Rob Cary has extensive experience representing individuals and companies before juries and judges.  Mr. Cary has defended clients against a broad array of alleged violations of criminal law.  He has also represented a number of crime victims. 

Mr. Cary is well-known for his representation of U.S. Senator Ted Stevens, who was indicted less than 100 days before he was to stand for re-election.  After eight months of tumultuous litigation, Senator Stevens was exonerated when it was revealed that the prosecution had hidden evidence from the defense that contradicted the prosecution's principal theory.  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 greatest number of Mr. Cary's civil cases have been defending lawyers and law firms against allegations of legal malpractice.  The subject matter of Mr. Cary's other civil cases has ranged from real estate to securities to contracts to products liability to defending allegations of civil fraud.  He also occasionally represents plaintiffs in civil litigation, including a pending civil rights action.

In addition to Mr. Cary's trial experience, he has been involved in a number of high-stakes appeals.  He has also represented clients in connection with criminal and civil investigations conducted by various government agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and federal and state prosecutors.

Mr. Cary is a frequent speaker on matters of criminal law, especially the need to reform the rules of criminal procedure to provide a level playing field for all citizens facing criminal charges.  Mr. Cary is also a frequent speaker on matters of professional liability and legal ethics.  Mr. Cary has been recognized in the 2010-12 editions of The Best Lawyers in America^® in the area of White Collar Criminal Defense.  In addition, Mr. Cary was identified as one of "Washington's Top Lawyers" by Washingtonian magazine (December 2009 and 2011) in the "criminal defenders" category.  The 2012 edition of Benchmark Litigation identified Mr. Cary as a local "litigation star" in the area of Commercial Litigation.  Mr. Cary, together with his colleagues Craig Singer and Simon Latcovich, recently authored the first book devoted entirely to the topic of discovery in federal criminal cases.  The American Bar Association describes the book as an “invaluable resource for judges, academics, prosecutors, and defense lawyers.”  In 2011, the National Law Journal listed Mr. Cary and his partner Brendan Sullivan as two of the country’s seven “Most Influential Lawyers” in the area of White Collar Criminal Defense.

Mr. Cary teaches Trial Advocacy at Georgetown University Law Center, and has lectured at a number of law schools including Duke and Yale.  He serves on the Advisory Committee for the National White Collar Criminal Defense College at Stetson Law.  He was recently appointed by the Virginia Supreme Court to teach professionalism to new members of the Virginia State Bar.  

Mr. Cary joined Williams & Connolly in 1991, and became a partner in 1998.  He supervised the firm's pro bono criminal defense program for indigent citizens for three years and served as the firm's Hiring Chair for three years.  Mr. Cary was a law clerk to federal trial judge Eugene Lynch in the Northern District of California during 1990 and 1991.  He is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland and New York and has been admitted for specific cases in many other jurisdictions around the country.

Mr. Cary is a native of Hannibal, Missouri and has served on the boards of a number of Washington-area charities, including the boards of the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project and the National Cathedral School on which he now serves.  He is married and has two daughters.

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