William M Jay

Practice Areas

Willy Jay is a partner in Goodwin’s Appellate and Supreme Court Litigation practice. After ten years leading that practice, he recently became co-chair of Goodwin’s broader Complex Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice. Willy uses his deep experience litigating before the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Courts of Appeals, including more than 80 oral arguments, to help clients formulate winning appellate strategy. A former Assistant to the Solicitor General and Supreme Court clerk, he has argued 18 cases before the Supreme Court, briefed more than 60 Supreme Court cases on the merits, and briefed more than 150 cases at the certiorari stage. In recent years he argued five of the most significant intellectual-property cases at the Court, involving patent, copyright, and trademark law.

Willy has handled cases in every federal court of appeals as well. He has filed more than 400 briefs in federal and state appeals courts and argued in 12 federal circuits. He is a prominent advocate at the Federal Circuit, where he has argued 35 times and filed more than 120 briefs in patent appeals. Willy also regularly counsels clients on appellate strategy at the trial level, preparing and arguing key motions and post-trial briefing before district courts and federal and state administrative agencies.

Willy has particular experience in appellate cases involving intellectual property (including patent, copyright, and trademark law), financial services, administrative law (with a particular focus on pharmaceutical regulation), environmental law, class action practice, federal preemption of state law, and the First Amendment (including campaign finance regulation, election law, and election crimes).

Personal

JD, Harvard Law School 2001 (magna cum laude); AB, Harvard College 1998 (magna cum laude).