Department profile
Williams & Connolly LLP

Appellate Law

USA Guide 2026 : USA - Nationwide

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Williams & Connolly LLP

Rankings

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Appellate Law - USA - Nationwide

Band 1

What the Team is Known For
Williams & Connolly has a highly respected litigation practice with a notable presence in appellate courts nationwide, making frequent appearances in complex business litigation cases. The firm demonstrates strengths in an impressively broad range of industries, counting businesses in the technology, financial services and pharmaceutical sectors among its impressive client base.
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Work Highlights

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  • Williams & Connolly represented E.M.D. Sales. before the US Supreme Court in a dispute concerning the evidentiary standard for proving exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Court unanimously held that employers need only satisfy a preponderance‑of‑the‑evidence standard to establish that employees are exempt from the Act’s minimum‑wage and overtime requirements.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • They're very good at understanding the peculiarities in what could be a very technical case, and distil it in a way that makes sense to the judges.

    Appellate Law respondentUSA

  • It's a phenomenal appellate team. They've demonstrated their ability time and time again; they're hard to match. You want them on the important, bet-the-company cases.

    Appellate Law respondentUSA

  • They get results. They are a no-nonsense law firm, and they're not afraid to tell us when we've made mistakes. They are creative thinkers, and they find solutions – whether it be alternative resolutions or in court. They're strategic counsel for us; they can step back and take a bigger view. They understand the larger arc of our plans.

    Appellate Law respondentUSA

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Lisa S. Blatt
    Lisa S. Blatt

    Lisa S. Blatt

    Lisa Blatt is widely considered as one of the leading authorities on Supreme Court disputes, having argued 57 cases before the Court across issues including intellectual property, environmental law, ERISA claims and bankruptcy.

    • When she gets into a case, she internalises her client's interests and is dogged abut pursuing them and turning the case over so she can win it for her clients.

      Appellate Law respondentUSA

    • Her writing is incredible; I always enjoy reading her briefs. She is very graceful under pressure, very well-prepared, knows her facts and is a very good public speaker. Lisa in an incredible public speaker – it was one of the best oral arguments I've ever seen or listened to. She has a way of conveying technical things in such a skillful way.

      Appellate Law respondentUSA

    • It goes without saying that she's in the top echelon of Supreme Court advocates. She's just excellent and has a unique way of breaking down really complicated legal arguments into more simple, bitesize key points that she continues to come back to – and, at the end of the day, there's such clarity in the key point she's trying to communicate that it can't be lost on any of the judges as she has a way of bringing that argument home. She's very impressive to see at work.

      Appellate Law respondentUSA

    • She is, hands down, one of the best advocates before SCOTUS today.

      Appellate Law respondentUSA

    • Lisa is iconic; she's truly one of the very best. She's fantastic in oral arguments and in briefing – a practitioner operating at the very highest level.

      Appellate Law respondentUSA
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  • Amy Mason Saharia
    Amy Mason Saharia

    Amy Mason Saharia

    Amy Mason Saharia has an impressive pedigree in appellate matters, offering clients expertise in appellate argument across areas including intellectual property, administrative law and criminal matters.

    • She's an incredible writer, and her appellate advocacy is masterful. Anyone who works with her is better off for it.

      Appellate Law respondentUSA
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  • Luke McCloud
    Luke McCloud

    Luke McCloud

    Luke McCloud has an impressive pedigree in high stakes appellate matters, having argued four times before the US Supreme Court. His wider practice includes a focus on commercial litigation, notably in intellectual property disputes.

    • Luke is a fantastic appellate lawyer and a rising star in the appellate Bar. He's an amazing writer and just has a very deep knowledge of the law.

      Appellate Law respondentUSA
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Ranked Individuals at Williams & Connolly LLP (3)

USA - Nationwide

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