August 7, 2023
Willkie’s Washington, DC office was featured in a Law.com article focusing on its recent growth, wide range of practices, appeal to laterals and recent high-profile matters.
The article highlights that the office has grown by approximately 40 percent over the past three years, including adding high-profile lateral partners this year, such as Investigations & Enforcement partners Timothy Heaphy and Soumya Dayananda, antitrust partner Katrina Robson and asset management partner Brian Baltz.
Willkie’s Washington, DC office was launched over 40 years ago, but its recent growth has focused on areas of critical importance to our clients. Washington, DC office Managing Partner David Mortlock noted that Willkie is “[n]ot just providing small pieces of advice here and there, but really major investigations, major compliance issues, and both for the firm's corporate practice and as a destination practice for other clients that are coming to us for the D.C. practice."
The article reports that some other major law firms have chosen to focus their Washington, DC offices on servicing institutional clients, while Willkie’s offering in the district is more broad and includes litigation, corporate and regulatory capabilities. Willkie has focused on establishing “destination practices” in Washington, DC, including in the areas of investigations and enforcement, crisis management and global trade and investment, among others.
Michael Gottlieb, Washington, DC-based partner and member of Willkie’s Executive Committee, noted that Willkie is focused on providing full-service "destination practices" in Washington, DC and "not just providing service capabilities to clients in New York or other offices." He noted how Willkie has diversified its litigation practices in Washington, DC, now having capabilities across several areas, including communications, patent, insurance, class actions and more.
The article highlights several recent high-profile matters handled by lawyers in Willkie’s Washington, DC office, including representing the Office of the President of Ukraine on U.S. sanctions laws and export controls against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, led by David Mortlock; securing a win for Body Fit Training in a patent infringement case, led by Indranil Mukerji and Stephen Marshall; and representing Fulton County Georgia election workers Wandrea "Shaye" Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, pro bono in a defamation case against Rudy Giuliani, led by Michael Gottlieb and Meryl Governski.
The Washington, DC office’s growth is paralleled with Willkie’s overall growth, including opening four new offices in the past five years and a revenue increase of 13.1% to $1.38 billion in 2022.
Read the full article here.
