Bob Van Kirk serves as Co-Chair of Williams & Connolly’s Complex Commercial Litigation and its Securities Litigation and Enforcement practice groups. He also serves as a member of Williams & Connolly’s Executive Committee. He has argued successfully at every level of the federal judicial system, including the United States Supreme Court, and has appeared in federal and state appellate and trial courts across the country representing both corporate and individual clients in complex commercial litigation, internal and government investigations, and congressional inquiries.
Mr. Van Kirk has served as first chair in trials, appeals, arbitrations, and evidentiary hearings, developing a wide-range of substantive experience in securities, consumer and other class actions, breach of contract, products liability, antitrust, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and RICO cases. He has served as lead counsel in matters litigated in the United States and around the world, including Europe, Asia, North America, South America, the Middle East and various off-shore jurisdictions.
Recognized in Benchmark Litigation as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in America every year since 2014, Benchmark named Bob the 2023 national Commercial Litigator of the Year. He has repeatedly been recognized in Chambers USA, The Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation and Super Lawyers as one of the leading lawyers in the areas of General Commercial Litigation, Appellate, and Securities Litigation. Mr. Van Kirk has been described in these publications as “a tenacious fighter who really knows his stuff” in the courtroom and “a stellar trial lawyer” who brings a “creative and proactive approach” along with a “tireless work ethic” to his cases. One client remarked, “When there is war, get Bob.” Before winning the award in 2023, he previously had been shortlisted in by Benchmark for the national Commercial Litigator of the Year and over the years Chambers USA has ranked him as one of the leading lawyers in Washington, D.C. in the category of General Commercial Litigation. He likewise has been identified as a “Leading Lawyer” nationally in securities litigation by The Legal 500 and is ranked in Band 1 for Securities Litigation in Washington, DC by Chambers USA.
Born in the Minneapolis suburb of Edina, Minnesota, Mr. Van Kirk was raised in the Twin Cities area, with the exception of a three-year stint in Singapore. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with highest honors in 1987, and received his J.D., with high honors, from Duke University School of Law, finishing second in his class. He also was elected Order of the Coif, won the law school’s moot court competition, was Note Editor of the Duke Law Journal, and was selected by his classmates to serve as the commencement speaker.
