Firm Profiles

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