Joe Terry focuses his practice on complex, high-stakes civil and criminal litigation. 

Mr. Terry has represented financial services companies and executives, public officials, public accounting firms, and law firms in a wide variety of litigation matters including criminal investigations and prosecutions, SEC investigations and enforcement actions, private securities fraud suits, and actions alleging professional malpractice.  In addition, Mr. Terry has devoted a substantial portion of his practice to the representation of corporate executives, partners, and partnerships in matters involving executive compensation and the distribution of partnership proceeds.  He has represented clients in federal and state trial courts throughout the country and before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, 5th Circuit, 9th Circuit, and District of Columbia Circuit.  Mr. Terry’s representations have included:

• The successful criminal defense of Senator Ted Stevens on charges that he made false statements on federal disclosure forms.  Senator Stevens was ultimately exonerated on all counts following the revelation that the prosecution withheld key evidence that undermined its principal theory of the case.  The American Lawyer described Williams & Connolly’s work on the case as “one of the best criminal defense performances in memory, resulting in a heightened scrutiny of prosecutors that will affect the Justice Department for years to come.”  
  
• The successful defense of former New York Stock Exchange Chairman and CEO Richard A. Grasso in the highly publicized civil action brought by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer challenging the reasonableness of Mr. Grasso’s compensation.  After a four-year battle that reached New York’s highest court, all counts against Mr. Grasso were dismissed.  The Wall Street Journal described Williams & Connolly’s victory in that case as “one of the biggest defeats suffered by authorities in the past decade in white-collar civil and criminal cases aimed at alleged financial improprieties.”
  
• Serving as lead counsel in the successful representation of a multi-billion-dollar asset manager in an arbitration concerning a non-compete dispute with a former partner.
  
• The ongoing representation of the Chairman and CEO of a major financial services company in civil securities fraud and derivative litigation.
  
• Serving as lead trial counsel in the successful pro bono defense of an individual charged with first degree attempted murder.
  
• Serving as lead appellate counsel in Giles v. General Motors Acceptance Corporation, 494 F.3d 865 (9th Cir. 2007), and successfully obtaining a reversal of summary judgment based on a novel application of the economic loss doctrine.

Mr. Terry was recognized as a “Future Star” by Institutional Investor’s Benchmark Litigation for both 2010 and 2011.