Douglas R. Marvin began his legal career at the Department of Justice, serving in the Office of Legal Counsel. From there, he was appointed as counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee and, shortly after Edward Levi's confirmation as Attorney General, returned to the Justice Department as Counselor to the Attorney General of the United States.

In 1977, Mr. Marvin left Government and joined Williams & Connolly where he has practiced law since except for two periods, once when he left the firm to assist in the transition from one administration to another at the U.S. Department of Justice (1981) and the other when he served as general counsel to a major international holding company (and client of the firm) as well as a director of several of the companies within the Group (1997-2001).

Mr. Marvin currently represents major companies in mass tort litigation, including serving as co-national coordinating counsel in two of the largest pharmaceutical proceedings in the country. He is currently serving as lead counsel in an MDL involving more than fifty thousand claims. Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2008 edition) recognized Mr. Marvin as a leading products liability lawyer, noting that he is considered by some as “the best field general in the business;” his particular talent is for “anticipating developments.”

Mr. Marvin has also represented national and multi-national companies, major professional firms, and medium-sized and smaller corporations in commercial litigation (contract, tort, trademark, patent infringement, employment, and general commercial cases) for general commercial advice and in mass tort litigation. He has handled major litigation in various states throughout the country and in the United Kingdom and several other countries in Europe, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Mr. Marvin has counseled clients about, and has represented parties in, international arbitrations sitting in London, Amsterdam, the United Arab Emirates, and elsewhere.

Mr. Marvin is a member of the American Law Institute. He is a member of the Board of Trustees at Lafayette College and former Chair of the Lafayette Leadership Council for Lafayette College and is formerly a member of the Advisory Board of the University of Virginia's Northern Virginia Center.

Mr. Marvin joined Williams & Connolly in 1977 and has been a partner since 1981.