Overview
Bob Van Kirk serves as Co-Chair of Williams & Connolly’s Complex Commercial Litigation and its Securities Litigation and Enforcement practice groups. He has argued successfully at every level of the federal system, including the United States Supreme Court, and has appeared in federal and state appellate and trial courts across the country representing Fortune 500 corporations, leading non-profits, and individual clients in complex securities and commercial litigation, internal and government investigations, and congressional inquiries.
Mr. Van Kirk has served as first chair in trials, appeals, arbitrations, and evidentiary hearings, in a wide-range of substantive areas, including securities, consumer and other class actions, products liability, breach of contract, antitrust, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and RICO cases. He has served as lead counsel in matters litigated in the United States and around the world, including Europe, Asia, North America, South America, the Middle East and various off-shore jurisdictions.
Recognized in Benchmark Litigation as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in America every year since 2014, Bob was named the 2023 national Commercial Litigator of the Year by that publication. He has repeatedly been recognized in Chambers USA, The Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation and Super Lawyers as one of the leading lawyers in the country in the areas of General Commercial, Securities, and Appellate Litigation. For instance, he has been identified as a “Leading Lawyer” nationally in securities litigation by The Legal 500 and is ranked in Band 1 for Securities Litigation in Washington, DC by Chambers USA. Mr. Van Kirk has been described in these publications as “a tenacious fighter” in the courtroom and “a stellar trial lawyer” who brings a “creative and proactive approach” along with a “tireless work ethic” to his cases. One client remarked, “When there is war, get Bob.” Other clients comment that Bob is “exceptional,” “brilliant,” “disarmingly tough,” and “doesn’t quit until he wins.”
Born in the Minneapolis suburb of Edina, Minnesota, Mr. Van Kirk was raised in the Twin Cities area, with the exception of a three-year stint in Singapore. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with highest honors in 1987, and received his J.D., with high honors, from Duke University School of Law, finishing second in his class. He also was elected Order of the Coif, won the law school’s moot court competition, was Note Editor of the Duke Law Journal, and was selected by his classmates to serve as the law school commencement speaker. Mr. Van Kirk spent a year as law clerk to The Honorable Paul H. Roney of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit before becoming a trial attorney in the Department of Justice Honors Program, where he worked in the Federal Programs Branch of the Civil Division for four years. He received a number of Departmental achievement awards during his tenure.
Mr. Van Kirk then served in the Office of Counsel to the President and in 1996 he returned to the Department of Justice and was named Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Policy Development. He joined Williams & Connolly in 1997 and has practiced there ever since.