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Provided by Felicia H Ellsworth
Felicia Ellsworth is a nationally renowned first-chair trial lawyer and appellate advocate who serves as vice chair of WilmerHale’s Litigation/Controversy Department, a member of the firm’s global Management Committee, and Partner-in-Charge of WilmerHale’s Boston Office. Ranked by Chambers and Partners USA in Massachusetts for litigation, and recognized by The American Lawyer as a “Northeast Trailblazer,” and a multi-time recipient of the publication’s “Litigator of the Week,” Felicia has nearly 20 years of experience trying and litigating complex commercial disputes in state and federal courts around the country, as well as in arbitration proceedings.
Felicia has prevailed on behalf of clients in both state and federal courts at all stages of litigation, securing pivotal victories in the motion to dismiss or summary judgment phase, at trial, and on appeal. She has first-chaired numerous trials in state and federal court and argued multiple times in the appellate courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States; the First, Second, and Sixth Circuits; and the Massachusetts Appeals and Supreme Judicial Court.
A repeat winner of The Am Law Litigation Daily’s Litigator of the Week, Felicia heads a dynamic practice handling complex matters involving administrative law, commercial law, constitutional law, the First Amendment, intellectual property, and real property. She is known for her strategic expertise and her track record representing clients in government-facing challenges, including high-stakes investigations and litigation launched by state Attorneys General.
In 2025, Felicia earned Litigator of the Week honors for her role in securing a defense verdict for The New York Times in a high-profile defamation case brought by former Alaska governor Sarah Palin. In 2019, she earned the title for her part in achieving a district court victory for Harvard in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, a win she successfully defended in the First Circuit Court of Appeals prior to the Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision striking down race-based affirmative action in college admissions.
Felicia regularly defends companies against allegations of consumer fraud, including in state Attorneys General investigations and litigations, as well as in consumer class actions. She recently led a team that secured victory for HMH Education Company and Greenwood Publishing Group in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit in which plaintiffs, a putative class of tens of thousands of Massachusetts students, sought to hold authors and publishers of early childhood literacy curricula liable under consumer protection and products liability law for using a teaching approach with which they disagreed.
As co-chair of the firm's Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, Felicia maintains a robust pro bono practice, including representing clients in constitutional cases, criminal appeals, immigration proceedings, and civil rights actions. In addition, Felicia is the co-host of WilmerHale’s In the Public Interest podcast, which welcomes interesting guests who share their unique perspectives on challenging issues and topics making headlines.
JD, University of Chicago Law School, 2005
High Honors
Order of the Coif; Editor-in-Chief, The University of Chicago Law Review
BS, Foreign Service, Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service, 2000
cum laude
Honors Certificate in Muslim-Christian Understanding
Provided by Chambers
Felicia Ellsworth is vice-chair of WilmerHale’s litigation and controversy department. She is highlighted for her abilities as trial and appellate advocate in a range of high stakes litigation.
Provided by Chambers
Felicia Ellsworth is a tremendous lawyer and litigator.
Felicia does an outstanding job as a trial attorney.
Felicia Ellsworth is a tremendous lawyer and litigator.
Felicia does an outstanding job as a trial attorney.