Based in Washington DC, Williams & Connolly LLP is home to ‘top notch litigators’ experienced at all levels of the US justice system. The firm is characterized by its First Amendment expertise that attracts clients from the media sector looking to defend against defamation lawsuits. Co-chair Thomas Hentoff is a seasoned copyright litigator who recently represented photographer Lynn Smith in a Supreme Court case with wide implications for IP and the ’fair use’ defense. Co-chair Joseph Terry is leading numerous complex matters and has also had success in significant media arbitrations. The firm’s third co-chair, Stephen Fuzesi, excels in First Amendment defense, representing media companies, journalists, and news organizations in defamation cases and government investigations. Nicholas Gamse assists his clients by identifying legal issues and matters of concern to help avoid litigation altogether, whereas Gloria Maier is key to the firm’s ability to defend clients in investigations and litigation brought by the DOJ.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Top notch litigators who actually know how to try to case, and build a case that can win at trial from day 1.'
'The firm has deep media law knowledge. For bet-the-company litigation, no one is better.’
‘Steve Fuzesi is incredibly knowledgeable, a great writer, and a strategic/practical thinker.'
Key clients
- The Washington Post
- CNN
- ABC
- Fox News Network
- MSNBC Cable
- CNBC
- NBCUniversal
- The Atlantic Monthly
- Hillary Clinton
- Shannon Sharpe
- Amazon
Work highlights
- Represented Lynn Goldsmith before the U.S. Supreme Court in an important appeal concerning the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts' alleged fair use defense to Ms. Goldsmith’s claim of copyright infringement.
- Represented a large group of media defendants in a defamation lawsuit filed by former coal CEO and U.S. Senate candidate Don Blankenship, alleging that the defendants mischaracterized his criminal history.
- Represented The Washington Post in a libel lawsuit filed in 2020 by former President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign, concerning two Post columns discussing allegations of Russian assistance to the campaign.
Lawyers
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Thomas G. Hentoff, Joseph M. Terry, Stephen J. Fuzesi