Firm Profiles
IN-DEPTH RESEARCH REPORT
on Williams & Connolly LLP
- - Financial Information
- - Compensation
- - Billing Rates
- - Lateral Partner Moves
- - Pro bono
- - Key Contacts
Williams & Connolly
- Designation: Washington, D.C.
- Head Count: 271
- Gross Revenues: $330,500,000
- Revenue Per Lawyer: $1,220,000
- Profits Per Partner: $1,255,000
- Year Over Year Change: no change
When this firm says it is based in Washington, D.C., it really means it: There are no other offices. Every attorney on Williams & Connolly’s roster is based in the nation’s capital. And when the firm says it is focused on litigation, particularly the high–stakes stuff, it means that, too. Williams & Connolly represented President Bill Clinton in his impeachment trial, represented Oliver North during the Iran–Contra scandal, and served as national coordinating counsel for the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., Inc., in litigation over its anti–inflammation drug, Vioxx.
Founded in 1967 by the larger–than–life litigator Edward Bennett Williams, the firm was a finalist in The American Lawyer’s Litigation Department of the Year competition in 2002 and 2008, and earned an honorable mention in 2010 (the contest is held every two years). Williams & Connolly handles both civil and criminal work, has a strong products liability and intellectual property bench and, across the board, is famous for its full preparation and, when need be, a ferocious defense.
It is also well known for promoting from within. Williams & Connolly has never taken much of a liking to hiring laterals, and almost every partner in the firm has come up through the ranks. Revenue per lawyer has traditionally been high and has landed Williams & Connolly within the top ten firms on multiple occasions. With its litigation–centric focus, Williams managed to avoid the hit many transactional–heavy firms took during the recession, and saw its revenues rise steadily (if not dramatically) through the downturn.
Like a number of its D.C.–based brethren, Williams scores well on pro bono: It ranked thirtieth of 200 firms in The American Lawyer’s 2011 Pro Bono Report, with lawyers averaging around 105 hours of nonpaying work. The firm also scores above average on diversity (sixty–fourth of 194 firms on our 2011 scorecard), with minorities comprising about 10 percent of the firm’s U.S. partnership or, in other words, 10 percent of its Washington partnership.
—Updated as of 1/1/12
Firm Rankings
| Survey | Rank | Year Over Year Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Am Law 100 | 90 | no change | Gross revenue |
| Am Law 200 | 90 | no change | Gross revenue |
| NLJ 250 | 161 | 2 | Lawyer head count |
| The A-List | NR | N/A | Overall excellence |
| Pro Bono Scorecard | 30 | 27 | Pro-bono commitment |
| Diversity Scorecard | NR | N/A | Minority head count |
| Midlevel Associates Survey | NR | N/A | Job satisfaction |
| Summer Associates Survey | NR | N/A | Summer programs |
In the News
The Churn: Lateral Moves in The Am Law 200
Diane Jeantet : The Am Law Daily : May 21, 2013
K&L Gates hires two renewable energy partners in Portland; King & Spalding poaches from Bird & Bird to establish a London trade practice; and a fourth Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft lawyer leaves the firm for O'Melveny & Myers. The Churn is constant. Please send all announcements to thechurn@alm.com.
D.C. MOVES
: The National Law Journal : May 20, 2013
News Corp. Hires Ex-Skadden Communications Chief Bush
Brian Baxter : The Am Law Daily : May 15, 2013
Antoinette Bush, partner-in-charge of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom's communications group, is leaving the firm to become global head of government affairs for Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation a month after Skadden helped the world's second-largest media conglomerate reach a $139 million settlement of shareholder litigation stemming from a phone-hacking scandal.
The Score: Robinson Bradshaw Gets Call for Project X
Brian Baxter : The Am Law Daily : May 10, 2013
The Southeastern Conference turned to Charlotte's Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson to advise on a sports network deal with ESPN; Rutgers replaces Cahill Gordon with Skadden for an internal probe of its embattled athletic program; a former Manatt partner counsels the first gay male athlete in a major U.S. professional sports league; and Katten Muchin gets involved in the bidding for the Sacramento Kings.
Federal Circuit Limits Patenting of Abstract Ideas
Jan Wolfe : The Litigation Daily : May 10, 2013
Court Debates its Power to Weigh Death Appeal
Sheri Qualters : The National Law Journal : May 8, 2013
A federal appeals court grappled Wednesday with a Boston federal judge's decision to set aside a rare Massachusetts death sentence because a juror lied on 10 of 77 voir dire questions.
INADMISSIBLE
: The National Law Journal : May 1, 2013
Reply hazy, try again; Breuer returns to Covington; new D.C. boutique; Supreme peeps; Nancy Pelosi thinks it oh-over; Lamberth won't stop working; and a sealed ruling in this week's column.
Big Wins
Jan Wolfe : The American Lawyer : May 1, 2013
CIVIL ACTIONS
: The National Law Journal : April 29, 2013
The following cases were recently filed in the Washington-area district courts. This information is provided by the district courts' official online bulletins.
At the Supreme Court, A Waiting Game for Decisions
Marcia Coyle : The National Law Journal : April 29, 2013
On April 24, just two minutes after 11 a.m., Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. announced in a voice tinged with satisfaction, "Our last case of the year," and opened arguments in a Title VII retaliation challenge.
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