Ted Bennett serves as co-chair of Williams & Connolly’s Complex Commercial Litigation practice group. His practice focuses on trial work and civil litigation, principally in matters relating to commercial disputes, corporate governance, banking and financial services, antitrust and trade practices, patents, trade secrets and other intellectual property.  In recent years, he has been lead trial counsel in civil and criminal jury trials and arbitrations, and has represented national banks, major accounting firms, Fortune 50 companies, multinational chemical and technology companies, and individuals in federal and state courts across the country, in arbitrations, and in CFPB, SEC, and other government investigations.  

Though all cases vary and none are predictive, Ted’s recent trial experience includes a three-week civil RICO trial that resulted in a jury verdict in favor of his clients, a leading financial services company and a law firm; a two-week patent and patent licensing trial that resulted in a $309 million jury verdict in favor of his client, the family of an inventor; representing the leading internet search provider in a 10-week antitrust trial, which is in post-trial briefing and is awaiting a ruling; representation of an international medical device manufacturing company in a two-week bench trial in the Commercial Division of the New York state courts, resulting in a resounding victory for the client; the representation of a national bank in an arbitration relating to its provision of identity theft services; the representation of a major electronics manufacturer in a multi-week international arbitration regarding patent licensing; the successful defense of a brokerage house and two individual brokers in a two-week FINRA arbitration; and the successful defense of a national accounting firm in a three-week professional negligence jury trial.

When his clients’ opponents in the accounting malpractice and patent licensing cases appealed, Ted successfully defended the juries’ verdicts, arguing each case in the state appellate courts.  The defendants in the patent licensing case took their appeal to the United States Supreme Court, which denied certiorari and sustained the client’s victory.

Ted was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1986.  Before attending law school, Ted was an officer in the U.S. Navy for seven years, flying missions in the first Gulf War and in support of NATO air enforcement in Bosnia.  He served as a Naval Flight Officer in Carrier Air Wing Five, based in Atsugi, Japan and aboard USS Midway, and at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in Casteau, Belgium.

Ted received his J.D. with high honors from Duke University School of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and Editor-in-Chief, Law and Contemporary Problems.  He then clerked for Judge James C. Cacheris of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia before joining Williams & Connolly in 1997. 

Representative Experience

Though all cases vary and none is predictive, Ted’s experience includes:

  • Representing global technology companies in antitrust cases relating to internet search and software contracts, and in patent suits relating to geolocation and other technologies
  • Representing inventors and manufacturers of medicines against antitrust and trade secret claims by competitors, ensuring that patients have reliable access to innovative treatments
  • Representing financial service providers and law firms against civil RICO and fraud claims relating to credit reporting and credit report repair 
  • Defending banks, accounting firms, and corporate officers and directors in securities litigation brought under the Securities Act and Securities Exchange Act, and under state law 
  • Representing banks, financial services firms, law firms, accounting firms, corporate officers and directors, and other individuals in CFPB, DOJ and SEC investigations and litigation relating to corporate governance, alleged securities fraud, and alleged violations of UDAAP and the FTC Act
  • Representing multinational corporations and individual inventors in patent suits involving medical device, smartphone, chemical, telecommunications, and optical fiber technologies
  • Representing banks, accountants, and auditors in litigation involving mortgage-backed securities, credit default swaps, repurchase agreements, sale-leaseback transactions, and other complex instruments and transactions, as well as in bankruptcy-related investigations and litigation
  • Representing a variety of pro bono clients, including first-chairing two murder trials, vindicating a prisoner’s right to receive kosher meals, representing several environmental and fisherman's groups in suits against the U.S. government to protect endangered species, establishing and advising a non-profit that provides spiritual assistance to service members and veterans, advising the board of a non-profit that provides science education to children, and establishing and advising the board of a non-profit that provides radio and other media to underserved communities in Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Defending individuals and corporations in grand jury and inspector general investigations relating to Internet advertising, aviation, government service, and defense industries
  • Representing law firms and accountants in professional malpractice suits
  • Representing individuals and corporations in the Eastern District of Virginia in matters involving allegations of patent infringement, fraud, RICO, theft of trade secrets, securities fraud, breach of contract, and myriad Virginia common law claims arising out of the cellular telephony, real estate, investment, defense, telecommunications, business intelligence, and space flight industries

Education

Clerkships

Recognitions

“Litigation Star,” Benchmark Litigation, 2023-2024

Admissions

Other Government Service

Lieutenant, United States Navy, 1986-1993

Naval Flight Officer, Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan, 1988-1991

Staff Officer, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Casteau, Belgium, 1991-1993

Professional Affiliations

Adjunct Professor: Georgetown University Law Center, "Trial Practice"

Virginia State Bar Harry L. Carrico Professionalism Faculty

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