Cozen O’Connor announced that nationally prominent trial attorney and Jones Day partner John B. Williams will join the firm’s litigation department, practicing out of its rapidly expanding Washington, DC office. Williams litigates complex disputes involving a wide variety of commercial issues, including antitrust, intellectual property, environmental, RICO, defamation, and products liability.
With more than 30 years of trial experience, Williams has tried cases in 15 states and has appeared in more than 30 federal courts and seven courts of appeal. He most recently practiced with Jones Day, and prior to that was the head of the litigation section of Washington DC-based Collier Shannon Scott (now Kelley, Drye, and Warren). Williams has successfully represented such clients as R.J. Reynolds, Mobil Oil Corporation, Nextel, PCS Nitrogen, and G. Gordon Liddy. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and the past chair of the District of Columbia Section.
“John is a distinguished trial attorney of the highest caliber and we are thrilled to welcome him to the firm and to our Washington office, which is a key component of the firm’s strategic plan,” said Cozen O’Connor CEO Tad Decker.
Commercial Litigation Department Chair Jeffrey G. Weil added, “John’s joining marks the continued growth of our commercial litigation practice through the addition of high quality, high profile attorneys. John is a great example of an outstanding lawyer with many options available to him who chose to join Cozen O’Connor because of our unique culture and tradition of trial excellence.”
Cozen O’Connor’s strategic plan calls for a focus on Washington, DC. In the recent past, that office has acquired antitrust litigators Melissa Maxman and Ronald Wick from Baker Hostetler, and Jonathan Grossman from Hogan & Hartson. The firm also combined with DC-based Sher & Blackwell, LLP, an international transportation and government affairs law firm. Marcela Stras also joined from Baker Hostetler, practicing immigration and trade law.
Williams is an adjunct professor at the Columbus School of Law of the Catholic University of America. He is also on the faculty of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. John is a founder and chairman of the District of Columbia Breakthrough Collaborative, a nonprofit summer and after- school program for disadvantaged middle school students. He formerly served on the board of trustees of St. Andrews Episcopal School, where he was general counsel until 2002. He is a graduate of The Catholic University of America (J.D. 1978), and Hamilton College (A.B. 1974).
