Williams & Connolly has been named to Law360’s list of “Litigation Powerhouses,” an inaugural ranking of the top 50 U.S. firms for litigation. According to the publication, the firms being honored have demonstrated “historic, precedent-setting wins in class action litigation, jaw-dropping jury verdicts in courts across the country, victories in the smartphone wars, [and] dramatic upsets on appeal.”
In the article published on August 24, 2016, among Williams & Connolly’s highlighted achievements are the Supreme Court victory for Omnicare Inc. in Omnicare v. Laborers District Council, the successful representation of HBO in the first major defamation case to go to trial in years in Mitre Sports Int'l Ltd. v. Home Box Office Inc., and a Second Circuit victory for former Jefferies & Co. bond trader Jesse Litvak in Litvak v. United States.
Williams & Connolly Chairman and Head of Litigation Dane Butswinkas explained to Law360 that the firm’s approach to prevailing in important cases is recognizing that they are a "marathon and not a sprint." "Sometimes these cases take a long time to win," he said. "You don't always win at trial; sometimes you do. You don't always win on motions, but sometimes you do. But generally in cases you win, you win a little bit at a time." Heidi Hubbard, Co-Chair of the Products Liability, Torts & Medicine practice group, was quoted in the article, citing that trials are the firm's bread and butter and that helps at every stage of the case and sets the firm apart from others. "Litigation is what we do, it's all we do and it's what we love," she said. Joe Petrosinelli, Co-Chair of the firm’s Products Liability and Criminal Defense/Government Investigations practice groups, commented on how the firm has evolved over the years, including with more international client work, but also maintains a steady structure and culture and continues to be incredibly selective at the hiring stage. "They're kind of the cream of the crop coming out of law school, and I think our clients find our associate quality to be so high that it's kept them coming back to us," he said.
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