DOJ’s Fiercest Opponent Is Last of Its Kind as Industry Shifts

Williams & Connolly has become a Washington institution by bucking industry norms and waging war with the Justice Department.

The firm hardly ever hires federal prosecutors, who are courted heavily by other top white-collar defense shops seeking inroads at DOJ. It generally doesn’t poach lawyers from competitors and seldom loses attorneys to rivals, even as prominent partners elsewhere increasingly hop firms for larger paychecks. Operating out of a single office in Washington, it keeps its partnership roll short.

Williams & Connolly’s lawyers often thrive by putting the conduct of the prosecutors they go up against on trial, a tactic made ...