Chris Mendez is an associate at Williams & Connolly LLP and focuses his practice on complex civil litigation, criminal defense, and appellate matters.  He has represented corporations, individuals, and financial institutions in a variety of trial-level and appellate matters in both state and federal courts.  Chris has experience in a broad range of substantive areas, including contract disputes, product liability cases, environmental torts, and criminal law and procedure.

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Chris earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago in 2011.  He then worked at a child welfare agency for more than two years before attending law school.  In 2017, Chris received his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he served as a diversity editor of the Columbia Law Review.  He joined Williams & Connolly after clerking for Judge L. Felipe Restrepo on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.  Chris is currently a mentor and has served on the selection committee of The Appellate Project, an organization focused on increasing diversity in the appellate bar.