Band 2
Provided by Marguerite Willis
Agribusiness
Antitrust Counseling & Government Investigations
Antitrust Litigation
Antitrust & Unfair Competition
Business & Commercial Disputes
Class Action
Health Care
Life Sciences
Litigation
Product Liability
Natural Resources
Non-Competes, Unfair Competition & Trade Secrets
Corporations large and small count on Marguerite Willis to handle the most complex matters with confidence. Her motto, “If it’s easy, you don’t need me,” rings true for the cases Marguerite takes on. With a laser focus on tough, multi-party matters, she is trusted to bring a different kind of litigation to the table. She leads her team to be meticulously prepared, knowing that her clients are counting on her to be the difference-maker.
This preparation and diligence have been the core of her legal practice since the beginning when she became the first female law clerk ever hired by a Federal Circuit Court Judge, the first female associate ever hired at a Charlotte firm and the first woman partner at a major antitrust firm.
In the courtroom, Marguerite has established a reputation for delivering highly effective and highly successful litigation strategies. She has carefully crafted a premium commercial litigation and antitrust practice working with some of the largest companies in the world. Marguerite has been at the helm of some of the firm’s biggest verdicts and has served as national counsel for a number of cases, including federal and state class actions. She has prosecuted major antitrust matters, as well as cases involving unfair trade practices, false advertising and vicarious corporate liability. Marguerite’s reputation precedes her, with a broad depth of experience in matters governing competition, pricing, distribution agreements, marketing programs, competitor collaboration, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property.
While her accomplishments for legal clients and law firms are noteworthy and extensive, Marguerite’s zeal is not limited to the confines of courts and conference rooms. She is a political leader, an advocate for women, and all-around powerbroker.
In 2018, Ms. Willis ran for Governor of South Carolina
Women's Rights & Empowerment Network - Leadership Council
American Bar Foundation - Fellow
Federal Bar Association - Member
American Bar Association – Section of Antitrust Law
Litigation Counsel of America - Former President
South Carolina Women Lawyers Association - Past President; Board Member
Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia - Past President
Florida Bar Association - Former Out-of-State Governor
Columbia College Board of Trustees - Former Board Member
Eastern Carolina Community Foundation - Former Board Member
South Carolina Chamber of Commerce - Former Director
Author, Women and the Wage Gap, SC NOW Morning News, May 2019
Participant, "Grit, the Secret to Advancement, Stories of Successful Women Lawyers," ABA, Commission on Women in the Profession, 2017
David Eddy, Travis Wheeler, Dennis Lynch, and Marguerite Willis "Should Major Customers Opt-out of or Exclude Themselves from Antitrust Class Actions", ASSOC. OF CORP. COUNSEL: S.C. CHAPTER (Newsletter Mar. 2017)
Interviewed for DRI Women in the Law book, "Women Rainmakers: Roadmap to Success," November 2014.
Co-author "Antitrust Damages Under South Carolina Antitrust Statute," South Carolina Damages, 2004, 297-291.
Helping Women Succeed
Outside the courtroom, Marguerite brings her unique blend of ingenuity and tenacity to championing women’s initiatives. She is particularly passionate about helping women develop a strong understanding of financial issues and how to leverage that knowledge to the best of their advantage.
In addition to lecturing, Marguerite is actively involved as Past President of the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association and as a former member of the Board of Trustees of Columbia College, a private all-girls school in South Carolina devoted to instilling the principles of leadership.
She also led the effort to establish the Maynard Nexsen Women’s Leadership Institute with the goal of developing and mentoring the firm’s next generation of influential women. She also founded Women in Philanthropy, an organization dedicated to harnessing the power of women and compounding individual capabilities to make charitable contributions.
Marguerite is a South Carolina native and was born in Greenville, where she now resides.
Provided by Chambers
Provided by Chambers
Marguerite was straightforward and direct. She was friendly, supportive and communicative.
She is always thinking about how to find the best outcome for her client. She has a mix of creativity, advocacy skills, and deep empathy for her clients.
Marguerite was straightforward and direct. She was friendly, supportive and communicative.
She is always thinking about how to find the best outcome for her client. She has a mix of creativity, advocacy skills, and deep empathy for her clients.