You know litigation is getting heated when the lawyers themselves get subpoenaed. In separate cases in federal district court in Washington, D.C., Williams & Connolly and Jenner & Block were both recently targeted in attempts to obtain documents related to work they’ve done for high-profile clients. At press time, Williams & Connolly had successfully rebuffed its subpoena while Jenner was waiting for a judge to rule in its case.
Williams & Connolly was subpoenaed in a False Claims Act case against disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong by one of Armstrong’s former cycling teammates, Floyd Landis. The firm isn’t representing Armstrong in the fraud case, but advised him “on a wide range of issues” between 2003 and 2013, according to Armstrong. Landis sought documents about Williams & Connolly’s communication with Armstrong and Capital Sports & Entertainment Holdings Inc., which served as Armstrong’s agent and business manager. Landis alleges that Armstrong defrauded the federal government by lying about his use of banned substances while he rode for the U.S. Postal Service team.
