herbicide Resistance Genes,” generally relate to genetically modified crops such as corn and soybeans. The duo of
David Berl and Benjamin Greenblum successfully represented Teva Branded Pharmaceutical Products and Norton (Waterford) as plaintiffs in ANDA litigation concerning an inhalant product approved for the treatment of asthma.
